Opiate for the Masses
Photo: Century Media

If you listen very closely to Opiate for the Masses' latest LP, Manifesto, which dropped this week, you may hear some slight snoring.

That's because the album, which is the band's first in three years, was tracked in guitarist Jim Kaufman's home studio. Kaufman is a dog lover, and his two bulldogs were a constant presence in the studio during the recording sessions.

"You can probably hear them on several of the tracks on the record, because they sleep all the time and snore, and the microphones picked that up all the time," explained Opiate's newest member, Anna Kjellberg, who has played bass for Drain STH, Hanzel und Gretyl and, for one tour back in '06, Ministry frontman Al Jourgensen's Revolting Cocks. "They're a pretty big part of the album, actually."

But the canines would never have made the record if Kjellberg had not replaced Ryan Head last year. Opiate for the Masses — who are on the road with the reunited Filter through August 8, and will join Sevendust, Drowning Pool, and Nonpoint for the GrindCo Tour on August 10 — had actually been sitting on the effort for several months before it was decided they'd update the opus, with Kjellberg rerecording all the bass parts.

"It was kind of a weird procedure to get this album together," she said of the set, which features a cover of Portishead's "Wandering Star" ("We thought it was a really cool song," she said, "and I think we did make it our own, even though it's still true to the original in many ways"). "When I joined the band, they basically had a finished album, and they all, including me, felt that we needed to update it a bit and add some songs and take others away. We basically ripped up the mixes and started over with a second producer. So we wrote three songs together that we added onto the album, and I retracked the bass on all of the songs, so, really, there were two editions of the album.

"I think the record is more solid and more uniform than the previous album," the bassist continued. "It is a lot more straightforward and more cohesive. All of the songs fit together really well. The melodies are still there. Opiate always had very melodic songs. It's still heavy, and there's still lots of guitars, but you still have the choruses and all that."

Kjellberg said she's looking forward to working on the follow-up to Manifesto so she can be there from start to finish. "I am very much a songwriter, and I love to be involved in the whole songwriting process," she said. "I'm glad I got a chance to be as involved as I turned out [being] on this record, because I came into the band at such a late stage. We actually have a studio in the back lounge of our bus. We're not jumping on it yet, but when the time comes, and the inspiration comes, we can start tracking those ideas."

For Kjellberg, the Opiate experience has been drastically different from those she'd had with her previous bands, because this time around, she's playing side-by-side with her husband of five years, drummer Seven Antonopolous.

"When Opiate decided to change bass players, it was [frontman Ron Underwood] and [Kaufman] who suggested they should bring me in," she said. "Seven and I discussed it thoroughly: Was it a good idea or not, to be married and be in the same band and be on tour together? But it's actually working out really well. He's my best friend, and we're lucky to be able to do this together. It's easier than I think we both thought it would be. We talked so much about it, because we didn't want to risk our marriage, and we didn't want to be that annoying married couple in the band. It would be a nightmare for the other guys, to have a married couple bickering at each other all the time. But we don't. It works really well."

But the couple's wedding rings do little to dissuade third parties from making their moves. "We know where we are in this relationship, and we're both very aware, of course, that there will be guys hitting on me and there will be girls who will hit on Seven," she said. "That's part of the job. As long as we don't do anything, there's no reason to get jealous that other people find my husband attractive. I can't blame them."

While Kjellberg gets her fair share of male groupies, she said they're not nearly as upfront as their female counterparts. "These girls come to a show with a purpose," she said. "They know which bandmember they want, and they go for it. They dress not-so-much and go for it, and they get it. Girls come more prepared for that. Guys are much more polite. They'll bring you gifts, flowers ... it's a different approach. They don't come up and suggest that you go to the back lounge with them — girls will. Guys send love letters, and they're more creepy about it, actually. I think that's because, for a guy, it's more intimidating to approach a girl who can play an instrument, goes out on tour, and does the things they wish they could do."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Sad news to report this week, as Paul Stitt, the former lead singer for 1990s metallers Angellic Rage, was shot to death during a liquor-store holdup in Las Vegas on July 8. Stitt was working as a clerk in the store when two men, wearing baseball caps, entered the business, guns drawn. Police believe the gun may have fired accidentally, striking Stitt in the head. Police are now reviewing surveillance footage of the murder and hope the tape will help lead them to the two gunmen. ... Opeth will be touring this fall, with High on Fire, Baroness and Nachtmystium along for the ride. That tour is set to commence September 16 in Buffalo, New York, and runs through October 26 in Baltimore. ...

Calling all Maggots! On July 18, MTV will be filming a new episode of "FNMTV," during which Slipknot's video for "Psychosocial" will make its world premiere. Interested in being part of the taping? Well, if you live in or around the L.A. area, head on over to 1Iota.com and sign up for free tickets. Make sure to enter "Slipknot" in the comments box when making your ticket request. ...

Did Lemmy Kilmister break a German law by wearing a Nazi cap? Seems there's an investigation into a picture of the Motörhead frontman that appeared in a German newspaper before the band's July 5 performance at "Wacken Rocks Seaside." In Germany, "anti-constitutional propaganda" is illegal. ... A September 30 release date has been set for Trivium's forthcoming album, Shogun. Look for the effort to feature 11 tracks, including "Torn Between Scylla and Charybdis," "Into the Mouth of Hell We March" and "Like Callisto to a Star in Heaven." Whatever. ...

Clutch will be teaming up with the Sword for a spate of gigs this fall. The first has been booked for September 19 in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and the trek is expected to wrap October 9 in Sacramento, California.

• Opiate for the Masses
• Opeth
• Slipknot
• Portishead
• Filter

Ashlee Simpson
Photo: Getty Images/ Frederick M. Brown

You probably didn't take Ashlee Simpson as a fan of Salvador Dalí, but the famed artist's surrealism is exactly the look she went for in her new video, according to Billboard.com. The singer shot a clip for "Out of My Head (Ay Ya Ya)," the Timbaland-produced first single from her yet-untitled March album, on Thursday. "One of my favorite artists is Salvador Dalí," she told the site. "You'll see a little bit of that surrealism in [the clip]. There's a bit of 'Being John Malkovich' in there too. It's a little out there." Simpson also said she will title the album during the holidays and hopes to kick off a small-club tour in February. ...

Kanye West has backed out of what would have been his first concert on U.S. soil since the unexpected death of his mother, Dr. Donda West, last month. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that West dropped off the bill for the KDWB Jingle Ball at the Target Center slated for Friday night (December 7) in Minneapolis with only a few days' notice, due to an unspecified "family matter." "American Idol" runner-up Blake Lewis and Fabolous will fill in for West on the bill, which also includes Avril Lavigne, Timbaland, Good Charlotte and Jordin Sparks. "We tried to get [West] on the air to explain all this to fans, but he refused," said Rob Morris, the station's program director. "We did everything we could to save this thing." ...

West, Avril Lavigne, Common and Coldplay are just a few of the many celebs who have pitched in for Waxploitation's new Darfur Benefit Auction, which launched Thursday. Lavigne, Com, the Flaming Lips, Norah Jones, Nickelback and Deftones signed guitars for the auction; 'Ye, Coldplay, Gnarls Barkley, Bloc Party, TV on the Radio, Wilco, the Decemberists, Aesop Rock, Macy Gray, Thievery Corporation and Gorillaz signed other items; and there are additional items from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lupe Fiasco, Don Cheadle, and Bam Margera. All proceeds will go to Doctors Without Borders, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam America. ...

Speaking of eBay charity auctions, Gorillaz's Damon Albarn, Robert Plant, Belle and Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch, PJ Harvey and others have written and signed postcards for a British one that's currently up. One of Plant's postcards quizzically has just two words above his John Hancock: "Mitigating circumstances." Daddy G of Massive Attack and actress Helen Mirren also pitched in for the effort, which is raising money for Carers UK, an organization that gives financial and emotional support to individuals who provide unpaid health and social care. ...

