Alicia Keys
Photo: Evan Agostini/ Getty Images

Alicia Keys has a new album — with a new collaborator — on the way. "I'm actually really interested in working with the young lady that I've been working with on my album, which is slated for October," Keys told MTV Radio at last week's BET Awards. "I can't explain how excited I am about this music." So who is the mystery woman she is teaming up with? "Linda Perry," Keys revealed, "who's written a tremendous amount of incredible work. And us together, us as both being musicians and being writers has really created this incredible music." ...

J.K. Rowling joined Daniel Radcliffe and other "Harry Potter" stars at the London premiere of "Order of the Phoenix" on Tuesday (July 3), Reuters reports. ... Johnny Knoxville filed for divorce from wife Melanie in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday, according to documents obtained by TMZ.com. He cited "irreconcilable differences" in their 11-year marriage. Johnny Knoxville is seeking joint custody of their only child together, daughter Madison, who is 11 years old. ...

Lindsay Lohan celebrated her 21st birthday with a break from rehab, People reports. Guests at the actress' low-key beach party included her mother Dina, sister Ali, brother Dakota, and rumored love interest Calum Best. Lohan, who spent most of the party inside a beach house, sent her bodyguard to bring pizza to the paparazzi camped out to capture the event. TMZ.com reports that Samantha Ronson was the bash's DJ, and that Lohan left the party at 2:15 a.m. to return to the Promises treatment facility. ...

Shia LaBeouf turned 21 last month, but the "Transformers" star had no plans to spend the day downing his first legal drink. "People say, 'What are you doing for your 21st birthday, Shia?' " he said in an interview published in the August issue of Vanity Fair (on newsstands July 10). "I'm like, 'I'm making an Indiana Jones movie.' What's better than that? ... I won't have a sip until after Indy." Even then, LaBeouf probably won't go too crazy — the actor, who used to accompany his father to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, said he's not a big partier. "I know what it does if you get out of control. I know how hard it was to get my life to where it is. There's so much riding that those small little joys of the high are not interesting to me." ...

Is the Van Halen reunion a go after all? Billboard.com reported Tuesday that multiple arena holds are in place in major markets for a potential fall tour by the mercurial group. ... Phil Spector's lead attorney is stepping away from the trial — so he can tape a new courtroom TV show, The Associated Press reports. Bruce Cutler promised Monday that he will deliver the closing argument in the trial, which he's been watching on TV and reading transcripts from. "I'm not doing it to deprecate the significance of the case. I don't need to be there every day," he said.

Contrary to rumor, Panic! at the Disco will not be releasing their second album this year. According to a spokesperson for the band, Panic are still writing the LP, which is expected in stores in January or February. But that doesn't mean you won't be seeing the gang at all this year — Panic are slated to play Paris on August 21 and London the following day as part of the Decaydance Fest, also featuring Fall Out Boy, Cobra Starship and others. They'll also hit Seattle's Bumbershoot festival and San Diego's Street Scene in September. ... Smashing Pumpkins have announced dates for a fall tour that will be the reunited band's first full North American outing since 2000. A trio of festival dates — September 8 (Montreal), September 9 (Toronto) and September 13 (Las Vegas) — kick off the 20-show tour, which is currently scheduled to wrap up on November 5 with a gig at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Other cities the band will hit along the way include Phoenix (September 18), Salt Lake City (September 28), Detroit (October 7), Pittsburgh (October 9), Boston (October 15-16) and Dallas (November 3). ...

Marilyn Manson and Alice Cooper allied for a cover of the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams" at a festival in Romania on Sunday night, according to video obtained by Stereogum.com. ... Has Eddie Vedder written an album's worth of original songs for Sean Penn's upcoming adaptation of "Into the Wild"? The Playlist blog — written by former MTV News staffer Rodrigo Perez — reports that Penn's latest directorial effort will feature songs from Vedder, as well as a cameo from the Pearl Jam frontman, who has previously contributed tunes to such Penn-starring films as "Dead Man Walking" and "I Am Sam." The soundtrack is due September 18. ... The reunited Glassjaw will be one of the headliners for this year's Saints & Sinners Festival, set for November 3 and 4 in Asbury Park, New Jersey. More band announcements are expected in the coming weeks. ... The Mars Volta are hard at work in a New York recording studio creating their next LP, The Bedlam in Goliath. The album is tentatively scheduled for release in late August or early September. ...

Pete Doherty pleaded guilty to drug possession, two driving offenses and failure to appear on time for court on Tuesday in London, AP reports. A warrant was issued for Doherty's arrest on Tuesday morning for missing the hearing, stemming from his May 5 arrest in London. The singer showed up for court more than two hours late and entered his pleas. The judge has not yet issued a sentence. ... Famed saxophone player Boots Randolph died Tuesday after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage last month. The Nashville jazz-nightclub stalwart was best known for "Yakety Sax," a song that was featured on "The Benny Hill Show." He was 80. ... Hy Zaret, who wrote the lyrics featured in the legendary song "Unchained Melody," died at his home on Monday. He was 99.

07.02.2007

Britney Spears hasn't confirmed that she delivered a letter to her mother requesting that Lynne Spears stay away from Britney's sons Sean Preston and Jayden James if she's on any medication that would "impair her ability to be around them," as TMZ reported Thursday, but all doesn't sound well with the Spears clan judging by what the singer told People. "I'm praying for her right now," Britney said, according to the magazine's Web site. "[I hope] she gets all the help she needs." Meanwhile, the elder Spears predicts a bright future. "I've got a strong family, and everything is going to be fine," Lynne told People. ...

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" is Amazon's most preordered product, with almost 1.6 million copies bought before the book's July 21 release, Reuters reports. The online retailer said Monday (July 2) that demand had passed the previous record of 1.5 million preorders, which was set by "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." ...

England's princes William and Harry hosted a party for 70,000 at London's Wembley Stadium on Sunday celebrating the life of their late mother, Princess Diana, with a concert that featured sets from Nelly Furtado, Kanye West, Pharrell, Diddy, Elton John and Lily Allen. The six-hour show featured some of Diana's favorite acts, such as Duran Duran, Tom Jones (who dueted with Joss Stone on the Arctic Monkeys' "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor"), the English National Ballet, Rod Stewart and Broadway composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. ...

Organizers of France's Hellfest plan to file a lawsuit against Korn and the band's management after the group failed to perform at the event last week. In a statement issued June 22 — the day the band was scheduled to play Hellfest — Korn frontman Jonathan Davis blamed "severe weather" conditions "and a negligent promoter who didn't provide adequate cover for our gear" for the band's withdrawal from the fest. "We were advised to cancel the show for risk of the band being electrocuted. The fans were short-changed and that pisses us off. This was an especially important show for us given my illness last year which prevented me from performing. I am seriously bummed." Hellfest organizer Benjamin Barbaud announced his intention to sue Korn on Monday in an interview with French site Maville.com, stating that the band was paid in full although it didn't play, and that all conditions were met to ensure Korn's safety. ...

Velvet Revolver will celebrate Tuesday's release of Libertad with an intimate club show at the Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood, California, on Thursday. ... Do you like H.I.M.? Would you call yourself the band's biggest fan? The Ville Valo-fronted act is hosting a contest to find that fan, and the winner will be flown to Seattle to meet the boys at the opening night of the Projekt Revolution Tour. Fans can enter by creating a video no longer than three minutes that lets everyone know why they love H.I.M., uploading the clip to YouTube, and e-mailing the link to himbiggestfan@warnerreprise.com — with the subject line "HIM Biggest Fan contest" — before Thursday. ... Morrissey's tour is back on track after the singer was forced to postpone dates last week due to a throat infection. He is slated to perform Monday night in Vienna, Virginia, and will make up the interrupted Boston show on Saturday. The other gigs are also being rescheduled. ...

In a sign that Apple's iTunes is losing some of its iron grip, Universal Music Group has reportedly refused to renew its annual contract to sell music on the leading download site, asking instead to sell music by its artists (which include 50 Cent, Amy Winehouse and U2) at will. The New York Times reports that the month-to-month deal would make it easier for Universal to remove its songs from iTunes on short notice, should the two sides fail to agree on pricing in the future. If Universal pulled its catalog from iTunes, Apple would lose access to labels that account for one out of three new releases sold in the U.S. ...

Thursday have returned to Victory Records — the label they'd left years ago under rather bitter terms — now that they are no longer with Island Records. Thursday plan to release a CD/DVD package through Victory to hold fans over as they work on new material for the follow-up to 2006's A City by the Light Divided. The set will include demos and several new tracks. ... Hi-Five singer Tony Thompson's death at age 31 was caused by an accidental overdose while huffing Freon gas, according to an autopsy report issued Friday, The Waco Times-Herald reports. No illegal drugs or alcohol were found in his system, but a small amount of Methadone was detected, according to the report. Thompson was found dead in his Waco, Texas, home on June 1. ...

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" creator Joss Whedon is hosting a charity auction on eBay to benefit Equality Now, an organization that works to end violence and discrimination against women and girls around the world. Items including dinner with Whedon; advance copies of "Those Left Behind," a "Serenity" special-edition hardcover, signed by Whedon; and engraved watches made for the "Buffy" crew — all accompanied by an autographed "Buffy" lithograph — will be up for bid beginning Monday. ...

In a move that has likely brought a grin to Stephen Colbert's face, South Korean superstar Rain canceled an eagerly expected show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles Saturday. The only scheduled American date on the singer/actor/dancer's Rain's Coming world tour was deep-sixed by the promoter's failure to properly set up the stage, the singer told the Los Angeles Times. "When I came to the venue, the LED screen couldn't be set up. I have rain falling in the concert — that couldn't work," said Rain, who is often called the "Justin Timberlake of Asia" — and earned Colbert's ire after taking #1 on a Time readers' poll of the year's most influential people.

