Lady Gaga
Photo: Marco Prosch/ Getty Images

Thanks to her outsize ambition, Lady Gaga has been compared to any number of famous blondes, including Britney Spears and Madonna. But it turns out that Gaga most identified with another golden-tressed lady when she shot her video for "Paparazzi."

Princess Diana was the reference point for her VMA-nominated "Paparazzi" clip, Gaga said in her V magazine cover story. Her accompanying photo spread was shot by Mario Testino, who regularly photographed the princess while she was alive.

"Yes, Diana was the most iconic martyr of fame," she says in the September issue. "She died because of it."

As for all those other blondes that people are quick to compare her to, well, Gaga said, that's just lazy. "Look, when I was a brunette, they called me Amy Winehouse. Then they called me Christina, then Gwen. I just don't think most people's reference points go back very far."

Although Gaga may get slightly peeved when she's compared to Madonna or Britney, it's the moments when she's recognized by people who play a completely different genre of music that tickle her fancy. When she found out that Faith No More covered one of her songs, she was ecstatic.

"I love Faith No More! Their song 'Epic' was my burlesque number at the bar I used to work at! I used to fog myself and dance to it," she recalled. "When I found out they did 'Poker Face,' I was like, 'Sh--!' "

Her newfound fame means that sometimes she also finds herself in tabloid magazines being critiqued for her odd sense of fashion. But she isn't concerned by what gossip editors have to say about her. "Us Weekly putting me on the worst-dressed list, I could care less," she said. "If Karl Lagerfeld called me an ugly hag, then I'd be upset. Because it's Karl Lagerfeld."

She went on to say that people may have also misinterpreted her look and aesthetic. "To us, it's just beautiful," she said. "The idea that Gaga is just kooky for the sake of being kooky is so wrong."

Things are about to change for the Gaga stage show once she hits the road for her tour with Kanye West in October. She told the magazine that the duo are "exploring aesthetics and new technology that neither of us have traveled, and we are attempting an epic story."

• Lady Gaga's Best Looks

• Lady Gaga
• Britney Spears
• Madonna
• Faith No More

Faith No More circa 1990
Photo: Paul Natkin/WireImage

Earlier this week, we learned that Faith No More will be reuniting. Now, we know just who will be taking part in that reunion.

In an e-mail to metal site Blabbermouth.net, FNM bassist Bill Gould revealed the lineup for the 2009 version of the band, and, well, it looks a whole lot like their last incarnation, circa 1997.

Obviously, frontman Mike Patton is in, as is Gould. Founding members Mike Bordin (drums) and Roddy Bottum (keyboards) will be back for the reunion, as will guitarist Jon Hudson, who joined FNM for their last album, 1997's Album of the Year. The band's mid-'80s frontman, Chuck Mosely — who was replaced by Patton after being ejected for erratic behavior — and iconic guitarist Jim Martin — who split (or was fired) in 1993 — aren't mentioned in the e-mail, though Gould does hint at their rather tumultuous exits from the band.

"Faith No More has always stood out as some sort of unique beast; part dog, part cat — its music was almost as schizophrenic as the personalities of its members," he wrote. "When it all worked, it worked really well, even if the chemistry was always volatile."

Gould also explained that the members of Faith No More didn't speak much following their split in 1998, but that after having a decade to cool off and look back on the band's legacy, they all sat down last year and decided that 2009 (the 20th anniversary of the release of their most successful album, The Real Thing) was as good a time as any to reunite.

"Throughout our 17 years of existence, the mental and physical energy required to sustain this creature was considerable and relentless. Though amicable enough, when we finally split, we all followed paths seemingly destined to opposite ends of the universe," he wrote. "Yet during the entire 10 years that have passed since our decision to break up, we've experienced constant rumors and requests from fans and promoters alike. Nevertheless, for whatever reason, none of us kept in regular touch, much less to discuss any possibilities of getting together.

"What's changed is that this year, for the first time, we've all decided to sit down together and talk about it. And what we've discovered is that time has afforded us enough distance to look back on our years together through a clearer lens and made us realize that through all the hard work, the music still sounds good, and we are beginning to appreciate the fact that we might have actually done something right," he continued. "Meanwhile, we find ourselves at a moment in time with zero label obligations, still young and strong enough to deliver a kick-ass set, with enthusiasm to not only revisit our past but possibly add something to the present. And so with this we've decided to hold our collective breaths and jump off this cliff.... BACK, GOD FORBID, INTO THE MONKEY CAGE!!!"

A spokesperson for Patton told MTV News on Tuesday that Faith No More only plan to tour Europe — where they enjoyed a huge following during their heyday — and that no U.S. dates are planned.

• Faith No More

Faith No More in 1990
Photo: Paul Natkin/WireImage

For some reason, news of two ginormous rock reunions has been buried at the end of press releases in recent weeks.

First, there was an e-mail from the Recording Academy, which casually announced that Blink-182 would be reuniting at the Grammy Awards to present an award — which the band of course used to announce their reunion. And now, thanks to a press release touting singer Mike Patton's involvement in the "major motion film 'Crank 2: High Voltage,' " we know that Faith No More — the much-celebrated, much-missed art-rock act that he fronted from 1989 until its dissolution in 1998 — are finally reuniting.

