The Killers' Brandon Flowers performs at Coachella on Saturday
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

INDIO, California — In a recession year, it was only fitting that Coachella would come to an end with a power outage.

And perhaps even more fitting that the Cure continued on for two more songs — with no speakers or lights, just the help of thousands of backup singers (a.k.a. the audience).

Yes, this will be remembered as the year Coachella soldiered on. As the pocket guide put it, "On this 10th Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, take comfort in knowing that for at least 72 hours, we can put aside the woes of the world to revel in it. After all, there's a Beatle here."

There were 129 acts at this year's Coachella — a drop from the planned 131, after Glasvegas and the Clipse canceled at the last minute — but the one that mattered most was the 66-year-old music icon who lived and let die and let it be for a two-and-a-half-hour set that will go down in festival history.

(Check out photos from the Coachella festival here.)

Paul McCartney's show featured a dozen or so Beatles favorites, especially the encores (yes, there were many), along with songs from Wings, his solo material (the recent ukulele jam "Dance Tonight" was a highlight), dedications of fallen Beatles and even tracks from his side project, the Fireman.

Yes, Paul McCartney has a side project — maybe he even has a Twitter account too.

Speaking of micro-blogging artists ... Michael Franti closed his set on Saturday by telling the audience, "See you on Twitter."

It's a new world where bands are updating their fans on their every move, so the ability to make a connection through music has never been more important. McCartney and the Cure did that with ease, as did dozens of others, from the angelic-voiced Jenny Lewis to My Bloody Valentine, who connected via blistering guitar feedback.

And then there were some who struggled. M.I.A., in her first post-childbirth gig, phoned in a seven-song set full of annoying banter, an even more annoying horn sound every few seconds, and a big mess of music not unlike an earlier set from N.A.S.A.

	M.I.A., Killers, More At Coachella 2009

Girl Talk drew one of the dance tent's largest crowds, and as hard as he tried to entertain them with props and dancing on the table, all he really did was push "play" on a laptop.

Zane Lowe has a similar mash-up style and a lesser name, but the live elements (a few machines and scratching) in his show made a huge difference. And then along came DJ AM and Travis Barker, who took it to a whole 'nother level, with one of the most intense, awesome sets of the festival. Again, it was about soldiering on.

On Friday, keeping up with the lineup felt more like navigating a zoo, between Noah and the Whale, Dear and the Headlights, the Bug and Cage the Elephant. The latter band play hip-hop-infused blues rock (Kid Rock meets the White Stripes) and made their mark thanks to frontman Matt Shultz, a rock star-in-the-making.

The Ting Tings' set felt a bit slow, but they were still super fun to dance and sing along to. It was much of the same for Franz Ferdinand, thanks to their collection of party-starters, and Morrissey kept the party vibe in his following slot (as much as Morrissey parties, anyway).

Saturday was more serious, with challenging bands like TV on the Radio and Thievery Corporation (who brought out honorary Coachella mayor Perry Farrell for a song) rocking the Main Stage. Fleet Foxes and Band of Horses did the high-pitched-voice thing back-to-back on the Outdoor Theater.

The Killers wisely opened their headlining set with hits "Human" and "Somebody Told Me," reeling in fans before they could make an early run for the parking lot. It's not easy when Paul McCartney headlined the night before, but Brandon Flowers commands a stage no matter who he's competing with.

On Sunday, while the Cure worked through their catalog, Public Enemy saluted their 21-year-old landmark album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back by playing it from beginning to end. Chuck D's "how low can you go" voice is still as powerful as ever, and it felt good to see Flava Flav on a stage instead of a reality show.

On the Main Stage, Peter Bjorn and John showed they are continuing to improve as a live band, especially on their latest singles, "Lay It Down" and "Nothing to Worry About," both candidates for Coachella anthems of the year.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs know a thing or two about anthems and they proved a perfect soundtrack to the beautiful Sunday sunset.

Audrina Patridge from "The Hills" was among those spotted dancing to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Paris and Nikki Hilton hung out during M.I.A.'s performance, and Zac Efron took pictures with fans while waiting for My Bloody Valentine. Emile Hirsch, Tara Reid, Dita Von Teese and Chloë Sevigny were also in attendance.

Outside of the Empire Polo Fields, Kanye West attended the ultra-exclusive Frank Sinatra house party, and Jared Leto was seen dancing onstage at the Music Loves Fashion event at Hotel Riviera. Kid Cudi performed at the URB Magazine pool party, while Doug E. Fresh got on the mic at Viceroy Hotel party.

• M.I.A., The Killers, Lupe Fiasco, More At Coachella 2009

• The Killers
• Public Enemy
• Travis Barker
• DJ AM
• Girl Talk

The Killers' Brandon Flowers
Photo: John Shearer/ WireImage

One of winter's annual waiting games is finally over. After days of speculation, false deadlines, more speculation and a totally bogus leaked lineup posted by none other than Ryan Seacrest, the talent roster for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival was announced early Friday morning (January 30), and it's full of surprises.

In keeping with a recent trend of major heritage artists headlining on one night (Prince, Roger Waters), former Beatle Paul McCartney will top the bill for the first night of the 10th annual three-day desert fest (April 17-19) at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. It is McCartney's first-ever U.S. festival appearance, in support of his recent release under the Fireman moniker, Electric Arguments.

The Killers have the top-billing honors on the second night, along with a surprising second headliner, troubled British singer Amy Winehouse, who hasn't played a show in the U.S. in more than a year due to her ongoing struggles with drugs and health issues. The final night is topped by goth rock legends the Cure and reunited shoegazer icons My Bloody Valentine.

As always, the wildly eclectic festival will present a wide range of rock, noise, dance and indie acts, including Morrissey to Franz Ferdinand, iconic poet/crooner Leonard Cohen, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, mashup DJ Girl Talk, the Ting Tings, the Hold Steady, TV on the Radio, hush rockers Band of Horses and Fleet Foxes, pummeling metalists Mastodon, drum-and-DJ duo Travis Barker and DJ AM (a.k.a. TRAV$DJ-AM), buzzy Glaswegian rockers Glasvegas, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, possibly retiring rapper Lupe Fiasco, hip-hop legends Public Enemy and Swedish dance/trance queen Lykke Li.

The full lineup of the festival:

April 17:  Paul McCartney, Morrissey, Franz Ferdinand, Leonard Cohen, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Beirut, The Black Keys, Girl Talk, Silversun Pickups, the Ting Tings, the Crystal Method, Ghostland Observatory, Crystal Castles, the Airborne Toxic Event, We Are Scientists, N.A.S.A., Patton & Rahzel, M. Ward, the Presets, tThe Hold Steady, A Place to Bury Strangers, Felix da Housecat, Buraka Som Sistema, Ryan Bingham, Bajofondo, Peanut Butter Wolf, Noah & the Whale, White Lies, the Bug, Alberta Cross, Los Campesinos!, Craze & Klever, Molotov, Switch, Gui Boratto, Steve Aoki, the Aggrolites, People Under the Stairs, the Courteeners, Cage the Elephant, Dear and the Headlights.

April 18:  The Killers, Amy Winehouse, Thievery Corporation, TV on the Radio, Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes, MSTRKRFT, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Atmosphere, Mastodon, TRAV$DJ-AM, Henry Rollins, Crookers, Turbonegro, Hercules and Love Affair, Superchunk, Glasvegas, Dr. Dog, Drive-By Truckers, Booker T & the DBT's, Amanda Palmer, the Bloody Beetroots, Surkin, Para One (Live), Calexico, Liars, Bob Mould Band, Zane Lowe, Electric Touch, Blitzen Trapper, James Morrison, Drop the Lime, Glass Candy, Thenewno2, Gang Gang Dance, Billy Talent, Ida Maria, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Zizek, Cloud Cult, Tinariwen.

April 19:  The Cure, My Bloody Valentine, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Throbbing Gristle, Lupe Fiasco, Paul Weller, Peter Bjorn and John, X, Antony & the Johnsons, Roni Size, Public Enemy, Jenny Lewis, Groove Armada, Paolo Nutini, Christopher Lawrence, Lykke Li, The Kills, Okkervil River, M.A.N.D.Y., Clipse, Sebastien Tellier, F---ed Up, Perry Farrell, The Horrors, Late of the Pier, K'naan, Junior Boys, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Supermayer, No Age, Vivian Girls, Shepard Fairey, Themselves, Gaslight Anthem, the Knux, Mexican Institute of Sound, the Night Marchers, Marshall Barnes.

Tickets for the show go on sale on Friday at 12 p.m. ET, with three-day passes going for $269 and single-day tickets for $99, plus applicable fees. And, for the first time at Coachella, in a nod to the financial struggles affecting many Americans, promoters are offering the option to buy three-day tickets and onsite camping on a payment plan (50 percent down) through February 28.

• Paul McCartney
• The Killers
• The Cure
• My Bloody Valentine

T.I.
Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

T.I.'s lawyers gave a hint of how they plan to defend their client through motions filed in court on Monday seeking to suppress evidence seized from the rapper's vehicle during his October 13 arrest on federal weapons charges. The motions claim that the evidence against him and statements he made to authorities were illegally obtained. The Associated Press reports that attorneys for the rapper (born Clifford Harris) claim his car was searched without a warrant, consent or probable cause. They also claim that his detention might not have been appropriate, that statements he made to authorities might not have been voluntary and that agents may have failed to honor his rights. The motions don't go into details on the basis for the legal challenges, but state that more information will be filled in later. A judge had not made a ruling on the challenges at press time. ...

A judge suspended the driver's license of wrestler Hulk Hogan's son, Nick Bollea, for one year on Tuesday, in the wake of the 17-year-old's August crash that left his friend in critical condition, according to the AP. Bollea was arrested on November 7 on charges of reckless driving involving serious bodily injury, and the Tampa Tribune reported that the teen received a letter on Monday informing him of the suspension, as well as a letter ordering him to pay a fine for driving 106 mph before the crash, to avoid having his license suspended indefinitely. "We have the ability to suspend someone's license if we believe what they could be convicted of is a potential danger should this person remain on the road," said Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles spokeswoman Ann Nucatola. "We've deemed him dangerous to the general public on the road." ...

Despite their differences, the Wu-Tang Clan will be touring in support of their forthcoming album, The 8 Diagrams. The trek begins on December 15 in Chicago, and runs through January 26 in St. Petersburg, Florida. ... According to Bruce Springsteen's Web site, keyboard player Danny Federici, an original member of the E Street Band, has decided to take a leave of absence from Springsteen's current tour to undergo treatment for melanoma. Charles Giordano, who played with Bruce as a member of the Sessions band, will temporarily fill in for Federici until he's able to return. ... As I Lay Dying, August Burns Red, Evergreen Terrace and Still Remains are planning to hit the road together in January. The trek commences January 8 in San Luis Obispo, California, and runs through February 1 in Omaha, Nebraska. More dates are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. ...

The Cure's Robert Smith addressed rumors about him working with Ashlee Simpson in V magazine. "First of all, I was mostly shocked by how fantastically widespread that rumor was ... and by how quickly it spread," he said. "I know that people were really upset by the idea that I would do that and I suppose I can understand why, but it still seems so ridiculous to me. I took my nieces to see her perform in 'Chicago' on the West End and afterward they wanted to meet her, so we went backstage and said hello. I didn't understand what the big deal was. You can say what you want about her, but she can sing. Whether or not we'd actually do anything together, I don't know. I didn't see any reason to deny the rumor as I thought it was amusing and I never deny rumors anyway. There are a handful of singers that I'd rather pull my own fingernails out than be stuck in the same room with, but she isn't really one of them. We have no plans to collaborate, though. Believe it or not, she and I don't really run into each other. [He laughed.] Now, wait a second ... Ashlee is calling on my other line and I should probably take it." ...

The track list for Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo's forthcoming solo album, Alone — The Home Records of Rivers Cuomo, has been revealed. The album, due out December 18, will boast 17 tracks, including an early version of the band's 1995 hit "Buddy Holly," as well as the songs "Who You Callin' B---h?," "Dude We're Finally Landing," and "I Wish You Had an Axe Guitar." In related news, Weezer have titled their forthcoming album Tout Ensemble, according to the band's Web site. ...

Don Imus has certainly been called a lot of things in 2007 — racist, sexist, fired, you name it. King magazine, however, has another name for him: Man of the Year. Imus was given the mag's yearly big-dog award in the new issue. Huh? Editor-in-chief Jermaine Hall said Imus was honored for being a lighting rod in the urban community. ... Former New Kid on the Block Joey McIntyre and his wife, Barrett, welcomed a baby boy on Tuesday, People magazine reports. "The family is happy and healthy," a rep for McIntyre told the magazine. "Everyone's doing well and they're excited he made it here in time for Thanksgiving." McIntyre, 34, and his wife, 29, have not yet picked a name for the child. ...

According to the Florida Times-Union, former Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Artimus Pyle was arrested in St. John's County, Florida, on Monday, charged with failure to properly register as a sex offender. The 59-year-old, whose real name is Thomas Delmer Pyle, lives in Asheville, North Carolina. He was released from police custody Tuesday on $10,000 bail. Pyle pleaded guilty in 1993 to charges of attempted capital sexual battery by an adult on a victim younger than 12 and principal to lewd and lascivious on a child younger than 16. He was sentenced to eight years of probation and designated as a sex offender. His latest arrest stems from his recent attempt to renew his driver's license in Florida. Police claim he failed to register as a sex offender in Florida, which state law mandates, and detectives claim he has not lived at the address provided on his license renewal application for many years.

11.20.2007

Britney Spears is tired of being the only one under the microscope — so she hired a private investigator to pass some of the scrutiny on to ex-husband Kevin Federline, according to TMZ. But Federline's lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, doesn't seem to be worried about Brit's new hire. "I think that if that is what they need to do, or have to do, to have at it," Kaplan told UsMagazine.com. "I don't think it will, in any way, be a good expenditure of funds. But I can't stop that from happening." Kaplan also told the site that he doesn't think a P.I. would have much success following K-Fed around. "I don't think he would be concerned about it, and I don't think he has to change anything he is doing in order to address that," Kaplan said. ...

Kanye West got some cheery news from GQ magazine, which has named him one of the magazine's honorees for Men of the Year. West graces one of three separate covers for the mag, which also selected a former president (Bill Clinton) and James Bond himself (Daniel Craig) to keep the rapper company — not that he needs it. "I'm the number-one artist in the world right now. I'm the number-one human being in music," Kanye tells the mag. "That means any person who's living or breathing is number two. You are in the presence of a champion." Kanye also admits in his cover story that his feud with 50 Cent was his idea and a "complete publicity stunt." Also joining West, Clinton and Craig as honorees for the magazine's 12th annual list, which hits newsstands November 27 and can be found at the magazine's Web site, are Casey Affleck, Judd Apatow (along with his "comedy mafia" of Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill and Michael Cera), Simon Cowell, Daft Punk, Tom Hanks, Emile Hirsch, Lil Wayne, Robin Thicke and Rihanna. (Check out pictures from the magazine here.) ...

Timbaland and his fiancee, Monique Idlett, have given birth to a baby girl named Reign, a source close to the couple confirms to MTV News. Reign was born a few days ago, weighing in at nine pounds. ... Amy Winehouse talked to V magazine for the new issue, addressing everything from her embattled husband ("I love Blake so much — I'm a very lucky girl") to her beehive ("I haven't seen one person with one"). She also got back to the music, insisting that album number three won't be about the pressures of fame: "Who wants to listen to an album about having the [tabloids] camped outside your house?" ... Jessica Sierra, a 2005 "American Idol" finalist, pleaded no contest to felony charges of battery and cocaine possession in Tampa, Florida, according to People. She was sentenced to 12 months of probation. The 22-year-old was arrested April 29 after throwing a cocktail glass at a bar patron's head and was taken to jail, where cocaine was found in her purse. She has been undergoing drug and alcohol rehabilitation in California as part of a VH1 celebrity rehab reality show set to air next year. ...