• In Focus: Alicia Keys
• In Focus: Shia LaBeouf

• Alicia Keys
• Lindsay Lohan
• The Smashing Pumpkins
• Glassjaw
• Pearl Jam

Justin Timberlake
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Justin Timberlake will perform with an unsigned artist at the Grammy Awards via a new contest put on by Yahoo! Music and the Recording Academy. My Grammy Moment will allow fans to vote for their favorite unsigned act at Yahoo! Music, and the three finalists will also be able to participate in a variety of music-education initiatives put on by the Recording Academy. ...

Even without a new album out, Britney Spears is #1. But the chart the singer is topping is probably not one she was hoping for. ViralVideoChart.com has released a list of the top viral videos of the year, and Spears has locked up the top two spots. A clip of her burping and babbling about time travel was seen more than 3 million times, followed by the infamous footage of soon-to-be ex-husband Kevin Federline apparently getting the news of his impending divorce via text message, which clocked 2 million hits. The Spears and Federline clips were followed by comedian Michael Richards' racist stage rant and footage of Lindsay Lohan dissing Paris Hilton. To make matters worse, Spears also earned the mantle as 2006's worst celebrity dog owner, according to a poll of dog-magazine readers. "She once had three Chihuahuas ... and never left home without at least one of them on her arm," Hilary O'Hagan, editor of The New York Dog and The Hollywood Dog said in a statement The Associated Press. "As soon as she met K-Fed and had kids, [the dogs] disappeared." ...

Ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin joined the band for five songs during its Sunday gig in Los Angeles, Reuters reports. Stradlin — who left the fold 15 years ago but has made sporadic appearances at GN'R reunion shows — played and sang harmonies to "Paradise City," "Patience," "Nightrain," "Used to Love Her" and "Think About You." ... Pay no mind to the speculation that Korn's days may be numbered. Nothing could be further from the truth, frontman Jonathan Davis wrote in a blog post. Since the announcement last week that drummer David Silveria was "taking a break" from Korn, fans have been wondering if they should be worried about the band's future. "He really needed to take a break," Davis wrote. "He was very burnt out. He will not be on this record [we're working on at the moment] or tour, but will be back for the next one, if ready. Until then, we will have a fill-in drummer. We are NOT breaking up, this is not the last album. Everything is fine, this is only temporary." ...

By now, Michael Jackson fans should know to always make backup plans. After promising to appear at an expensive Christmas party for fans on Tuesday in Tokyo, Jackson has postponed the event until next year so he can add another date to the meet-and-greet, according to a Reuters report. The party for 1,600 fans that was to include dancers, a band and gospel singers will now take place on March 8 and offer more tickets at the top prices. Platinum ticket holders were promised a chance to meet Jackson and take a photo with him for a mere $3,428 each. Buyer beware — Jackson will not perform at the show but will watch it from a VIP box and make brief remarks. The second-day event will give fans a chance to see a show featuring dancers performing Jackson's hits as he looks on from the VIP area. ...

J Dilla's Ruff Draft album is being re-released as a two-CD set in March. Bonus vocal tracks, interludes and instrumentals will be included. ... The singers behind the Kidz Bop albums are going on tour in the spring in conjunction with volume 11, due February 20. The group recently debuted on QVC. ... Whitney Houston, her mother, Cissy Houston, and cousin Dionne Warwick have recorded a song together for the first time. Aptly titled "Family First," the song will be featured on the soundtrack to "Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls," due January 9. The CD will also feature songs from Beyoncé, R. Kelly and a collaboration between Anthony Hamilton, Jaheim and Musiq. The movie opens February 14. ...

The Arctic Monkeys have announced a huge show to celebrate the release of their second album in the spring. The 50,000-capacity gig — which they've promised will feature their longest set to date — will take place July 28 at the Lancashire County Cricket Ground in Manchester, England. The show will include yet-unannounced support bands chosen from among the group's favorite acts, according to an announcement on its Web site. ... The Kaiser Chiefs are launching a North American tour April 13 in New York. The tour, sponsored by the New Musical Express, currently includes stops in Toronto, Chicago and San Francisco, with more to be announced in January. ...

Pete Townshend will be the keynote speaker at next year's South by Southwest Music and Media Conference. The Who guitarist will give his keynote address on March 14 and perform with artist Rachel Fuller and other special guests the following day. ... The first U.S. performance by Yusuf — a.k.a. Yusuf Islam, a.k.a. Cat Stevens — will be broadcast Thursday. Recorded in New York on November 19 to an invite-only crowd, the intimate gig will air at 11:15 a.m. PT on Santa Monica, California's NPR affiliate, KCRW. ...

The reunited Glassjaw are offering fans a chance to become the band's next ex-member. The winner will be made an official member of the band, get kicked out, then will be listed as an ex-member on the band's Web site and even receive a phone call from an actual former member of Glassjaw. More information on the contest can be found at the band's MySpace page. ... Pastor Troy was arrested Friday morning in Atlanta for an alleged parole violation following an interview on the city's Hot 107.9 radio station, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The rapper, who was on probation for driving offenses, was arrested after a tipster called the authorities to report that he was at the studio. Officers took Troy into custody after confirming a warrant for unspecified probation violations.

12.15.2006

Think your 16th birthday was sweet? JoJo got the royal treatment Thursday night when Seventeenand her label, Universal Motown, threw a bash for her at the boutique Caravan in New York's East Village. The event, most attended by Seventeen readers, was also held to honor the pop prodigy for gracing the magazine's prom issue cover. Her fans, along with a fab fashionista — Heatherette designer Richie Rich — sang "Happy Birthday" as she blew out the candles on four raspberry-and-chocolate-vanilla mousse cakes. On Friday night (December 15), JoJo will hit the stage at Z100's Jingle Ball at Madison Square Garden. ...

(Check out pics from JoJo's b-day bash right here.)

A Los Angeles police officer who filed a lawsuit claiming sexual misconduct against a former deputy chief is also charging she was targeted by the same official after he allegedly confiscated her computer containing critical information about the investigation of the Notorious B.I.G. murder case. According to the Los Angeles Times, a probe has been launched by the internal investigation arm of the Los Angeles Police Department to look into both matters. Attorney Bradley Gage, who is representing Sergeant Ya-May Christle in her case, is also one of several lawyers who sued the city and police department on behalf of the estate of the late rapper. Police Chief William J. Bratton issued a statement saying his precinct will comply with the investigation and turn over all relevant documents requested. ...

The final album recorded by D12's Proof, Time a Tell, will be released next year, according to The Detroit News. The 18-track effort by the rapper, who was killed during a dispute at a Detroit nightclub on April 11, was written and recorded in a single day in January. The LP will be released via Iron Fist Records, the label founded by Proof. ... Ex-Phish major-domo Trey Anastasio is facing a variety of charges after a police officer pulled him over early Friday morning in a town in upstate New York near the Vermont border, The Associated Press reports. Police are charging him with possession of a controlled substance, driving while intoxicated and — because he was driving with a suspended license — third-degree aggravated unlicensed vehicle operation. Police found painkillers and an anti-anxiety drug that was prescribed to someone else in his vehicle. Anastasio was released and will appear in court at a later date. ...

In just 35 minutes, Muse sold all 150,000 tickets to the massive concert they have planned for London's Wembley Stadium on June 16. An additional 42,000 tickets have been sold for the recently added show to be held the following day at the same venue. Muse are the first band announced to play Wembley since it was rebuilt. ... The Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang tour was the highest-grossing one of the year, according to Billboard. Tickets for the trek, which started in August 2005 and lasted until November 25, 2006, amounted to about $437 million. Second was Madonna, whose Confessions tour made $195 million and was the top-grossing trek ever by a female artist. ... The Nintendo Wii has been a smashing success, but not in the way the company had intended. After a rash of reports of the straps breaking on the wandlike game controllers, causing them to fly off user's hands and smashing TV screens, Nintendo announced Friday that it would recall and replace 3.2 million straps for the unit's controllers. According to AP, the worldwide recall will replace the current slim strap with a beefier one, costing the company several million dollars. ...

Linkin Park guitarist Brad Delson recently donated 36 electric guitars to Little Kids Rock, a program providing free instruments and instruction for public school students. Delson hand-delivered the guitars to Los Angeles' Nightingale Middle School. ... The Roots — who were recently nominated for two Grammys — are heading to South Africa for the first time as part of their ongoing world tour. The group is taking an unusual approach, following its Thursday performance on a flatbed truck in Johannesburg with shows in Cape Town on Friday and Durbin on Saturday. In February, the Roots will come back to North America for a three-month outing with Lupe Fiasco. That jaunt begins February 1 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and concludes with a two-night stand in Philadelphia on April 3-4. The collective is off to Australia after that. ...

The Internet was atwitter late Thursday night thanks to one phone number: (866) NEON-BIBLE. Why? That's the way the Arcade Fire chose to debut "Intervention" — the first song from their hotly anticipated new album, due in March on Merge Records. Fans who called the toll-free number were greeted with the sound of a creaky organ followed by a voice telling them to enter extension 7777 to hear "an important message from the founders of the Neon Bible program." After dialing the extension, "Intervention" — which has been a staple of the band's live set for a few years — plays. Influential BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe played the song on the air Thursday night. Friday morning, several music blogs began, um, "reporting" that the Arcade Fire's new album will be called Neon Bible — though a spokesperson for Merge told MTV News there is no album title yet, and the band is still mastering the record in London. ...