That news was, er, broken, in the final line of the press release sent late Monday night, which listed Patton's upcoming performance schedule, including a stop at the Coachella festival and "the highly anticipated reunion tour with Faith No More in Europe this summer." Needless to say, long-suffering FNM fans were pumped.

But is the news true? MTV News contacted Patton's publicist, who told us that yes, the Faith No More reunion is happening ... and no, they're not going to be playing any dates in the U.S. (sorry, Coachella fans). This is will be a strictly European affair.

Patton won't be doing any interviews to promote the tour, and it's not exactly clear who will be in FNM this time around: Presumably mid-'80s singer Chuck Mosely (who Patton replaced after Mosely was booted for erratic behavior) won't be on board, although it's unclear whether epically-maned guitarist Jim Martin, who left the band in the early '90s under less-than-friendly circumstances, will be coming.

Faith No More formed in San Francisco in the early 1980s, and after running through a spate of lead singers (including Courtney Love), settled on Mosely and released their debut LP, We Care a Lot, in 1985. Another album followed, FNM parted ways with Mosely and hired Patton, a musician/ performance artist with an epic vocal range and a manic onstage manner. (Patton was also the lead singer of Mr. Bungle, with whom he continued to work during his stint in FNM.)

In 1989, they released The Real Thing, an album which fizzled initially, but thanks to the success of second single "Epic" (and the iconic video, featuring Patton's rapping, Martin's soloing, an exploding piano and a fish gasping for air) quickly began rising up the Billboard albums chart and ultimately went multiplatinum. The band's melding of rock, hip-hop and funk — not to mention Patton's scattershot vocals — would prove hugely influential on the so-called nu-metal acts that would dominate the charts in the latter portion of the decade.

FNM followed up the success of The Real Thing with the confounding, contorting Angel Dust, which is widely considered to be one of the most uncommercial follow-ups to a hit album of all time. Full of gnarled song samples, frazzled rock, aboriginal chanting and operatic vocals, the album unsurprisingly failed to catch on with mainstream rock fans here in the states, although a non-album cover of the Commodores' "Easy" provided the band with some mainstream airplay. While touring in support of Angel Dust, Patton seemed to take delight in testing the patience of FNM's audience, standing center stage eating cigarettes (seriously), while perplexed fans headed for the exits. Upset with the direction the band was taking, Martin left in 1993 and was replaced by a revolving-door of guitarists.

In the years following its release, Angel Dust has come to be seen as a high-water mark, praised for its constant pushing of sonic barriers and its deft infusion of performance art into rock. Faith No More released two more studio albums before calling it quits in 1998, as Patton chose to focus on even more bizarre projects, like Peeping Tom and Tomahawk, and collaborations with Björk, producer Dan the Automator and others. Most notably, drummer Mike "Puffy" Bordin worked extensively with Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath; keyboardist Roddy Bottum continued with his band Imperial Teen.

Since FNM split, Patton has often been questioned by fans about the possibility of a reunion. He's always answered that it wasn't going to happen — except now, it appears that it will, and although they're apparently just committing to the European tour for now, anything is possible.

• Faith No More

Mike Patton
Photo: Karl Walter/ Getty Images

When given the chance, former Faith No More frontman Mike Patton usually gives up the goods on the various percolating projects he has a hand in. Even when those projects are years away from public consumption (as most of his current projects are), Patton almost always blabs, providing every pertinent detail a music journalist could want — from the names of the other players involved to the visual ideas he's mulling over for the eventual album art.

But that was the old Mike — new Mike is more cautious these days, while he would have leaked like a sieve in the past. There would be no gut-spilling this time around, folks.

When asked what's been keeping him busy, he brings up his forthcoming collaboration with Dan the Automator for a record he'd previously described as "DMX for white people." When asked about the project's name, he demurs.

"I don't think Dan wants me to talk much about it, so I better put a cork in it," he explained. "I probably shouldn't talk about it. I have a big mouth. I have to watch it these days, because there are a few things that, especially those that are just getting off the ground, where in years past, I would just spill the beans. But now I'm feeling more protective of it, and worrying about jinxing it, because a lot of these ideas don't come into fruition, and I look like a total fool."

He did, however, talk at length about his contributions to the forthcoming Will Smith flick "I Am Legend," which opens Friday. Patton voiced the cannibalistic, nocturnal mutant survivors of a manmade plague that wiped everyone off the face of the Earth, except the Fresh Prince.

"It came out of the blue, man," he said about being asked to work on "Legend." "The film's producers and sound people wanted the creatures in the movie to sound somewhat human, but not the standard. I guess what most movies in that genre use are pitch-shifted animal sounds and stuff like that. But they wanted this to sound closer to a human being, and they thought, 'Why don't we contact some musicians?' I guess they called a few guys, and they ended up with me."

Patton spent four hours in a recording studio, trying to mimic the film's vampire-like baddies. He said it was much like his improv gigs, only with a television placed in front of him, so that he could watch rough footage of the film's evil forces. Sometimes he'd even get direction, like, "You have a steel rod poked through your eye, and you're falling out of a building — make it emotional." It was tough, he said, to not laugh during certain parts of the process: "At times, the creatures I was attempting to impersonate weren't creatures at all, but goofy-looking guys in motion-capture suits."