J.K. Rowling has posted a new entry on her Web site, calling out the launch of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" at the National History Museum in London and insisting that the book is her fave of the series. "As for mourning Harry — and I doubt I will be believed when I say this — nobody can have felt the end as deeply as I did. The writing of 'Harry Potter' has been inextricably linked with my life for 17 years, and saying goodbye has been just as tough as I always knew it would be." Rowling also revealed that a documentary surrounding her is on the way. "J.K. Rowling - A Year in the Life," which will air later this month in the U.K., shadows the author working on "Deathly Hallows," on tour and at the launch. ...

After visa issues forced Velvet Revolver to cancel their tour of Japan, and "health issues" forced the band to postpone its Australian tour — a week after the DUI arrest of singer Scott Weiland — the group has announced a New Year's Eve show at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom. The band also said that part of the proceeds from a limited-edition T-shirt sold at its Wednesday benefit with Alice in Chains at Universal City, California's Gibson Amphitheatre will be donated to victims of the recent Southern California fires. Meanwhile, the Australian tour dates have been rescheduled for February and will kick off with a show on the 15th in Brisbane. ... It was a rare bit of good legal news for Kid Rock this week when a judge in New Orleans dismissed Louisiana musician Troy Landry's claim that the rapper's song "Somebody's Gotta Feel This" was too similar to one of his songs. According to The Associated Press, U.S. District Judge May Ann Vial Lemmon said the works were not "so strikingly or substantially similar as to preclude independent creation." Landry sued Rock (born Robert Ritchie) and Atlantic Records in 2004, claiming that an eight-second snippet of "Feel This" that was featured in a beer commercial was similar to a song Landry released on a 1994 record. ...

Madonna is suing the board and management company of her luxury New York apartment — which includes a 6,000-square-foot duplex, a gym and a beauty salon — for not allowing her to expand it into a neighboring apartment, according to the Daily News. In a recently filed summons, the singer reportedly accuses the board and management company of breach of contract for holding up the sale of the other apartment. ... In other Madge news, Billboard.com reported Thursday that her new album would be called Licorice and drop in late April, but her label is saying not so fast. "Wrong title. Release date wrong etc.," Warner Bros. spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg told Reuters. She did not, however, appear to deny the reported participation of Kanye West and Pharrell on the effort. ... Björk has reunited with director Michel Gondry — who got behind the camera for some of the singer's best-known videos, including "Human Behaviour" and "Army of Me" — for a new clip, RollingStone.com reports. The collaboration, for her song "Declare Independence," marks their first hookup in 10 years. ...

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have lined up three gigs he'll play in the summer at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, according to Billboard.com. Sixty-six Springsteen concerts have reportedly sold out at the venue in the past, and the upcoming gigs will be held July 27, 28 and 31. ... So is that much-rumored new studio album by the Pixies still in the works? "Helll no," Kim Deal recently told RollingStone.com about participating on a potential new effort. "Because I don't want to," she added. She said she didn't think her bandmates wanted to make one either. "I was kind of waiting for [Frank Black and guitarist Joey Santiago] to get together and do demos, and they never did." ... "Wire" fans, there's another reason to get psyched, beyond the upcoming launch of the show's new season: Two soundtracks are on the way, Pitchfork reports. ... And All the Pieces Matter - Five Years of Music From "The Wire" will include music and dialogue from the lauded HBO show; tracks by Steve Earle, Solomon Burke and others; as well as variations of Tom Waits' "Down in the Hole" theme sung by the Blind Boys of Alabama and others. Beyond Hamsterdam: Baltimore Club Tracks From "The Wire" will highlight underground B-More rappers like Rod Lee, Tyree Colion and Diablo. Both discs drop January 8, two days after the new season starts airing. ...

Will Smith, Ralph Macchio wannabe? Believe it or not, the "I Am Legend" actor is entertaining the idea of a "Karate Kid" remake, according to AP. While there aren't many more details yet on that shocker, there is some more news on the "I Am Legend" front: The flick's theatrical release in China is being held up due to the country's plan to temporarily ban American movies in an effort to help China's domestic-film industry. ... Kiefer Sutherland, who has served three of the 48 days he has been sentenced to spend in jail, is a "model prisoner," said Officer John Balian, a spokesman for the Glendale City Jail in California, according to People.com. Sutherland reportedly spent Thursday folding jail laundry and has been assigned to serve meals to the other inmates. "He's not happy to be here," Balian said. "But you can tell from his demeanor that he's sorry and takes responsibility for what he's done." ...

A fifth person has been charged with conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice in the case involving Amy Winehouse's husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, BBC News reports. James Kennedy is due in court Friday. ... Billy Joel has released a new anti-war song — though the piano man isn't heard singing on the track. Instead, 21-year-old New York singer/songwriter Cass Dillon handled the duties. Joel thought "somebody young, about a soldier's age," should be heard on "Christmas in Fallujah," he recently told AP. The track went on sale on iTunes starting Tuesday, and net proceeds are going to Homes for Our Troops, a charity group that constructs homes for wounded Iraq and Afghanistan vets. ...

Hip-hop icon MC Lyte is prepping the debut from her new group, Almost September, which also features producer/DJ Jared Lee and singer Whitey White. Manager "Blue" Williams said the trio have a "grown-up rap" feel that mixes Lyte's rhymes with soulful funk akin to the Brand New Heavies. The group's first single, "Beautiful," will be available on iTunes before the end of the year. ...

Drowning Pool bassist Stevie Benton has been diagnosed with Bell's Palsy, an often-temporary neurological disorder that causes paralysis of the face, after being rushed to the hospital Thursday. According to a statement from his publicist, Benton felt ill during the band's Wednesday night show in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and has been ordered to stay off the road for at least six weeks. "I'm really bummed that because of this, we can't perform this last string of shows," he said in the statement. "I want to thank the fans for their continued support."

12.6.07

Time to pucker up for Madonna's next album — Billboard.com reports that the singer has settled on the title for it: Licorice. The effort, which will reportedly feature "Candy Shop" and "The Beat Goes On" (featuring Pharrell), is due in late April and will be Madge's last effort for longtime label Warner Bros. Kanye West is said to be a guest on "The Beat Goes On," according to the site, which also reports that Madonna's vintage track "The Devil Wouldn't Recognize You" will get an update on the new disc. ...

Jessica Sierra pleaded not guilty on Thursday (December 6) to charges of disorderly intoxication, resisting arrest and violating conditions of her parole on earlier felony battery and possession charges, according to The Associated Press. The former "American Idol" finalist was arrested early Sunday morning outside a bar in Ybor City, near Tampa, Florida, after causing an unspecified disturbance while working inside the establishment. Sierra's lawyer reportedly said he is consulting with doctors to map out a comprehensive drug and alcohol plan for the ex-"Idol" contestant, who is currently being held without bail. Sierra is to remain in jail at least until her next hearing on December 20. ...

Gym Class Heroes, the Academy Is ... and Relient K will help anchor next year's Warped Tour, according to Alternative Press. Every Time I Die, From First to Last and the Bronx are also among the first 18 bands named for the summer trek, with the dates yet to be announced. ... Speaking of summer fests, Bonnaroo will take place June 12-15 in Manchester, Tennessee, Billboard.com reports. The lineup will be revealed in late January or early February. ... Your chance to download Radiohead's In Rainbows is about to end. The band has announced that the InRainbows.com Web site will close Saturday. But you can still plunk down $80 for the box set at Radiohead's online w.a.s.t.e. store, while supplies last. ...

Ne-Yo and Macy Gray are joining Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy and others as they pitch in for presidential aspirant Senator Barack Obama. Ne-Yo and the Goo Goo Dolls will play at an Obama fundraiser in Universal City, California, on Monday, while Gray, Tweedy and others will perform at the senator's Friday event in Obama's hometown of Chicago. On a related note, Wilco will set out for a two-week U.S. tour in February. ... Paris, you've got nothing on Britney — Spears outdid Hilton on eBay in terms of related items sold this year. AP reports that 34,345 Brit-related items were sold, compared with 27,377 for Paris. A mere 8,099 items related to Lindsay Lohan were auctioned, while on the movies front, "Transformers" beat out Harry Potter with 442,342 and 344,825 related items sold, respectively. ...