Ozzy Osbourne fans can expect to see the self-proclaimed Prince of Darkness on tour this spring, wife and manager Sharon Osbourne said during a recent appearance on the "Dr. Phil" show. Ozzy has been working on a pair of albums, the first due in February. The second will serve as the soundtrack to his long-in-the-works musical about Russian monk Grigori Rasputin. ... Meanwhile, Jack Osbourne is among the stars of the new CBS reality series "Armed & Famous," which follows five celebrities through the police academy and on patrol in Muncie, Indiana. "CHiPs" star Erik Estrada, "Jackass" wild man Jason "Wee-Man" Acuña, La Toya Jackson and WWE wrestler Trish Stratus are also featured. ...

Stephen Colbert and Decemberists multi-instrumentalist Chris Funk will compete in a guitar solo contest on "The Colbert Report" on Wednesday. The contest stems from a feud Colbert started when he accused the band of riding his coattails with a contest that asked fans to contribute animated footage for the Decemberists' new video. ... They Might Be Giants, Harry Shearer ("The Simpsons," "For Your Consideration") and "Late Show With David Letterman" musical director Paul Shaffer are among those converging at New York's Canal Room on Friday for Judith Owen and Harry Shearer's Holiday Sing-Along, put on by Shearer and his wife. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Tipitina's Foundation to aid the rebuilding of New Orleans' music culture in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

• Britney Spears
• Kevin Federline
• Lindsay Lohan
• Korn
• Michael Jackson

Glassjaw
Photo: Warner Bros.

For a couple of years now, Daryl Palumbo has been running his yap about the imminent revivification of his old band Glassjaw. He's professed that yes, there's fresh material on the horizon, and the band will be touring again real soon in support of those new songs.

But beyond a few one-off reunion gigs here and there, Glassjaw have remained as dormant as they've been since 2004 — well, publicly at least. There hasn't really been much more than just talk, talk, talk of the future, and the directive to be patient.

But now, with the Long Island, New York, hardcore innovators set to open for Deftones at Nashville's City Hall on Thursday (December 14), it seems there's an end in sight for the longtime fans who have been waiting for their resurrection since Palumbo initiated such talk back in 2005.

Glassjaw's F---ing Tour will include a total of 13 stops — on four of them, they'll warm up crowds for Chino Moreno's Deftones. The bands toured together in 2000, soon after the release of Glassjaw's debut LP, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence. Glassjaw have lined up gigs in Chicago, Detroit, New York and Philadelphia, and will cap 2006 off in New Haven, Connecticut, at Hatebreed frontman Jamey Jasta's Stillborn Fest on New Year's Eve. Hatebreed will headline the night's festivities, with the Distance, Bateman, Dead by Wednesday, Signs of Hope and Crowns of Kings in supporting roles.

"The band is totally reinvigorated," Palumbo said enthusiastically. "And why not? We did it. We've been writing, we've been rehearsing every day, and we've got some new s--- together. So why not? I can't wait to get back out there, because Glassjaw's me. It's my personality. It's a huge part of me — being that angry and playing those songs and being in that mood. I need it, I need it — absolutely need it."

The frontman said Glassjaw have been writing material for many months, even while Palumbo has been occupied with his other band, Head Automatica (see "Head Automatica's Midas Touch Won't Shatter Glassjaw"). And they've completed three tracks — "You Think You're John F---ing Lennon," "Jesus Glue" and "Natural Born Farmer" — they plan to record as soon as Head Automatica's forthcoming, yet-untitled EP is in the bag. Palumbo said the Head will hit the studio in January to record six songs (one called "Continental Divide") for the effort, which will also feature "many interludes in between — it's going to be like a large piece with no breaks from front to back, and I'd like to put almost an LP's worth of material on the EP."

Palumbo added that the latest Head Automatica material is "a lot darker and a lot more discordant" than the band's previous two releases: 2004's Decadence and 2006's Popaganda (see "Daryl Palumbo Spreads Head Automatica Popaganda"). But, the more ominous tone to the songs has nothing to do with Glassjaw's revival, Palumbo said.

"It's the opposite," he explained. "While Glassjaw hadn't been doing much for a bit, I'd gone ahead and started writing a lot more cryptic, darker stuff for Head Automatica, without even having been inspired by Glassjaw to do that. It's just where I think the Head Automatica sound's going to go, and I think the Glassjaw sound will probably be going in a more brutal direction too."

Palumbo said both bands will self-produce their upcoming opuses and that he'd like to release both in 2007.

"With Glassjaw, it's been about 13 years in the making, and I think that we'll get that product out of us that we've wanted all these years," he said. "For this particular band, at this particular point in our career, to get the four of us in a room — I think some beautiful sh--'s gonna happen. But it's going to take a little while. We still have to finish the writing and the recording, and I have lots to do with Head Automatica in the next year. It's going to be a balancing act for me, so it's going to take a minute. Both records will happen at the right pace, but I would like to have them both out next year. That would make me so f---ing happy."

• Glassjaw
• Deftones
• Head Automatica

Joel Madden and Hilary Duff
Photo: Vince Bucci/ Getty Images

Hilary and Joel are no longer an item. Madden confirmed to MTV News on Tuesday (November 28) that his relationship with Duff is over. He said there are no hard feelings between the two, and that he is focusing his energy on Good Charlotte's Good Morning Revival, due next year. ...

Game and Snoop Dogg are in talks to co-headline a second How the West Was One Tour. "We have to get the paperwork right and the money and the promoters and the agents and all that stuff, but once we figure that out, we will hit it," Game said. And speaking of the rapper, he's thrilled with the reviews Doctor's Advocate has earned. "As long they love the record then I'm good," he said. "I don't care about being #1 or #2, it's just about making a good record, making classic music and having longevity in hip-hop." The album recently opened at #1 on the Billboard albums chart, with 358,000 copies sold. ...

Fergie will perform on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2007" as well as host the Hollywood portion of the event. Natasha Bedingfield and Meat Loaf will also perform in Hollywood. ... Another Black Eyed Pea, founding member Apl.De.Ap, is using his birthday celebration Tuesday night in Hollywood to support a worthy cause. Apl and his indie label, Jeepney Music, announced that proceeds of his bash will go to Operation Smile, an international medical charity that originated 24 years ago in Apl's home country, the Philippines. The Peas play Los Angeles' Staples Center on Friday. ...

A book report from Britney Spears' junior high days can be in your hands Monday if the price is right. No, the singer isn't going into the term-paper business, but she has donated her take on a translation of Sophocles' "Antigone" — which scored her an 88 and a reminder to "write more neatly" — to be sold via a Christie's auction. One of 170 items Spears donated to go up on the block, the single page is expected to draw a winning bid ranging from $500-700, with proceeds benefiting the singer's charity foundation. ... Christina Aguilera has commissioned Italian designer Roberto Cavalli to exclusively design the '40s- and '50s-style costumes for her Back to Basics tour, according to a report in Women's Wear Daily. Think white satin tuxedos, white fox stoles and silk bustiers with tails for the onstage look of Aguilera's U.S. run, which kicks off in February. ... In other fashion news, young startlets' takeover of the modeling world continues, with Lindsay Lohan recently shooting the spring 2007 ad campaign for Miu Miu, the girlier, lower-price line from Italian fashion label Prada. ...

New Jersey's Eyeball Records will reissue My Chemical Romance's debut album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, on December 12. The updated version of the 2002 LP, which was produced by Thursday frontman Geoff Rickly, will feature two previously unreleased videos from the band. ... A Guns N' Roses concert scheduled to go down Tuesday at Milwaukee's Bradley Center has been canceled due to Axl Rose suffering an ear infection and strep throat, according to a press release. Doctors have ordered the singer to rest for several days. "I have been fighting this off for a long time but the doctor told me tonight that the only way not to jeopardize the balance of the tour is immediate rest," Rose said in a statement issued Monday. "We will now have three days off before continuing Friday. We are sorry to miss the fans in Milwaukee." ...

Connecticut state police arrested two men Tuesday in connection with the shooting of a 21-year-old man waiting to purchase a PlayStation 3 earlier this month, The Associated Press reports. William J. Robertson and Andrew Patnaude were charged with attempted murder, robbery and assault, and are being held in lieu of $1 million bail pending court appearances. Michael Penkala, who was shot outside a Wal-Mart in the early hours of November 17 when he refused to give up a wallet containing more than $2,500 in cash, is still recovering from his injuries. ... Comedian Tracy Morgan of "Saturday Night Live" and "30 Rock" note was arrested early Tuesday in New York on charges of drunk driving, AP reports. Police told the news outlet that the 38-year-old failed a breathalyzer test at a police station, after which he was allowed to leave without posting bail but had to surrender his driver's license. ...

The reunited Dinosaur Jr. commence a series of gigs starting Tuesday night in Portland, Maine. The band will stage four more U.S. shows before heading overseas to play the All Tomorrow's Parties "Nightmare Before Christmas" shindig, some concerts opening for Sonic Youth and more. The band also has set a May 8 release date for its first-ever DVD, "Dinosaur Jr.: Live From the Middle East," which was filmed at the Boston club of the same name. The trio's first studio album in 18 years is also due around that time. ... Nirvana's breakthrough single "Smells Like Teen Spirit" has been named the best pop song of the last 20 years by Britain's Q magazine, besting the likes of Madonna, U2 and Britney Spears. "The thing about 'Smells Like Teen Spirit,' it was a watershed moment in rock music. It changed everything," Q's deputy editor, Gareth Grundy, said. "It put heavy music back on the map in the early '90s, really, that combination of punk-rock anger and the heavy Black Sabbath '70s metal. It was something new. Sulky kids everywhere loved Nirvana and continue to do so." ...

