Faith No More

Coachella 2010 Features Blistering Sets By Jay-Z, Muse, Thom Yorke

19 Apr 2010 09:19:00 EDT

Faith No More, Gorillaz, Pavement and other age-defying acts heat up the desert fest.
By Corey Moss

INDIO, California — Leave it to the least likely star to grace the Coachella headlining stage to best sum up 2010's festival.

"I wanna be forever young," Beyoncé sang as fireworks erupted Friday, helping husband Jay-Z close his much-anticipated set.




	2010 Coachella Music Festival

Not only was there a cavalcade of age-defying acts among the three day festival's 100-some performers, it was often the over-40 club delivering the most commanding sets, Jigga Man included.

Before Jay powered through more than 30 songs on Friday, super group Them Crooked Vultures (featuring Foo Fighter Dave Grohl, Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones and Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme) and Street Sweeper Social Club (starring Rage Against the Machine/ Audioslave guitar hero Tom Morello) both won over large crowds — not with familiar songs, but with sheer performance flair. Ditto Thom Yorke, Faith No More, Devo, the Specials, a reunited Pavement and many more throughout the weekend.

Even Coachella itself has improved with age. Now in its 11th year, the festival set attendance records, selling out 75,000 three-day passes. (Single-day tickets were not available for the first time ever.)

Because flights were grounded overseas due to the ash cloud created by the volcanic eruption in Iceland, seven bands missed Coachella, including the Cribs and Frightened Rabbit, as well as Phoenix's light tech. "So, we're just gonna go simple and make it about the music," Phoenix frontman Thomas Mars said, before deftly staying true to that promise.

Also absent was Dr. Dre, who was widely rumored to guest during Jay-Z's set. Actually, with the exception of Beyoncé and his own 10-piece band, Hova had no guests, a bit surprising considering the tall order at hand as the festival's first hip-hop headliner. Instead, Jay relied on his own swagger and arsenal of hits, beginning with "Run This Town" and ending with, of course, "Encore."

As California first lady Maria Shriver enjoyed the set next to Beyoncé and Hayden Panettiere, video screens showed President Obama doing the "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" gesture.

After cheering from the sidelines (and enjoying a cold beer), Beyoncé took the stage with a giant smile and a punk-rock T-shirt with the Never Mind the Bullocks logo (perhaps a nod to Sex Pistol Johnny Lydon, whose Public Image Limited was playing at the next stage over).

Jay, who entered by rising from a platform below the stage, hardly played a song in its entirety and could have done more for this crowd with his rock-leaning songs like "99 Problems." At Glastonbury in 2008, after Noel Gallagher said there was no place for hip-hop at the festival, Jay opened with Oasis's "Wonderwall." His DJ played that song at Coachella too, but it felt out of place in the middle of his set and without context.

As has been his habit at concerts lately, Jay gave several shout-outs to specific crowd members. "To the guy who looks like The Situation," he said to much laughter. It was a genuine, raw moment the set needed.

It was Saturday's headliner, Muse, who clearly delivered the best performance, giving a master class in energizing an audience, beginning with a rollicking "Uprising." And just to ensure that every single person sang along to the epic tune, the words flashed behind them as singer/guitarist Matt Bellamy hit each one. Heck, the band's light and pyro show was worthy of its own Coachella slot.

Bellamy borrowed from the best throughout the 90-minute set, windmilling around the stage like Pete Townsend and picking through the national anthem like Jimi Hendrix. (The Brit also wore an American flag shirt to go along.) He even paid tribute to big band, a genre memorialized across Palm Springs, by crooning Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" from a clear grand piano.

Coachella's best cover actually came from Faith No More, whose Mike Patton took the stage in a red leisure suit and cane, and sang a deadpan rendition of Peaches and Herb's "Reunited" with the fitting chorus, "Reunited and it feels so good." Somehow the song blended right in among classics like "We Care a Lot" and "Epic." It was difficult to hear their hard-fueled rock and not think of all the bands they influenced, from System of a Down to Incubus, whose Brandon Boyd was spotted backstage.

Gorillaz headlined Sunday and got off to a good start with a video of an animated Snoop Dogg introducing the band, who appeared in the flesh. Damon Albarn was in prime vocal form, but the show lacked the visual excitement expected of the group. The animated members rarely appeared, let alone as holograms or anything else. Bonus points, however, for bringing on some real guests, including De La Soul, members of the Clash and Bobby Womack, who sings on the new single "Stylo."

Headlining Sunday's second stage was Thom Yorke, who showcased his own super group, Atoms for Peace, which includes Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, Beck drummer Joey Waronker and Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. The virtuosos made Yorke's solo record The Eraser their playground, inflicting jittery beats and funky bass grooves all over the singer's wide-ranging vocals.

At first the blue-haired Flea looked almost bored, but he quickly got into the show, dancing with Yorke, or whatever you call the shaking they did many times through the 90-minute set. For an encore, Yorke returned solo and played a new song on which he layered his own vocals with looping pedals. Then he treated his fanboy audience (which included Jay-Z and Russell Simmons) to a couple of Radiohead tunes, including "Everything in Its Right Place."