Indie-rockers, state attorneys general and anti-smoking activists are finding themselves on the same side, oddly enough — some of them are reportedly peeved about an ad for Camel cigarettes that appeared alongside a cartoon-heavy indie-rock feature in the magazine's November 15 issue, Pitchfork reports. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. has stopped promotions for its "The Farm" marketing campaign after nine attorneys general sued the company over the ads, according to North Carolina's Winston-Salem Journal. More states are reportedly expected to also sue R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., which could face a fine of more than $100 million for violating a 1998 agreement between 46 states and tobacco manufacturers. The Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement banned the use of cartoons to sell market cigarettes in 1997, effectively killing off Joe Camel. Also being debated, according to Pitchfork, are Camel-sponsored concerts that have featured the Flaming Lips, Band of Horses and the Faint. ...

Alicia Keys will ring in the new year with a performance on the roof of New York's Rockefeller Center as part of Carson Daly's shindig on NBC. The show, which will air December 31 at 11:35 p.m. ET, will also feature Lenny Kravitz performing in Times Square. Keys will sing two songs from her latest album, As I Am. ... LL Cool J, Rev Run, Petra Nemcova, Brett Ratner and other celebs are participating in an ongoing online charity auction staged by Russell Simmons' Diamond Empowerment Fund. "Diamonds Give" features 15 lots of donated diamond pieces and runs through December 16 on eBay. ...

It sounds like U2 might be going back to the future on their upcoming album. The band, which flirted with dance beats and techno on such albums as 1991's Achtung Baby, is incorporating trance, metal and Moroccan influences on its new disc, according to an interview with Bono in The Independent. The singer said fans will "feel the difference. ... Normally when you play a U2 tune, it clears the dance floor. And that may not be true of this. There's some trance influences." He also said the yet-untitled and unscheduled album has some "very hardcore guitar" and "real molten metal" from guitarist the Edge that doesn't sound "like anything we've ever done before, and we don't think it sounds like anything anyone else has done either." Though he wouldn't categorize the album as "world" music, Bono said its sound was inspired in part by a religious music festival the guys attended in Fez, Morocco, where they were exposed to Sufi music. "It was a real humbling thing for a punk-rock shouter, listening to these people who just close their eyes for 40 minutes and sing the most sophisticated melodies." So far, U2 have recorded enough material for two records, he added. ...

Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson recently hung with locals, bathed in an irrigation ditch in their boxers and visited an orphanage in Peru this week, according to AP. An image that surfaced shows the two, who reportedly stayed at a cheap hotel room that cost less than $50 per night, smiling and waving in Cuzco. Cameron Diaz, Bill Gates and others visited the area earlier this year. ... Courtney Love has a new video on her hands ... kind of. A clip featuring manga character Princess Ai — whose universe of properties was co-created by Love — will premiere at the New York Anime Festival on Saturday. "Princess Ai: Broken Leash," which includes live action, animation and music, will appear as part of a CD/DVD anthology due in fall 2008. ... It's hard to keep old punks down. After their recent reunion tour of England this year, punk grandfathers the Sex Pistols will hit the road again next summer, according to Reuters. Guitarist Steve Jones did not give any specifics about the 2008 tour on his Los Angeles radio show on Wednesday, other than to say that the group might play an upcoming charity show at London's Royal Albert Hall organized by Who singer Roger Daltrey. ...

And the battle over James Brown's estate goes on. According to AP, two former trustees for the late singer's estate say the judge who is handling the disputes made them resign in late November. In recently filed court documents, Buddy Dallas and Alford Bradley reportedly said they want to retract their resignations and that South Carolina Circuit Judge Jack Early used "improper judicial influence." They are also seeking for the appointment of their successors to be overturned.

• Ashlee Simpson
• Kanye West
• Avril Lavigne
• Gorillaz
• Velvet Revolver

Beyoncé
Photo: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images

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.

07.06.2007

Barry Bonds isn't viewed too kindly by many baseball fans, and now he's digging himself even deeper: He plans to skip out on the Major League Baseball All-Star Game Home Run Derby on Monday night in San Francisco so he can co-host a party with Jay-Z instead. Bonds said the derby would be too physically exerting and made additional comments on the matter Thursday, according to The Associated Press. "My party's been planned," he said. "It's something I'll remember forever. I'll have a party with whoever I can have a party with. I will be thankful I got to be in the All-Star game in San Francisco." ...

TMZ.com has noticed something funny in Kelly Clarkson's recently released My December: She thanks her recently fired manager in the credits. "Thank you to my manager Jeff Kwatinetz for arguing with me and fighting for me! I hate 'yes' people and you are far from that, always wanting the best out of me and for me. Sometimes I want to punch you but most of the time you inspire me and make me laugh because you are one of the most passionate and driven people I have ever worked with. Thank you for believing in me! I still can't believe we got this record out, haha!!" ...

Ludacris performed — without cussing, no less — Thursday night at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans to help kick off the Essence Music Festival. Ciara also entertained with a set, as did R&B stars the Isley Brothers, Johnny Gill, Keith Sweat and Eddie Levert, who paid tribute to his late son, Gerald. ...

Finishing up the final Harry Potter book is going to be a bittersweet moment for fans, but imagine what writing the last words was like for the author. J.K. Rowling said that completing "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" was "the most remarkable feeling I ever had," in an interview on the BBC talk show "Friday Night With Jonathan Ross," scheduled to air in the U.K. on Friday (July 6). She described wrapping up the series as a "relief" — but it left her feeling both euphoric and devastated. "When I finished one chapter near the end I absolutely howled," she explained, "it had been planned for so long. I was in a hotel room on my own. I was sobbing my heart out. ... That was really tough." Rowling didn't spill any key details in the interview, and she said she's intent on keeping even the very last word of the book under wraps. "Scar? It was so for ages," the author said, "and now it's not. Scar is quite near the end, but it's not the last word." The book will be released in the U.S and the U.K. on July 21. ...

Panic! at the Disco, Wu-Tang Clan and the Shins will light up Seattle's Bumbershoot, which is pegged for September 1-3. Gym Class Heroes, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Sean Paul, Kings of Leon, Devendra Banhart, Joss Stone and Lupe Fiasco are also on the bill. ... Common, Lil Jon and the Clipse are hyping the Microsoft Zune with a handful of free shows dubbed "Live at the BBQ." UGK, David Banner, Collie Buddz, E-40, Cham, Bilal, Large Professor and Mos Def are also participating in the gigs, which are slated for Thursday (Los Angeles), July 22 (Chicago) and August 4 (New York). ...

Al Gore announced Friday on CBS' "Early Show" that Washington, D.C., has been added as a Live Earth host city. The Museum of the American Indian is staging a smaller-scale show on the Mall — the park between the Capitol building and the Lincoln Memorial — that will include performances by American Indian band Blues Nation as well as country singers Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood. The concert kicks off at 10 a.m. For full coverage of Saturday's events — and to share your own Live Earth photos and video — visit MTV's Live Earth site. ... In less celebratory news for Live Earth organizers, a Brazilian public defender is again trying to put the kibosh on the Live Earth show slated to be held at Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach, AP reports. Denise Tarin is appealing a court's decision on Thursday that upheld the concert — which was briefly tabled after Tarin argued that police can't guarantee the safety of the 700,000 people expected to attend. ...

Jim Carrey will play Ebenezer Scrooge in a computerized remake of "A Christmas Carol" to be directed by Robert Zemeckis, Reuters reports. Carrey will also play the three ghosts who haunt the miser in the flick, which will be based off Zemekis' own script and blend 3-D digital animation with the "performance capture" technology he employed for "The Polar Express." ... Have you heard enough about Paris Hilton? Pity Shira Barlow, the University of California, Los Angeles, student who is stuck with her old cell number. In an effort to conserve phone numbers, her wireless company gave her the recycled number, after which she started receiving late-night calls and text messages directed at the heiress, AP reports. Barlow told the news service she's going to stick with the number anyway, as it's provided plenty of amusement. Just don't tell the person who just paid $305 on eBay for an empty can of dog food found in Hilton's garbage. ...