Metallica's James Hetfield jammed with Alice in Chains during the band's Sunday night set in San Francisco. Hetfield joined the band band onstage for a rendition of "Would?" ... An exhibit curated by Franz Ferdinand guitarist Nick McCarthy will open Saturday at Los Angeles' Lightbox Gallery. Featuring the works of Manuela Gernedel, Celia Hempton, Shana Moulton, Jo Robertson, Niklas Schechinger and Hank Schmidt in der Beek, Lucy Stein and Anna Witt, the exhibit is expected to run through January 20. ... The reunited Glassjaw will play a handful of shows next month, hitting Nashville (December 14); Fort Worth, Texas (December 16); Tulsa, Oklahoma (December 17); Kansas City, Missouri (December 18); Minneapolis (December 19); and New Haven, Connecticut (December 31). ... Buckcherry and Three Days Grace will tour together early next year. The road trip's routing will be announced next month. ... After a few weeks of work, hardcore icons Agnostic Front have written 10 songs for their forthcoming LP. The band will track the effort before February, and have East Coast gigs lined up through January.

11.27.2006

After just four months of marriage, Pamela Anderson has filed for divorce from Kid Rock. Anderson cited "irreconcilable differences," according to divorce papers filed last week in Los Angeles Superior Court. "DIVORCE: Yes, it's true," Anderson wrote on her Web site, next to a picture of the couple. "Unfortunately impossible," she added, cryptically. The couple were married in three separate ceremonies, beginning on July 29. ...

Beyoncé is looking for dancers for her upcoming world tour. Five U.S. cities will host open-call auditions: Los Angeles (December 6-7), Atlanta (December 9), Houston (January 6), New York (January 11-12) and Chicago (January 27). Dancers may be male or female and of any nationality, but must be at least 18 years old. For more information see www.beyonce.com. ...

"American Idol" alum Jennifer Hudson has signed with Arista Records to release her yet-untitled debut album, the label announced Monday (November 27). Hudson is set to make her big-screen debut with a buzz-worthy performance in next month's Dreamgirls, which also stars Jamie Foxx and Beyoncé. A spokesperson for the label said Hudson will begin recording her debut LP next year. ...

The late Princess Diana's sons — Princes William and Harry — are planning to mark the 10th anniversary of their mother's death with a charity concert at London's 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium on July 1. The show, to be hosted by the two princes, commemorates what would have been Diana's 46th birthday. London's Sunday Times reported that among the artists likely to appear include Elton John, Beyoncé, George Michael and Kylie Minogue. Pharrell Williams and the Killers have also reportedly been approached to participate. ...

U2's claim to the top-grossing tour of all time was brief. The Irish band's barely nine-month-long reign was brought to an end by (who else?) the Rolling Stones. Billboard reports that the Stones' A Bigger Bang Tour — which began in the fall of 2005 — shattered the $377 million gross of U2's year-long trek by grossing $437 million and drawing 3.5 million people to 110 shows. If, as expected, the tour stretches into 2007, it could end up bringing in more than $500 million. ...

The long-simmering feud between Apple Computers and Apple Records, which has kept Beatles music off iTunes, could be close to an end. According to Fortune magazine, iTunes is close to a deal that would not only bring the Beatles catalog online for the first time, it would also give iTunes an exclusive on the Fab Four's music for a limited time. Among the issues reportedly being hammered out is how long that limited period of exclusivity will last, and whether the Beatles and their representatives would allow the band's music to be used in an iPod commercial. Neither side would comment officially on the negotiations. ...

Yoko Ono issued a full-page notice in Sunday's New York Times under the title "Forgive Us." The message, in observance of the approaching 26th anniversary of the murder of her husband, John Lennon, was a plea for forgiveness from the world's poor and suffering people "for having been unable to stop the tragedy" [apparently a reference to violence and hunger]. "Know that your loss is our loss," she wrote, later noting, "As the widow of one who was killed by an act of violence, I don't know if I am ready yet to forgive the one who pulled the trigger." ...

Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward said that, contrary to reports, he will not be working with Heaven & Hell, which finds Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler reuniting with Ronnie James Dio, the band's singer from 1979-83, as well as former Sabbath/Dio drummer Vinny Appice. "I realize there has been some speculation as to whether or not I am participating in the Heaven & Hell project," Ward wrote in a post on his official Web site. "I want to confirm that I will not be involved in either the recordings for the upcoming CD or the subsequent tour. I want to wish the guys — Tony, Geezer, Ronnie and Vinny — much success for the coming year." A posting on Iommi's Web site from October lists Ward as being involved in the project. ...

Sartorially splendid, sonically somber New York quartet Interpol have hit the studio to begin work on their third album, their first for Capitol Records. According to a post on their official Web site, the band are holed up in a New York studio and "the atmosphere and environs of a recording facility affect the sound and feel of an album in the subtlest ways. And we are affected. And it is subtle." There's no indication of when fans will get to hear any of said subtlety, but the guys add that everything "sounds great so far, but we'll be here for a while yet." ...

The Black Eyed Peas will release their first live DVD, "Live From Sydney to Vegas," on December 5. Bonus footage includes videos for "Union" and "Bebot" and a live performance of Fergie's "London Bridge." ...

• In Focus: Hilary Duff

• Hilary Duff
• Good Charlotte
• Game
• Snoop Dogg
• Black Eyed Peas

Roadrunner All-Stars
Photo: Roadrunner Records

Anniversaries provide record labels with the perfect excuse to reissue albums you've owned for years, complete with fresh packaging and tons of extras you never knew you needed. There might even be a televised special, featuring some of the label's biggest artists singing duets together to promote those re-releases. But Roadrunner Records, which for 25 years has influenced and nurtured modern metal's evolution, took a different tack.

In addition to the requisite reissues (Coal Chamber's self-titled debut, King Diamond's Abigail, Killswitch Engage's Alive or Just Breathing among them), Roadrunner is releasing an epic collaborative effort to commemorate the milestone: Roadrunner United: The All Star Sessions, which hits stores on Tuesday.

United features more than 50 members of Roadrunner's roster, both artists who at one time called the label home and others that still do. Acts from the label's formative years — like black metallers Deicide, Brazilian thrashers Sepultura, goth-metal band Type O Negative and electronic metal stalwarts Fear Factory — through today's lineup of formidable metal bands, including Chimaira, Opeth and Trivium, are represented throughout the album's 18 tracks.

Each song on the disc was written by one of four "team captains," who entered various recording studios with the members of their core teams — two guitarists, a bassist and a drummer from the Roadrunner roster, but no one from the captain's own band — and recorded the tunes. Singers were summoned to write lyrics and record vocal tracks later on.

Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison was the first of the four captains (the others being Machine Head frontman Robert Flynn, former Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares and Trivium mainman Matthew Heafy) to be pitched the all-stars idea. He said it wasn't at all challenging to work with musicians he'd never met before on the five songs he penned.

"For me, I was just really honored to meet all of these artists who've really inspired me through the whole time growing up as a metal head, and helped shape me as a songwriter," he explained. His team consisted, at times, of former Vision of Disorder guitarist Matt Baumbach, Chimaira's Matt DeVries, Malevolent Creation's Rob Barrett and Obituary's James Murphy. "I wrote in five different styles for this album, and I'm just fortunate I got everyone on board I'd wanted for these tracks. It's been a great experience, and just meeting all these killer people helped me learn a lot."

It also provided Jordison with an outlet for the type of material he'd never bring to Slipknot. "The song 'No Way Out' with [Glassjaw's] Daryl Palumbo, 'Tired 'N Lonely' with [Life of Agony's] Keith Caputo, 'Enemy of the State' with [Type O Negative's] Peter Steele — these are all songs that I'd never approach Slipknot with," he said. "It was also a sort of token of my appreciation [to Roadrunner]. I'm glad to have been a part of it, and I considered it a fulfilling experience, as a whole."

The album features several musicians who cut ties with the label years ago, and whose splits with Roadrunner Records were both public and acrimonious. Take Life of Agony frontman Caputo, for instance.

"Well, Joey asked me to do it, and I completely respect him and was honored that he asked me," Caputo said. "I'm one of his favorite singers so that's a plus. It begins and ends with Joey, for me. We did a great song — it's exactly what we wanted, creatively speaking. Most importantly, I feel like I met someone who I can deeply connect with artistically and spiritually."

Caputo worked with Jordison over the course of a year on the track, and the two met for the first time only last week. "It was mostly phone calls back and forth, but we had a lot of different ideas," he explained, describing the track as "[Johnny] Cash on crack." "The song's bangin' and it's one of my favorite songs I've ever sung. Really, it's just cool that, after so many years and all the heartache, the horror stories, the headaches and the bullsh--, I'm at such peace in my life right now, and it's pretty cool I'm on a Roadrunner record again."

Baumbach's former band V.O.D.'s divorce from Roadrunner was even messier, but the guitarist, who's left the heavy behind with his newest project, the Current, said he's had ample time to heal those wounds. "I can look back and I know those years were really the best years for our band, the Roadrunner years, regardless of anything that happened label-wise," he said. "You forget about the crap."

While the album is perhaps the most fitting method for marking the label's 25th year, it could end up fostering an unintended result. Several of the artists who collaborated for these songs said the experience yielded the possibility for side projects — with many of the metallers proclaiming they'd either like to work together again or already have material which failed to make the disc on the backburner.

Fear Factory's Cazares said his sessions with Sepultura's Andreas Kisser, Soulfly's Roy Mayorga and Slipknot's Paul Gray left him with a pair of tracks recorded, and others written and waiting to be set to tape. "We'll see what happens," Cazares said. "We might end up forming a project out of it. The chemistry between us in the studio was killer. We were really surprised at how easy and fun it was. The vibe was so killer that we're seriously considering starting a whole other band. That's what's so great about this album, is that other projects could emerge from it. You know, we all basically share a connection. We know each other from touring, and we all share the same idea: metal."