"They tried to talk about it a little bit, and we all kind of looked at each other with funny expressions, and then we looked at the footage, just to give me an idea of what the scenes were like, and the cadences, how it moved, the peaks and the valleys, blah blah blah," he said. "I said, 'OK, I think I get it.' I improvised the whole thing over a four-hour whirlwind, and it was a lot of fun.

"I've always been interested in film, so to get involved in any way in the genesis of making a film or music for a film is fascinating to me," he added. "I sat there with my mouth open the whole time. To get a chance to do what I do and have it integrated into a gigantic project like that was pretty cool."

Patton also has a film score on the way, which he wrote and recorded himself, for the 20-minute independent film noir "A Perfect Place." The film's soundtrack, which Patton will release through his label, Ipecac, runs more than 40 minutes.

"A normal composer would have written 10 minutes," he laughs. "It was my first soundtrack, so I erred on the side of caution, and once I got into it, I wrote variations and alternates, and I wasn't thinking at the time about how much music it was — I just wanted the director to be happy and [have] plenty of weapons for each scenario. It's going to be a CD-length soundtrack, even though it's longer than the film. I also did the film's source music, so every time you see a guy get in a car and turn the radio on, that music, I did. It wasn't just like, 'Write a cheerful goodbye scene.' "

As far as how it sounds, Patton said it crosses every genre imaginable, but "the main themes have a big-band, almost jazz sort of slant. I was listening to a lot of ['Magnificent Seven' composer] Elmer Bernstein, so I was trying to steal a little bit from him."

Next year will also see the release of Patton's Mondo Cane, which was recorded live in Italy with the help of a full orchestra. Patton conducted the group through a number of his interpretations of 1950s and '60s Italian pop music.

"It'll be out next summer, and was something I'd wanted to do for eight years," he explained. "That should be a good one, and it's unlike anything I've ever done."

Fans will have to wait until '09 for the sophomore LP from Patton's Peeping Tom, and the second Lovage record — while written — will also have to wait until after 2008. Same goes for the next Fantomas record, the singer said. Next year, though, Ipecac will release a ton of new material, including an LP from Rahzel, another Melvins record, an Ennio Morricone compilation and the next installment in Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme's Desert Sessions.

"I'm starting to become conscious of putting too much stuff out there," he confided. "I really don't want to put more than a couple of records out a year, and I think that makes sense — on an artistic level, but also for my label."

Check out everything we've got on "I Am Legend."

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• Will Smith Snagged 'I Am Legend' From Schwarzenegger

• Will Smith, Tom Cruise, Pete Wentz, More At New York Premiere Of "I Am Legend"
• "I Am Legend"

• Mike Patton
• Faith No More

Madonna
Photo: Dave Hogan/ Getty Images

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, People.com reports. 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 have ponied up items for 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.

12.5.07

Unlike Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie, Kiefer Sutherland is not getting off easy with his DUI — the "24" actor has been sentenced to 48 days in a Los Angeles County jail for his September 24 arrest and violating his probation. The actor must start serving his sentence at the Glendale City Jail prior to March 30, UsMagazine.com reports. He has also been sentenced to five years of probation, must finish a year-and-a-half-long alcohol-education program and go to weekly therapy sessions for a half-year. Sutherland, who had a previous DUI before his fall arrest, had been pulled over by police after making an illegal U-turn and reportedly blew twice the legal blood-alcohol level during a breathalyzer test. He issued a statement after entering a no-contest plea in early October, saying, "I'm very disappointed in myself for the poor judgment I exhibited recently, and I'm deeply sorry for the disappointment and distress this has caused my family, friends and co-workers on '24' and at 20th Century Fox." ... Contrasting with Sutherland's devastating news, Richie caught a break on Wednesday when her court-mandated anti-drinking program granted the socialite a leave of absence, according to People. Coordinators at the program were reportedly worried for Richie's safety, with her rep saying such leaves of absence are granted to people with medical conditions and that she did not get special treatment. Richie is eight months pregnant and has to complete the 18-month program as part of her DUI plea deal ...

Bad news for Vanessa Hudgens: A Los Angeles judge ruled Wednesday (December 5) that a breach-of-contract suit by her former lawyer can go forward, according to CBS News. Brian L. Schall is suing the "The High School Musical" star for breach of contract, although Hudgens has argued that she was a minor at the time she signed the agreement and therefore isn't bound to it. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Tricia Ann Bigelow said the matter of Hudgens disaffirming her contractual obligations within a reasonable time period is a "factual issue," and that Hudgens' decision to wait until she was 18 years and 9 months old to reject the contract is an issue for either a jury decision or a motion for summary judgment. The next hearing in the case is slated for January 15. ... Lindsay Lohan might be facing another setback too: Raymundo Ortega, the busboy who is seeking $200,000 in damages stemming from Lohan's collision with his van in October 2005, says he has proof the starlet was drinking before the crash, according to The Associated Press. He reportedly filed papers Tuesday. ...