Alicia Keys' Keep a Child Alive has scored a $100,000 bid for an iPhone the organization put up on eBay as part of an auction that ends Friday night. Proceeds will provide antiretroviral drugs for children with AIDS in Africa. The winner gets the iPhone as well as two Bluetooth headsets, two round-trip plane tickets and two passes to Keys' annual Black Ball benefit. The singer will personalize the phone with a voice-mail greeting and present it to the winner at this year's Black Ball, which will honor Bono on October 25 in New York. ... John Legend covered the Nina Simone perennial "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" as part of a performance on Santa Monica, California, radio station KCRW's "New Ground" program. He also opened up about his adoration of the singer, meeting Kanye West in college and more on the show, which will air Saturday at 2 p.m. PT and subsequently be made available on its Web site. ...

Amid rumors that Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are joining forces for their first joint screenplay in 10 years, the acting pals played poker as part of Ante Up for Africa in Las Vegas on Thursday. The event, which is raising funds to help the victims of the Darfur crisis and was co-organized by Don Cheadle, also featured Adam Sandler, Kevin James and Ray Romano. ... The California Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation relating to doctors who wrote prescriptions for Anna Nicole Smith, TMZ.com reports. Earlier this year, the Medical Board of California investigated two of the doctors in question. ... Elton John has won the equivalent of roughly $150,000 in damages and costs from an art dealer who sold him phony sculptures, AP reports. ...

Representatives for Fergie and Candie's are denying a Times Online report that the singer will include product placement in upcoming songs, NME.com reports. "She does have a commercial deal with the clothing brand Candie's, but it has nothing whatsoever to do with the creation of her music," a spokesperson for the singer explained. Candie's confirmed that the company "does not have any arrangement with whereby she will incorporate the Candie's brand into her lyrics." ... Nelly Furtado is engaged to Loose sound engineer Demacio "Demo" Castellon, People reported Thursday. Collaborator Timbaland confirmed the engagement, according to the magazine. ... Former Backstreet Boys member Kevin Richardson and his wife Kristin welcomed a baby boy on Tuesday, the singer announced on his MySpace page. Richardson's wife and their son, Mason, "are perfect," he wrote, "and I am a new man. Thank you for your positive vibes and prayers." ...

"Laguna Beach" castmember Jessica Smith pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drunk-driving charge on Monday and was sentenced to three years' probation, 80 hours of community service and ordered to pay $1,300 in fines and penalties, AP reports. The 19-year-old Smith was arrested on suspicion of a felony count of driving under the influence of alcohol in March after crashing her car on the San Diego Freeway. Officials reported that the felony charge was dropped to a misdemeanor because injuries — Smith's passenger and the driver of the other car were hurt in the collision — were not serious. ... The first-ever live concert DVD of the annual South by Southwest music festival is slated for release on August 21. The DVD, recorded in March, will feature 18 performances from artists including the Bravery, Aqualung, Peter Bjorn and John, Razorlight, Polyphonic Spree, Ozomatli, Stars of Track and Field and Kraak & Smaak. ... Also on August 21, Rilo Kiley will release Under the Blacklight, the follow-up to their 2004 breakthrough More Adventurous. Recorded in Los Angeles in late 2006 through early '07, Blacklight is co-produced by Mike Elizondo (Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine) and features tracks including "The Moneymaker," "15," "Dreamworld" and "Breakin' Up."

• MTV Rough Cut: Daniel Radcliffe
• Harry Potter Clips Made To 'Order'
• 'Harry Potter': Rupert In Love, Kreacher Awaits
• 'Order Of The Phoenix' Set Visit: A Harry Problem

• On The Set Of "Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix"
• "Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix"

• Beyoncé
• T.I.
• Young Jeezy
• Maroon 5
• Jay-Z

Britney Spears
Photo: Chris Weeks/WireImage.com

The news happens all the time, even while you're catching up on beauty sleep. Check out this brief rundown to bring you up to speed this morning — a quick heads up from your friends at MTV News.

Here's what we've got:

Chamillionaire tangles with "Hip Hop Police" in the first single from his upcoming Ultimate Victory — but the only crime they can pin on him in the track is ridin' with hip-hop CDs. "The metaphor means, nowadays, just loving hip-hop and being a rapper and loving music is the same as committing a murder," Cham told us. "With all the controversy surrounding rap, that's what the record is about." ...

Seth Green spoofs "Star Wars" on an upcoming episode of "Robot Chicken," but the episode — which features the voice of George Lucas — probably won't make the franchise's fans too angry. "Lucas has a phenomenal sense of humor," Green told us. "Our jokes are all kind of loving and none of them are really critical and mean-spirited. It's all just kind of pointing out inherent silliness within the design." ...

T-Pain told us that his friends drenched him in champagne on Wednesday after learning that he beat out Rihanna and Paul McCartney to take #1 on the Billboard albums chart. "It felt good to be recognized after being hated on for so long," Pain said. "I was happy with being 20 [on the charts]. I was just happy to be on a chart." ...

Quote of the Day: "If you guys guess the end of the movie, then you're my personal heroes." — "Saw IV" director Darren Lynn Bousman

Here's what everyone else is talking about:

You'll never see it Britney Spears' way because you're not her — or so announces a post on the front page of her Web site. Yet she follows that statement by asking those who have paid up to be fan-club members to weigh in with names for her next LP — not a bad plan, as most of the "possible album titles" she's got so far don't sound like winners. Dignity was just used, for one thing. And Omg Is Like Lindsay Lohan Like Okay Like — that's clearly not going to work. ...

Paris Hilton was spung from the medical ward and returned Thursday night to the Century Regional Detention Center where she started her sentence, The Associated Press reports. ... When Hilton is finished doing her time, will she be considered for a hosting spot on "The View"? Barbara Walters was asked that on her radio show Monday, People reports. The TV talk show's co-executive producer Bill Geddie chimed in with a "No," with Walters countering, "Let me answer that: Yes." But on Wednesday, Walters had changed her tune, saying she wasn't sure she'd even speak to Hilton again. "I hadn't really thought about it," she said during an interview on Ryan Seacrest's radio show. "I wasn't trying to speak with her [when we did speak]." ...

Shar Jackson has denied reports that she is pregnant with Kevin Federline's child, but Star magazine is standing behind the story. "When Kevin heard about the story in Star today, he called up Shar and asked her if she was pregnant and she told him 'yes.' " the magazine reports. "Kevin asked Shar to deny that she's pregnant ... at least for now, until they've both had time to figure out what to do." ...

N.O.R.E.'s video for "Cocaine Cowboys" was yanked from MySpace for violating the site's terms, and while the rapper says the clip is based on the film of the same name, not his experience, he told SOHH.com that he can understand the ban. "People are on [MySpace] pretending to be other individuals, portraying to be their big brothers or whatever and they're only 12 or 13-years-old. If they're that young, then I wouldn't want them to see it." ...

Drowning Pool have stepped up their efforts to help support U.S. troops returning home from combat with an online petition, a letter-writing campaign and plans to testify before Congress, Blabbermouth reports. The band, which recently completed a USO tour and released the song "Soldier," inspired by the experience, are concerned about the issues that troops face following combat. "Though back on safe shores, these individuals are facing a steep uphill battle to reclaim their health after facing the trauma of war," bassist Stevie Benton said. ...

Diddy's "Making the Band" discovery Chopper has signed to Cash Money Records, AllHipHop.com reports. "I wasn't comfortable with P. Diddy — even though the album went platinum, 'cause I just couldn't be myself," he said. ...

"Castlevania" is getting closer to a theater near you. The vampire project, based on the video game of the same name, has signed up Sylvain White ("Stomp the Yard") to direct. He will shoot this movie before upcoming projects "Ronin" and "Static," Variety reports. ...