As part of its 25th anniversary celebration, the label's also planning a concert for December 15 in New York, which will feature performances from the artists involved in United; no venue has been determined yet.

• Slipknot
• Glassjaw
• Life of Agony

Destiny's Child (file)
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images

Destiny's Child invited a few special guests backstage at their show Friday night in Philadelphia — families and kids staying at the Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey and Delaware Ronald McDonald Houses. The ladies gave them a special backstage reception prior to their performance. "Music may be our passion, but the life we lead off the stage and our love for kids is really important to us as well," Beyoncé said. ...

50 Cent is taking his story to the streets, and doing what all good authors do to help pump book sales — he's pressing the flesh and signing copies for his adoring fans. 50 will set up shop at the Virgin Megastore in New York's Union Square Tuesday at 11 a.m. and sign copies for the first 300 fans who purchase their copies of "From Pieces to Weight: Once Upon a Time in Southside Queens" at the store. Those interested in coming out can start lining up at 9 a.m. ... Apparently viewers can't get enough of Bobby and Whitney shopping for Preparation H, eating lobster and dry-humping in public. Bravo has announced that it is adding an extra two episodes of "Being Bobby Brown," the chronicle of life with the R&B singer and wife Whitney Houston that was originally slated to run eight episodes. The new shows will take viewers inside the stars' homes in Atlanta and New Jersey, with the clip-show finale airing August 25. ...

More bad news for Glassjaw fans: The band's been forced to cancel its upcoming tour with the Used and 30 Seconds to Mars due to singer Daryl Palumbo's recent Crohn's Disease relapse. Head Automatica, Palumbo's other band, were forced to cancel their most recent spate of tour dates last month. Glassjaw guitarist Justin Beck posted the announcement on the band's Web site: "This is a serious condition that affects us as a band and most importantly, Daryl as a person," the message reads. "He's more than a musical act, and for this reason I ask only for understanding. Glassjaw is still a band. The truth of the matter is that it's simply health and timing." ... Madonna has set a November 15 release date for her next album, Confessions on a Dancefloor. The first single, "Hung Up," will hit radio outlets on October 17. ...

P. Diddy — who now just wants to be called "Diddy" — knows by now that names and words have power. After all, he's being sued in Chicago federal court over the marketing slogan for his Sean John clothing line: "It's not just a label, it's a lifestyle." Gregory Hilderbrand of Illinois is claiming patent infringement, unfair competition, defective trade practices, and consumer fraud, because he patented the phrase "It's a lifestyle" three years ago for his clothing line. Hilderbrand says the two slogans are causing marketplace confusion and making his clothing line seem like a Sean John knockoff. He's asking that Diddy stop using the phrase, or anything similar to it, and is seeking to recover lost profits as well as punitive damages and attorney's fees. ...

Grammy-winning Buena Vista Social Club member Ibrahim Ferrer died on Saturday at age 78. The Cuban singing star of the 1940s and '50s was retired and living on a pension and shining shoes for extra money when American guitarist Ry Cooder drafted him to join the Buena Vista project in the late 1990s. The soft-spoken Ferrer, known for singing in the traditional "son" style, became one of the break-out stars of the project, touring the world and releasing several solo albums. ... The impact of Bruce Springsteen's music on American pop culture will be the subject of a three-day symposium kicking off September 9 at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey. This conference, launched in conjunction with Penn State, will include an eclectic mix of keynote speakers, special events and a host of sessions that will take a look at the Boss' legacy and influence. Topics include "Bruce Springsteen and the Creation of Community," "A Walk Down E Street" and "Bruce Springsteen and the Vietnam Veterans Movement." ...

Ryan Cabrera, who's getting ready to release his second album, just shot the video for his first single, "Shine On," with director Kevin Kerslake. The summertime-themed clip will feature the singer driving down a highway en route to a party. ... Veteran reggae artist Sizzla has signed to the Damon Dash Music Group, which will release his next album in early 2006. Sizzla launches a U.S. tour August 18. ... "Walking in Memphis" singer Marc Cohn was shot in the head by an unsuccessful carjacker Sunday night after a show in Denver, Reuters reports. A bullet struck the Grammy winner in the head but reportedly did not penetrate his skull. The shooter was fleeing police on foot when he attempted to steal the van Cohn was riding in. Cohn had surgery to remove the bullet and was released. ...

Pixies drummer David Lovering is turning his focus back to his first love: the art of prestidigitation (or "magic" for those not in the top-hat-and-rabbit circuit). On Thursday, Lovering will perform with former Possum Dixon frontman Rob Zabrecky and a mysterious third party named Fitzgerald as "The Unholy Three" at Los Angeles' Steve Allen Theatre to celebrate the release of the trio's DVD, "The Unholy Three Live at the Magic Castle," due out next month. ... Want your car to sound like the General Lee from "The Dukes of Hazzard"? Well, they haven't yet figured out a way to download the horn's distinctive sound to your car, but you can make your phone ring just like it. Four ring tones from the hit movie are now available on select wireless carriers, including the Dixie horn, the "Good Ol' Boys" theme song, "Boom Shakalaka!" and "Official Police Business." ...

08.05.2005

Eminem's performances at the New York stops of the Anger Management Tour on Monday and Tuesday will be taped for a concert special to air on Showtime in early December, according to a spokesperson for the channel. ...

Foxy Brown was in a New York court on Friday (August 5), where her lawyer filed a motion to dismiss the complaint charging the rapper with assault and harassment stemming from an August 2004 dispute at a New York nail salon. Brown, who again rejected a plea bargain that would have ensured no jail time, is due back in court on September 22. ... Marion "Suge" Knight pleaded no contest on Friday to driving without insurance and making an illegal U turn and was fined $691, The Associated Press reports. The Death Row Records founder was arrested in February and spent a week in jail after San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies pulled him over and allegedly found marijuana in his truck. Drug-possession charges were dropped due to insufficient evidence. A female passenger was charged with providing false information to police and released. Her case is still pending. ...

3 Doors Down fans in Cincinnati were treated to an unexpected unplugged set during the band's show at Riverbend Music Center Thursday night when, halfway through the 70-minute show, the lights went out after a tree downed some nearby power lines. Following a 10-minute delay, singer Brad Arnold and drummer Greg Upchurch — using a snare drum and a small PA — performed for 40 more minutes while a stagehand shined a flashlight on the singer and the audience pitched in on the choruses. Refunds will not be issued, but the band is considering returning in September for a second date. ...

Queens of the Stone Age main man Josh Homme is a whole lot of things, but superstar DJ is generally not considered to be one of them. But soon that might change, because he's recently completed work on a couple of remixes for tourmates-to-be Death From Above 1979. Homme rejiggered the DFA1979 tunes "Black History Month" and "Romantic Rights," both of which could be seeing the light of day soon on vinyl. Or, as it says on QOTSA.com, if you can't wait for that, "You better start combing the Internet in a desperate attempt to find that little piece of gold." The Queens of the Stone Age/ Nine Inch Nails tour — on which DFA1979 will serve as the opening act on some dates — kicks off on September 16 in San Diego. ... Nine Inch Nails have created a special ticketing program for the tour designed to combat scalping. Tickets to the shows will be available through the band's fan club; those who purchase tickets in this fashion will be directed to pick them up 30 minutes before doors open in each city and will be immediately escorted into the venue. Frontman Trent Reznor said that "the only complaints will be from scalpers and those who want to put our true fans at a disadvantage." There will also be a series of online auctions conducted through Ticketmaster's Web site starting on Monday at noon. Proceeds above the ticket's face value will be donated to nonprofit organization the Innocence Project, which provides post-conviction DNA testing that can yield conclusive proof of guilt or innocence. ...

Want to see Madonna with bright pink hair? A forthcoming photo book called "Maripolarama" features Polaroids taken in New York's Lower East Side during the early '80s of the scene's emerging artists — including the future Material Girl as well as Debbie Harry, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan, Grace Jones, Sade, Naomi Campbell, Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Klaus Nomi, Vincent Gallo and even David Lee Roth. Designer Anna Sui wrote an essay for the collection, due in November. ... Another trip down memory lane is in store with the book "Where They Were at 22," which profiles celebs such as P. Diddy, Pam Anderson, Bill Murray and even Karl Rove and shows where they were at this turning-point age. The essays will be compiled by Court TV editor Brad Dunn for publication next spring. ...

Just in time for Halloween, punk-rock burlesque troupe Suicide Girls are prepping a compilation called The Suicide Girls' Black Heart Retrospective. The set of goth/industrial songs compiled by Skinny Puppy producer Dave Ogilvie features 13 classics by the likes of Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, the Cure, the Cult, Bauhaus and more, as well as two previously unreleased songs by the Alkaline Trio and Atmosphere. The LP will hit shelves on September 27. ... Also on September 27, Sanctuary Records will release Rantology, a 15-track retrospective of Ministry's 25-year career. The album will feature remixes and alternate mixes created by frontman Al Jourgensen in addition to the previously unreleased track "The Great Satan." ...

England's Go! Team have already won over critics and fans in their homeland with their goofy, peppy, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to dance music, and now — more than a year after its release — their debut album, Thunder, Lightning, Strike, is finally coming to America. The U.S. version of the Mercury Prize-nominated album (given to the U.K.'s record of the year) features two bonus tracks and re-recorded vocals on the song "Bottle Rocket," and it's due in stores on September 27. The Go! Team will launch a U.S. tour in support of the album on October 14 in Houston. ...