An interview with T.I. that was conducted prior to his October arrest on gun charges appears in the December/January issue of Rap-Up magazine, which features him and Nicole Scherzinger on alternate covers. The rapper said he has a new urban-clothing line on the way — called "A King of Oneself" — and also revealed his interest in a different type of endeavor: commercial construction. "I want to build a Home Depot or a Wal-Mart, shopping centers," he told the mag. Tip cited Tupac as the rapper who had the most influence on him growing up — and called out some other big names for keeping him out of trouble. "Sometimes I be wildin' out, then [Suge Knight says,] 'Man, you got too much going on, you can't do that. It ain't like the old days,' " said the rapper, who is currently under house arrest. "[Jay-Z] will tell me the same thing, [Diddy] tell me the same thing, Kevin Liles — everybody trying. Wyclef is another one. People, I guess, just care." ...

For her part, Nicole Scherzinger named Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson as the singers she admires the most. She also talked about someone else you may have heard of — Kanye West — and why the tracks he produced for her solo debut didn't make the cut. "I wasn't able to really finish them in time," said the singer, whose Her Name Is Nicole LP is due January 29. "When I have the right time and the right album, I wanna finish those songs. There was talks of putting Common on one of them." Scherzinger also talked about shooting her "Whatever U Like" video with the other Rap-Up cover artist, T.I. "When we did the video it was crazy 'cause we were all up in each other's grills, like [director] Paul Hunter really made us go there, but it was great. He's a professional. Paul was making us tug on each other; we were hard-core for a hot second." ...

Jay-Z celebrated his 38th birthday with Beyoncé in Paris on Tuesday, according to People.com. The couple reportedly holed up in a hotel suite, took a drive around the city, ate at L'Avenue restaurant and caught a cabaret show. ... Pete Wentz, Chris Brown, the Jonas Brothers and Corbin Bleu all made Teen magazine's list of the 50 Hottest Guys in Hollywood — but Zac Efron takes the cake by topping the bunch. ... Keira Knightley stripped down for the revealing cover of the latest issue of Interview magazine. "How does that always happen?" the "Atonement" actress asked herself, in the interview, of taking off her clothes. "Because I say yes, I suppose." ...

Styles P, Hurricane Chris and Fabolous will bring some yuletide cheer to Russell Simmons and Rev Run's eighth annual Youth Holiday Party in New York on Tuesday, with MTV News' own Sway acting as one of the emcees. For the festivities, the Simmons brothers and their Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation will turn the Fillmore at Irving Plaza into a winter wonderland, raffling off prizes like an Xbox 360 and tickets to a taping of "106 & Park." Kids will also get Target gift cards. ...

Journey are counting a new singer among their ranks: Arnel Pineda. The Filipino crooner, who previously covered the band's songs with his group the Zoo, is the third Journey singer in two years — he follows Jeff Scott Soto, who left the fold earlier this year after filling in for Steve Augeri, who split with the band in 2006 due to medical reasons. "I know they'll expect me to sound exactly like 'the voice,' " Pineda said in a statement, referring to yet another former Journey singer: Steve Perry. "But that will never happen. I know there's only one Steve Perry in this world." "Arnel doesn't sound synthetic and he's not emulating anyone," added guitarist Neal Schon, who discovered the singer's Zoo clips online. "I tried to get a hold of him through YouTube and I finally heard from him ... but it took some convincing to get him to believe that it really was me and not an imposter." ...

Deerhunter, Black Dice, Fischerspooner and others have chipped in unreleased new songs for Living Bridge, a two-CD collection of songs by bands who have previously recorded at Brooklyn, New York's Rare Book Room Studio. The 25-song package will hit stores February 26 and christen Rare Book Room Records, a new label. ... The Breeders will be back in '08 with a new disc hitting stores April 8. Mountain Battles will arrive six years after the band's previous effort, Title TK, which the band took nine years to put out following its most successful album, 1993's Last Splash. The Pixies-affiliated group is also due to tour throughout the year, hitting up South by Southwest and Coachella along the way. ... Peaches will sweeten up New Year's Eve this year by counting down the clock in downtown Los Angeles as part of Hard NYE's bash. She will also perform, as will Justice. ...

Paula Abdul was a "disaster" on "Saturday Night Live" when she hosted the show two years ago — so says Tina Fey in the January issue of Playboy. "I was pregnant at the time and probably a little moody, but I remember thinking, 'She's a disaster!' " Fey said. ... Vivica A. Fox booked herself on Wednesday on charges of driving under the influence, TMZ.com reports. A judge ordered on Monday that the actress be booked or face a bench warrant. ... Charges were dropped against Jonathan Rhys-Meyers after he apologized for creating a drunken fracas at an airport in Ireland earlier this year. The actor, who faced two charges of public drunkenness and breach of peace, said through his lawyer that he intends to make a donation to an unspecified charity. ...