Reviewer beware: A projectionist for a movie theater in Memphis, Tennessee, lost his job after posting an early, unauthorized and negative review of "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" on Ain't It Cool News on Saturday, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The reviewer, Jesse Morrison (a.k.a. Memflix) claims that 20th Century Fox is behind Malco Theaters' decision to fire him, but the studio denies that allegation. ...

Steven Spielberg is backing Hillary Clinton for president, and we know that Jin is in Barack Obama's corner, but DMC hasn't made up his mind just yet. The rap icon told The New York Observer that he believes Senator Obama "could fix everything," but he's still considering rallying for Senator Clinton "because it's gangsta. I ain't doing what everybody else is doing."

• Britney Spears
• Lindsay Lohan
• Paris Hilton
• N.O.R.E.
• Drowning Pool

Drowning Pool's C.J. Pierce and Ryan McCombs (file)
Photo: Wind-Up

On August 25, during the Dallas stop on this summer's Ozzfest, Drowning Pool will take the stage for the first time with their third — and Soil's erstwhile — frontman Ryan McCombs, according to a spokesperson for Drowning Pool. The band is writing new material with McCombs for its third album, which should surface late this year or early next. The lineup change — which follows the June departure of Jason "Gong" Jones, who was brought in after the 2002 death of original Drowning Pool vocalist Dave Williams — has sparked some beef between the two bands. On Soil's Web site, bassist Tim King vilified McCombs, saying he will "be singing the very songs he hailed as 'average,' " and capped off his tirade with "Drowning Pool can have him. Now we have the better singer [in A.J. Cavalier] and the better band." ...

The recording industry unleashed its latest round of lawsuits against illegal file-sharers on Thursday, targeting 765 individuals. The "John Doe" suits against users of such P2P services as Grokster, eDonkey, Kazaa and LimeWire were filed in federal district courts from California to New York one week after music companies filed 176 suits against individuals whose names were subpoenaed from their ISPs. In light of the Supreme Court's recent ruling against Grokster, Recording Industry Association of America president Cary Sherman said the organization will "significantly" expand its anti-piracy efforts in the coming months. ... Hey, did you really enjoy Interpol's Antics album when it first came out back in September 2004? If so, then you'll really love it when you buy it again as a deluxe two-disc special edition on August 23. Dubbed Antics: The Special Edition, the set is a completist's dream, featuring an unreleased song, "Song Seven," plus an Antics track remixed by each member of the band, and the three videos off the album: "Slow Hands," "Evil" and "C'mere." ...

Blondie, the MC5's Wayne Kramer and former D Generation frontman Jesse Malin will perform at New York's legendary CBGB club on Monday at 8 p.m., in the first of a series of concerts being organized by the Save CBGB campaign, according to a spokesperson for Malin. The concert will be preceded by a press conference, during which it's expected "Sopranos" star and E Street Band member Steven Van Zandt will discuss the details of a monthlong campaign to help preserve the punk-rock landmark and spare it from closure. The cradle of punk faces eviction at the end of August, unless the club's owner, Hilly Kristal, can negotiate a new lease for the Bowery space that houses the venue. ... Los Angeles punks the Bronx will portray Black Flag in the upcoming film "What We Do Is Secret," a biopic about Darby Crash and the Germs starring Lukas Haas and Bijou Phillips. The Mae Shi will appear in the film as the Screamers. ...

He's a guy whose debut album sold more than 3 million copies, and who, 10 years ago, had one of the hottest songs in the country. But it's been a while since we've heard from Warren G, the Long Beach, California, rapper who pretty much invented G-Funk with his '94 tune "Regulate." And while he's been cranking out records ever since, he's becoming better known in the LBC for his charity work, including his annual "G Christmas," where he buys toys for children at the California Recreation Center; and his midnight basketball league, designed to help keep kids off the street. So it's somewhat fitting that on Thursday, Long Beach Mayor Beverly O'Neill announced that the week of August 1-6 will be Warren G Week, a celebration of all his work. Warren will perform a couple of concerts during the week, including one on August 6 in the hangar of the historic ocean liner the Queen Mary. ... Some people tour nightclubs, some people tour colleges, and there have even been instances where artists have toured Boys & Girls clubs. Soul singer Sharissa is taking it to the next level and doing a tour of prisons in advance of her September 27 release, Every Beat of My Heart. On Thursday she started at Rikers Island in New York, singing for male inmates. She's scheduled to perform for all the women inmates on Friday (July 29). There is no word yet on exactly how many correctional facilities Sharissa will be hitting. ...

Struggling to figure out how to break into hip-hop? A DVD series promises to teach you, with advice from producers Rockwilder and Just Blaze, managers Mona Scott and Blue Williams, and video directors Benny Boom and Jessy Terrero. DreamSpring's how-to series (available on DreamSpringEntertainment.com) has eight titles so far, including "Secrets to Getting a Record Deal" (featuring A&R reps from Jive, Shady and G-Unit), "Secrets to Being a Successful Music Producer," "Secrets to Being a Successful Manager" (with tips from managers of Outkast, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes and 50 Cent), "Secrets to Being a Working DJ" (featuring DJ Kay Slay and DJ Kid Capri), and "Secrets to Careers in the Urban Fashion Industry" (featuring execs from Sean John, Ecko and Reebok). A portion of the proceeds will go to Akidemics, a nonprofit providing educational programs for inner-city children. ...

Don't worry that Liz Phair has chucked it all for teen pop, despite working with Ashlee Simpson's producer John Shanks on her upcoming album, Somebody's Miracle, due October 4. "People get very uptight about staying in a certain genre or not breaking out of your expected style," Phair said. "If I like indie rock, I can't like pop. Or if I'm a pop person, I have no credibility in rock. But for me, I just decided to go farther and take my aesthetic stand stronger." Song titles on the more grown-up Miracle include "Leap of Innocence," "Table for One," "Stars and Planets," "Lazy Dreamer" and first single "Everything to Me," which asks a lover to "take the time to catch me if I fall" while also asking, "Do you really know me at all?" ...

7.28.2005

Want to be the next American Idol? If you're between 16 and 28, you can audition for the fifth season — which will begin airing in January 2006 — starting on August 18 in San Francisco at the Cow Palace. Auditions will continue in Austin, Texas; Boston; Memphis, Tennessee; Denver and Chicago. Details on the auditions can be found at idolonfox.com. ...

Another day, another Kelly Clarkson contest — this time, the "American Idol" winner is offering a chance to visit her in New York and hang backstage via a T-Mobile sweepstakes, which starts on Monday at T-MobileAllAccess.com. "I can't wait to hook up with some of my fans and hang out backstage," Clarkson said in a statement. ... After rejecting a plea bargain in May in connection with an alleged August 2004 assault on two nail-salon employees, Foxy Brown was slated to appear in Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday (July 28) for the beginning of her trial in the case. The first court date has been moved to August 5 at the request of Brown's attorney. ...

My Chemical Romance have announced plans to embark on their first headlining tour this fall. The Alkaline Trio and jokey pop-punkers Reggie and the Full Effect will serve as opening acts on the trek, which will hit 28 cities. According to a spokesperson for MCR's label, Reprise Records, the start date for the tour has not yet been determined, nor have on-sale dates, but the tour is slated to make stops in Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, San Diego, Atlanta, Orlando, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore. ... "Chickenhead" rapper Project Pat was released from prison Thursday after serving an abbreviated sentence of more than three years for felony possession of a firearm. The rapper, whose real name is Patrick Houston, will remain on supervised release for three more years, according to the original sentence he was served in June 2002. Project Pat was convicted by a federal jury in Jackson, Tennessee, earlier that year on charges stemming from a January 2001 incident when Memphis police pulled him over for speeding and found two revolvers under a seat in his SUV. He was on parole for aggravated robbery at the time. ... "Halo 2" is the 2005 Game of the Year, according to G-Phoria, which crowned winners of the video game world Wednesday night in Los Angeles, in a ceremony hosted by Wilmer Valderrama. "Halo 2" also took home Best Shooter, Best Multiplayer Game, Best Sound Design, Best Original Soundtrack, Best Boss and Best Male Voice Performance (the most overall awards of the evening). "God of War" was also a big winner, receiving kudos for Best Action Game, Best Cinematic, Best Original Game and Favorite Character, as was "Half-Life 2," which won for Best Graphics and Best Female Voice Performance. "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" took home Best Licensed Soundtrack. The Black Eyed Peas and the Bravery performed, while William Shatner was on hand to honor Ralph Baer, who created the very first video game console. The show will be broadcast August 9 on G4 — the video game channel — at 8 p.m. ET. ...