Hey, guess who else didn't pay a dime for the new Radiohead album? Frontman Thom Yorke admitted to paying nothing for a download of In Rainbows during an interview with BBC 6. "There wasn't any point," he explained. "I just move some money from one pocket to the other." The release of the album online was a hard secret to keep, according to guitarist Ed O'Brien. "We had to literally tell no one," he said on BBC 6. "I didn't tell my wife we were going to release it like this." Yorke added that to avoid any early leaks, no one in the band or their camp was allowed to have a master recording of the album. ... The twisty saga of the wrongful-death lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department by the family of the Notorious B.I.G. has taken yet another turn. A judge ruled Friday that the lawsuit can add several new defendants because of newly discovered evidence, The Associated Press reports. Among the potential new defendants are former Death Row Records boss Marion "Suge" Knight, former police officer Rafael Perez and some other current and former LAPD officers. ...

On Tuesday (November 20), Nine Inch Nails released their Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D set, the last NIN album released by Interscope Records (fulfilling the band's contractual commitments to the label). In conjunction with the release, Trent Reznor was to launch the Web site Remix.NIN.com so fans could use the DVD-ROM contained within the LP — boasting all the source material in multi-track format — to do their own remixes of the songs, with Reznor's blessing. But when visitors reach the site, they'll find an image of an old man wearing glasses with $20 bills tucked behind each lens. In an essay on the site titled "Copyright Fun," Reznor explains the situation. He claims he was contacted over the weekend by Interscope, which owns the band's master files, and told the site wouldn't be happening. "Universal feels that if they host our remix site, they will be opening themselves up to the accusation that they are sponsoring the same technical violation of copyright they are suing companies [like YouTube and MySpace] for. Their premise is that if any fan decides to remix one of my masters with material Universal doesn't own — a 'mash-up,' a sample, whatever — and upload it to the site, they will be doing exactly what MySpace and YouTube are doing." The label said it would not host the remix site, insisting that the band host it, shifting the liability to Reznor. "We are challenged at the last second to find a way of bringing this idea to life without getting splashed by the urine as these media companies piss all over each other's feet," Reznor wrote. "We have a cool and innovative site ready to launch but we're currently scratching our heads as to how to proceed." ...

Fergie explains her infamous onstage pants-wetting episode in the December issue of Allure: She didn't want to disappoint her fans by being late. "I just did not stop on the way to go to the bathroom," she tells the mag, on newsstands November 27. "But yeah, I won't live that down. It won't happen again, though. Peeing is one of my rituals before going onstage." Fergie also tells the magazine that she's concerned about certain starlets' privacy when they're trying to kick a habit. "The thing that appalls me is that when you get these stories from inside rehab. That's supposed to be your sanctuary," said the singer, who fought a crystal meth addiction herself. "I know we live in a voyeuristic world right now, but how are you supposed to get better when people are constantly leaking stories about you when you're in rehab? It's not conducive to healing." ...

Mary J. Blige is the latest music superstar to get Apple's silhouette treatment in the latest iPod + iTunes commercial, featured on the iTunes product page. ... In other Apple news, in what may be proof that that the iTunes/Beatles embargo is finally ending, the first-ever Apple-sponsored Beatles podcast has launched on iTunes. The podcast, called "Help! Is on the Way," is a retrospective of the music from the film "Help!" ... Carrie Underwood, Ashley Tisdale, Natasha Bedingfield, Celine Dion, Sean Kingston and more artists will help light the tree during NBC's 10th annual "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" on November 28 at 8 p.m. ET. ...

Ozzy Osbourne's San Diego gig this evening has been postponed, due to a stomach virus — whose virus, it wasn't made clear. The concert will be rescheduled for December 2 and tickets for the original show will be honored. ... Though Tommy Lee isn't on the list, the lineup for the upcoming celebrity edition of "The Apprentice" is a motley crew indeed. The stars on tap are: "Sopranos" actor Vincent Pastore, former "Apprentice" castmember Omarosa, Kiss bassist Gene Simmons, actor Stephen Baldwin, "Taxi" star Marilu Henner, boxer Lennox Lewis, '80s supermodel Carol Alt, country singer Trace Adkins, gymnast Nadia Comaneci, a former Playboy Playmate, a former Olympic women's softball pitcher and UFC champ Tito Ortiz. The "celebrities" will not be competing for a job with Trump but to raise money for their favorite charities. ...

Former Iced Earth guitarist Ernie Carletti was convicted Monday of kidnapping and rape, stemming from his abduction of a University of Delaware student back in 2003. According to AP, a Superior Court jury in Wilmington, Delaware, found the 32-year-old musician guilty on two counts of first-degree rape and one count of first-degree kidnapping; he was acquitted on a related weapons charge. Carletti admitted to abducting the student, shackling her arms and legs, and then hog-tying her at his Maryland home until she began crying. During the trial, he testified that he did not have a gun and did not rape the woman. "Maybe I wasn't thinking clearly," he said. "It was just part of the effect. I didn't say she wanted it, but she did not deny it." The victim testified last week that she was waiting for a ride in nearby Newark, Delaware, when a stranger forced her into his car at gunpoint. She was handcuffed, shackled and blindfolded, then was driven to the man's home. After she was raped, she was driven back to Newark and left tied and blindfolded on West Main Street. Carletti's fingerprints were discovered on duct tape used to bind the woman; he faces separate charges in an alleged sexual assault that occurred while he was in high school. He faces up to two life prison terms. His sentencing date has not been announced.

• T.I.
• Wu-Tang Clan
• The Cure
• Ashlee Simpson
• Weezer

Britney Spears
Photo: Hot Shots Worldwide / Splash News/ Newscom

Looks like there's finally some good news for Britney Spears. The singer has been passing her court-ordered random drug tests and has a 50/50 chance of regaining custody of her children, her lawyer Sorrell Trope told People. Also, while Spears has lots of court dates to keep track of these days, she has one less for her calendar this week — her arraignment on misdemeanor driving charges (for hit and run, causing property damage and driving without a valid California license). Though her arraignment was scheduled for Wednesday, a Los Angeles judge decided Tuesday (October 9) that Spears could have until October 25 to enter a plea. The judge also ordered the singer to be booked by police and show proof of that booking by her arraignment, according to a court clerk. Spears' next hearing in her custody case will be the following day, on October 26. ...

Kiefer Sutherland will serve 30 days in Los Angeles County Jail as part of a plea deal in his DUI arrest, The Associated Press reports. He must also enroll in an 18-month alcohol-education class and go to weekly alcohol-therapy sessions for six months. On Tuesday, Sutherland's attorney Blair Berk entered a no-contest plea on the actor's behalf for driving with a blood-alcohol level over the legal limit, though a second misdemeanor DUI charge was dropped. The actor was most recently arrested for driving under the influence in Los Angeles in September — he was already on probation for a DUI arrest stemming from 2004. He will be sentenced December 21. ...

Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Linkin Park and — yes, you're reading this right — Daughtry are tied for the most American Music Awards nominations this year, it was announced Tuesday. Each artist earned three nods for various categories. In terms of pop/rock, Akon, Timbaland and Timberlake are facing off for Favorite Male Artist; Beyoncé, Fergie and Avril Lavigne are vying for Favorite Female Artist; Linkin Park, Maroon 5 and Nickelback are competing for Favorite Band, Duo or Group; and Daughtry, LP's Minutes to Midnight and JT's FutureSex/LoveSounds are going head to head for Favorite Album. As for rap/hip-hop, Fabolous, T.I. and Young Jeezy are vying for Favorite Male Artist; Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Pretty Ricky and Shop Boyz for Favorite Band, Duo or Group; and Bone Thugs' Strength & Loyalty, T.I.'s T.I. vs. T.I.P. and Jeezy's The Inspiration for Favorite Album. And on the soul/R&B front, Akon, Ne-Yo and T-Pain are up for Favorite Male Artist; Beyoncé, Fantasia and Rihanna are squaring off for Favorite Female Artist; Beyoncé's B'Day, R. Kelly's Double Up and JT's FutureSex/LoveSounds have been nominated for Favorite Album. There are also Favorite Artist categories for adult-contemporary music (Daughtry, Norah Jones and John Mayer); alternative rock (Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance and the White Stripes) and Latin music (Daddy Yankee, Juan Luis Guerra y 440 and Jennifer Lopez). Daughtry, Plain White T's and Robin Thicke have been noticed for Favorite Breakthrough Artist, while Carrie Underwood landed two country-music noms: for Favorite Female Artist and Favorite Album (Some Hearts). For the first time, the AMAs are opening up voting to the general public online — it began Tuesday on the AMA site and ends November 2. The show, to be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will be broadcast live at Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre on November 18 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. ...

John Graziano, the young Marine who was injured in Nick Hogan's car crash in late August, is on life support and will require lifelong care, Florida's St. Petersburg Times reports. According to documents obtained by the newspaper, the 22-year-old Graziano will, at best, be able to open and close his eyes from time to time. His mother is petitioning a judge to let her assume guardianship of her son, who remains in critical condition. A hearing will be held Wednesday. ...

Rehab was a "sobering" experience for Lindsay Lohan, she told In Touch in her first interview since leaving Utah's Cirque Lodge Treatment Center on Friday. The actress also insisted that while she went to the clubs right after finishing a rehab stint in July, she's not going to be rekindling her nightlife anytime soon — to avoid distractions, she'll be staying in Utah until she starts shooting the upcoming flick "Dare to Love Me." "Going out all the time was very self-destructive," she said. "Partying and having all of those pictures taken distracts from the work that I do. It's not why I started acting. I didn't get into acting to be written about. ... I want to act like a woman rather than a teenager. I am doing the best I can." Lohan also opened up about seeing her estranged father for the first time in more than three years, while at Cirque Lodge. "It was really good for me ... it was really important for me to get a connection back with my dad, because I hadn't had that in a while." And if you heard those rumors about Lohan developing a relationship with a man while in rehab ... well, apparently they were true. "Yes, I am seeing someone," she confirmed. "His name is Riley. I am really happy and taking it day by day." The Riley in question is Riley Giles, a 25-year-old snowboarder from California. Last but not least, just as Paris Hilton said she was committing herself to philanthropic efforts after her own debacle, Lohan revealed that she's trying to put together a December trip to Africa with the Red Cross. ...

"Hannah Montana" fans will want to change the channel from Disney to ABC on Tuesday night when Miley Cyrus breaks out a new duet with her father, Billy Ray, on "Dancing With the Stars." The two will perform "Ready, Set, Don't Go" on the results show, with the single hitting country-radio stations immediately afterward. ... What do Diddy, Panic! at the Disco's Ryan Ross and Fred Durst have in common? They've all earned the less-than-distinguished honor of being selected for Blender's "The 40 Worst Lyricists in Rock" list. Will.I.Am, Billy Corgan, Anthony Kiedis, Common, Dashboard Confessional, Timbaland and, of course, Kevin Federline, also make the (F) grade, with Sting landing in the #1 spot. The list appears in the magazine's November issue, which streets October 16. ... Kid Rock commented to Dave Letterman about his ex-wife Pamela Anderson's recent remarriage — she got hitched to Rick Salomon in Las Vegas over the weekend. After making a salty remark about the couple on "The Late Show With David Letterman," he quipped, "I wish them much happiness." ...

Wyclef Jean seems to be the go-to guy for special causes these days. After playing at "CGI and MTV Present: Giving - Live at the Apollo" late last month, he's now been tapped for another special performance, at supermodel Petra Nêmcová's upcoming Heart of Gold Ball benefit auction. The event, to take place Wednesday at Cipriani Wall Street in New York, will have various sports, travel and event packages up for auction. All proceeds will go to Nêmcová's Happy Hearts Fund, which supports education and medical and emotional support for children affected by natural disasters. ... Say what you will about those rumors of Britney Spears putting in an application for a fall-back bartending gig while staying at the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica, California, last week. The manager at the hotel's Cameo Bar tells MTV News that while Spears has been there in the past, anyone applying has to have one to two years of fine-dining experience and must pass a drug test. The manager didn't confirm whether Spears had in fact submitted an application. ...

Avenged Sevenfold will play a free gig at the Key Club in West Hollywood, California, on October 20. The set will be taped for later broadcast on MySpace's "The List." Want in? No problem. Just show up in your Halloween costume and get there early — entry to the show will be on a first-come, first-served basis. ... Jimmy Eat World are going all in with their new single "Big Casino," fashioning their Chase This Light album-release party after the gambling concept. On Monday, the band will turn Los Angeles' El Rey Theatre into a faux casino, with fans able to play poker, blackjack, craps and other games for prizes — a flyaway to see the band perform in another city, JEW merchandise, El Rey tickets and more. The band will end the evening with an intimate set as Chase This Light drops at midnight. Entrants will get gambling money and a commemorative poster. ...

Causes, a charity album benefiting three organizations working to stop the genocide in Darfur, will be released on iTunes on November 27 and feature exclusive and rare tracks from Bloc Party, the Shins, Bright Eyes, Animal Collective, the Cure, Death Cab for Cutie, the (International) Noise Conspiracy, Travis and Spoon. All proceeds will go to Doctors Without Borders, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam America. The album will only be available on iTunes for 90 days, though a limited-edition CD can be ordered right here. ... Queens of the Stone Age are booked for "The Late Show With David Letterman" on Wednesday and are expected to perform their latest single, "3's & 7's." ...

R.E.M. are teeing up a new album for the spring, and what better place to reveal some of it than on ... CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360"? On Wednesday, Michael Stipe and company will perform "Until the Day Is Done," which will be synced up to clips of CNN's "Planet in Peril" environmental documentary. The song will also play over the doc's closing credits and appear on the band's yet-untitled spring LP. R.E.M. Live, a CD/DVD that stands as the band's first concert release, is due October 16. ... Hot Rod Circuit have called it a day. The band issued a statement about the split but didn't offer a reason for it. The boys thanked their fans for supporting them and said they'll miss playing live gigs. ... Senator Hillary Clinton's 60th birthday bash has just gotten a little bit sweeter: Elvis Costello will perform at the Thursday concert, to be held at New York's Beacon Theatre. Tickets range from $250-$2,300 for the bash, for which 2,800 people are expected to attend. Let's hope Costello isn't planning to jump out of a cake. ...

Capitol/Priority is putting some shine on classic rap material with a pair of releases from the vault. N.W.A's Straight Outta Compton is getting the 20th-anniversary treatment via a bonus-track-laden reissue due December 4. The set will feature five extras: a live version of "Compton's N the House" performed by Dr. Dre and MC Ren, and covers of Compton tracks by Snoop Dogg and C-Murder, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Mack-10 and WC. Also on the way is the label's Featuring ... Eazy-E, which pulls together his top collaborations and hard-to-find solo recordings. Four out-of-print tracks are getting new life on the disc, including his "Beverly Hills Cop III" soundtrack contribution, "Luv 4 Dem Gangsta'z," and a rare "We Want Eazy" remix. That disc hits stores December 4 too. ...

Jammie Thomas, the woman who was hit last week with the first-ever copyright infringement jury verdict, said she plans to appeal the $220,000 fine. She announced the decision on her MySpace page, explaining that her lawyer's appeal will take issue with the jury's decision that making songs available online violates copyright laws. "This would stop the RIAA dead in their tracks," she wrote. "Every single suit they have brought has been based on this making-available theory, and if we can win this appeal, they would actually have to prove a file was shared." At press time, Thomas announced that more than $3,800 had been raised so far on FreeJammie.com. ... TiVo has announced that it will offer users of its set-top boxes access to Rhapsody's library of more than 4 million songs. (Rhapsody is part of a joint venture with Viacom Inc., MTV's parent company.) TiVo subscribers with broadband boxes will be able to listen to music streamed over the Internet from Rhapsody in the coming months, though they won't be able to download songs through their TiVo box.