The one guy who seemed kind of charmed by Borat's antics in last year's "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" has joined the parade of people suing the fake Kazakh reporter. According to Reuters, driving instructor Michael Psenicska's suit against the film's makers and star Sacha Baron Cohen claims that he was tricked into participating in a film that he was led to believe was a "documentary about the integration of foreign people into the American way of life." Psenicska said he was paid $500 in cash to give Borat a driving lesson and described the experience as "surreal," saying Cohen drove erratically down residential streets, drank alcohol and yelled to a female pedestrian that he would pay her $10 for "sexy time." Psenicska is seeking $100,000 in compensatory damages and additional punitive damages for being misled, and for the emotional harm he allegedly continues to suffer. Psenicska said if he had known the true nature of the film, he never would have participated. The studio behind the flick said the suit had no merit and that Psenicska was a willing participant in the film. ...

Eddie Vedder is making his first video appearance since his spot in Pearl Jam's "Jeremy" clip 15 years ago. Mr. Ed is supporting his soundtrack to "Into the Wild" with a video for "Guaranteed." ... Saosin can't get enough of the road — the band, which toured for most of 2007, has rolled out a new 2008 itinerary. The California rockers will take Armor for Sleep and the Bled along for their jaunt, which starts January 21 in Tucson, Arizona, and ends February 14 in Chico, California. ... The sounds made by the creepy creatures in Will Smith's new movie "I Am Legend" might seem familiar to Faith No More fans — Mike Patton is the one behind them. The always-busy musician, who previously lent his voice to video games like "The Darkness" and "The Portal," is also delving into the film world with "A Perfect Place," a noirish short film for which he composed the music. ...

The family of Justin Barker, the white student who was allegedly beaten by six black classmates last year in Jena, Louisiana, has filed a civil lawsuit against the teens, their parents, the local school board and a seventh student who was not charged in the case, USA Today reports. The lawsuit claims that the attack on Barker was of "such extreme nature so as to require emergency medical care and treatment for the harm inflicted by the attack, and resulting in extensive and permanently disabling injuries." The suit, filed Thursday, also alleges that employees of the LaSalle Parish School Board were not adequately supervising students or maintaining discipline. ...

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will flex his rock muscle on Friday at a fundraising show featuring Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy performing solo alongside buzz band the Cool Kids, Third Eye Blind singer Stephan Jenkins, Jill Sobule and local indie bands the Changes and Canasta. The "Change Rocks" show will take place at the Riviera Theatre in Obama's hometown of Chicago, with tickets ranging from $50 to $500 apiece. ... Hillary Clinton's campaign has had a change of heart. Less than a month before the Iowa caucuses, Clinton has dropped her controversial campaign theme song, "You and I" by Celine Dion, and replaced it with "Blue Sky" by Colorado 1990s college faves Big Head Todd and the Monsters, according to ABC News. ...

We can see now why comedian Dave Chappelle might have walked away from that $50 million Comedy Central deal: He'd rather be doing stand-up. Chappelle broke his own endurance record on Sunday with a set at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood, California, that lasted six hours and 12 minutes, besting his previous mark, set in April, by a good five minutes. Club owner Jamie Masada told AP that Chappelle was on a mission. "Dave was determined to keep his record because he recently heard that Dane Cook was planning on trying to break [his] record," Masada said. ... R&B singer Avant has signed to Capitol Records to release his next album, due in the summer. The multiplatinum crooner was previously signed to MCA, before the label folded into Geffen Records, through which he released four albums and a string of hit singles, including his breakout "Separated." Avant's yet-untitled next album is expected to include production from Rodney Jerkins and Mr. Collipark, among others.

• Madonna
• Gym Class Heroes
• Alicia Keys
• Radiohead
• The Academy Is...

Peter Gabriel from his "Sledgehammer" video
Photo: Geffen

It's hard not to smile when you see the White Stripes cast in Lego and jamming away in the video for "Fell in Love With a Girl." Will the whimsical Michel Gondry video, nominated for Breakthrough Video at this year's MTV Video Music Awards, go on to be considered one of the most innovative and influential in music video history?

If you're thinking stop-motion-animated children's toys aren't significant enough to inspire future generations, keep in mind that dancing chickens and singing fruit were among the striking images that made Peter Gabriel's 1986 video for "Sledgehammer" so legendary.

The concept that directors Stephen R. Johnson, the Brothers Quay and Nick Park ("Wallace & Gromit") executed with "Sledgehammer," which went on to win nine VMAs (including Breakthrough Video), paved the way for videos such as Primus' "Sailing the Seas of Cheese" and Tool's "Prison Sex."

"It felt pretty exciting at the time, I must admit," said Gabriel of the video, which also featured the singer's head being circled by a train and bashed with hammers. "I think Stephen and myself were determined to get something that was a bit groundbreaking, and we were extremely lucky to be able to pull in the Brothers Quay. There was a team thing about that which was really fun and exciting, so it was easy to explore lots of different ideas."

As jaw-dropping as it was at the time, music videos have evolved considerably since "Sledgehammer" was a staple of MTV's daily playlist. While time and creativity have turned techniques such as rapid-fire edits, unearthly morphing and explosions worthy of the next "Star Wars" into commonplace elements of video's vernacular, they were all, at one point, considered groundbreaking.