Also playing late, although not intentionally, was Sly Stone, who in perfect Sly fashion, missed his 7 p.m. slot, showed up 40 minutes late to his rescheduled 10:30 slot, and then performed what could only be described as a train wreck. He ranted for 10 minutes about his old manager, stopped songs midway through, forgetting lyrics, and abruptly jumped off the stage and left. Axl Rose has got nothing on this guy.

On the opposite end of the spectrum were Matt & Kim, the band happiest to be playing Coachella, or at least the one who showed it the most. The duo recounted their favorite memories from the weekend ("Beyoncé gave me goose bumps," Matt said), shared manscaping tips and had their very own streaker ("Hooray for that man's penis!" Matt cheered). And the music was just as entertaining, like when the drum (Kim) and keys (Matt) duo broke into "Apache" during the middle of their awesome single "Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare." They also pounded ferociously through Gary Glitter's "Rock & Roll Part 2."

Other Sunday stand-outs included French sensation Phoenix, who gathered one of the largest crowds of the weekend and whipped them into a frenzy from the opening "Listomania" to the closing "1901" and everything in between. Spoon had the most sing-alongs, but it was Yo La Tengo and Pavement who educated the main stage audience on alternative rock's roots, while Sunny Day Real Estate, featuring Foo Fighters Nate Mendel on bass, reminded the second stage of emo's origins.

Julian Casablancas ignored the desert heat and donned a black leather jacket for a set that included both solo and Strokes material, while Miike Snow took the stage in matching black suits and white masks, looking like a scene out of a Stanley Kubrick movie, and kinda sounding like one too.

On Saturday, maybe it was that Muse and Faith No More were so good, but the highly anticipated MGMT and Dead Weather sets seemed to fall flat. Both acts waited until mid-show to play their best-known material, which can be risky when there are four other stages going at the same time.

Coheed & Cambria are not exactly hit-makers, but the MTV March Madness champions are performers and proved the perfect warm-up for FNM and Muse. For their closing, the Rush-inspired rockers brought out members of the USC marching band, adding to an already full sound.

Band of Skulls turned in a break-out set, putting a more radio-friendly spin on blues rock. Think Wolfmother or the Black Keys meets Blink-182. Other Saturday afternoon highlights included perennial partiers the Gossip (who were also remixed later in the 2 Many DJs set) and A

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Lady Gaga Inspired By Princess Diana, Faith No More

02 Sep 2009 10:40:00 EDT

'Diana was the most iconic martyr of fame,' singer says in V magazine.
By Jocelyn Vena

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."

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Faith No More Bassist Talks Reunion, Reveals Lineup

26 Feb 2009 11:35:00 EST

Band's Bill Gould confirms lineup also includes Mike Patton, Roddy Bottum, Mike Bordin.
By James Montgomery

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.

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Faith No More To Reunite

24 Feb 2009 12:49:00 EST

European tour is offhandedly announced in press release regarding singer Mike Patton.
By James Montgomery, with additional reporting by Jem Aswad and Rodrigo Perez

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.

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Mike Patton Hits The Big Screen, Voicing 'I Am Legend' Baddies And Scoring 'Perfect' Indie Flick

13 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST

'It came out of the blue, man,' former Faith No More frontman says of voice work in Will Smith flick, opening Friday.
By Chris Harris

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." Visit Movies on MTV.com for more from Hollywood, including news, reviews, interviews and more.

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Madonna Reportedly Snags Kanye West, Pharrell For LP; Plus Jessica Sierra, Gym Class Heroes, Radiohead, Ne-Yo & More, In For The Record

06 Dec 2007 18:01:00 EST

Sierra pleads not guilty to charges; Heroes tapped for Warped Tour; Radiohead to end downloads soon.
By MTV News staff

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 i

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DMX? White Stripes? Which Breakthrough Will Stand The Test Of Time?

26 Aug 2002 07:52:00 EDT

Tracing clips' influences, from 'Rockit' to present.
By Jon Wiederhorn, with additional reporting by Corey Moss

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).

Catch all the sizzlin', star-packed VMA action direct from Miami on August 28. MTV News' preshow kicks things off at 6:00 p.m. ET/PT, followed by the big show at 8 p.m.

Vote for the Viewer's Choice Award, see a timeline of MTV Video Music Awards history, and more at our VMA web site.

Check out red carpet highlights, backstage reports, and all our VMA news in the VMA News archive.

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For The Record: Quick News On MTV Movie Awards, Ashanti, Jack Black, Ed Harcourt, Filter & More

02 May 2002 17:02:00 EDT

By MTV News staff report

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 ...

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Tool Tap Fantomas For East Coast Tour

27 Jul 2001 18:13:00 EDT

Ex-Faith No More frontman and co. hit road with prog-rockers on September 22.
By Joe D'Angelo

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...)."

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Patton Scores With Second Fantômas LP

16 Apr 2001 16:06:00 EDT

Work of Rota, Mancini, Morricone and more interpreted on album, due July 24.
By Joe D'Angelo

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 "Patton Pending: Ex-Faith No More Frontman Preps Five Projects").

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)

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Faith No More - Epic

06 Apr 2007 00:00:00 EDT

Epic

Artist: Faith No More
Label: Slash Records/Reprise Records
Director: Ralph Ziman