08.08.07

Mariah Carey has a suggestion for troubled young female celebs: Find your center. When asked by Glamour what words of advice she would give Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears, she replied, "I wouldn't want to speak to those people specifically, but I would say you need to be very centered, and spiritually know where you're at, all the time. Don't read the tabloids. Don't be obsessed with what people are writing or saying. Live your life for you. My lifestyle has changed since making it. It's not a financial struggle, but I'm still struggling in a lot of ways." Carey graces the cover of the magazine's November issue. ...

Diddy has had a tumultuous few days — first he was sued by a former associate who claimed the hip-hop mogul owes him $19 million for work by the Notorious B.I.G., and then he accepted legal responsibility for his sixth child, The Associated Press reports. In the suit, James Sabatino claims he flew the late rapper to Miami in 1994 to play a gig and hit the studio — he recorded a 17-minute freestyle session, and 90 minutes of Biggie video was allegedly captured on video as well. Since Sabatino paid for the travel expenses and studio time, he says it was understood that the music and video belonged to him, even though a contract was never signed. Diddy claims the delay was due to Los Angeles police naming Sabatino as a person of interest in Biggie's death and that it might be misconstrued if people discovered Bad Boy had paid Sabatino. The ex-associate was later imprisoned on unrelated charges but continued trying to get the money from Diddy and was told it would be coming soon, the suit alleges. Sabatino is seeking $19 million for actual and punitive damages. While that dilemma recently emerged, Diddy put another one to rest when he took legal responsibility for his 15-month-old daughter, Chance — who is said to have factored into his split with ex-girlfriend Kim Porter. Diddy previously denied he had fathered the child of an Atlanta woman, Sarah Chapman, but has acknowledged that DNA tests have confirmed that he is the father. Diddy has arranged support terms and visitation over his daughter with Chapman. ...

Trent Reznor is a free man. According to a post on Nine Inch Nails' Web site, he and his band have fulfilled their contractual obligations to Interscope. "I've waited a long time to be able to make the following announcement: As of right now, Nine Inch Nails is a totally free agent, free of any recording contract with any label," he said in the post. "I have been under recording contracts for 18 years and have watched the business radically mutate from one thing to something inherently very different and it gives me great pleasure to be able to finally have a direct relationship with the audience as I see fit and appropriate. Look for some announcements in the near future regarding 2008. Exciting times, indeed." NIN were signed to TVT prior to joining Interscope in 1994. ...

Beanie Sigel's attorney says the rapper will surrender to authorities next week after an arrest warrant was issued for his failure to return a rented car, AP reports. Sigel (real name: Dwight Grant) is planning to face the charges on October 15, Fortunado Perri told the news service, elaborating that the Payless rental car — which was due back in August and reported stolen September 6 — is being covered. "Whatever money is owed to the company has been paid or will be paid shortly," Perri added. The car was returned to Payless on Friday as detectives were on their way to arrest Sigel at his home in the Philadelphia suburb of Lansdale. It is not yet known who returned the vehicle, which had accumulated $5,000 in late fees. ...

Paris Hilton's alleged bean spillage during VMA weekend aside, Christina Aguilera isn't doing too good a job keeping her supposed pregnancy under wraps. "Access Hollywood" reports that Aguilera picked out a baby registry at a trendy boutique in West Hollywood, California, on Saturday night. With husband Jordan Bratman and his mother and sister in tow, the singer shopped for blankets, bottles, bags and other items for what "AH" called an "upcoming baby shower." ...

Want to live just like Ozzy and Sharon? Your chance is about to arrive. The Osbournes are planning to auction art, furniture and collectibles from their homes in Southern California and England, with a portion of proceeds going to the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Foundation. Items up for sale include Jack Osbourne's black leather bedroom furniture, a cast-iron crucifix that was hung in Ozzy's den and other memorable objects that appeared on "The Osbournes." The auction will be held November 30-December at the Gibson Guitar Showroom in Beverly Hills — although bids can also be placed by phone or online — and Ozzy will also perform a related benefit show at Los Angeles' Staples Center the first night. Expect to hear plenty more from Ozzy in the near future, by the way: In addition to his upcoming tour with Rob Zombie, he'll likely be headlining Ozzfest next year, according to Billboard. When asked if he would be at the top of the bill, he said, "As far as I know." He did not say whether the fest would be free again, stipulating that it was Sharon's decision. He did, however, say he's still up for recording a new Black Sabbath album, though the band's plans are up in the air. ...

Amy Winehouse, the Arctic Monkeys, Paul McCartney and Kylie Minogue were honored at the annual Q awards on Monday (October 8). Winehouse's Back to Black earned Best Album, the Monkeys were named Best Act in the World Today, Macca was awarded as a Q Icon and Minogue landed Q Idol honors. ... Speaking of Winehouse, producer Mark Ronson tells RollingStone.com, "As soon as I finish up the Daniel Merriweather record, I am going back into the studio with Amy Winehouse to work on her new record. ... She is actually dying to go back into the studio already. ... She can't go in November because she is on tour, so we are figuring it out." Winehouse's second album, Back to Black, hit U.S. stores in March. ...

A new book claims that Bono's daughter, Jordan Hewson, was nearly kidnapped by Irish criminals as part of an abduction plot 10 years ago, according to The Irish Examiner. Author Frances Cahill, daughter of murdered crime boss Martin Cahill, says in her recently released book, "Martin Cahill, My Father," that her dad stopped the alleged plot, through which five other Irish criminals were hoping to get a multimillion-dollar ransom from the singer (the U.S. equivalent of roughly $8 million). "He told them it was a bad idea," Cahill reportedly writes in the book. "Martin had nothing against Bono's family. They had never done him any harm and he wasn't going to get involved." ...

Deftones have begun work on the follow-up to last year's Saturday Night Wrist, which took the band more than three years to record and release. According to a MySpace post from the guys, they've been working on the effort since late July and will maintain a blog to document the recording process. ... In addition to the standard CD version of their new self-titled album, Avenged Sevenfold will also be releasing a MVI version of the effort on October 30. The interactive DVD will feature a making-of featurette, a studio tour, pre-encoded MP3s of all the tracks, an animated short and more. ...

Cribs bassist Gary Jarman was hospitalized over the weekend and has been treated for blood poisoning, his publicist confirmed to MTV News. It's believed the rocker contracted the condition after accidentally cutting himself with the strings of his bass during a recent gig. He had complained of pains in his arms on Saturday but managed to make a gig in Sheffield, England, that same night. He was admitted early Sunday morning and is doing fine, according to his publicist. ... Want to get down and dirty with Moby? Stop by New York's Hiro Ballroom on Thursday night when he, Juan McClean, Stretch Armstrong and DFA artist Alex Frankel christen his new DJ series, called "Degenerates." Moby will tinker around with new material as part of the residency, which is expected to be ongoing and will encompass additional DJs. ...

Jena, Louisiana, Mayor Murphy R. McMillin is lashing out over John Mellencamp's new track "Jena," which the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-nominated rocker recently wrote and posted online (with an accompanying video) in support of the Jena Six. "The town of Jena has for months been mischaracterized in the media and portrayed as the epicenter of hatred, racism and a place where justice is denied," McMillin reportedly told AP. "However, the Mellencamp video is so inflammatory, so defamatory, that a line has been crossed and enough is enough. ... I do not want to diminish the impression that the hanging of the nooses has had on good people. I do recognize that what happened is insulting and hurtful. ... [But] to put the incident in Jena in the same league as those who were murdered in the 1960s cheapens their sacrifice and insults their memory." Prior to the mayor's reaction, Mellencamp discussed his intention behind the track via a post on his site. "The song is not written as an indictment of the people of Jena but, rather, as a condemnation of racism," he wrote. ...

Bruce Springsteen defended his anti-war stance in an interview with "60 Minutes" that aired Sunday, telling correspondent Scott Pelley that it would be "unpatriotic" not to speak out on his new album, Magic, and accompanying tour. "It's unpatriotic at any given moment to sit back and let things pass that are damaging to someplace that you love so dearly and that has given me so much," Springsteen said. "I still feel and see it as a beacon of hope and possibility. That part of America is live and well." He also sounded off on other political issues of the day, saying, "When people think of the American identity, they don't think of torture. They don't think of illegal wiretapping. They don't think of voter suppression. They don't think of no habeas corpus. No right to a lawyer ... you know. Those are things that are anti-American." ...

Not too long ago, the thought of a Police reunion tour was inconceivable. Now comes news that the rock legends, who are currently on tour in Europe, might throw together a new studio effort while they're at it. "I would see it as a challenge, to make an absolutely brilliant pop album at this stage of our career, and that would be something quite remarkable," guitarist Andy Summers told reporters in Dublin, Ireland, over the weekend, according to AP. But he added that the trio have not discussed the project in detail and that the reunion tour is "all-devouring." ...

Maybe the third time will indeed be the charm for Pamela Anderson, who married Rick Salomon — perhaps best known for making that sex tape with Paris Hilton — on Saturday in Las Vegas. Anderson wore a white denim Valentino dress, People reports, and the vows were squeezed in between the 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. shows of Hans Klok's "The Beauty of Magic," which Anderson is a part of, at the Planet Hollywood resort. It's Anderson's third marriage and Salomon's second.

• Britney Spears' Ongoing Saga: What's Next?

• Britney Spears
• Lindsay Lohan
• Justin Timberlake
• Beyoncé
• Diddy

Britney Spears (file)
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

50 Cent, Common, Nicole Scherzinger and others have all had their say about Britney Spears' VMA performance — now the "American Idol" judges are having at her. "We've decided that we're all going to collectively manage Britney," Simon Cowell remarked at a press conference earlier this week, according to "Access Hollywood." "We're going to manage Britney, take her career over," Randy Jackson added. Cowell snickered that he would "keep her away from the stupid friends, buy her some underwear," while Paula Abdul — as always — tried to put a positive spin on her VMA performance: "I never count her out." Spears' fellow former teen icon Joey Fatone has also chimed in on the performance, telling "Extra," "I felt bad but didn't. It looked like she was really lost. A lot of people ... really want her to seek help ... there's something not right here, something needs to obviously be done before anything tragic happens. She's a great girl ... I've known her for many years." ...

In other Brit news, she attended an unscheduled meeting with Kevin Federline and his attorney on Wednesday — five days before they were due to meet before a family court judge. The meeting was reportedly held at the Century City, California, offices of Spears attorney Laura Wasser. Federline has been trying to seek full custody of the former spouses' two sons, Jayden James and Sean Preston. ...

Lil' Kim — who took a swipe at 50 Cent on her 2005 LP, The Naked Truth — is finding herself right alongside him in a new lawsuit filed by a record producer, The Associated Press reports. Carlos Evans claims in papers recently filed in a New York court that he was contracted to produce, engineer and mix Kim's "Magic Stick" (featuring 50 Cent), a song that sold 2 million copies, but that he wasn't paid the royalties he was promised. He adds that while he was paid the $7,500 advance he was guaranteed for the song, his requests for a royalties audit have been ignored. His suit seeks $1 million in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages. Theodore Sedlmayr, a lawyer for Rotten Apple Records — which is also named in the suit — told AP the late-royalty problems stem from the fact that Evans put a lengthy sample, which had to be licensed and paid for, in the song. "Atlantic is trying to get it straightened out. If after the accounting Mr. Evans is entitled to anything, he'll get it then," Sedlmayr told the news service. ....

Snoop Dogg, Talib Kweli, Mobb Deep, DMC and others will come together November 29 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York for the J.A.M. Awards, a Jam Master Jay- and Run-DMC-inspired event intended to reflect the positive aspects of rap. The event — being put on by Hot 97, the Jam Master Jay Foundation for Music and other organizations — will be co-hosted by DMC, who said in a statement that it "is not designed merely for music fans, but also for people who want to see hip-hop answer its critics with a resounding voice of hope and inspiration." Eminem has also donated money for the cause, and the shindig will also feature Raekwon, Papoose and other to-be-named artists. ...

Beyoncé, Gwen Stefani and Jennifer Lopez are this year's best-dressed women, according to People. Kirsten Dunst and Janet Jackson aren't so lucky, though — they're cited for wearing the worst red-carpet dresses of the year in the magazine's "Best & Worst Dressed" issue, out Friday. Angelina Jolie, Jessica Biel, Cameron Diaz, Avril Lavigne, Lily Allen and Reese Witherspoon are also noted in the issue, as are a handful of men: Terrence Howard, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt and George Clooney among them. ... Shakira, teacher's pet? Perhaps: PeopleEnEspanol.com reports that the singer has been taking Western-civ classes at the University of California, Los Angeles, over the course of the summer. ...

The White Stripes, who announced earlier this week that their U.S. tour would be scrapped due to Meg White's acute anxiety, have tabled their U.K. tour as well, BBC News reports. The band's eight-date arena tour, which was slated for October 24-November 2, would have been its largest U.K. trek to date. ... Foo Fighters have drummed up four shows in addition to their scheduled Saturday performance at Southern California radio station KROQ's LA Invasion. The band — which drops its Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace on September 25 — will grace New York (September 20); New Orleans (October 2); Atlanta (October 4); and Atlantic City, New Jersey (October 6). The rock act will also tape a performance for the "Nissan Live Sets on Yahoo! Music" series on Tuesday and be the featured musical guest on "Saturday Night Live" on October 13. ...

Queens of the Stone Age — who performed with the Foos during the VMAs — apparently have an unlikely fan in "chef-at-large" Anthony Bourdain. They stopped by his "No Reservations" Travel Channel show last week to shoot an appearance for the program. In the episode, Bourdain is cooking a holiday meal in his Connecticut home while the band is performing in the basement. QOTSA emerge wearing cheesy Christmas sweaters, dine with Bourdain and perform the holiday jingle "Silver Bells," retitled "Turkey Bells." The ep also allegedly features karaoke, Christmas carols and a Japanese businessman, so stay tuned. ... System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian — who also performed with the Foos — has announced a bunch of tour dates in support of his solo debut, Elect the Dead, which hits stores October 23. His North American tour kicks off October 12 at the Vic Theatre in Chicago and will make stops in Toronto, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Dallas, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, before concluding October 28 in San Francisco. ...

Led Zeppelin are getting a whole lotta love from fans after announcing a one-off reunion gig on Wednesday. More than 20 million fans have attempted to get tickets for the November 26 concert at the O2 arena in London in honor of late music icon Ahmet Ertegun, according to Agence France Presse. The venue can hold up to 20,000 people, and a lottery is being held in which tickets will be drawn at random. ...

Prince is planning to sue eBay, YouTube and other Web sites as part of an effort to "reclaim the Internet," according to the MediaGuardian.co.uk. Lawsuits pertaining to his material will be launched in the U.S. and U.K. through the anti-piracy firm Web Sheriff, which represents Prince. Over the course of the past two weeks, the artist's legal reps have asked for the removal of more than 2,000 videos that are alleged to have been uploaded illegally online. Web Sheriff Managing Director John Giacobbi said Prince "wants to create a template for other artists" but that he "doesn't really want to go around suing people — he'd much rather people just respected his rights. He will be victorious." ...

A security guard who worked a Guns N' Roses concert nearly 11 years ago is suing Axl Rose for battery and negligence, according to court documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court in late August and obtained by TMZ.com. Gary Armijo claims that he was positioned at the front of the stage at the GN'R show in Universal City, California, on December 20, 1996, and that the singer came to the front of the stage and intentionally kicked the guard in the head, causing injuries. Armijo says he has experienced pain and suffering, sleeplessness, headaches and loss of earnings, and has incurred medical expenses as well. ...

The Cure have rescheduled for next year 18 of the 19 gigs they had intended to play in North America this year. The band's 4Tour North America run will now take them from May 9 in Washington, D.C., through June 20 in New York. In between will be an additional performance at the Sasquatch! Music Festival in George, Washington, on May 25 — the band has been promised a show-closing 150-minute slot for the fest. Those who want refunds on their 2007 tickets can do so at the original point of purchase until November 1. ... "Spawn" creator and toy magnate Todd McFarlane told Reuters he's spawning plans to direct a feature flick. He said he's eyeing low-budget concepts: "You're going to have some young kid do those anyway, so let me have a crack at it." McFarlane was at the annual GameStop convention, showcasing a new lineup of toys based on "Halo 3." ...