Indeed, had Weezer not been transported to the set of "Happy Days" in the irony-drenched, Spike Jonze-directed clip for "Buddy Holly" (1995's Breakthrough Video), Foo Fighters might not have imitated a Mentos commercial in "Big Me." And if the Smashing Pumpkins hadn't made their own version of the 1902 film "A Trip to the Moon" with "Tonight, Tonight" (1996's Breakthrough Video), 'NSYNC might never have emulated a Charlie Chaplin movie in the beginning of their video for "Gone."

When MTV first hit the air on August 1, 1981, with the Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star," there was little indication that music videos would eventually feature Lego rock bands, a breakdancer with a giant nose for a head (the Crystal Method's "Name of the Game") or a dude stepping into a puddle and falling through the sidewalk (Maxwell's "This Woman's Work"). Those clips are all nominees for the 2002 Breakthrough Video, as are Coldplay's animated "Trouble," DMX's stark, caption-heavy "Who We Be" and Cake's novel "Short Skirt/Long Jacket," in which a seemingly random assemblage of people listens to the song on headphones and offers criticism.

Breakthrough Video winners have mostly been influential in one of two ways. Either they spawned new camera, editing or effect techniques that altered the look and feel of the video landscape, or they offered visual icons and thematic elements that were borrowed by other directors down the line.

Some Breakthrough Videos have directly inspired other media, including film. Richard Linklater's 2001 film "Waking Life" uses rotoscopic animation techniques reminiscent of those in A-Ha's 1985 video for "Take on Me." And in Joel and Ethan Coen's 2000 movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," many of the backgrounds were treated in post-production with a glazey sheen not dissimilar to the silvery desert shots in the Red Hot Chili Peppers' 1992 Breakthrough Video, "Give It Away." Hollywood isn't the only entity to exploit new mediums — elements from Breakthrough Videos frequently surface in television commercials.

"In the five years following [the "Sledgehammer" video], I saw a lot of advertisements that seemed influenced by what we had done," Gabriel said. "The companies are amazingly cheeky sometimes, because the ad agencies will just ask you to send copies of your work, then they rip off all the ideas and never pay you a penny. But then, that's the business."

The first VMA celebration in 1984 awarded its inaugural Breakthrough Video distinction, then called Experimental Video, to Herbie Hancock's "Rockit," which was directed by Godley & Creme. The video depicted robots carrying out pedestrian tasks, while much of the footage jerks back and forth in tandem with the scratching in the song. Elements of that editing style later surfaced in clips for Orbital's "The Box," Roni Size/ Reprazent's "Brown Paper Bag" and Swizz Beatz' "Guilty," and they're echoed in the dance routine from Daft Punk's "Around the World."

If "Rockit" raised the bar for the art of music videos, MTV's Experimental Video for 1985, Art of Noise's "Close (To the Edit)," set a new standard both conceptually and stylistically. The clip, directed by Polish avant-garde filmmaker Zbigniew Rybczynski, features long, single-edit shots of a little punk girl guiding three men in laying waste to musical instruments, such as demolishing a piano with a buzzsaw, a chainsaw and a power drill. Much of the footage is sped up and jittery, and the visuals are stark and industrial.

This creepy vibe lives on in clips such as Nine Inch Nails' "Closer" and Marilyn Manson's "The Beautiful People." The Prodigy have said that their video for "Firestarter" was influenced by "Close (To the Edit)," and Faith No More might have raised a glass to Rybczynski when they detonated a piano at the end of their video for "Epic."

The success of "Rockit" and "Close (To the Edit)" helped open the door for experimentation in mainstream music videos, but the vid for A-Ha's "Take On Me," the 1986 Moonman winner, was probably as influential as "Sledgehammer." The piece features a girl who steps into a comic book and is swept into another world where she falls in love with the cartoon hero. The Rotoscopic animation created a conduit for filmed characters to enter an animated environment, and vice versa. Incubus' "Drive," Limp Bizkit's "Boiler" and U2's "Elevation" have employed similar devices.

"['Take on Me'] was one of the first super, super creative videos," said director Francis Lawrence, who lensed P.O.D.'s "Alive" as well as videos by Nelly Furtado, Jennifer Lopez, Destiny's Child and loads of others. "It almost created the music video genre by incorporating performance into a little story with a gimmick."

The concept took a quantum leap 14 years later when Chris Cunningham took advantage of tremendous advances in digital technology to create Björk's "All Is Full of Love," one of the most stunning sci-fi videos to date. The video depicts the singer as an assembly line robot who falls in love with another female robot. But what's most remarkable are the digital effects, which convert the singer into a lifelike mechanical being.

"In my opinion, it's the most flawless video ever made," said Nathan "Karma" Cox, who co-directed Linkin Park's "In the End." "I remember watching that video and wanting to hang up my hat and get a job at a gas station. I watched it over and over and tried to figure out what was digital and what wasn't."

A similar style of digital wizardry was employed by Linkin Park DJ Joseph Hahn in the band's video for the "Points of Authority" remix. Its influence can also be seen in Basement Jaxx' "Where's Your Head At?" and even Backstreet Boys' "Larger Than Life."