• Destiny's Child
• 50 Cent
• Diddy
• Glassjaw
• Madonna

Glassjaw (file)
Photo: Warner Bros.

Daryl Palumbo has his good days, and then he has his bad days. For most of the Head Automatica frontman's life, this is just the way it's been; Palumbo suffers from Crohn's disease, a debilitating condition that creates intestinal inflammation. Last week, when Palumbo spoke to MTV News from Washington, D.C., where his disco-infused rock hybrid was scheduled to perform later that evening at Nation, he was having a good day.

"I feel good," he explained, after revealing he'd had a third Crohn's-related surgery back in December following a relapse of the disease. He's seemed to be in remission ever since, thanks to some experimental treatment. "I try to live day to day and keep my headspace positive. Lately I've been really happy, because the longer I'm on the road, the happier I seem to be."

That was before this week, when he suffered a mild relapse which subsequently forced the cancellation of seven of the band's upcoming shows with I Am the Avalanche and the Start — Tuesday night's gig in Denver through a July 28 set in Los Angeles. In the past, Palumbo's Crohn's has sidelined many tours and projects; he's currently being treated at an undisclosed hospital.

He did, however, reveal plans to release a second album's worth of Head Automatica material in early 2006, as well as a fresh offering from his other band, Strong Island hardcore heroes Glassjaw.

"[Glassjaw] hasn't really been alive for the past two years, I guess," he said of the band, which will play 16 shows with the Used starting on August 13 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, through September 4 in Wilmington, Delaware. "We haven't played since 2003, but it's a good time to do it. It's a few shows, and it's something that [guitarist Justin] Beck and I have wanted to do for a little bit."

Palumbo said while guitarist Todd Weinstock's left the band to form his newest project, called Men, Women and Children, and drummer Larry Gorman's no longer part of the band (he's a full-time Head Automatica member), bassist Manuel Carrero's back on board, as is original Glassjaw drummer Durijah Lang. But for more than a year, ever since news of Palumbo and Dan "the Automator" Nakamura collaborating for Head Automatica first surfaced (see "Dan 'The Automator' Readies 2004 Triple Assault"), Glassjaw's status has been something of a question mark — and for several months, the band was believed to be finished.

"We were ... playing a lot of heavy music every day for a very long time, and the stress of being on tour puts your band through a lot of things, whether it's fights or disagreements or just, I mean, sometimes you just grow up," he explained. "Your personalities pan out to be different as well. Glassjaw started out so f---ing long ago. Most bands don't last a decade; Glassjaw started exploding after being a band for 10 years. There were personality differences and being on tour for years with no breaks, it brings out ... tense situations. After touring for so long I wanted a break, and I was writing tons of music — stuff I knew wasn't particularly suited for Glassjaw."

But that hasn't stopped Palumbo and Beck from writing new Glassjaw material. The singer said they've penned three new compositions, only one of which has been named: "Natural Born Farmer." But as far as when a new Glassjaw album could hit stores, he couldn't say. "At some point, I don't know when," he said. "I have no idea. Glassjaw, that was the sort of band that, if sh-- just kind of happened, it happened. Whenever the time presents itself, it will happen. And it will happen. I just don't know when."

These days, Palumbo's living in Head Automatica-ville, and his thoughts revolve around what's happening with this band, which is rounded out by keyboardist Jessie Nelson, bassist Jarvis Morgan Holden and guitarist Craig Bonich.

"My whole life is this band right now," he said, adding that, with 40 songs written, there could be a new record out soon after 2005 runs out. "The new sh-- is special, I promise. There are some points that I think [are] just breathtaking." He promises power pop with electronica elements.

The band was also in New York last month to shoot a video with Jon Watts (Fatboy Slim, the Thrills) for "Beating Heart Baby," the latest single from 2004's Decadence (see "Glassjaw Singer No Longer Hopping Mad — Just Hopping").

In it, the band's shown playing the track on a stage, donning ostentatious attire in front of a wall of flashing colored lights and before a crowd of pogo-prone fans. A female rushes the stage, and when she touches Palumbo, she disappears into a puff of white smoke. In almost a King Midas-like reversal, the viewer sees she's been transformed into a gold statue when the smoke clears. Other women follow her lead with similar results.

"It came out really great," Palumbo remarked. "It looks cute and has a lot of bright lights."

Beyond his own two bands, Palumbo's also making several appearances on other albums; he sings on "Chomping at the Bit" from Every Time I Die's Gutter Phenomenon and appears on This Is Hell's cover of 108's "When Death Closes Your Eyes." He's also working with Thursday's Geoff Rickly, Chree from the Number 12 Looks Like You and Kiss It Goodbye's Eric Cooper on a project they're calling United Nations.

He said it's a blast-beat-riddled grindcore band. "I'm supposed to be handed what has been done, up to all of my parts," he said. "Then I'll be doing my guitar parts on top of that. I'm very into it. It's definitely going to see the light of day, and it's going to be f---ing great. When we were in New York for the 'Beating Heart Baby' video, we played a show the following night, and Geoff was hanging out. I bullsh--ted with him a lot about it. Those two days were crucial to the whole vision of what this project will be."

• Head Automatica
• Glassjaw

Jessica Simpson on the cover of the June 6 issue of <i>Us Weekly</i>
Photo: "Us Weekly"

E! Online issued a public apology on Wednesday (May 25) after posting a bogus report on its Web site which claimed Jessica Simpson and hubby Nick Lachey had filed for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences." "E! deeply regrets that a draft report from E! Online, which contained some false information regarding the Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson marriage, was accidentally disseminated," the statement reads. "The couple has not filed for divorce. E! apologizes to Nick, Jessica, their families and their fans for any distress this may have caused." Simpson later issued a statement to Us Weekly about the matter: "It is completely false and we would sue them if they hadn't taken it down." ... Meanwhile, Simpson gets to show off her hot new exercise-video-ready bikini bod in her video for the "Dukes of Hazzard" soundtrack single "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'," which she just shot with her co-star Willie Nelson. (Click for the new "Dukes of Hazzard" poster and photos of Simpson in Us Weekly.) "I kind of had the idea to do Nancy Sinatra's [song] and redo the verses from Daisy Duke's perspective," Simpson said. "Willie loved the idea and wanted to come play on it." Jess says Willie "is one of the most angelic people you will ever meet. We had a blast while making the movie." Nelson added, "We've had so much fun, she's such a great gal and so easy to work with. She asked me to do it, and you can't say no to Jessica." ...

Forty-year-old Queensbridge rap legend MC Shan (real name Shawn Moltke) was arrested on Friday at his home in Central Islip, New York, for criminal possession of a weapon, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal possession of marijuana. According to Suffolk County police, officers executed a search warrant of Shan's house on suspicion of drugs and found a loaded 9-millimeter Luger and weed. The rapper posted $10,000 bail on Tuesday. .... Whitney Houston's hubby, Bobby Brown, is "very confident" that his wife, who checked herself into a drug-rehabilitation center in March, is putting her past troubles behind her. Brown told "Access Hollywood" on Tuesday, "[Whitney] is doing wonderful. Everything about her spirit right now is great ... we're enjoying life again." Houston has completed a successful second stint in rehab and will be hitting the recording studio again, Brown says, hopefully with her longtime mentor Clive Davis. ...

P. Diddy told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he plans to appeal a ruling which would have the hip-hop mogul paying the biggest child-support order in New York state history, citing it was an attack on his character as a father. The ruling, issued last month by the New York Supreme Court, increased Diddy's monthly child-support payments to his ex-girlfriend Misa Hylton-Brim from $5,000 to $21,782. ... Unsure of his label status after Jay-Z's ascension to the top of Island Def Jam Records, the Diplomats' Juelz Santana shot the video for his "Mic Check" on his own dime. Now, though, Juelz can reimburse himself: He's re-upped with Def Jam and will release his new album, What the Game's Been Missing, on August 23. ...

The Used will embark on a U.S. tour with Glassjaw that's expected to run from August 17 through September 23. Finch and the Start will open, according to a spokesperson for Glassjaw. No word yet on what cities or venues the outing will hit. The news comes as some consolation for Glassjaw's fans, as the band has been the subject of relentless breakup rumors of late, given frontman Daryl Palumbo's involvement with Head Automatica and that when you Google the band's name, the official Glassjaw site comes up as "RIP GlassJaw." The group's site, meanwhile, features images of "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur and Ol' Dirty Bastard with the message, "It wasn't their time." ... The recording of Thrice's forthcoming album is running a little behind schedule. According to a message delivered to the band's fans via the power of MySpace, Thrice will be no-shows for the first 10 dates of this summer's Warped Tour so that they can "get the record finished." But there is some good news for the group's fans — the posting reports that "everything is going amazingly well in the studio"; so well, in fact, that the band "can't wait to finally get it done and share it with you." ...

A lawsuit brought against punk veterans T.S.O.L. two years ago by two men who were shot backstage during the band's November 23, 2002, concert at the West Hollywood House of Blues has been dropped — leaving the group with $20,000 in legal debt. According to frontman Jack Grisham, the lawsuit also named the House of Blues, which settled with the two plaintiffs ($1 million apiece) the day before the case was set for trial. But now, T.S.O.L., who had to retain the services of a defense attorney, are mired in debt, forcing a moratorium on any future touring plans. "We barely make money on tour," Grisham said. "We can't go on tour for a month and give all the money to an attorney. And not work. We have families, we have bills to pay. Until this is paid off, we can't tour because we can't afford to." Fans with PayPal accounts can contribute to the T.S.O.L. defense fund via the band's Web site. A donation will score you a live CD — a recording of the same House of Blues gig. ...