Bobby Byrd, James Brown's longtime sideman and co-singer, died of cancer on Wednesday, according to The Augusta Chronicle of Georgia. Byrd sung the classic "get on up" refrain in "Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine." He was also the co-founder of the Famous Flames, which became Brown's first backing band.

09.12.07

From all indications, it doesn't look like we'll be getting a new Eminem album anytime soon. The seldom-heard-from MC called up New York's Hot 97 on Wednesday afternoon (September 12) to congratulate 50 Cent on the release of Curtis. Em also told host Angie Martinez he was "in limbo" and "debating" about when — and if — he would put out another LP. Later he elaborated: "I'm always working, I'm always in the studio. It feels good right now, the energy of the label. For a while, I don't wanna go back to the negative stuff. ... Going through some personal things, coming out of those personal things, it feels good." Em also noted that he has been in the studio every day working on projects for his Shady label. ...

While we're on the subject, it's only a day in, but the retail cage match between 50 and Kanye West could be headed for a blowout. Billboard says 'Ye's Graduation is on track to sell about 575,000-700,000 copies its first week out, while 50's Curtis is on pace for about 550,000. Kenny Chesney, this week's other big contender, is on track to sell 400,000-550,000 units of his Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates. The mag reports that SoundScan has tallied the one-day figures as well: West sold 437,000 copies while 50 moved 310,000. To add insult to injury, West even appears to be crushing at some stores in 50's hometown of New York. ...

Despite the poor reception Britney Spears received for her performance at the VMAs on Sunday night, early reaction to her forthcoming LP appears surprisingly tame. People magazine's Chuck Arnold has reportedly heard five tracks from the yet-untitled November 13 release, one of which he called an "early fave" ("Heaven on Earth"), and Entertainment Weekly's Leah Greenblatt likens one song, "Break the Ice," to Nelly Furtado's "Say It Right" — both tunes were produced by Danjahandz. ...

Looks like Remy Ma has gotten herself into more trouble, according to TMZ.com. The site reports that the rapper has been released on $250,000 bail and was forced to hand over her passport after allegedly roughing up a man at the Players Club in the Bronx, New York, in mid-August. The man was allegedly the boyfriend of a possible witness in her July 14 assault case — during the incident, Remy Ma is alleged to have shot her longtime friend Makeda Barnes-Joseph after a disagreement over money. In addition to the assault and weapons charges she's been hit with for the July incident, a district attorney's office spokesperson reportedly told the site that she will now also face charges of gang assault, tampering with a witness, intimidating a victim and third-degree assault. She is due in court September 20 to review her bail privileges. ...

Aretha Franklin has been hammering away at her duets LP for more than three years, and now — shortly before Reba McEntire's star-studded Reba Duets LP hits stores Tuesday — comes news that she's got the disc in the can. Jewels in the Crown: All-Star Duets With the Queen, due November 13, is bolstered by Mary J. Blige ("Don't Waste My Time," "Never Gonna Break My Faith"); Mariah Carey ("Chain of Fools"); John Legend (on the new track "What Y'All Came to Do"); Whitney Houston ("It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be") and Fantasia (on the album's first single, "Put You Up on Game"). Also featured on the album is a rendition of the Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (featuring guitarist Keith Richards) and two collaborations with late male crooners: "What Now My Love" (Frank Sinatra) and "Doctor's Orders" (Luther Vandross). ...

The three living members of English hard-rock legends Led Zeppelin — singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones — have confirmed their long-rumored performance at a November 26 concert at the O2 arena in London in honor of late music icon Ahmet Ertegun. The show, in support of the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund, will pay tribute to the Atlantic Records founder and feature the Zeppelin trio joined by Jason Bonham, son of late Zep drummer John Bonham. Though Page and Plant have played and recorded together since the group's demise in 1980 following Bonham's death, they have been estranged from Jones for much of that time and the trio have not performed together since an Atlantic Records anniversary concert in 1988. The O2 show will also feature Who guitarist Pete Townshend, Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings, Foreigner and Paolo Nutini. "During the Zeppelin years, Ahmet Ertegun was a major foundation of solidarity and accord," Plant said in a statement. "For us he was Atlantic Records and remained a close friend and conspirator — this performance stands alone as our tribute to the work and the life of our longstanding friend." ...

Show your bling, Diddy: Per a motion filed Monday, the hip-hop mogul is being asked to present photos of his jewelry for inspection in the assault case filed against him, TMZ.com reports. Gerald Rechnitzer alleges that Diddy hit him in the jaw as he was leaving an Oscar afterparty in Hollywood on February 25. According to TMZ, the motion — which was filed by Michael M. Marzban, Rechnitzer's lawyer — claims, "Needles to say, [Sean] Combs does not wear simple rings ... the rings he wore when he struck (Rechnitzer) are important and critical to the bio-mechanics of this case." The motion also requests that Diddy produce additional documents and reveal how much alcohol he may have consumed at the nightclub where the party was held. ...

Lindsay Lohan may have avoided serious jail time for her two DUIs, but the actress/singer isn't totally off the hook. On Tuesday, a judge refused to dismiss portions of a lawsuit against Lohan over an October 2005 accident in which her Mercedes crashed into a van, according to The Associated Press. The judge rejected a motion that the suit lacked legal weight and set an April 7 date for the trial, in which the driver of the van — who police said caused the accident with an illegal U-turn — has sued Lohan seeking $200,000 in damages. The suit by the driver, Raymundo Ortega, claims that Lohan was speeding away from the paparazzi and was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the wreck. ...

She probably won't be around to see it hit stores, but Koch has pegged November 20 as the release date for Foxy Brown's new album. The jailed rapper's Brooklyn's Don Diva was bumped up from its originally scheduled December 4 release date and will feature "Don't Surrender" (featuring Graf) as its first single. The rapper also released a statement, insisting that her jailing "is just a temporary situation. I made my bed and have no problem lying in it. My will is steady. What doesn't kill me will only make me stronger." "I think there are greater injustices in America that require our immediate attention, like what's going on in Jena, Louisiana," she added, referring to the group of black students who are being charged with attempted murder for allegedly beating up a white student. "I will not surrender, I'm fine, free Jena Six!" Brown's manager, Chaz Williams, also took the opportunity to dismiss rumors that the rapper is expecting: "She is not pregnant!" he said. ...

Ludacris, Usher, Talib Kweli and Wyclef Jean have been added to the roster for a concert to raise funds for a Martin Luther King Jr. memorial at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. They will join John Legend, Robin Thicke, Stevie Wonder, Joss Stone and other previously announced acts. ... Chamillionaire is hoping for an Ultimate Victory after his new LP drops Tuesday, and what better way to score big than by joining forces with MySpace? As part of AllHipHop Week, the Grammy Award-winning rapper will roll out his new song "Hip Hop Police" and "The Bill Collecta" with a MySpace-sponsored September 20 performance at Sol in New York. ...

Scott Weiland doesn't like sitting around these days — his band Velvet Revolver had a day off from their North American tour in Nashville on Thursday, and the singer used it to make a special appearance at the Second Fiddle. Weiland performed the Marshall Tucker Band's "Heard It in a Love Song" with country singer Tommy Joe Wilson and his group. ... Avenged Sevenfold will hit the road starting October 29 in Los Angeles for a string of 18 gigs scheduled through November 25 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The band will be touring in support of its forthcoming self-titled LP, which is due October 30. ... Former "You Hear It First" artists Paramore have sketched out a U.S. trek with the Starting Line that will take them from Sayreville, New Jersey, on October 23 to New York on November 28. ... Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn is heading back to school for a master class with an American Studies professor at his alma mater, Boston College, Pitchfork reports. Finn will talk for 90 minutes about his life, career and music at the school's Lyons Dining Hall on September 25. ...

A benefit concert aiming to raise money for a Kurt Cobain memorial will take place Saturday at 6 p.m. at the 7th Street Theatre in Hoquiam, Washington — where he spent the first six months of his life. Funds raised through the event will be used to start a future youth center and park in the late rocker's name. Slated for the bill are Jed, the Whore Moans, Don't Even Know, Black Top Demon, Bench Grinder, the Bimm Quaid and Clouded Minds. ... Is Jon Stewart the new Billy Crystal? The late-night comedian has been tapped to host the Oscars again, repeating a duty he first took on in 2006. The New York Times reports that the official announcement of the gig at the 80th annual awards show, which will take place on February 24, would be made on Wednesday. ...

The White Stripes aren't the only ones shelving tour dates these days — so is Holly Golightly, who has collaborated with the band in the past, coincidentally. The British singer-songwriter is going to reschedule the first three shows on her upcoming U.S. tour due to visa issues. Fellow Brits the Kaiser Chiefs are making a more drastic move by putting the kibosh on their scheduled North American trek — so they can concentrate on recording new material instead. "We'd like to apologize to fans in America and Canada, especially those who have already bought tickets, but something had to give," drummer Nick Hodgson said in a statement. "We've been extremely busy all year and had no time to focus on the future. We plan to have new material out as soon as possible and we've wanted to record all summer. This needs to happen before our European and U.K. shows at the end of the year so we can play a few of our new songs live. We're keen to explore new ground, beyond the sound of our first two records, so we're headed back into the studio to begin that process."

• VMA Parties Heat Up Vegas!
• Travis Barker, 50 Cent, Common On Britney's VMA Performance

• Shooting Stars: A Celeb's Eye View Of The VMAs
• Paris Hilton, Diddy, Timbaland, Janet Jackson, More Hit The Vegas Party Scene
• Britney's VMA Weekend: From Los Angeles To Las Vegas

• Britney Spears
• Lil' Kim
• 50 Cent
• Snoop Dogg
• Beyoncé

Chris Brown on the October cover of <i>Vibe</i>
Photo: Jonathan Mannion for "Vibe"

Chris Brown, who's about to drop his sophomore album, Exclusive, let Vibe magazine in on a few other exclusives — about his love life. The magazine's new cover boy reveals that he's "girl crazy — very girl crazy," but there are limits. For instance, the nude photos that turned up on the Internet in March were not actually him. "First of all, I don't take pictures of myself," Brown told the mag. "If I'm gonna show somebody that, I'd rather show the person that's gonna be in the room with me at that time." So who might that person be? Not Ciara, that's for sure. When asked about her, his face "curls up as if he'd just noticed a foul odor," Vibe observed. "I don't want Ciara," Brown said. "I don't want any industry girl." He'd prefer a "regular girl" — that is, provided she's also "a model." No wonder he hasn't had more than two girlfriends (the last when he was 14), or been on a proper date in more than three years. "I've had girlfriends, but it's different," he said. "Not jumpoffs! Like, you don't be like, 'That's my girl,' but you know when you hang with her, it's like ... friends with benefits. If I'm singling out one girl, think about all the other girls who are falling in love with me in that club. What they gon' think? So it's like, I have a relationship with every girl. It's like every girl is my girlfriend." The magazine hits newsstands September 11, while Exclusive is out October 30. ...

Foxy Brown can't catch a break these days. The Brooklyn, New York, rapper will remain jailed until her September 7 court date after a Manhattan Criminal Court judge rejected her bid to be sprung early due to alleged unlawful treatment by the New York Corrections Department. According to the Daily News, Foxy claimed her jailing by another judge was "unlawful" and "arbitrary." Brown was imprisoned Wednesday after violating the terms of her probation. ...

DMX has spoken out through his lawyer about the recent raid of his Arizona home, during which police discovered three dead dogs, a dozen mistreated pit bulls, a large weapons cache, cars with license plates that didn't match and what police believe to be illicit narcotics. Attorney Murray Richman told The Associated Press that DMX is "devastated" over the deaths of his dogs and added that his "client is totally innocent of all the charges." ...

Britney Spears' former manager Larry Rudolph told That Other Blog on Tuesday (August 28) why he is trying not to get involved in the singer's child-custody dispute with ex-husband Kevin Federline. "I have consulted with my lawyers and I do understand that eventually the time will come when they will find me, but until then, I'm trying to avoid being brought into this mess," said Rudolph, who has been laying low. "She's going through so much right now, and I wish Britney the best." ...

Amy Winehouse's father and father-in law spoke with BBC Radio on Tuesday, revealing that both sides of the singer's family have been struggling with reports of her alleged drug use. Giles Fielder-Civil — the father of Winehouse's husband, Blake — said fans should stop buying her records because that will force the U.K. starlet to seek help for what he called a drug addiction. He said the two have used cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin and are in "abject denial" about their problem. "I think they believe they are recreational users of drugs and they are in control. Clearly they are addicts." Amy's father, Mitch Winehouse, later responded, saying that strategy "won't send any message to Amy at all. People are clutching at straws. ... At some point they are going to reach rock bottom. Maybe they've reached it — I don't know. At that point they will say, 'I don't want to do this anymore. I've got responsibilities, I've got families that love us and I don't want to hurt them anymore.' That's their decision to make." ...

John Legend is injecting an exclusive track, "Sun Comes Up," into Grey's Anatomy Soundtrack: Volume 3, due September 11. The disc also has unreleased tune-age from Gomez and Mat Kearney, not to mention additional slices from Peter Bjorn and John, Paolo Nutini and Feist. ... Ghostface Killah, Cat Power and others will play a batch of daytime shows at the four-day Musicfest NW, which will take over Portland, Oregon, from September 6-9. Cat Power and Bobby Bare Jr. will play their early gig September 6; Grizzly Bear and Deerhunter will perform September 7; and Ghostface and the Bronx are set for September 8. Clipse, Spoon, Rilo Kiley and Okkervil River will also anchor the shindig. ... Lil' Kim and DJ Clue were among those in attendance Sunday night at Crash Mansion in downtown Manhattan to help NFL star Thomas Jones celebrate his welcome to New York. The newly acquired New York Jet was also joined by his girlfriend, actress Meagan Good. ...

Hot Hot Heat have lined up their next run, which will support their Happiness Ltd. LP after it drops September 11. After hitting up Southern California radio station KROQ's L.A. Invasion, the Canadian indie-rockers will embark on a string of dates beginning in their British Columbia hometown on September 18. The tour will continue through a San Francisco concert on October 30. ... Jimmy Eat World's next stretch will happen right around the same time: The band will hype its October 16 release, Chase This Light, with gigs from September 29 in Queen Creek, Arizona — at Edgefest — through October 20 in Las Vegas. ...

Korn have sketched out a bunch of dates that will get them back on the road after the Family Values Tour. According to the band's MySpace page, the rap-rockers will breeze through Reno, Nevada, on September 22 and stick to the tarmac through a Nashville concert on October 5. ... If you're planning to pick up Foo Fighters' Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, you might want to do so sooner than later: Fans who preorder the disc through iTunes will get downloads of two songs — "The Pretender" and "Seda" — and a code providing advance access to concert tickets. ...

Brace yourself: Keanu Reeves will star in a remake of the iconic '50s sci-fi flick "The Day the Earth Stood Still," Variety reports. The film — which revolves around an alien who visits Earth and warns humans to live peacefully — will be directed by Scott Derrickson ("The Exorcism of Emily Rose") and begin production in late fall or early next year. ... Speaking of extraterrestrial life, Daft Punk have been soaring after their headlining Lollapalooza performance earlier this month. The Paris house-music heroes are piecing together a concert set, Alive 2007, for release November 20. And the duo have also staged more screenings of their cult-favorite flick "Electroma" from September 8 in Montreal through December 1 in San Diego. ...

The producers of "American Idol" are at it again, coming up with a new talent series — "The Next Great American Band" — that will premiere October 19 and feature a judging panel including Sheila E. and the Goo Goo Dolls' John Rzeznik. Like with "Idol," the judges will narrow down auditioning bands to a field of 10. Then the bands will perform original music and covers of various styles each week in front of a studio audience. Judges will comment but viewers will vote on who stays. The three surviving bands will compete for a contract with Simon Fuller's 19 Recordings in the season finale. ... A Malawian official will be able to leave the country after all to visit Madonna and her family in the U.K. on September 4 and determine whether she and husband Guy Ritchie will be able to adopt David Banda. The official had previously been prevented from going because he accepted a plane ticket and money from the singer without the government's approval. ...