Any modern music video that incorporates beautiful, reverent imagery owes a nod to R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion," which was named 1991's Breakthrough Video. The provocative clip, which was directed by Tarsem Singh, depicts singer Michael Stipe as a wounded angel and is filled with lingering shots of painterly tableaux. (Singh later used some of the same techniques in his movie "The Cell.") Metallica's "Unforgiven," Stone Temple Pilots' "Sour Girl" and the intro and outro to No Doubt's "Don't Speak" refer back to "Losing My Religion."

"The portrait work in that was just amazing," said director Cox. "It felt like a work of art instead of a video. It had ascended from pop art into high art of some sort."

Also approaching high art is director Stephane Sednaoui's video for the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Give It Away," which won a Breakthrough Video Moonman in 1992. Set in the desert, the video conveys the Peppers' colorful quirkiness in black and white as they gyrate away in gilded body paint and satyric makeup, using cinematic techniques reminiscent of '60s underground movies. Later videos that put artists in alien, arty environments include No Doubt's "Hella Good," Busta Rhymes' "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" and Garbage's "Queer."

When this year's Breakthrough Video envelope is opened and the winner is announced, the victor — whether it includes Lego, a big nose, animated birds, a puddle jumper, spiraling words or amateur music critics — will surely be reflected in clips for years to come (click for the complete list of 2002 VMA Nominees).

• The White Stripes
• Peter Gabriel
• Primus
• Weezer
• The Crystal Method

Tenacious D heavy-hitter Jack Black and vampire-slayer Sarah Michelle Gellar will host the 2002 MTV Movie Awards, which are set to be doled out on June 1 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The show, which again boasts categories such as Best Kiss, Best Villain and Best Fight, will be broadcast June 6 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. ... Ashanti is keeping busy. She started shooting the video for her second single, "Happy," in New York City on Wednesday, and on Friday (May 3), she'll receive the keys to her home city of Glen Cove, New York, from Mayor Mary Ann Holzkamp. ...

It's more than two months away, and already Filter's new album, The Amalgamut, has just about spanned the gamut of mid-summer release dates. Originally expected to be released in early July, the group's third album was officially set for August 6, then July 23, and now carries a release date of July 30. ... Ed Harcourt is packing up his toybox and heading out on his second North American tour to support his debut LP, Here Be Monsters. The multi-instrumentalist crooner begins the two-week jaunt May 7 in San Francisco and wraps it up May 21 in Boston. ... Maya and Last Train to Lhasa, the first albums by global ambient figurehead Banco De Gaia (a.k.a.Toby Marks), will be reissued on May 14, and a two-CD retrospective, tentatively titled 10 Years, is in the works for September. ...

05.01.02

The 2002 MTV Video Music Awards will once again pitch its tent in New York City. The 2002 VMAs will be broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall on August 29. ... Cher's final tour will begin June 14 and hit 50 North American cities before ending September 15 in Minneapolis. The Living Proof - The Farewell Tour will promote Cher's latest album, Living Proof. ...

Industrial rock purists KMFDM will hit the road for the first time in five years to promote their just-released 11th album, Attak. Pig will open on the outing, which kicks off May 31 in Seattle and returns there for the tour wrap-up July 3. ... Meanwhile, KMFDM frontman Sascha Konietzko has been in the studio remixing singles for Kittie and the Kidney Thieves. ...

Mike Patton, of Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Fantômas and Tomahawk fame, contributes vocals on the upcoming EP from New Jersey metal band the Dillinger Escape Plan. The record, Irony Is a Dead Scene, is due August 13. ... Mancunian ethereal slow rockers Doves and Elbow will begin a U.S. tour in Seattle on June 3, the day before Doves' second disc, The Last Broadcast, hits shelves. The 11-date tour runs through June 20 in New York ...

• Tenacious D
• Ashanti
• Filter
• Ed Harcourt
• Maya

Fantômas
Photo: T

While West Coast Tool fans will be treated to King Crimson as show openers, those on the East Coast will be primed by the sonic antics of Fantômas.

Though an itinerary is still being plotted, Fantômas, fronted by former Faith No More frontman Mike Patton, are tentatively scheduled to begin their three-week stint with Tool on September 22, according to an Ipecac Records spokesperson.

The tour, supporting the band's second album, The Director's Cut (see "Patton Scores With Second Fantômas LP"), will be routed to hit markets such as New York; Boston; Philadelphia; Portland, Maine; Washington, D.C.; Albany, New York; Charlotte, North Carolina; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Atlanta, among others.

"It's the yin and yang tour — the band of the 20-minute song meets the band of the 20-second song," Patton said of the pairing, referring to Tool's penchant for epic-length tunes and his own group's tendency to spit out brief bursts of noise.

Tool's West Coast jaunt with King Crimson begins August 3 at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Denver (see "Tool, King Crimson Journey West For August Tour").

Before hooking up with Tool, Fantômas — vocalist Patton, bassist Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle), drummer Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer) and guitarist Buzz Osbourne (Melvins) — will hit the road with electronic trio Chicks on Speed beginning September 4, the spokesperson said.

Patton also continues to work on his Peeping Tom project, which is scheduled for release next year on Reprise Records. Lending a hand to the endeavor is eclectic hip-hop guru Dan the Automator (Gorillaz, Handsome Boy Modeling School, Dr. Octagon). Meanwhile, the debut album from Tomahawk — another of the prolific musician's bands, featuring former Jesus Lizard guitarist Duane Denison — is slated for October by Ipecac (see "Patton Pending: Ex-Faith No More Frontman Preps Five Projects").