Thanks to "The Dukes of Hazzard," the 1969 Dodge Charger is increasing in value, according to the Kelley Blue Book. The 1969 Dodge Charger SE 500 in mint condition could fetch up to $61,600 today, versus $43,900 only six months ago, a 29 percent increase in the vehicle's value. For a mint condition Dodge Charger R/T, the price has increased 64 percent this year, up from $28,200 in January 2005 to $43,900 this month. ... The Internet has saturated the youth market, with nearly 90 percent of teens reportedly having online access, according to a new survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, with half of them logging on to the Internet daily. That number is up from about 75 percent of teens in 2000. By comparison, only 66 percent of American adults are wired to the Internet. Older teen girls (ages 15-17) proved to be the most intense users. ... Meanwhile, tweens and young teens aren't glued to the TV as much as they used to be — 8- to 14-year-olds are becoming increasingly disinterested in watching television, and more distracted when they do watch it, according to "The U.S. Market for Tweens and Young Teens," a new report from Packaged Facts. Almost 80 percent of the younger tweens say they "love" watching TV, but this drops to 60 percent when kids reach their early teen years. And often, they're doing something else when the TV is on, like reading, listening to music or using a computer. ...

Alanis Morissette's favorite song? Seal's "Crazy." Her favorite Gap jeans? Curvy flare. Starting in August, Morissette will sing her favorite tune to shill for Gap jeans for the retailer's fall "favorites" campaign in Francis Lawrence-directed TV spots, along with Incubus' Brandon Boyd, Joss Stone, John Legend, Destiny's Child's Michelle Williams, Jason Mraz and Liz Phair. (Boyd's fave is Elvis Costello's "Alison," Stone's is the Beach Boys' "God Only Knows," Mraz's is Bob Marley's "One Love," Phair's is Irving Berlin's "Cheek to Cheek"). A limited-edition eight-song CD featuring those remakes will be available as a gift with purchase at Gap stores starting September 1 (except for Phair's track, which will be replaced on the compilation by Michelle Branch's cover of David Bowie's "Life on Mars?"). ... Nicole Richie, who appeared in Bongo's spring 2005 ads, is wearing the jeans once again for the company's juniors fall campaign, and is joined by her fiance, DJ AM, for the launch of Bongo Men. The campaign — which features the couple cuddling and kissing — will debut in September. "I had done the campaign last season and I had so much fun and I loved the way the ads came out," Richie said. "We are so excited to do the campaign together." ...

The lead singer of the British band Bad Beat Revue died last week from an injury sustained during a dramatic leap from the stage, according to BBC News. Patrick Sherry, 29, known as an athletic performer, sustained fatal head and neck injuries during a July 20 gig and died the next day. The group, which formed in 2002, released one album, Still Cheating, in 2003. ... Arnold Schwarzenegger hasn't forgotten his "Twin" — he's teamed up once again with Danny DeVito to reprise their twin brother roles for a new TV ad campaign for the 2005 California State Fair, which begins airing on Thursday. The fair kicks off in Sacramento at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds on August 12 and runs through Labor Day. ...

• Drowning Pool
• Soil
• Interpol
• Blondie
• Liz Phair

Drowning Pool (file)
Photo: Clay Patrick McBride

It's a story of survival and vindication that would make a great Cameron Crowe movie: More than two and a half years after Drowning Pool were derailed by the death of frontman Dave Williams, the band has regrouped with a new singer and created Desensitized, a rib-rattling ode to pain and perseverance that debuts at #17 on the Billboard albums chart next week.

The disc is dedicated to Williams, who was 30 when he died of a heart attack (see "Drowning Pool Singer Found Dead"). The inside artwork features a quote from the late singer and a tribute statement from the band, and songs like "This Life" and "Killin' Me" are clearly about feeling alone and empty. However, Desensitized — so named because it's the way the band felt in the wake of its singer's death — isn't a concept album, and the band's new singer Jason "Gong" Jones isn't living in Williams' shadow.

"Filling his shoes ain't gonna happen, so I just try to be myself," Jones said. "Basically, the whole album is an acknowledgement that life is hard and unpredictable and you should have a good time, but don't f--- it up."

The singer, who has struggled with substance abuse and homelessness, had plenty of personal experiences from which to draw. And though his words are personal, the way they're expressed is universal. "There's a lot of stuff about loss on the record because everyone has dealt with that," Jones said. "I watched my dad die when I was 10 years old. He was 40, and it was a real learning experience. It taught me that life is short, so you shouldn't piss it away" (see "New Drowning Pool Singer Says He Had A Vision Before Tryout").

Jones wrote all the lyrics on the album, which is a developmental step from Drowning Pool's bruising 2001 debut, Sinner. It's comparable to the growth onetime touring partners Sevendust displayed after their bludgeoning self-titled first album. Some of the new songs, like "Step Up" and "Hate," are similar to the propulsive nü-metal of Sinner. But there are also tracks such as "Nothingness" and "Bringing Me Down" that are more melodic and rock-rooted. There's even a wrenching near ballad, "This Life," and a number of cuts, such as "Think" and "Forget," that feature darkened harmonies similar to Alice in Chains.

"It's a lot more diverse than the last record," Jones said. "We set out intentionally to make it that way. We wanted to take the listener on a ride. We didn't want to do a record that just beat the hell out of you for 40 minutes."

The band will be playing on the MTV2 Headbangers Ball tour through May 7 with Hatebreed, Unearth and headliners Damageplan, whose founders, guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul (both ex-Pantera), used to party with Williams.

"Those guys have been great to me," Jones said. "At first I was a little unsure if I really fit in, but then Dime and Vinnie, who were Dave's tight friends, gave me the thumbs up. I pretty much didn't have to worry about anything after that. If those dudes are cool with me, I figure that everybody eventually will be."

• Drowning Pool

Prince in the "Musicology" video (file)
Photo: Columbia Records

After being relegated to the bottom of the new releases list week after week, the "various artists" finally got a chance to shine up top this week.

The soundtrack to Jennifer Garner's "13 Going on 30" features throwback hits like "Jessie's Girl" by Rick Springfield, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" by Whitney Houston, "Head Over Heels" by the Go-Go's, "Crazy for You" by Madonna, "Love Is a Battlefield" by Pat Benatar, "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice, and a cover of "What I Like About You" by Lillix.

The punk-political throwdown Rock Against Bush features previously unreleased tracks by Sum 41, Alkaline Trio, Offspring, Get Up Kids, Jello Biafra, the Ataris, New Found Glory, NOFX and songs by Social Distortion and Pennywise. There are also videos included on the CD.

The Hip Hop Box is a four-CD set featuring classic tracks by Run-DMC, Kurtis Blow, Roxanne Shanté, Salt-N-Pepa, Kool Moe Dee, Too Short, Boogie Down Productions, Public Enemy, Biz Markie, A Tribe Called Quest, the Wu-Tang Clan, Busta Rhymes, Gangstarr, the Pharcyde, U.T.F.O., Naughty by Nature, and Afrika Bambaataa and the SoulSonic Force. The set, which commemorates the 25th anniversary of hip-hop, includes songs from 1979 to 2003 and a booklet with a forward written by Chuck D.