Avenged Sevenfold fans will have to wait until October 30 to get a copy of the band's self-titled LP, as the record has been pushed back from its previously announced October 16 release date. It will feature 10 tracks in all, including "Critical Acclaim," "Unbound the Wild Ride" and "A Little Piece of Heaven." ... Chiodos, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Emery and the Devil Wears Prada will hit the road together for a U.S. trek that begins October 19 in Lawrence, Kansas, and ends November 30 in Detroit. ...

As I Lay Dying have booked a fall tour that will feature openers All That Remains, Haste the Day and Through the Eyes of the Dead. The trek kicks off October 27 in Tempe, Arizona, and runs through November 30 in San Diego. ... Bad Brains have unveiled a string of West Coast dates in support of their latest effort, Build a Nation. The band is set to play San Diego (September 22); San Francisco (September 24); Anaheim, California (September 25); and Los Angeles (September 26). ... The Misfits are planning to bring their 30th Anniverscary Tour to the U.S. in the fall, including a Halloween gig in New York. ...

Bo Diddley was moved from intensive care to cardiac care on Tuesday morning at a Florida hospital, where he has been in recovery after suffering a heart attack during a routine medical checkup Friday, his representative told MTV News. The rock legend is listed in stable condition.

8.27.07

There were surfboards and gleeful squeals aplenty Sunday night at the Teen Choice Awards — not to mention a whole lot of plugging going on from the stars MTV News caught up with on the red carpet at the event, which took place in Universal City, California. "American Idol" champ Jordin Sparks let it be known that even though she plans to record the majority of her yet-untitled debut after she wraps the Idols Live Tour at the end of September, she's still hoping to have it in stores on November 20. Actress Emmy Rossum promises that her upcoming album Inside Out will package "ambient pop ... in a really sexy, new and fresh way," and Bow Wow and Omarion said that their upcoming album Face Off will be a guest-star-heavy good time: "We just left Chicago, working with R. Kelly, and we still got to work with T-Pain, Timbaland, Lil Ronnie (who produced 'I'm a Flirt'), so we're definitely bringing the noise," Bow Wow said. "We got the chance to give people what they want: There's been a drought in the music, there hasn't been a lot of fun in music, so with the videos and everything, we're gonna do that." ...

(Catch up with Fergie, Bow Wow, Omarion, Jordin Sparks, Emmy Rossum and more at the Teen Choice Awards in these video clips.)

Vincent "Don Vito" Margera saw his first court date on two counts of sexual assault on a child once again pushed back on Monday (August 27) — to October 22. But the news wasn't all positive for Bam Margera's uncle, as he was hit with 12 counts of violating his bail-bond conditions. Pam Russell, a spokesperson for Colorado's Jefferson and Gilpin County district attorney's office, confirmed that each unspecified violation is a felony, but said she was not allowed by law to provide specifics on how Margera is alleged to have violated his bail. A hearing on the bond-violation charges is slated for September 5. Margera, 51, has been out on $50,000 bond since last year, when he was charged in the incident that allegedly involved inappropriate contact with two underage girls at a promotional event in Colorado. He was ordered to return to his home in Pennsylvania, submit to random urine tests, have no contact with children under 18 and supply his bond supervisor with his itinerary if he travels for business. Margera's attorney could not be reached for comment. In addition to a maximum of six years in prison on the assault charges, The Associated Press reported that he could face up to 18 months in prison for the bail violations. ...

Britney Spears' and Kevin Federline's lawyers appeared at a last-minute hearing on Monday to discuss a Department of Child and Family Services child-abuse investigation and the former spouses' child-custody battle. According to a Los Angeles Superior Court clerk, the hearing was closed to the public and held in the judge's chambers, with documents on both sides filed soon thereafter. The documents remain sealed while the judge determines whether they may be released to the public. According to a source in Federline's camp, he could end up with temporary custody of his two children with Spears, Sean Preston and Jayden James. There's no word yet on who filed the complaint that prompted the DCFS investigation, the third the pop singer has faced since having children -- the first was prompted when she was photographed driving without a car seat for Sean Preston, the second when the child fell out of his high chair. The custody battle will continue September 4. ...

In the meantime, Spears' former manager Larry Rudolph doesn't want to be involved in the child-custody dispute for fear that he might have to reveal certain information about the singer, People reports. Ryan Seacrest said on his "On Air With Ryan Seacrest" radio show on Monday morning that he was in contact with Rudolph over the weekend and that the lawyer "doesn't want to have to go under oath and talk about certain things that might hurt [Spears]." In related news, the singer was cleared by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals after questions were raised about a leg injury sustained by Spears' Yorkshire terrier. The group said Spears had been cooperative and that the dog received proper medical attention. ...

Authorities unearthed the remains of two more dogs that had been buried in the backyard of DMX's residence in Cave Creek, Arizona, and discovered a half-pound of what they believe to be illegal narcotics, Maricopa County sheriff's office spokesman Captain Paul Chagolla told MTV News on Monday. At a press conference on Saturday, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said more information regarding the raid will be released Tuesday. ...

Nick Bollea, Hulk Hogan's 17-year-old son, was discharged from a hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Monday morning after being involved in a car accident the previous evening. Police said Bollea, who was featured in VH1's "Hogan Knows Best" reality series, was driving his Toyota Supra at a high speed along state Route 60 when he lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a raised median at 7:30 p.m. in Clearwater. The car reportedly flipped over, and the rear of the vehicle collided with a palm tree. Bollea and one of his car's passengers, 22-year-old John Graziano, were airlifted to the Bayfront Medical Center following the crash. The nature of both Bollea's and Graziano's injuries was not immediately known, but a police spokesperson characterized them as serious. Graziano remains under the hospital's care in critical condition. Alcohol is not believed to have played a role in the accident, but police continue to investigate the crash. No criminal charges have been filed. "My son Nick and a friend were involved in a car accident last night," Linda Hogan said in a statement reportedly obtained Monday by TMZ.com. "Nick suffered minor injuries and has been treated and released from the hospital. At this time, his friend John Graziano remains hospitalized. Nick is currently at the hospital with John and his family. His sole concern is for the well-being of his friend. On behalf of my family, we ask that your thoughts and prayers be with John and his loved ones." ...

The White Stripes have a full fall ahead, as they plan to continue to back their recent Icky Thump LP with additional touring. But that's not stopping the tireless Jack White from giving some love to his other project, the Raconteurs, as well. He and bandmate Brendan Benson posted a humorous and slightly enigmatic exchange on their band's Web site on Monday morning, letting slip a few details about the follow-up to last year's Broken Boy Soldiers. "The 'Teurs have a lot of new songs in the works people, the writing and structure of them has dissipated and reinvigorated and many times over since we came home from our last shows," the post read. "The new songs are coming together strong, I hate to even attempt to describe them." ...

The Cure have put the brakes on their planned September/October tour in North America, deciding instead to push it to April/May. "The schedule as it stands only gives us a couple of weeks to finish our new double album before we hit the road again, and we know this just isn't enough time to complete the project to our total satisfaction," the band said in a statement posted on its site, TheCure.com. Tickets purchased for the originally scheduled shows will be honored. ... Phil Spector's top lawyer, Bruce Cutler, announced Monday that he is leaving the case due to a "difference of opinion between Mr. Spector and me on strategy," according to AP. Spector later told reporters that it was his decision for the attorney to leave, saying Cutler "shouldn't do the closing argument because it wouldn't be in my best interest to stay on. He agreed. ... I thought he would be a target with the judge and prosecutors and that he wouldn't be taken as seriously as he should. With his television show, he wasn't here as much as he should have been." Defense lawyer Roger Rosen is taking over as Spector's top lawyer. Also on Monday, the defense called two witnesses — Lana Clarkson's friends Jennifer Hayes-Riedl and Elizabeth "Punkin Pie" Laughlin — to reiterate their testimony. Defense lawyers also started showing jurors e-mails recently extracted from the hard drive on the deceased actress' computer. In the messages, Clarkson detailed her depression over her acting career and turning 40, and wrote about her use of pain pills and alcohol. ...

Madonna and her family are planning to head back to Israel in September — and this time Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher and possibly Bruce Willis are expected to go participate in the trek, The Jerusalem Post reports. The celebrities will join thousands of Kabbalah Center students for the 10-day High Holiday pilgrimage, which begins with Rosh Hashanah (September 12-14) and ends with Yom Kippur (September 21-22). The paper reports that the press will be asked to keep its distance from the celebrities after Madonna — who only plans to go to the first few days of the event — was hounded by media when she made a similar visit three years ago. ... Kevin Smith is no stranger to TV — from subbing for Roger Ebert on "Ebert & Roeper" to cropping up on "Veronica Mars," he's definitely made his presence known on the small screen. Now the "Clerks" director is set to helm episodes of "Heroes: Origins" — a spinoff of the action show — "Reaper" and "Battlestar Galactica." Smith told AOL TV he's especially excited about "Battlestar": "It's cool, but it is scary because it is like, 'What the f---?' I can't bring anything to that show." ...

Matt Costa is putting off his second album a bit longer — Unfamiliar Faces, produced by No Doubt's Tom Dumont, has shifted to January 15. But the California singer/songwriter is staying busy — he's tacked onto his schedule a handful of dates opening for Modest Mouse: Monday (Portland, Oregon); September 10 (Salt Lake City); September 14 (Santa Barbara, California); and September 15 (Las Vegas). ... Rousing indie-rockers the Hold Steady and Art Brut are ganging up for NME's Rock 'N' Roll Riot Tour, which will hit the States this fall for the first time. The run stretches from an October 21 gig in Providence through a November 21 concert in New York. ... My Bloody Valentine are close to signing a deal that would reunite the seminal shoegazer band for a performance at next year's Coachella in April — and a subsequent tour to boot, TheDailySwarm.com reports. The band hasn't been active for a dozen years, but reports have suggested that a new album might be in the works.

[This story was originally published at 12:17 pm E.T. on 8.28.2007]

• Chris Brown On The October Cover Of 'Vibe'
• Fergie, Lauren Conrad, Chingy, Kelly Clarkson, More On The 2007 Teen Choice Awards Red Carpet

• Chris Brown
• Ciara
• Bow Wow
• Omarion
• Britney Spears

Bow Wow and Omarion at the 2007 Teen Choice Awards on Sunday
Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

There were surfboards and gleeful squeals aplenty Sunday night at the Teen Choice Awards — not to mention a whole lot of plugging going on from the stars MTV News caught up with on the red carpet at the event, which took place in Universal City, California. "American Idol" champ Jordin Sparks let it be known that even though she plans to record the majority of her yet-untitled debut after she wraps the Idols Live Tour at the end of September, she's still hoping to have it in stores on November 20. Actress Emmy Rossum promises that her upcoming album Inside Out will package "ambient pop ... in a really sexy, new and fresh way," and Bow Wow and Omarion said that their upcoming album Face Off will be a guest-star-heavy good time: "We just left Chicago, working with R. Kelly, and we still got to work with T-Pain, Timbaland, Lil Ronnie (who produced 'I'm a Flirt'), so we're definitely bringing the noise," Bow Wow said. "We got the chance to give people what they want: There's been a drought in the music, there hasn't been a lot of fun in music, so with the videos and everything, we're gonna do that." ...

(Catch up with Fergie, Bow Wow, Omarion, Jordin Sparks, Emmy Rossum and more at the Teen Choice Awards in these video clips.)

Vincent "Don Vito" Margera saw his first court date on two counts of sexual assault on a child once again pushed back on Monday (August 27) — to October 22. But the news wasn't all positive for Bam Margera's uncle, as he was hit with 12 counts of violating his bail-bond conditions. Pam Russell, a spokesperson for Colorado's Jefferson and Gilpin County district attorney's office, confirmed that each unspecified violation is a felony, but said she was not allowed by law to provide specifics on how Margera is alleged to have violated his bail. A hearing on the bond-violation charges is slated for September 5. Margera, 51, has been out on $50,000 bond since last year, when he was charged in the incident that allegedly involved inappropriate contact with two underage girls at a promotional event in Colorado. He was ordered to return to his home in Pennsylvania, submit to random urine tests, have no contact with children under 18 and supply his bond supervisor with his itinerary if he travels for business. Margera's attorney could not be reached for comment. In addition to a maximum of six years in prison on the assault charges, The Associated Press reported that he could face up to 18 months in prison for the bail violations. ...

Britney Spears' and Kevin Federline's lawyers appeared at a last-minute hearing on Monday to discuss a Department of Child and Family Services child-abuse investigation and the former spouses' child-custody battle. According to a Los Angeles Superior Court clerk, the hearing was closed to the public and held in the judge's chambers, with documents on both sides filed soon thereafter. The documents remain sealed while the judge determines whether they may be released to the public. According to a source in Federline's camp, he could end up with temporary custody of his two children with Spears, Sean Preston and Jayden James. There's no word yet on who filed the complaint that prompted the DCFS investigation, the third the pop singer has faced since having children — the first was prompted when she was photographed driving without a car set for Sean Preston, the second when the child fell out of his high chair. The custody battle will continue September 4. ...

In the meantime, Spears' former manager Larry Rudolph doesn't want to be involved in the child-custody dispute for fear that he might have to reveal certain information about the singer, People reports. Ryan Seacrest said on his "On Air With Ryan Seacrest" radio show on Monday morning that he was in contact with Rudolph over the weekend and that the lawyer "doesn't want to have to go under oath and talk about certain things that might hurt [Spears]." In related news, the singer was cleared by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals after questions were raised about a leg injury sustained by Spears' Yorkshire terrier. The group said Spears had been cooperative and that the dog received proper medical attention. ...

Authorities unearthed the remains of two more dogs that had been buried in the backyard of DMX's residence in Cave Creek, Arizona, and discovered a half-pound of what they believe to be illegal narcotics, Maricopa County sheriff's office spokesman Captain Paul Chagolla told MTV News on Monday. At a press conference on Saturday, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said more information regarding the raid will be released Tuesday. ...

Nick Bollea, Hulk Hogan's 17-year-old son, was discharged from a hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Monday morning after being involved in a car accident the previous evening. Police said Bollea, who was featured in VH1's "Hogan Knows Best" reality series, was driving his Toyota Supra at a high speed along state Route 60 when he lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a raised median at 7:30 p.m. in Clearwater. The car reportedly flipped over, and the rear of the vehicle collided with a palm tree. Bollea and one of his car's passengers, 22-year-old John Graziano, were airlifted to the Bayfront Medical Center following the crash. The nature of both Bollea's and Graziano's injuries was not immediately known, but a police spokesperson characterized them as serious. Graziano remains under the hospital's care in critical condition. Alcohol is not believed to have played a role in the accident, but police continue to investigate the crash. No criminal charges have been filed. "My son Nick and a friend were involved in a car accident last night," Linda Hogan said in a statement reportedly obtained Monday by TMZ.com. "Nick suffered minor injuries and has been treated and released from the hospital. At this time, his friend John Graziano remains hospitalized. Nick is currently at the hospital with John and his family. His sole concern is for the well-being of his friend. On behalf of my family, we ask that your thoughts and prayers be with John and his loved ones." ...

The White Stripes have a full fall ahead, as they plan to continue to back their recent Icky Thump LP with additional touring. But that's not stopping the tireless Jack White from giving some love to his other project, the Raconteurs, as well. He and bandmate Brendan Benson posted a humorous and slightly enigmatic exchange on their band's Web site on Monday morning, letting slip a few details about the follow-up to last year's Broken Boy Soldiers. "The 'Teurs have a lot of new songs in the works people, the writing and structure of them has dissipated and reinvigorated and many times over since we came home from our last shows," the post read. "The new songs are coming together strong, I hate to even attempt to describe them." ...