The singer/composer returns Dan the Automator's favor on the producer's Nathaniel Merriweather Presents Lovage: Songs to Make Love to Your Old Lady By, also scheduled for an October release, according to a spokesperson from 75 Ark Entertainment. Lovage is the Automator, Patton and Elysian Fields vocalist Jennifer Charles, and the album will feature a cover of Berlin's "Sex (I'm A...)."

• Fantômas
• Mike Patton
• Faith No More
• Tool

Mike Patton
Photo: Ipecac Recordings

Regardless of how many copies the album goes on to sell, it's safe to say Mike Patton has scored with the second LP by Fantômas, The Director's Cut.

For the 16-track LP, scheduled for a July 24 release by Patton's label, Ipecac, the former Faith No More frontman and his bandmates have interpreted selections from the scores for films such as "The Godfather," "Cape Fear" and "Twin Peaks - Fire Walk With Me" — all with the avant-garde weirdness fans have come to expect from Patton, bassist Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle), drummer Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer) and guitarist Buzz Osbourne (Melvins). For a preview of the album, an MP3 of Fantômas' take on Christopher Komeda's lullabye theme from "Rosemary's Baby" is available for download at www.ipecac.com. A cover of Irene Cara's "Flashdance ... What a Feeling," from the movie "Flashdance," was originally slated for inclusion and was dropped when the LP became focused on horror and science-fiction soundtracks, according to the band's publicist.

In addition to The Director's Cut, which follows Fantômas' eponymous 1999 debut, the prolific Patton is involved in the third Fantômas album, expected in November; Tomahawk, another all-star endeavor centered on former Jesus Lizard guitarist Duane Denison; Peeping Tom, a relatively accessible undertaking (by Patton's recent standards); and a collaboration with New York turntablists the X-ecutioners, hopeful for 2002 (see ).

The track listing for The Director's Cut, including original composers, according to Fantômas' publicist:

• "The Godfather" (Nino Rota)
• "The Golem" (Karl-Ernst Sasse)
• "Experiment in Terror" (Henry Mancini)
• "One Step Beyond" (Harry Lubin)
• "Night of the Hunter (Remix)" (Walter Schumann)
• "Cape Fear" (Bernard Herrmann)
• "Rosemary's Baby" (Christopher Komeda)
• "The Devil Rides Out (Remix)" (James Bernard)
• "Spider Baby" (Ronald Stein)
• "The Omen - Ave Satani" (Jerry Goldsmith)
• "Henry - Portrait of a Serial Killer" (Robert McNaughton)
• "Vendetta" (John Barry)
• (untitled)
• "Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion" (Ennio Morricone)
• "Twin Peaks - Fire Walk With Me" (Angelo Badalamenti)
• "Charade" (Henry Mancini)

• Mike Patton
• Fantômas
• Faith No More

Mike Patton
Photo: WEA/Warners Bros.

With Mr. Bungle on hiatus, two albums from Mike Patton's other project, Fantômas, simply aren't enough to contain his creative juices. No, not even three impending projects are enough to fill Patton's seemingly boundless plate. Five endeavors, however — each a complete departure from the last — should be enough to keep the former Faith No More frontman busy ... for the time being, at least.

With an expected release this summer, the next Fantômas record comes first on the prolific vocalist's agenda. The as-yet-untitled LP will feature covers of cinema-made tracks such as Irene Cara's "Flashdance" classic, "Flashdance ... What a Feeling," as well as songs found in "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me" and "The Godfather," according to Patton's manager and Ipecac Recordings partner, Greg Werckman.

Another Fantômas album is hopeful for November, as Patton and bandmates Buzz Osbourne (Melvins guitarist), Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle bassist) and Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer drummer) are expected to enter an L.A. studio this summer. Recording could prove difficult if the band instead opts to play summer festivals — both foreign and domestic — which Werckman hinted at as a possibility.

Both Fantômas efforts will be released by Ipecac, as was the group's 1999 eponymous debut.

Patton will also lend his vocal abilities to former Jesus Lizard guitarist Duane Denison's underground all-star band, Tomahawk. The pair, along with former Cows/current Melvins bassist Kevin Rutmanis and drummer John Stanier (of Helmet fame), is expected to enter a Nashville studio in May, with the fruits of their labors available in October on Ipecac, Werckman said.

Amid these many collaborations is Peeping Tom, Patton's main focus and his most commercially accessible project since Faith No More, according to Werckman. Though Patton is currently flying solo on Peeping Tom, bandmates are expected to be added to its lineup.

A Peeping Tom demo, on which Patton played all the instruments, has already garnered the interest of several major labels, said Werckman, who describes the sound as a "mixture of rock, technology, and samples" with the closest comparison being to Beck. Recording is expected to begin in late summer or early fall, with a release in early 2002.

Last on the laundry list is a full-length collaboration between Patton and New York turntablists the X-ecutioners. The all-new material will be put to tape beginning this fall, and a release is also likely in early 2002.

• Faith No More