Former Smashing Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan has never been shy about sharing his feelings. But the bald belter is really letting it all out in advance of the release of his solo debut, TheFutureEmbrace (June 21). Corgan has posted 25 intimately detailed chapters of his autobiography on his official Web site and on MySpace, covering his abuse as a child, his father's struggle with drugs, his mother's mental illness, his years spent living as a destitute musician prior to the Pumpkins' success, and the internal squabbles and drug addictions that brought the band down. ... Fresh off his stint as a Burger King pitchman, Darius Rucker has reteamed with his Hootie & the Blowfish bandmates for the group's first new studio album in two years. Looking for Lucky, due August 9, will hit on the band's own label, Sneaky Long Records. It was produced by Don Gehman, who did the honors on the band's massive debut album, Cracked Rear View, and it features guest spots from members of the Silos, Cowboy Mouth, Blue Dogs and Trick Pony. The first single is called "One Love." ...

If your idea of a hot Saturday night is a few hours of Xbox and a trip to the local Pink Floyd laser-light show, then Video Games Live is your dream date. Kicking off with a July 6 show at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, the national touring show will feature music from some of the most popular games of all time ("Myst," "Super Mario Bros.," "Legend of Zelda," "Halo," "Sonic," "Final Fantasy") performed live by orchestras and choirs, combined with video footage, lasers, lights and live onstage gaming characters. Audience members will be chosen at each stop to compete onstage head-to-head on a massive screen. ...

05.24.2005

Britney Spears comes across as a super-confident, super-sexy flight attendant in her "Toxic" video, so who knew that she's actually scared of flying? Considering all the air travel she does, you'd think she'd be used to it by now, but no. In the second episode of her reality show, "Britney and Kevin: Chaotic," we get to see Britney freak out a bit (Click for photos from the show). "That was the first time you see me and I'm really, really scared," she says on the show. "Most of the time when we flew, one of us was fine and the other one wasn't," Kevin Federline adds. The episode, called "Who Said Anything About Love?," airs Tuesday (May 24) at 9 p.m. on UPN. Meanwhile, the show's premiere will rerun Thursday at 10 p.m. on MTV. ...

Tween queen Hilary Duff will release her best-of album of sorts, Most Wanted, on August 16. The album is a collection of some of Duff's most popular songs, along with three new tracks she's currently in the studio working on. ... Mariah Carey's making plans for her next single, which she's decided will be "Shake It Off," a track produced by Jermaine Dupri. "Jermaine is in such a great place musically," Carey told MTV News recently. "I mean, everything he's done over the past two years, it's just beyond huge, first of all. But second of all, he's just focused. Like he's very much in the space he needs to be in musically. And I feel like I am as well." Carey calls the song "totally one of my favorites," but hasn't decided yet on the director or concept for the video, according to her label rep. ...

Nas will headline the annual Rock the Bells festival, scheduled for July 30 at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, California. Redman, Cuban Link featuring Ghostface and Raekwon, Guru from Gang Starr, Cut Chemist, Hieroglyphics, Sage Francis, DJ Muggs and Q-Bert are also set to perform, and B-Real and RZA will host. ... The Black Eyed Peas, the Killers and the White Stripes are among the 30 acts on the lineup for the annual Street Scene in San Diego, taking place at Qualcomm Stadium on July 29 and 30. Also on the bill are Snoop Dogg, Garbage, Dashboard Confessional, Method Man, Social Distortion, the Pixies, Louis XIV, Kasabian, the Used and Hot Hot Heat. Tickets go on sale Thursday. ...

Nine Inch Nails are the first headliners to be confirmed for the seventh annual Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans on October 29 and 30. The massive music festival will host upward of 80 bands spread across seven stages, according to the festival's executive producer. Look for the complete lineup to be announced on June 24. ... Everyone's favorite skateboarding prankster Bam Margera will release a CD/DVD compilation on June 21 called "Bam Margera Presents - Viva La Bands." The album will contain 21 cuts — many of them new and exclusive — from some of Bam's favorites groups, including Clutch, Cradle of Filth, Kill Hannah, CKY, the 69 Eyes, Turbonegro and H.I.M. The DVD portion will contain several music videos Bam directed, outtakes, skating footage and a trailer of the forthcoming video game "Tony Hawk: American Wasteland." ...

Dave Navarro has signed on to co-host — along with Brooke Burke — the upcoming reality series that centers on the surviving members of INXS hunting for a singer to replace the late Michael Hutchence. "Rock Star: INXS" will be both a performance competition and a relationship-style unscripted drama, since the 15 contestants will be housed together in a home in California's Hollywood Hills. The show will debut with a one-hour premiere on July 11 at 9 p.m. and will then air regularly on Mondays at 9:30 p.m., Tuesdays at 10 p.m., and Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. on CBS, with the Monday episodes focusing on the performers' relationships, Tuesday episodes featuring the performances and Wednesday episodes revealing the weekly results. ... A month before the reality show hits the air, INXS will release a greatest-hits video collection. "INXS - What You Need," due out June 7, includes 20 of the band's classics, including "The One Thing," "Need You Tonight," "Devil Inside," "New Sensation" and "Suicide Blonde." ...

It was a Wu-Tang Clan reunion of sorts Monday night at New York's B.B. King's Blues Club. During the GZA's headlining performance, he called up special guests Ghostface, Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck and Cappadonna. ... 112 are shooting a mini-movie video for their next single, "What If." Acting coach Tracey Moore-Marable, who has worked with Eve and Nelly, instructed the group, and Fat Cats are directing the clip. ...

AFI singer Davey Havok sang guest vocals with VNV Nation at a recent Los Angeles gig. AFI begin recording their new album this week. ... All of the original members of British ska pioneers Madness, who inspired bands like the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and No Doubt, have regrouped and will release The Dangermen Sessions, Volume One on July 19 through V2. Consisting entirely of rock-steady and post-punk covers, Madness take on the Kinks' "Lola," Peter Tosh's "Shame and Scandal" and the Desmond Dekker classic "Israelites." The band is planning a North American tour, even in the wake of the recent departure of original member Chris Foreman, who did work on the new album but left due to "the petty, time-consuming bollocks that goes on in the band," according to a statement from the group. ...

Thurl Ravenscroft, the man who voiced Tony the Tiger's rumbly catchphrase "They're Grrrrreeeaat!," died on Sunday of prostate cancer. He was 91. Ravenscroft's growl first appeared in a Kellogg's Frosted Flakes ad back in 1952, and he also voiced characters in such Disney films as "Cinderella," "Mary Poppins" and "The Jungle Book." In the late 1930s, he sang backup for Bing Crosby, and after returning from service in World War II, he sang in a group called the Mellomen, who performed with Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, among others. ...

• Jessica Simpson in Us Magazine

• Jessica Simpson
• Whitney Houston
• M.C. Shan
• Diddy
• Glassjaw

Courtney Love leaves the Los Angeles court on November 10th
Photo: Neil Jacobs/ Getty Images

There was no love lost on Friday between Fabolous and Power 99 DJ Golden Girl at Philadelphia's Wachovia Center. According to the DJ, a member of Fabolous' entourage slammed her to the ground after she and a girlfriend asked for a ride on the rapper's tour bus out of the venue. "He told me no, so I said, 'That's OK. I won't play your records anymore,' " Golden Girl said of the incident. "There were words exchanged, and then his bodyguard pushed me. Then he picked me up and slammed me to the ground." The alleged assault took place backstage at the station's annual Powerhouse concert. In response, Fabolous released the following statement via his label: "In regards to the incident in Philadelphia, I was on my tour bus and did not witness the alleged incident so I'm not aware of any details concerning the matter. I never touched or did anything to Golden Girl, therefore, I am not involved and do not have anything further to say or do with that incident." At press time, no charges were filed. ...

Courtney Love pleaded not guilty — for the second time — to a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon in a Los Angeles court on Wednesday. She's accused of attacking L.A. musician Kristin King when she found her sleeping on her ex-boyfriend's couch in April. King had previously testified that Love dumped a bottled of whiskey all over, threw the bottle at her face, threw a lit candle at the back of her head, sat on her, pulled her hair, dug her nails in her arm, pinched her breasts, and chased with her a flashlight, leaving her with bruises, nail marks and a chipped tooth. Love rolled her eyes when the prosecution asked the court to remind the singer that a restraining order was still in place prohibiting Love from contacting King. Love is due back in court December 15. ...

Alicia Keys flexed her literary muscles Tuesday night at the release party for her book "Tears for Water: Songbook of Poems and Lyrics." Held at New York's Harlem Grill, the party, which also celebrated the recent release of Keys' DVD "The Diary of Alicia Keys," turned into a poetry slam hosted by poet/actor Mums and featured performances by Keys, Kanye West, Mos Def and Common, among others. ... The New York restaurant where Keys filmed her "You Don't Know My Name" video was devastated by a fire early Wednesday morning (November 10). More than 100 firefighters came to the aid of Harlem's neighborhood institution Pan Pan, where it took them close to 90 minutes to get the fire under control. According to TV station NY1, the owners of the restaurant say that Pan Pan's future is uncertain, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation. ...

It's splitsville for Nicky Hilton and her money-manager husband, Todd Meister. On Monday a Las Vegas judge granted an annulment to the couple, who had been married for less than three months. Court papers, now sealed, indicated that neither side sought any compensatory gain. "Both parties have ended the marriage amicably, and they remain good friends," the couple said in a joint statement. The two had wed in a surprise ceremony orchestrated by Hilton's sister, Paris, on August 15. ... Also breaking up are Madonna and her longtime manager Caresse Henry, who, after 13 years, have "mutually agreed to go their separate ways," according to the singer's rep. ...