The Cure have put the brakes on their planned September/October tour in North America, deciding instead to push it to April/May. "The schedule as it stands only gives us a couple of weeks to finish our new double album before we hit the road again, and we know this just isn't enough time to complete the project to our total satisfaction," the band said in a statement posted on its site, TheCure.com. Tickets purchased for the originally scheduled shows will be honored. ... Phil Spector's top lawyer, Bruce Cutler, announced Monday that he is leaving the case due to a "difference of opinion between Mr. Spector and me on strategy," according to AP. Spector later told reporters that it was his decision for the attorney to leave, saying Cutler "shouldn't do the closing argument because it wouldn't be in my best interest to stay on. He agreed. ... I thought he would be a target with the judge and prosecutors and that he wouldn't be taken as seriously as he should. With his television show, he wasn't here as much as he should have been." Defense lawyer Roger Rosen is taking over as Spector's top lawyer. Also on Monday, the defense called two witnesses — Lana Clarkson's friends Jennifer Hayes-Riedl and Elizabeth "Punkin Pie" Laughlin — to reiterate their testimony. Defense lawyers also started showing jurors e-mails recently extracted from the hard drive on the deceased actress' computer. In the messages, Clarkson detailed her depression over her acting career and turning 40, and wrote about her use of pain pills and alcohol. ...

Madonna and her family are planning to head back to Israel in September — and this time Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher and possibly Bruce Willis are expected to go participate in the trek, The Jerusalem Post reports. The celebrities will join thousands of Kabbalah Center students for the 10-day High Holiday pilgrimage, which begins with Rosh Hashanah (September 12-14) and ends with Yom Kippur (September 21-22). The paper reports that the press will be asked to keep its distance from the celebrities after Madonna — who only plans to go to the first few days of the event — was hounded by media when she made a similar visit three years ago. ... Kevin Smith is no stranger to TV — from subbing for Roger Ebert on "Ebert & Roeper" to cropping up on "Veronica Mars," he's definitely made his presence known on the small screen. Now the "Clerks" director is set to helm episodes of "Heroes: Origins" — a spinoff of the action show — "Reaper" and "Battlestar Galactica." Smith told AOL TV he's especially excited about "Battlestar": "It's cool, but it is scary because it is like, 'What the f---?' I can't bring anything to that show." ...

Matt Costa is putting off his second album a bit longer — Unfamiliar Faces, produced by No Doubt's Tom Dumont, has shifted to January 15. But the California singer/songwriter is staying busy — he's tacked onto his schedule a handful of dates opening for Modest Mouse: Monday (Portland, Oregon); September 10 (Salt Lake City); September 14 (Santa Barbara, California); and September 15 (Las Vegas). ... Rousing indie-rockers the Hold Steady and Art Brut are ganging up for NME's Rock 'N' Roll Riot Tour, which will hit the States this fall for the first time. The run stretches from an October 21 gig in Providence through a November 21 concert in New York. ... My Bloody Valentine are close to signing a deal that would reunite the seminal shoegazer band for a performance at next year's Coachella in April — and a subsequent tour to boot, TheDailySwarm.com reports. The band hasn't been active for a dozen years, but reports have suggested that a new album might be in the works.

08.24.07

Jordin Sparks doesn't have a name for her debut album yet, but she's got a release date set in stone: November 20. In anticipation of the 19 Recordings/ Jive disc, the "American Idol" champ drew back the curtains on her first single on Friday, debuting "Tattoo" on AOL's Pop Eater blog. The track hits radio Monday. Sparks told The Associated Press that the effort was partly modeled after one of her own idols, Kelly Clarkson — but that she's a bit nervous to be following in the wake of Clarkson and Carrie Underwood's success. "They've risen the bar so high and I'm like, 'I hope I can reach it,' " she said. "Hopefully [my LP will] sell well and people will like it." ...

The runner-up to Sparks, Blake Lewis, is following suit — he just signed to 19 Recordings/ Arista and is planning to drop his first album late this year as well. Hit-maker du jour J.R. Rotem is already on board for the effort. ...

It's no McDonald's parking-lot tour, but Missy Elliott will be featured in a new Doritos ad campaign debuting September 17, Billboard.com reports. In the clip, she is seen working on a new song and snacking on Doritos Collision, different-flavored chips that spur her to fuse a little country into her hip-hop track. A contest to be held on SnackStrongProductions.com will allow visitors to create their own mash-ups using Elliott's track, although the prizes have yet to be determined. The site also features a help section in which Elliott will give tips. ...

Listen up, punk-rockers: Unreleased and rare tracks by Panic! at the Disco, Gym Class Heroes, the Used, Cute Is What We Aim For, Sparta, Head Automatica and more fill up Press Play: Volume 1, a new comp that was put together by Photo Finish and Alternative Press. A portion of the proceeds from the September 25 release will go to the Keep a Breast Foundation, a nonprofit organization that fights breast cancer. ...

The Disney Channel will air a special dance-along version of "High School Musical 2" on September 8 at 8 p.m. ET, People reports. Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens and other castmembers will instruct viewers on how to mimic their dance moves during the opening and closing numbers. ... Russell Simmons has stepped down from his post as CEO of Phat Fashions, the company he founded in 1992 that spawned Phat Farm clothing. "I leave the division and the brand in great hands. There are so many things I want to achieve, and this is the appropriate moment for me to move on to my next business venture," the hip-hop mogul said in a statement. ...

Mos Def is sounding off about José Padilla, the Guantánamo detainee who was convicted earlier this week of supporting terrorism. "We all know the history of insufficient evidence or testimony under duress — at the very least, legal circumstances that demand some sort of reinvestigation ... basically saying these people are not the criminals they're being made out to be," he told The Associated Press on Thursday. Mos Def will participate this weekend in the 10th annual Black August benefit concert at New York's Nokia Theatre. The event serves to create awareness about people who its organizers, the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, believe have been unfairly convicted — Talib Kweli, Saigon and Dead Prez are also on the bill. ...

Music, martial arts and chess ... how could members of the Wu-Tang Clan not be involved? RZA and GZA are participating in the Hip-Hop Chess Foundation's first-ever Chess Kings Invitational, set for October 13 at the San Francisco Design Center. The rappers will talk on the tournament's Life Strategies panel about how music, martial arts and chess — activities the organization uses to promote nonviolence — have affected their lives. ...

Muse have plotted a handful of September dates with Juliette and the Licks: Seattle (September 9); Portland, Oregon (September 10); Orem, Utah (September 12); Dallas (September 16); Morrison, Colorado (September 18); Mesa, Arizona (September 20); and Irvine, California (September 21). Muse will also hit the San Diego Street Scene on September 22. ... Ben Kweller just squeezed out a new seven-track live EP, Ben Kweller: Live and Solo at the Artists Den, that was recorded December 13 at New York's Solo House. The disc of rarely performed songs is available now at digital outlets. ...

System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian will shoot a video for "Praise the Lord, Pass the Ammunition," from the rocker's solo debut, Elect the Dead, at an undisclosed venue in Hollywood next week with director Greg Watermann (Mudvayne, Lamb of God). Extras are needed for the video — those interested in auditioning can e-mail Watermann at serjvideo@gregwatermann.com. ... The track list for Thrice's upcoming LP The Alchemy Index: Vols. I & II - Fire & Water has been revealed. Fire will boast six cuts, including "The Messenger," "Backdraft" and "Burn the Fleet"; Water will also contain six tunes, among them "Open Water," "Night Diving" and "Kings Upon the Main." Look for the discs to hit stores October 16. ...

A writer/producer who worked on "In Living Color" and created Nickelodeon's "Roundhouse" is suing the Walt Disney Company, claiming it stole his idea for "Hannah Montana," Reuters reports. In the suit, Morris Taylor "Buddy" Sheffield says he pitched Disney Channel executives the idea for a kids' show about a high school student who leads a secret life as a pop star. Sheffield also claims Disney could owe him and his production company millions in lost profits and damages, and he wants compensation for legal fees. A Disney Channel spokesperson told the news service the network had no comment. ...

Kirsten Dunst's penthouse suite at a hotel in Manhattan, New York, was robbed earlier this month, according to court records obtained by AP. Thieves got away with a $13,000 handbag, cell phone, $2,500 in cash, an iPod, two digital cameras and ID cards belonging to the actress, who had been in the city to shoot scenes for her upcoming flick "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People." One suspect was arraigned Wednesday on burglary and grand-larceny charges, and is being held on $50,000 bond. ...

Hellyeah — the band featuring members of Mudvayne, Pantera and Nothingface — are on the hunt for a dozen women they'd like to act as their "Hellyeah girls." The winners will be featured in the band's 2008 calendar — to enter, contestants need to post an audition video to Break.com and send a link to the clip to hellyeahtv@gmail.com. ... The Dillinger Escape Plan will headline a U.S. tour this fall set to kick off October 4 in Cleveland, Ohio. Just five dates have been confirmed, but more will be announced in the coming weeks. The trek will also feature A Life Once Lost, Behold ... the Arctopus and Genghis Tron. Dillinger's forthcoming LP, Ire Works, lands in stores November 13. ...

The resurrected Jesus & Mary Chain are heading back to the studio to record their first studio album in nine years. The band will also treat four West Coast cities to more concerts: Las Vegas (October 20); Anaheim, California (October 22); Los Angeles (October 23) and San Francisco (October 26-27). ... Queen guitarist Brian May has finished his doctorate in a crazy little thing called astrophysics — he was awarded his Imperial College qualification on Thursday in London. May had been an astrophysics student before joining the band 37 years ago but dropped out as Queen became successful. His thesis? "Radical Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud." ...

Ted Nugent is at it again. The controversial right-wing rocker went on a profanity-spewed tirade at a concert last week, according to video footage posted on LiveLeak.com. With machine guns in his hands, a camouflaged Nugent yelled, "Obama, he's a piece of sh--, and I told him to suck on my machine gun. ... And then I was in New York. I said, 'Hey Hillary, you might want to ride one of these into the sunset.' " He also went off on Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer before saying, "Any questions?" and shouting, "Freedom!"

• Bow Wow, Omarion, Fergie At Teen Choice Awards
• DMX's House Raided; 12 Pit Bulls Removed

• Fergie, Lauren Conrad, Chingy, Kelly Clarkson, More On The 2007 Teen Choice Awards Red Carpet

• Bow Wow
• Omarion
• R. Kelly
• The White Stripes
• Raconteurs

50 Cent
Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images

Think 50 Cent is taking his upcoming face-off with Kanye West lightly? In an interview posted on SOHH.com on Friday (August 10), Fiddy threatened to end his rap career if he gets upstaged by 'Ye when their albums go head to head on September 11. "If Kanye West sells more records than 50 Cent on September 11, I'll no longer write music," he said. "I'll write music and work with my other artists, but I won't put out anymore solo albums." 50's Curtis will square off against West's Graduation. ...

Lily Allen has canceled gigs once again, this time because she has strep throat and sinusitis, she says in a post on her MySpace blog. "I'm back in London eating my mum's chicken soup, 'cause I'm afraid the traveling has caught up with me," she wrote in the post. "Before anyone starts trying to accuse me of neglecting my fans, I want to apologise and say how sorry I am, but I can't risk causing any permanent damage." Defending herself further, the singer also posted an image of her holding her doctor's note. ...

D'Angelo received suspended jail sentences Friday after pleading guilty to charges of driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license, The Associated Press reports. A Virginia judge revoked his license for 13 and a half months and fined him $1,250, with additional penalties suspended. A reckless-driving charge was dropped. ... Beastie Boys finally said hello to Brooklyn, New York, on Thursday night with — if you can believe it — their first-ever concert in the borough. RollingStone.com reports that the group, which played at at McCarren Pool in Greenpoint, aptly opened the set with "Hello Brooklyn" and closed it with "No Sleep Till Brooklyn." ...

Norah Jones, Corinne Bailey Rae and Joss Stone are chipping in for Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino, which arrives in stores September 25. Paul McCartney, Elton John, Robert Plant and other classic-rock vets also salute the bluesman on the two-disc set, the sales from which will go toward buying instruments for public schools in New Orleans, rebuilding Domino's home there and helping other Crescent City-related programs. ... Emma Bunton, a.k.a. Baby Spice, gave birth to a, um, baby boy in London on Friday. It's the first child for the singer and boyfriend Jade Jones, who used to be in a pop act of his own: boy band Damage. ...

Bright Eyes are lighting up their tour schedule with seven additional dates: September 14 (Boise, Idaho); September 15 (Spokane, Washington); September 18 (Fairbanks, Alaska); September 19-20 (Anchorage, Alaska); September 23 (Eugene, Oregon); and September 24 (Chico, California). ... Waiting for a Cure LP? Well, the wait just got a bit longer. The band's new album was supposed to drop earlier this year, got bumped to the fall — and now won't be ready until the spring, Billboard.com reports. The band is busy touring and frontman Robert Smith hasn't finished writing yet. ...

Underoath will hit the road with Every Time I Die, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster and Poison the Well for a fall tour beginning September 22 in Houston and ending November 6 in Orlando, Florida. ETID, who are still on the Sounds of the Underground Tour, will drop their new Ferret release The Big Dirty on September 4. Earlier this week, they posted "No Son of Mine" — a track from the Steve Evetts-produced (Dillinger Escape Plan, Sepultura) effort — on their MySpace page. ... Queens of the Stone Age will not perform as part of Samsung and AT&T's free Summer Krush series on Monday in Los Angeles, as previously reported by Billboard.com. Plain White T's will play the gig instead. ...

As promised, Pearl Jam have posted the edited and unedited videos of their performance of "Daughter" at Lollapalooza on their Web site. Some segments of the performance were missing in AT&T's live "Blue Room" webcast, including critical remarks frontman Eddie Vedder made about President Bush. A spokesperson for AT&T recently told MTV News the omissions were not intentional and were mistakenly made by a webcast vendor. ...

Spoon, Coheed and Cambria, Devin the Dude and others have been confirmed for this year's CMJ Music Marathon, going down October 16-20 in New York, Billboard.com reports. UNKLE will play one of their first gigs ever with a live band, and surprise VMA Video of the Year nominees Justice will also hit up the fest. ... Franz Ferdinand, Hot Chip, Deerhoof, Grizzly Bear and David Byrne are among the acts who are contributing performances of songs written by David Shrigley for Worried Noodles, an unusual package containing two CDs and a hardcover book by the Scottish artist. The book of words and drawings was previously issued and caught the attention of the musicians, who have chalked up new songs for the set. ...

Martin Scorsese's Rolling Stones flick is rolling into next year. The film, originally slated for an August 26 theatrical release, will open in April instead, to allow the band more time to promote it. ... Speaking of rock docs, IFC has secured the rights to "Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten," a flick about the former Clash frontman that will hit select theaters November 2 and be televised on the cable channel thereafter. ... An unreleased Mick Jagger song produced by John Lennon in Los Angeles in 1973 will surface on The Very Best of Mick Jagger, due October 2. Jagger recorded the song, which has been on bootlegs for decades, with a cast of all-stars that included Harry Nilsson, Jack Bruce, Al Kooper and others. ...

In honor of the 40th anniversary of the release of Pink Floyd's first album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, a special edition of the album will be released August 28. The three-disc collection will look like a cloth-covered book, and include remastered stereo and mono versions of the album plus bonus tracks. The effort will also include a 12-page reproduction of Syd Barrett's notebook. ... Notorious ex-David Bowie manager Tony Defries will release his autobiography, Gods and Gangsters, in 2008. Also known for his work with the Beatles and Stevie Wonder, Defries is best remembered for helping to fashion the string of iconic characters rolled out by Bowie in the 1970s, as well as helping launch the solo careers of Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Luther Vandross and John Mellencamp. ... The world's leading record label, Universal Music Group, has announced that it will experiment with offering a large part of its catalog for download without copy protection at least through January. According to The New York Times, Universal (home to 50 Cent, Amy Winehouse and Akon) will offer the songs without DRM through RealNetworks, Wal-Mart, Amazon.com, Google and some artists' sites — but not on top download service iTunes.