Meanwhile, Prince presents Musicology, while the kinder, gentler, non-Killah Ghostface releases The Pretty Toney Album alongside Hanson's Underneath, Drowning Pool's Desensitized, Afroman's Afroholic: The Even Better Times and Mario Winans' Hurt No More.

Chris Vrenna, a founding member of Nine Inch Nails and now the man behind Tweaker, releases his second album, 2 a.m. Wakeup Call. Guests on the album include the Cure's Robert Smith on "Truth Is."

Finally, the Veils celebrate The Runaway Found, and Bright Eyes and Neva Dinova supply One Jug of Wine, Two Vessels.

Out Tuesday, April 20:

• Afroman - Afroholic the Even Better Times (Hungry Hustler)
• The Alarm - In the Poppy Fields (Snapper)
• Alien Crime Syndicate - Ten Songs in the Key of Betrayal (The Control Group)
• Alkaline Trio/One Man Army - Split Series, Vol. 5 (BYO)
• Theresa Andersson - Shine (Basin Street)
• Atombombpocketknife - Lack and Pattern (File 13)
• Automato - Automato (Coup de Grace)
• Azita - Life on the Fly (Drag City)
• Bad Acid Trip - Lynch the Weirdo (Serjical Strike/Columbia)
• Beyond Surface - Destination's End (Sanctuary/Noise)
• Black Label Society - Hangover Music, Vol. VI (Spitfire)
• Norman & Nancy Blake - The Morning Glory Ramblers (DualTone)
• Brazil - A Hostage and the Meaning of Life (Fearless)
• Kevin-John Breit and the Sisters - John and the Sisters (NorthernBlues)
• Bright Eyes/Neva Dinova - One Jug of Wine, Two Vessels (Crank!)
• George Calle - Dark Beats NYC, Vol. 2 (Oh Music)
• Cesium_137 - Elemental (Metropolis)
• Jon Cleary - Pin Your Spin (Basin Street)
• Debase - Unleashed (Sanctuary/Noise)
• Demolition Doll Rods - On (Swami)
• DJ Icey - For the Love of the Beat (System Recordings)
• Drowning Pool - Desensitized (Wind-Up)
  Read: "New Drowning Pool Singer Says He Had A Vision Before Tryout"
  Buy Now: Desensitized (Wind-Up)
  
• Dyecrest - The Way of Pain (Sanctuary/Noise)
• Echobrain - Glean (Chophouse/Surfdog)
• Ektomorf - Destroy (Nuclear Blast)
• Fear Factory - Archetype (Liquid 8)
• Flight Recorder - From Pinkerton's Assorted Colours to the Flying Machine (Sanctuary/Castle)
• Jerry Garcia - All Good Things: Jerry Garcia Studio Sessions (box set, Rhino)
• Ghostface - The Pretty Toney Album (Def Jam)
• The Glasspack - Bridgeburner (Small Stone)
• Go Betty Go - Worst Enemy (EP, SideOneDummy)
• Patty Griffin - Impossible Dream (ATO)
• Hangmen - Loteria (Acetate)
• Hanson - Underneath (Three Car Garage)
• Daniel G. Harmann - The Lake Effect (Post436)
• Stefon Harris and Blackout - Evolution (Blue Note)
• Sophie B. Hawkins - Wilderness (Trumpet Swan)
• Rob Ickes with Blue Highway - Big Time (Rounder)
• King Wilkie - Broke (Rebel)
• Kottonmouth Kings - Fire It Up (Suburban Noize)
• Lach - Today (Fortified)
• Jon Langford - All the Fame of Lofty Deeds (Bloodshot)
• LMNO - Economic Food Chain Music (Up Above)
• Lords - The House That Lords Built (Initial)
• Martyr A.D. - On Earth as It Is in Hell (Victory)
• Matt Mau - Lifted: Live in Buenos Aires (Journees)
• Vinny Miller - On the Block (4AD/Beggars Banquet)
• Millie - Time Will Tell (Sanctuary/Trojan)
• John Michael Montgomery - Letters From Home (Warner Bros.)
• Gurf Morlix - Cut 'n Shoot (Catamount)
• Norselaw - Sweet Home Scandanavia (Direct Music Group)
• Persuader - Evolution Purgatory (Sanctuary/Noise)
• Prince - Musicology (NPG/Columbia)
  Buy Now: Musicology (NPG/Columbia)
  
• Lali Puna - Faking the Books (Morr)
• Ratatat - Ratatat (XL/Beggars Banquet)
• The Reputation - To Force a Fate (Lookout!)
• Retisonic - Return to Me (Silverthree Sound)
• Smokey Robinson - Food for the Spirit (Liquid 8)
• Keaton Simons - Currently (EP, Maverick)
• Single Frame - Wetheads Come Running (Volcom)
• Skalpel - Skalpel (Ninja Tune)
• Lt. Stitchie - Kingdom Ambassador (Ejaness Reggae)
• Subdudes - Miracle Mule (Back Porch/EMI)
• Craig Taborn - Junk Magic (Thirsty Ear)
• The Talk - It's Like Magic in Reverse (MoRisen)
• Thelonious Monster - California Clam Chowder (Lakeshore)
• Time Machine - Reviviscence (Sensory)
• Tweaker - 2 a.m. Wakeup Call (iMUSIC/Waxploitation)
• Veils - The Runaway Found (Sanctuary/Rough Trade)
• Vomitory - Primal Massacre (Metal Blade)
• W.A.S.P. - Neon God Pt. 1 (Sanctuary/Metal-Is)
• A Wilhelm Scream - Mute Print (Nitro/Mute Print)
• Alyson Williams - It's About Time (Three Keys)
• Mario Winans - Hurt No More (Bad Boy)
  Read: "Love, Hurt, Betrayal: These Are A Few Of Mario Winans' Favorite Things"
  
• Wolf - Evil Star (Prosthetic)
• Various artists - "13 Going on 30" soundtrack (Hollywood)
• Various artists - Blue Note Revisited (Blue Note)
• Various artists - Hi Power 2004 (Thump)
• Various artists - The Hip Hop Box (Hip-O)
• Various artists - Location Is Everything, Vol. 2 (Jade Tree)
• Various artists - Pickin' on LeAnn Rimes (CMH)
• Various artists - Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1 (Fat Wreck Chords/Punkover)
• Various artists - "Step Into Liquid" soundtrack (Surfdog)
• Various artists - The String Quartet Tribute to Faith Hill (Vitamin)
• Various artists - The String Quartet Tribute to Alicia Keys (Vitamin)
• Various artists - The String Quartet Tribute to Kiss (Vitamin)
• Various artists - Underground Chicano Rap Soundtrack (Thump)

April 27:

• Diana Krall - The Girl in the Other Room (Verve)
• Joey McIntyre - 8:09 (Artemis)
• Patti Smith - Trampin' (Sony)
• Various artists - "American Idol" Season 3: Greatest Soul Classics (RCA)

May 4:

• Buckethead - Population Override (Ion)
• Kimberley Locke - One Love (Curb)
  Read:
• Petey Pablo - Still Writing in My Diary: 2nd Entry (Jive)
• Various artists - "The L Word" soundtrack (Tommy Boy)

May 18:

• Alanis Morissette - So Called Chaos (Maverick)
• Morrissey - You Are the Quarry (Sanctuary)

May 25:

• Avril Lavigne - Under My Skin (Arista)
  Read: "Avril Lavigne Album Preview: Rock Rules On Under My Skin"
  Buy Now: Under My Skin (Arista)

• Prince
• Mario Winans
• Afroman
• Drowning Pool
• Hanson

Drowning Pool's Jason Jones (file)
Photo: MTV News

On Thursday, exactly one year will have passed since Jason "Gong" Jones auditioned to be the new singer for Drowning Pool.

"I'm still waiting for them to tell me it's an April Fool's joke," Jones said just days before the band begins its first North American tour since frontman Dave Williams died of a heart attack on August 3, 2002.