Classic rockers Cream are re-forming for a week-long residency in London next week. Singer/guitarist Eric Clapton, drummer Ginger Baker and singer/bassist Jack Bruce will soon begin to rehearse for the shows at the Royal Albert Hall, the same venue that housed the band's last gig nearly 36 years ago. ... Some of Johnny Ramone's vintage movie posters, including ones for "Frankenstein" and "Dracula," will be going up on the auction block on November 18 at Heritage Galleries in Dallas. The late guitarist, a known fan of sci-fi and horror movies, consigned parts of his collection before his death in September. ...

Do you love your iPod, but are troubled by its inability to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays? Well, sunglasses manufacturer Oakley has the product for you: the Thump, the world's first-ever "digital music eyewear." The shades come in seven color combinations and two different versions: 128 megabytes, which holds 60 songs; and 256 megabytes, which holds 120 songs. Prices start at $395. ... Glassjaw have a show scheduled on December 26 in New Jersey, but Todd Weinstock won't be there. The guitarist believes he's no longer a part of the band, since no one thought of inviting him to play. Instead, guitarist Justin Beck and singer Daryl Palumbo will perform with a hired bassist and drummer. In a statement, Weinstock said, "After seeing Beck's vision of Glassjaw, I realized I was not part of it anymore." ...

Damon Dash was honored for his philanthropy efforts with Team Roc Tuesday night at B.B. King's in New York by the S.H.I.N.E. (Seeking Harmony in Neighborhoods Everywhere) organization. Roc-A-Fella recording artists Rell, Denim, Nicole Wray and Samantha Ronson performed. ... Jason Mraz is midway through recording his follow-up to 2002's Waiting for My Rocket to Come. Steve Lillywhite, coming off of U2's new album, is producing the sessions in both Woodstock, New York, and Mraz's hometown of San Diego. ...

Although the Derderian brothers had hoped to postpone civil proceedings until after their criminal case surrounding the 2003 Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island is closed, a judge ruled otherwise. The Derderians and the former manager of Great White, the band playing at the time of the fire, face 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter. ... Soft Cell singer Marc Almond is recovering faster than expected from a recent motorcycle accident and was moved this week from Royal London Hospital to a private facility. "Although he has some way to go to full recovery he is looking forward to getting back to work when he can," a statement on Almond's Web site read. ...

The Exies will release their second major-label album, the Nick Raskulinecz-produced Head for the Door, on November 30. First single "Ugly" was released to radio last week. The band is currently opening some shows for Velvet Revolver. ... Paperwork on both sides of the peer-to-peer debate was filed in court earlier this week. While groups representing the movie and music industries filed friend-of-the-court briefs that urged the U.S. Supreme Court to review a lower court's ruling that services like Grokster and Kazaa were not responsible for the widespread copyright infringement that takes place on their networks, Streamcast Networks, the company behind Morpheus, filed a brief pushing the court to uphold the ruling. ...

11.09.2004

Britney Spears isn't limiting her writing to her Web site — the singer scrawled a missive on the wall of a Hollywood shop, alerting readers that her husband, Kevin Federline, is "the sexiest man alive." In capital letters, Spears also noted while photographers captured the moment, "Britney Spears wuz here with her fine hubby." ...

Lil' Flip is being sued for copyright infringement yet again. According to reports, Louisiana songwriter/producer Tommy Granville is suing the Houston MC for $1.5 million in damages and an unspecified amount for alleged willful infringement of Granville's copyrights. The suit alleges that Flip used three of Granville's melodies, without permission, for his Columbia debut, Undaground Legend. Earlier this year, NamCo America, the owner of the "Pac-Man" video-game franchise, filed a $10 million lawsuit against Flip for sampling sounds from "Pac-Man" for his hit "Game Over." Representatives for Columbia Records, Lil' Flip's label, declined to comment. ... Want to work for Good Charlotte? For no money? Well, you're in luck! Because over at DCFlagRecords.com, the Web site for Benji and Joel Madden's record label, they're taking applications for "people all over North America to help run our record co." Duties include "working with our worldwide street team" and "gorilla marketing," all for no pay. Just send the band an e-mail stating "in 25 words or less ... what you are willing to do," and the boys will take it from there. ...

Gwen Stefani is offering a unique incentive to pre-order her upcoming album — if you buy Love, Angel, Music, Baby in advance at in advance at Musictoday.com, you'll get a free limited-edition T-shirt that she's custom designed. The black shirt features the singer's new logo, with the phrase "Love, Angel, Music, Baby" written on the front and back. ... "The Devil's Rejects," the new film from director/occasional musician Rob Zombie, is set for an August release. The film, a sequel to Zombie's 2003 gorefest "House of 1000 Corpses," was originally due in theaters in February of next year, but Zombie announced last week that the film would not be ready by that date. ...

The Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea will speak at the second annual We the Planet Music & Activism Festival, which will take place Saturday in Oakland, California. Already on the lineup are the Roots, Third Eye Blind, Joan Baez, the Coup, Michelle Shocked and Mickey Hart. The festival, which will include workshops on civil disobedience and building grass-roots movements, will run primarily on solar power and generators using biodiesel fuel. ... Madonna, who released her fourth children's book, "The Adventures of Abdi," this week, plans on putting out the fifth and final book of the series, "Lotsa De Casha," in June. She's also releasing a box set of her first three children's titles ("The English Roses," "Mr. Peabody's Apples" and "Yakov and the Seven Thieves") this holiday season, according to her publisher. ...

Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens), who was removed from a flight and asked to leave the U.S. in September when his name appeared on a terrorism watch list, will be honored with the Man for Peace award from a foundation headed by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, according to The Associated Press. A press release from the Gorbachev Foundation said the singer will receive the prize "for his dedication to promote peace, the reconciliation of people and to condemn terrorism" at a ceremony on Wednesday. ... Zone.MSN.com offers the chance for you to see if there's something you should know with its latest quiz-show-style game, "OutSmart Duran Duran," in which you're pitted against Simon LeBon and Roger Taylor, answering questions about everything from Alfred Hitchcock to the Notorious B.I.G. If the Wild Boys are too tough for you, try one of the other stars who lent their smarts to the pre-existing "OutSmart" games, like Beyoncé, Fantasia or Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. ...

Kids everywhere might drop a hint to their parents by giving them the new Snow Patrol DVD with the long-winded title of "Mums and Dads of the World Be Patient With Your Children," due November 23. Coinciding with the home video is the DualDisc re-release of the band's latest album, Final Straw. Meanwhile, in memory of the late John Peel, the band has made its cover of the Undertones' "Teenage Kicks," purported to be Peel's favorite song, available on its Web site. ... MxPx are releasing a DVD this fall that they consider to be the culmination of an era for them. The "B Movie" DVD, out November 23, shows the band touring Europe and Japan, working in the recording studio and performing a special homecoming show at Seattle's Graceland in September. "This is coming out at the right time for us," singer Mike Herrera said in a statement. "If we never did anything again, it's something worthy for us to leave people with." They don't plan on never doing anything again, though — the group is also working on an album due next summer. ...

• Fabolous
• Alicia Keys
• Courtney Love
• Glassjaw
• Cream

Head Automatica (file)
Photo: Warner Bros.

When Glassjaw frontman Daryl Palumbo needed a name for his new group, he found inspiration from an obscure freestyle rapper he knows in New Jersey. "The guy had used the word 'automatica' in a rhyme, and I kind of liked it, so I took it," Palumbo said.

It might seem unusual for a hardcore punk singer to pilfer from a freestyle rapper, but then again, Palumbo's Head Automatica, whose debut album, Decadence, comes out in late July, is anything but hardcore punk. The disc is filled with electronic-embellished rock and pop songs that pay homage to Nick Lowe, Squeeze, Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine and Joe Jackson.

"This is the music I've really been inspired by," he said. "With Glassjaw I've done heavy, angry music, and now I'm not hating on anyone and I'm not mad. I just want to hop around and dance a little bit."

Palumbo chose the title Decadence because he wanted to play up the kind of glamour and self-indulgence he has thus far avoided in his career. "A decadent lifestyle feels good," he said. "It takes its toll on you, but it's nice sometimes to have everything feel flashy and larger than life."

Joining Palumbo on his quest are master producer and Gorillaz member Dan "The Automator" Nakamura, who programmed the computers, and Glassjaw drummer Larry Gorman, who laid down the beats.

"When I told Larry I wanted to do something different, he was totally into it," Palumbo said. "And then I met Dan the Automator through some mutual friends, and he was anxious to hop on board as well. How lucky can you get? I can't think of anybody who makes better beats than Automator."

The trio recorded most of the disc in three months at Nakamura's studio in San Francisco. Then, since Palumbo had some heavier material left over, he went back in with rock producer Howard Benson (Cold, P.O.D.) to record "Beating Heart Baby" and "The Razor." "That guy's a god," Palumbo said of Benson. "He's amazing. It was really funny, though, because he's used to doing this heavier rock stuff, and I was telling him, 'I want this part to sound like Squeeze, then the next passage should be more like Nick Lowe.' He grew up on all that music, so he was stoked, but he laughed. He couldn't believe he was talking to a 24-year-old kid."

Hardcore loyalists needn't worry that Glassjaw have shattered. As much as Palumbo is excited about continuing to tour and record with Head Automatica, he's equally excited about returning to Glassjaw when the time is right.

"We're just on hiatus right now," Palumbo said. "I have unfinished business here, and then when I'm done, I'll jump back in and get angry again with Glassjaw."

• Glassjaw

• Alien Ant Farm
• Adema
• The Apex Theory
• Glassjaw