08.09.07

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

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

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

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

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

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

Want to get up close and personal with Velvet Revolver? You can get your chance for $250, thanks to meet-and-greet packages being offered for the hard-rock group's Tuesday gig at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts. The package includes a VIP laminate, personal photograph with the band, exclusive 8x10 color poster and autograph. ... Three unaired Alice in Chains performances taped during the band's "Unplugged" session in April 1996 are being unearthed for a revitalized version of the package, Billboard.com reports. The new Unplugged will drop September 18 and feature a bonus DVD boasting "Angry Chair," "Frogs" and "The Killer Is Me." ...

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

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

• 50 Cent
• Lily Allen
• Spice Girls
• Bright Eyes
• The Cure

Jessica Simpson on the August cover of <i>Harper's Bazaar</i>
Photo: "Harper's Bazaar"

Jessica Simpson is a big spender, she recently admitted to Harper's Bazaar — big surprise there. But the singer/actress also revealed that while sister Ashlee "goes to a thrift store and can buy something for 20 bucks ... I have to go buy a black button-down at Barneys. For $900. Because it's a collector's item," she said in the magazine's August issue, which features Jessica on the cover. When asked which career she would pick if she had to choose between music and movies, she replied, "In my music career, there have been moments of failure, and with acting I haven't had that yet. But music is opening up my heart and every emotion inside of me." ...

Speaking of Ashlee, you might not want to wait around for that supposed Robert Smith collabo she's been raving about. "I would be hugely surprised if I end up working with Ashlee this year, but I haven't ruled it out," he told Billboard.com. He added: "I went to see her in 'Chicago.' ... I was impressed. The fact is, when she got onstage and sang, she was really good." ...

50 Cent has beef again — but this time, it isn't with a rival rapper. On Friday (July 20), he filed a lawsuit seeking at least $1 million in damages from online-ad company Traffix Inc. for using his image without permission in a graphic advertisement, Reuters reports. Even further, 50 says that the ad — which features a cartoon version of him and the message "shoot the rapper and you will win $5,000 or five ringtones guaranteed," according to the suit — promotes violence and threatens his safety. The suit cites the "vile, tasteless and despicable" use of the rapper's image and says it "quite literally calls for violence against" him. A lawyer representing Traffix declined to comment to Reuters. ...

"I'll just say no until I get my way, and I did," Kelly Clarkson told Reader's Digest for the magazine's August issue, in regards to conflicts with RCA over her new album My December. The singer added that label execs "hated 'Miss Independent' on my first album. ... The song I wrote that they hated the most was 'Because of You.' I fought and fought for it, it became successful and they finally got behind it." Clarkson also talked "American Idol," saying she did her own hair and makeup for the first half of the inaugural season. ...

Want a side of Ne-Yo with your Big Mac? If so, you're getting your wish — the R&B artist, along with Twista, Kenna and others, are going to be performing 10 free gigs at McDonald's restaurants ... in the parking lot. Billboard.com reports that the happy meal on wheels will begin Thursday at the Venice Beach Recreation Center in California, then hit up eight other cities before wrapping September 25 in Austin, Texas. ...

Lindsay Lohan turned herself in to police on Thursday in connection with her Memorial Day car accident, The Associated Press reports. Lohan was fingerprinted, photographed and booked on charges of driving under the influence and suspicion of misdemeanor hit-and-run at around 4 p.m. and was released about an hour later on $30,000 bail. Shortly after the Memorial Day crash, Lohan, 21, was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving at a Los Angeles hospital, where she was taken for treatment. Police have still not revealed the results of tests on a substance they said at the time was believed to be cocaine found during the investigation. The singer/actress' blood-alcohol level at the time of the crash was above the California legal limit of .08, but police have not said how high it was. A court date was scheduled for August 24. ...

J.K. Rowling posted a long letter to fans on her Web site on Friday saying she felt "a heady mixture of excitement, nerves and relief." (To read the full missive, in which she doles out a long list of acknowledgements, you'll have to go to JKRowling.com, use a "port key" and do some digging.) ... Annie Lennox has pulled out the big guns for an AIDS-prevention fundraising song on her upcoming Songs of Mass Destruction album, due in October. The album will feature a self-described "powerful feminist anthem" titled "Sing," which has a chorus of 23 iconic female singers, among them Madonna, Sarah McLachlan, Celine Dion, Fergie, Faith Hill, Pink, Dido, Shakira, Joss Stone and KT Tunstall. ...

The track list for James Blunt's forthcoming LP, All the Lost Souls, has been revealed. The disc, scheduled for a September 18 release, will boast 10 tracks: "1973," "One of the Brightest Stars," "I'll Take Everything," "Same Mistake," "Carry You Home," "Give Me Some Love," "I Really Want You," "Shine On," "Annie" and "I Can't Hear the Music." ... Afraid Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke might come down on you "like a ton of bricks"? Hopefully your name isn't Gordon Brown. Yorke is speaking out about carbon emissions in a new video post on TheBigAsk.com — the Web site for a climate-change virtual-march effort backed by Friends of the Earth. "I'm reminding my [member of Parliament] to remind [new British Prime Minister] Gordon Brown that he's committed to a bill to reduce our CO2 emissions double-quick-time, and if he doesn't, we're going to come down on him like a ton of bricks." ...

Korn avatars will perform the band's new single, "Evolution," in MTV's Virtual Pimp My Ride program this Monday, July 23. Fans will also be able to listen to the band's entire new album, Untitled, before it hits the streets July 31. In related news, Korn are said to be mulling a covers album, on which they'd tackle tracks including Nine Inch Nails' "Head Like a Hole" and "Love My Way" by the Psychedelic Furs. ... The Asbury Park Press reports that New Jersey State Police made 20 arrests on Wednesday at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey, during a Tool concert. Police claim the arrests included charges of underage drinking and possession of marijuana but did not provide a more detailed breakdown of arrests. ...

Feist, My Morning Jacket's Jim James, the New Pornographers' A.C. Newman, author Sarah Vowell, Grizzly Bear and others are coming together to help "to try to settle the debate: words or music — which is better?" The one-night-only shindig will go down August 26 at the Beacon Theatre in New York, be hosted by comedian and "Daily Show" contributor Demetri Martin and benefit the free writing programs put on by literary hipster supreme Dave Eggers' nonprofit tutoring program, 826NYC. ...

New Order over? Uh, that's news to Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris, who said they will carry on with the group even though departed bassist Peter Hook recently said on Xfm that the band was through. "We would have hoped he could have approached us personally first," they said in a statement to BBC News. "New Order have not split up, they continue to exist." ... The Cure are working on a three-hour documentary film to celebrate their 30th year as a band. The film, which would be released as a DVD, will chronicle the group's career. ...

A source tells RollingStone.com that Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck will tour as the Yardbirds with the band's original bassist and drummer starting in October. The source added that Eric Clapton, another former member, will not be participating. ... Testament inked a deal with Nuclear Blast onstage in front of 20,000 fans at a concert in Germany on Wednesday. A new album featuring original members Eric Peterson, Chuck Billy, Alex Skolnick, Greg Christian and new drummer Nick Barker (Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth) is on the way. ...

Onetime Flavor Flav love interest Brigitte Nielsen has checked into rehab to treat an undisclosed condition, according to manager Steven Tempone. The AP reported that Tempone said the towering blond actress and 44-year-old co-star of the "Strange Love" reality show, "[checked in] on her own free will and we're proud of her and wish her very well." ... According to the San Jose Mercury News, many Ozzfest fans who scored free tickets to this summer's heavy-metal extravaganza are deciding to stay home. The paper claims only about 50 percent of the people who had tickets to recent shows actually showed for the concert. About 18,000 were expected at Thursday's Ozzfest date at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California, but the city took security precautions in the event that all 30,000 people who received free tickets made it out to the venue. ... Al Gore III, the 24-year-old son of former Vice President Al Gore, has been charged with possession of marijuana and prescription drugs, according to TMZ.com. He was arrested on July 4 in Laguna Niguel, California, after being stopped for speeding. ...

Fourteen years after three teens were sent to jail for the May 1993 murder of three 8-year-old boys in Arkansas, a lawyer for the so-called West Memphis Three has said new DNA evidence proves his clients' innocence. The Arkansas Times reported that police are conducting new interviews to determine how a hair from a stepfather of one of the boys ended up at the crime scene. Attorneys for the three convicted men — whose plight was highlighted on the 2000 Free the West Memphis 3 album on songs by Steve Earle, Tom Waits and late Clash leader Joe Strummer — said there was no DNA evidence at the scene that matches their clients'. The mother of one of the victims has stated recently that she now believes the three convicted men, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, are not guilty. ... One of the co-owners of the Station nightclub in Rhode Island, where 100 people were killed in a fire during a Great White show in 2003, has created a charity fund to help pay for educational expenses for children who lost parents in the blaze. The Providence Journal reports that club co-owner Jeffrey Derderian has asked people to set aside their anger over the tragedy and contribute to the Station Education Fund to help the 76 children, ages 4 to 23, who lost parents in the blaze.

07.19.2007

Everything is "flantastic" in Mariah Carey's world these days, she says in a new voicemail message on her Web site. She tells fans she recently bagged a 10th track for the follow-up to The Emancipation of Mimi, hopes to squeeze out the effort by the end of the year and is heading to Atlanta to work with "JD" — most likely Jermaine Dupri — on a "stone groove/ smash-hit wonder — or at least a stone groove, hopefully." Carey said she'll be holed up in the studio working on the effort for the next few months; she didn't elaborate on her new movie "Tennessee," though, "because [I want] the performance to speak for itself." ...

Britney Spears shot her first video in years at a warehouse in Los Angeles on Thursday (July 19). ... Eve showed up to court a day early and met all the conditions of her probation on Thursday, Los Angeles' KNBC reports. The rapper, whose real name is Eve Jihan Jeffers, pleaded no contest to a DUI charge last month and was sentenced to 36 months' probation. ...

Kanye West, Swizz Beatz, Common, Mos Def, Q-Tip, Talib Kweli, Saigon and Queen Latifah held an impromptu jam session at S.O.B.'s in Manhattan on Wednesday night following the Pepsi DJ battle hosted by Hot 97's DJ Enuff and DJ Kast One. 'Ye got things hot for the crowd when he kicked into "Can't Tell Me Nothing," and Mos and Kweli reunited onstage. Drag-On and Rah Digga also popped in for performances, and Just Blaze was in the house as a judge of the DJ battle. ...

Zac Efron and Amanda Bynes celebrated the premiere of "Hairspray" on Wednesday night in Baltimore, the city that inspired the film — and is home to its creator, John Waters. "It's very flattering," Efron said amid screaming fans, according to The Associated Press. "It feels great to be bringing this movie back to Baltimore." Waters also cropped up at the event, and when asked about the screaming teen girls, he remarked, "I look over there and many of them could be arrested if they saw my other movies, so times have changed."...

Say it ain't so — the Los Angeles Times reports that Nirvana music will be featured in the background during an entire episode of TV's "Cold Case." ... The Mitch Schneider Organization, the publicity firm that represents the Smashing Pumpkins, has issued a sarcastic response to a phony letter purportedly from Billy Corgan that appeared in last week's edition of The Stranger in Seattle. "Although this 'open letter' is apocryphal, there are some references and statements in it that do in fact make a few interesting points that should be pondered," the statement reads. "The letter states in Billy's words that there would be no My Chemical Romance or Panic! at the Disco without the Pumpkins. While this isn't so, it is a little-known fact the Pumpkins' music is responsible for the swing dance craze of 1997." ...

You've heard Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" covered by everyone from Guns N' Roses to Wyclef Jean to Avril Lavigne — now it's Babyface's turn. The R&B legend redoes that song — as well as Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight," Jim Croce's "Time in a Bottle" and other rock classics — on his 11th album, Playlist. The set will christen the relaunched Mercury Records when it drops September 18. ... Michael Jackson took his children on a tour of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space and American Indian Museums on Wednesday, before either museum opened to the public. ...

Elliott Smith is anything but forgotten, with his posthumous LP New Moon debuting at #24 on the Billboard album charts not too long ago. Now his friend Autumn de Wilde is hoping to enrich the singer/songwriter's legacy with a new book filled with rare interviews and photographs. Simply titled "Elliott Smith" and due in November, the tome will also contain contain forewords by Beck and Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla, personal ephemera, handwritten lyrics, as well as a CD featuring five unreleased songs recorded at small L.A. gigs in 1997 — including covers of "All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down" by Hank Williams Jr. and "Clouds" by Quasi, the indie-rock duo who occasionally backed up Smith. A portion of the proceeds will go to two charities: Austin, Texas' Sims Foundation in Austin and Portland, Oregon's Outside In. ...

Wanted dead or alive: the makers of energy drink Mijovi. Well, the situation isn't that dire, but all the same, Jon Bon Jovi wants the owner of the coffee-based beverage to change its name, since he claims it's too similar to his, AP reports. A letter Jovi's lawyer sent to Marcos Carrington highlights the company's marketing terms "itsmijovi" and "itsmilife," the latter being the name of a Bon Jovi song. Carrington replied that the words are meant to mean "it's my jovial life" and that he named the drink after his girlfriend Jovita. ... The Reverend Al Sharpton, who had insisted that shock-jock Don Imus be fired for making racist comments, told AP in a telephone interview Wednesday that he wouldn't object if Imus were to return to the airwaves. "He has a right to make a living," Sharpton said, adding that he hoped any station that would hire Imus would make sure he wouldn't make insensitive remarks about race or gender. ...

M.I.A. is playing a smattering of festivals this summer, and along the way she's making a few pit stops and small clubs. She'll hit up Brooklyn, New York's Studio B (July 25); San Francisco's Rickshaw Shop (July 28); Los Angeles' Echoplex (July 30-31); and, after playing Lollapalooza in Chicago on August 3, she'll perform at the city's House of Blues the following day. ... Underground hip-hop prince Aesop Rock will tour heavy in support of his August 28 LP, None Shall Pass. He'll head out with Cage and Blockhead September 8 in Philadelphia and stay on the road with them through September 11 in Pittsburgh, after which he'll hook up with Octopus Project and tour with them and Blockhead from September 13 in Chicago through September 26 in Burlington, Vermont. Finally, he'll set out for his longest stretch, with Black Moth Super Rainbow and Blockhead, in San Francisco on October 10 and bring that run to a close November 20 in Atlanta.

• Jessica Simpson
• Ashlee Simpson
• The Cure
• Kelly Clarkson
• Ne-Yo

Kim Porter and Diddy
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images

Diddy and girlfriend Kim Porter are splitting up, just months after she gave birth to twin girls, the couple announced Tuesday (July 10), according to The Associated Press. In a recent cover story in Essence, the two declared love for each other, although he admitted he was an "ex-player" and wasn't ready to marry Porter. "Do you really think that God meant for a man to have just one wife?" he said in the magazine. Diddy and Porter already had a son when he was seeing Jennifer Lopez, but Diddy eventually reunited with his former girlfriend, even after she took him to court seeking increased child-support payments. ...

More artists have been added to the bill for this year's Bumbershoot festival, which will be held September 1-3 in Seattle. Fergie, John Legend, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, (+44) and the Apples in Stereo are the latest acts to join the bill, with Head Automatica, Menomena, the Bouncing Souls and others climbing onboard as well. This festival is being anchored by the Shins, Wu-Tang Clan, Crowded House and Panic! at the Disco. ...

Justin Timberlake, T.I. and Usher made Stuff magazine's "30 Power Guys Under 30" list, which also includes actors Seth Rogen and Jake Gyllenhaal; athletes LeBron James, Reggie Bush, Tom Brady and Roger Federer; and blogger Perez Hilton. T.I. shares his secret to staying on top in the magazine's August issue, which hits newsstands Tuesday. "You must create a demand and then supply it," he explained. "You make so the market can't function at its best without you." ...