The tragedy could have ended Drowning Pool, who listened to hundreds of demos and auditioned five singers before deciding Jones was their man (see "Drowning Pool Hire L.A. Tattoo Artist As New Singer"). The singer, who was first introduced to the band by Snot/ Amen guitarist Sonny Mayo, remembers how excited he was the day he tried out for Drowning Pool. Strangely, he wasn't nervous at all.

"I had a dream before I got there that I was talking to [bassist] Stevie [Benton], which is weird because I had never met the guy," Jones recalled. "I dreamed I had already auditioned and I said, 'What's up? Do I have the gig or what?' And he said, 'Dude, you've had the gig.' And I was like, 'What the hell?' So when I went in I was pretty confident. When you dream some weird sh-- like that, it's usually a good sign."

The tryout wasn't easy. Not only did Drowning Pool ask applicants to learn their material, they insisted that everyone come in with two new songs written in the band's style. But as soon as they plugged in, Drowning Pool and Jones immediately connected, and by the time they had finished running through a handful of songs, Jones was told to go back home to Los Angeles, collect his stuff, and come back to Dallas right away.

He overcame what could've been the biggest hurdle — trying to live up to Williams' legacy — by not even trying. "I realized I can never replace Dave," he said, "so I kept it out of my mind. Dave was Dave, I'm me."

Jones sounds right at home on the grinding grudge-rocker "Step Up," the first single from the band's upcoming Desensitized, due April 20. Drowning Pool wrote the song three months after Jones joined the band, and unlike the rest of the new disc, which is more straight-up hard rock than 2001's metallic Sinner, "Step Up" is driven by the kind of surging, adrenalized riffs that propelled the 2001 hit "Bodies."

"We needed to start with something that had that same kind of trip," Jones said. "Basically, [guitarist] C.J. [Pierce] came in with the riff, and we organized everything together, then I opened my mouth and sh-- just started pouring out."

"Step Up" was written about someone who meddled with Jones and suffered the consequences. For legal reasons, the singer can't discuss the details, but rest assured, whatever he didn't get out from the incident, he vents through the song. "It's cool, because now that person has to hear it all the time. ... That is probably the most therapeutic song on the record."

For Jones, being in Drowning Pool is the first really good break following years of hardships involving drugs, alcohol and missed opportunities. When he moved from his hometown of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to Los Angeles, he had visions of becoming a star and living the high life, with the emphasis on high. Instead, he lived in a van for 18 months and was arrested several times. Eventually he got a job as a tattoo artist and was allowed to sleep in a band's rehearsal space, but he was still living hand-to-mouth.

"People were like, 'Look at this f---ing homeless guy,' " recalled Jones. "It's a struggle, man, and a lot of my songs are about the struggle."

But now the struggles are in the past. Drowning Pool are playing on the Headbangers Ball Tour with Hatebreed, Drowning Pool and Unearth (see "Hatebreed, Damageplan, Drowning Pool Taking 'Headbangers Ball' On The Road"). "Step Up" was featured as the lead track on the soundtrack for "The Punisher," and Jones was invited by ex-Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody to add vocals to a song called "The End Has Come," which also features Godhead frontman Jason Miller (see "First Song From New Drowning Pool Lineup On 'Punisher' LP").

"Ben is cool, bro," Jones said. "I was hanging out with him ... and he went, 'Dude, I've got this song that needs something heavy in it. The bridge needs to be heavy. If you wanna do it, it's yours.' And I went, 'Hell yeah.' I did the whole thing in one take."

• Drowning Pool

Hatebreed (file)
Photo: Universal Records

"Headbangers Ball" host Jamey Jasta and his band, Hatebreed, will headline this year's Headbangers Ball Tour, slated to kick off March 25 in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The tour, which is currently set to run through May 5 in San Francisco with additional dates to be added, also features a bunch of Jasta's friends. There's Damageplan — the new band put together by Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul — Drowning Pool and Unearth.

Hatebreed will be supporting their latest record, Rise of Brutality, which came out in October. The band is getting ready to shoot a video for its next single, "Live for This," and has asked longtime fans who own old Hatebreed flyers or photos to e-mail them to the group for inclusion in the video. High-resolution jpegs should be sent to Hatebreedinfo@aol.com.

The Headbangers Ball Tour will mark the first outing for Damageplan, whose punishing debut album, New Found Power, came out February 10. The band's recent collaboration with ex-Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell, "Ashes to Ashes," will appear on the soundtrack for "The Punisher," which comes out March 23. The soundtrack will also include "Step Up," the first song released by Drowning Pool since the death of their singer Dave Williams in August 2002 (see "First Song From New Drowning Pool Lineup On 'Punisher' LP"). The band's second full-length album, Desensitized, featuring new singer Jason "Gong" Jones, is scheduled to come out April 20.

Headbangers Ball Tour dates, according to the trek's publicist:

• 3/25 - N. Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
• 3/27 - Winston-Salem, NC @ Millennium Center        
• 3/28 - Norfolk, VA @ The Norva Theatre      
• 3/31 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory           
• 4/1 - New York, NY @ Roseland Ballroom      
• 4/2 - Lowell, MA @ Tsongas Arena
• 4/5 - Grand Rapids, MI @ The Orbit Room          
• 4/7 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
• 4/10 - Detroit, MI @ Harpo's Concert Theatre         
• 4/17 - Corpus Christi, TX @ The Pavilion     
• 4/22 - Atlanta, GA @ Roxy Theatre   
• 4/23 - Zephyrhills, FL @ Zephyrhills Festival Park        
• 4/25 - Orlando, FL @ Lee Vista Park
• 5/4 - Hollywood, CA @ Hollywood Palladium   
• 5/5 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore    

• Hatebreed
• Damageplan
• Drowning Pool

Drowning Pool (file)
Photo: Clay Patrick McBride

Contributions by Drowning Pool, Queens of the Stone Age and Damageplan are among the 19 new tracks slated for the soundtrack to the comic-book flick "The Punisher."

"Step Up," the first new song from Drowning Pool in nearly two years, will serve as the album's first single, according to a Wind-Up Records spokesperson.

That's not the only place where new Drowning Pool singer Jason Jones can be heard on the album. Jones, who replaced the late Dave Williams in January (see "Drowning Pool Hire L.A. Tattoo Artist As New Singer"), also lends a hand on "The End Has Come," the first offering from former Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody since he left the band in October (see "Ben Moody Bringing Kelly Clarkson's Music To Life").

Moody's former partner Amy Lee also appears on the soundtrack, as featured vocalist on Seether's "Broken." Lee and her boyfriend, Seether singer Shaun Morgan, wrote the song last year.

The soundtrack's other collaboration comes courtesy of Damageplan's "Ashes to Ashes," which features Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell (see "Jerry Cantrell To Jam With Alice In Chains Bandmates").

"The Punisher" hit screens April 19, while the soundtrack is due March 23.

"The Punisher" soundtrack track list, according to Wind-Up Records:

• Drowning Pool - "Step Up"
• Puddle of Mudd - "Bleed"
• Nickelback - "Slow Motion"
• Queens of the Stone Age - "Never Say Never"
• Seether f/ Amy Lee - "Broken"
• Smile Empty Soul - "Finding Myself"
• Trapt - "Lost in a Portrait"
• Chevelle - "Still Running"
• Damageplan f/ Jerry Cantrell - "Ashes to Ashes"
• Seether - "Sold Me"
• Edgewater - "Eyes Wired Shut"
• Finger Eleven - "Slow Chemical"
• Ben Moody - "The End Has Come"
• Strata - "Piece by Piece"
• Hatebreed - "Bound to Violence"
• Seven Wiser - "Sick"
• Submersed - "Complicated"
• Atomship - "Time for People"
• Mark Collie - "In Time"

• Drowning Pool
• Queens of the Stone Age
• Seether
• Damageplan

MTV2 Headbangers Ball Tour April 1, 2004 at Roseland Ballroom in New York City

• Hatebreed
• Damageplan
• Drowning Pool
• Unearth

• Drowning Pool

• Drowning Pool

• Disturbed
• Adema
• Drowning Pool
• Stereomud

• Drowning Pool