A Springfield has been chosen to host the premiere of "The Simpsons Movie" — but is it big enough to handle the hype? Vermont's Springfield — a small town of 9,300 people that has a 100-seat movie theater — will host the movie on July 27, thanks to an online poll it wasn't even invited to take part in at first, AP reports. A local Chamber of Commerce executive appealed for the town to be included, after which a video shot by a 17-year-old cameraman was submitted for consideration. The clip — which features a talk-show host dressed as Homer chasing a pink doughnut through the town — drew 15,367 votes, earning the town the premiere. ...

Alicia Keys is targeting October 23 as the release date for her next album, As I Am, according to Billboard. Keys debuted "The Thing About Love," one of the songs featured on the effort, at the Live Earth concert in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Saturday. ... Raekwon is polishing off his next solo LP, Ice Water: Polluted Water, for an August 28 release. Method Man will pay a visit on the disc, but Wu-Tang Clan members aren't the only ones getting involved: Busta Rhymes, Rick Ross, Three 6 Mafia, Remy Ma and Jagged Edge are also on the VIP list. ...

Next time you strap on your "Guitar Hero" ax, you might want to have a top hat handy too — Slash will appear as an avatar in "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock." The Velvet Revolver guitarist, who is chipping in an original song for the game, will appear as a boss battle character. Guns N' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle" will also be featured in the game. ... Nicole Richie can breathe a little easier, at least for now — her lawyer has forced another delay in her DUI trail, People reports. "The trial will not happen [Wednesday]," Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Jane Robison told the outlet. "Richie's attorney filed a motion ... stating that their key witness, a drug expert, was unavailable for trial." Both sides have been called to court Wednesday to discuss the motion — but either way, the trial will be delayed for at least another day. ...

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" is printed, so there's no going back on the ending, but fans are calling on author J.K. Rowling to "Save Harry" — even if he's already destined to die. In an online petition launched by British book retailer Waterstone's, Rowling is being asked to keep the series going past this seventh installment, whether Harry survives the finale or not. "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle famously killed off Sherlock Holmes, yet brought him back after years of demand from his fans and publishers," Waterstone's Wayne Winstone said. "Couldn't the same happen for Harry Potter?" ...

Avril Lavigne's alleged plagiarism ordeal has been grabbing headlines left and right, but fellow Canadian artist Chantal Kreviazuk isn't about to keep piling on the singer. On Tuesday, the singer/songwriter issued a statement retracting statements she made to Performing Songwriter Magazine in which she doubted Lavigne's writing abilities. "When I saw the track listing to Avril's new record, it caught my attention that she had the same title as a song I had sent her a while back. When I heard it, I immediately realized that it was a coincidence. The songs have nothing in common. I have always maintained that the song on Avril's album is completely different, having no similarity in melody or lyric, and Avril has in no way stolen my song. I simply never said that or thought it. My statements and any inference from my statements, which call into question Avril's ethics or ability as a respected and acclaimed songwriter, should be disregarded and are retracted. Avril is an accomplished songwriter, and it has been my privilege to work with her." Curiously, Kreviazuk issued the statement through Nettwerk Music Group — Lavigne is managed by Nettwerk Management. ...

Arcade Fire's Neon Bible and Feist's The Reminder are among the 10 finalists up for this year's Polaris Music Prize, which salutes the year's best Canadian LP. The prize — which comes with a $20,000 bonus — will be announced September 24. ... Against Me! have been added to this year's Saints & Sinners Festival. The band will headline the November 3 date, while Glassjaw are all set to close out the event's final night, November 4. Tickets go on sale July 20 for the festival, which will take over the Convention Hall Complex in Asbury Park, New Jersey. ... Megadeth will be touring the U.S. this fall with Ozzfest 2007 performers In This Moment, as well as the Confession. The trek is set to launch September 4 in Anchorage, Alaska, and is booked through October 6 in Norfolk, Virginia. ...

PJ Harvey — uh huh, her — has pegged September 25 as the release date for her eighth studio opus, White Chalk. Flood and John Parish, who previously collaborated with the singer/songwriter for To Bring You My Love and Is This Desire?, produced the effort, which also features contributions from Eric Drew Feldman and Dirty Three drummer Jim White. She debuted some of the new material at the Manchester International Festival over the weekend. ... Watch out, CNN — Michael Moore has you in his sights. The controversial director appeared on "The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer" on Monday to discuss his new movie "Sicko," only to find his interview prefaced by an unsavory segment on the flick by CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who attempted to dispel some of the film's points about the U.S. health care system. Moore erupted after that, refuting the segment and bashing the network for its news coverage in the lead-up to the Iraq war. The director's Web site quickly posted an extensive point/counterpoint response to Gupta's segment following the Monday interview. On Tuesday, Blitzter's program aired the more subdued second part of the interview. ...

The Cure, who are in the midst of recording their 13th studio LP, have decided to make it a double: A two-CD set will hit stores in October. While not much is known about the yet-untitled offering, the disc's new melodies will deal with relationships, politics, religion and materialism. A fall North American tour will follow. ... Moby has some fresh beef with the organizers of the Live Earth concerts — he's chiding them for selling meat at the shows. In a post on the vegan musician's blog, he says livestock breeding and the gases the animals emit is a huge contributor to greenhouse gases, according to a United Nations statistic. "The one thing that still stuns me ... is that almost no one in the 'stop global warming' camp talks about the environmental ramifications of animal production," he said. ...

Pogues guitarist Philip Chevron has been diagnosed with throat cancer, according to a post on the band's Web site. He will not join the Pogues on their North American tour this fall. A statement on the group's site read: "This decision to suspend his live work has the complete support of the other Pogues who wish him a good and complete recovery. Though it is not yet known when Chevron will return to live work, it is hoped that he will again be available towards the end of this year." ... A Beatles monument will be constructed in Hamburg, Germany, where the band launched its international career, BBC News reports. ... Want an iPhone? You might want to hold off on eBay for the moment — ABC News reports that Apple may be coming out with a cheaper Nano version of the device by the end of the year. "Our channel check suggests Apple is coming out with a second phone, a much cheaper one, in 4Q07," JPMorgan analyst Kevin Chan wrote in a note that was released Tuesday (July 10). He added that the new iPhone would be sold for about $300 and that as many as 40 million of them could be sold by the company next year.

07.09.2007

Beyoncé made a surprise visit in an emergency room Sunday after her St. Louis show — two people were injured at the concert when pyrotechnics reportedly spilled into the front row, according to The Associated Press. Darryl Williams, head nurse at the hospital, told AP that Beyoncé, who met with the victims for 45 minutes, "was just very concerned about the people injured in the audience. [Her visit] was unannounced and we kept it very low-key so that she could spend time with them." A spokesperson for Barnes-Jewish Hospital told the news service that the injuries were minor and both victims were expected to make full recoveries. A spokesperson for Music World entertainment, which represents the singer, did not comment to the news service. ...

Taking a page out of Kanye West's book, the equally dapper T.I. hosted an album-release party over the weekend for T.I. vs. T.I.P. at the Louis Vuitton store in Atlanta's posh Buckhead district. (West struck first with LV, recently holding his 30th birthday bash at the store's New York branch.) Big Boi, Jazze Pha, Jermaine Dupri, Polow Da Don, Mya and Young Jeezy attended the festivities. ...

If Maroon 5's red-hot "Makes Me Wonder" song has you wondering when the band will be hitting a city near you, you're in luck. Adam Levine and his cohorts — with Swedish punks the Hives in tow, weirdly — will swing through 28 North American cities in support of their recently released It Won't Be Soon Before Long album. The jaunt begins September 29 in Detroit and ends November 10 in Las Vegas. ...

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Chairman Julian Bond took a swipe at Jay-Z over the weekend during the group's annual convention in Detroit, according to the Detroit Free Press. "There are certain words that ought not to be spoken, and the N-word is just one of them," he said in regards to the symbolic "burial" of the term to be staged with Kurtis Blow and others at the city's Hart Plaza on Monday (July 9). "I heard somebody say that when Jay-Z talks about ho's, he gets a gold record. When Don Imus talks about ho's, he gets fired," he later remarked. "We believe in equal justice and equal justice for everyone." ...

The Virgin Festival is ratcheting up the theatrics — Panic! at the Disco have been added to the fest's second day, set for August 5 at Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course. Explosions in the Sky and Dan Deacon have also climbed onboard. ... Finally, Bloc Party are scheduled to headline a real block party — Chicago's Hideout Block Party, that is, on September 7. The band has lined up a slew of September and October dates, taking the indie-rockers from Montreal on September 9 through the States, down to Mexico City for a gig on the 19th, then back up through the States and into Canada again — and then finally to the Theatre at Madison Square Garden for a closing gig on October 3. Might want to bring a TripTik for that one, guys. ...

Jurors will be able to hear from a security guard who testified controversially in 1993 that he heard Phil Spector say all women should be shot in the head, AP reports. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler had previously chosen not to allow the testimony but reconsidered when prosecutors raised the issue again. Fidler said he thought before that the testimony wouldn't be admissible because the remark was made too long ago and wasn't specific to the shooting death of Lana Clarkson — who died after a bullet was fired through her mouth. But he changed his mind upon further research. "In this case, you have a woman who is shot in the head. It is highly particularized," he said. ... Almost 19 million people watched Live Earth on NBC and its affiliates, AP reports — far short of the 2 billion event organizers had hoped for. On the other hand, the organizers' estimate was also supposed to include online viewers, whereas the 19 million figure only includes viewers who watched at least six minutes of the telecasts. ...

Amid all the Live Earth happenings over the past week, Axl Rose found time to vent about why Guns N' Roses wouldn't be performing at the event's Rio de Janeiro installment. "We were not asked until the last couple weeks while we were on tour in Australia and have upcoming sold-out dates already rescheduled in Japan," he said in a press release issued Friday. "I was asked to perform individually with Lenny Kravitz by the promoters and Mr. Gore. As we were working this out, Lenny unfortunately became injured and temporarily canceled his involvement from the event." Rose claims he wasn't made aware that Kravitz's performance was reconfirmed until it was too late. "Guns N' Roses or I were not asked to play anywhere else, such as Japan or Australia (as we are already in the regions on tour), and in which we have formally offered to perform, but the offer of our involvement was declined." ...

Did Madonna's onstage hookup with gypsy punks Gogol Bordello at Live Earth London over the weekend leave you scratching your head? This might shed some light: Frontman Eugene Hutz, who starred alongside Elijah Wood in "Everything Is Illuminated," has been working with Madge on her directorial debut, "Fifth & Wisdom." "It was super-fun and perfectly respectable, and it ended up being quite a collaborative project," he told Billboard.com about the flick. ...

J.K. Rowling is taking Harry Potter on the road. The author will launch the Open Book Tour in October, answering fan questions and signing copies of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" during three events for schoolchildren and one special evening gathering for a lucky group of Harry Potter fans. Students from select schools will be randomly chosen at the start of the new school year for the Los Angeles (October 15), New Orleans (October 18) and New York (October 19) student events, while readers of all ages can enter at Scholastic's Harry Potter site beginning July 30 for a chance to score one of 1,000 tickets to Rowling's evening tour stop at New York's Carnegie Hall on October 19. ...

Diana Ross performed at Tao Restaurant in New York on Sunday night as part of a charity auction hosted by the New York Giants' Michael Strahan. Ja Rule, Nicole Murphy, and Dawn Richards of Danity Kane also made appearances at the event, which raised over $300,000 for the Supportive Children's Advocacy Network and was sponsored by the Dreier LLP law firm. ... Prince played three shows over 12 hours in his hometown of Minneapolis from Saturday into early Sunday, ending his live streak when police shut down his early morning homecoming show at the legendary First Avenue club — featured in "Purple Rain" — 70 minutes into a 24-song set, AP reports. After playing 15 songs, Prince pulled the plug on the show — which didn't start until nearly 2:45 a.m. — announcing, "The authorities say we gotta go. We always listen to the authorities. I promise I'll be back." Prince played a 45-minute set at Macy's for his fragrance launch early Saturday, followed by a full concert at the Target Center. ...

Nicole Richie is due in court on Wednesday to answer a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence, but dad Lionel Richie isn't coming down hard on his daughter, who he said is "just in an unfortunate situation." The singer, who spoke to the AP at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, said Nicole is sorry for her mistakes. "She keeps apologizing to me," he said. "I told her, 'You're doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing to your father at this age.' " Because Richie's case contains an allegation of a prior DUI conviction, she faces 90 days in jail and a suspension of driving privileges if found guilty. ... As for the Nicole Richie pregnancy reports, Lionel told People that he's a little out of touch ("Nicole, baby, call me!") and isn't sure whether he has a grandchild on the way. "I don't know if I'm going to be grandpa," he said. "I don't know if I'm ready to be called grandpa." ...

Foo Fighters will strike back on September 25 with Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace, their sixth studio album. Aside from rocking a totally grammatically correct title (Dave Grohl hates stodgy commas) the album will feature 12 tracks, with titles such as "The Pretender," "Long Road to Ruin," the emo-baiting "Cheer Up, Boys (Your Make-Up Is Running)" and "Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners," no doubt a tribute to the two Tasmanian miners who, while trapped in a collapsed mine, listened to songs by the band until they were rescued — and later met, and shared a beer with, Grohl and company. ...

Clay Aiken tangled with a fellow passenger on a flight to Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday morning, AP reports, leading to an FBI investigation but no arrests. The FBI told Tulsa World that there was a dispute on the aircraft between a male former "American Idol" contestant and a woman on the plane, but would not confirm Aiken's identity. The argument allegedly began over the male passenger's putting his foot on the woman's armrest, and the female passenger reportedly gave the man "a minor shove." There were no injuries reported, though Aiken did joke onstage Saturday night that he'd been beaten up by a girl earlier in the day. ...

Afeni Shakur — Tupac's mother — lost a North Carolina guest home in a fire late Friday night, according to local outlet News 14 Carolina. The blaze completely destroyed the property, which is part of a larger estate owned by Shakur, but according to the report, no one was injured. In a statement, Shakur thanked authorities and community members for responding to calls for help. "I would sincerely like to thank the professional and volunteer firefighters and our neighbors who quickly came to our rescue and helped extinguish the fire," she said. "We are truly blessed to have their vigilant and neighborly care. We were fortunate that no one was at the home at the time." ...

Drowning Pool have teamed up with the organization Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and 15-year-old YouTube video producer Lizzie Palmer for the This Is for the Soldiers campaign, encouraging young people to support the Lane Evans Mental Health Care Reform bill, legislation extending health-care benefits for veterans. ... Snow Patrol keyboardist Tom Simpson was arrested Saturday in London following the band's performance at Live Earth, on charges of failing to appear in court on drugs charges, U.K.'s ITV News reported. Simpson was released from custody on Sunday, in time to headline the T in the Park festival in Scotland after agreeing to appear in court in Glasgow, Scotland, on Tuesday. The keyboardist missed the band's Saturday night performance at Ireland's Oxegen fest.

• Diddy
• Fergie
• John Legend
• Justin Timberlake
• T.I.

M.I.A., The Killers, Lupe Fiasco, More At Coachella 2009

• The Killers
• M.I.A.
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Franz Ferdinand
• Public Enemy

Paramore, Kanye West, More Come Out For KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas 2008

• Paramore
• Kanye West
• Stone Temple Pilots
• The Cure
• AFI

Artists Who've Never Been #1: Ozzy, Kiss, The Cure, More

• David Bowie
• Lemmy Kilmister
• The Smiths
• Morrissey
• The Who

Live 8 Around The World: Good Charlotte, Bjork, Green Day and More

• Audioslave
• Shakira
• Good Charlotte
• Björk
• Green Day

Best of 2004: Live Concert Photos

• No Doubt
• Ashlee Simpson
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Evanescence
• Velvet Revolver

2004 Coachella Valley Music Festival

• The Pixies
• Beck
• Howie Day
• The Distillers
• Kinky

KROQ's Inland Invasion 3 in Devore, CA Sept 20, 2003

• The Cure
• Duran Duran
• Echo & the Bunnymen
• Soft Cell

Classic Unplugged Photos

• 10,000 Maniacs
• Alice in Chains
• Arrested Development
• The Cure
• Blackstreet