Taylor Hanson and his wife, Natalie
Photo: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage

Hanson keyboardist/singer Taylor Hanson and his wife, Natalie, are expecting their fourth child this winter, according to People.com. "Each of our kids has made life richer and more exciting," Taylor, 25, and Natalie, 24, told the site. "We can't wait for this guy to join the party."

The couple met in 2000 in Atlanta while he was on tour with the band. After two years of dating — and with a baby on the way — they married in Georgia in 2002. The band's middle brother and his wife already have two sons, Ezra and River, and a daughter named Penelope.

But Taylor isn't the only Hanson brother busy doing diaper duty: Little brother Zac, 22, and wife Kate had their first child in May, while eldest brother Isaac, 27, and his wife, Nikki, welcomed their second son last month.

But being dads hasn't slowed down the pop trio, who are best known for their 1997 hit song "MMMBop" from the album Middle of Nowhere. Since starting their own record label, 3CG Records, in 2003, they have continued to put out new music on the indie circuit, releasing The Walk last year. In September, they're hitting the road for the 35-stop Walk Around the World Tour — and they're bringing the kids along for the ride. "We may have to think about getting a second bus," Zac recently told People.com in response to the brothers' expanding families.

• Hanson

Lil Wayne after his arrest in Boise, Idaho, on October 5
Photo: Ada County Sheriff's Office

Lil Wayne was arrested in Boise, Idaho, Friday night on a felony fugitive charge issued in Georgia for allegedly possessing a controlled substance, The Associated Press reports. Wayne, who was booked into the Ada County Jail, was expected to miss a scheduled concert Saturday night because his charges made him ineligible for bond. As a result, an Ada County sheriff's deputy told AP, the jail has been flooded with angry calls from fans. The 25-year-old rapper, born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., is set to be formally charged Tuesday. ...

"This about to get ugly, this about to go crazy." First T.I. had his way with Britney Spears, and now it's Lil Mama. The diminutive rapper is about to drop a remix of Spears' single "Gimme More," in which she gives the singer some props but spends most of the song boasting about her own skills: "I'm what's hot. Ever see 'G-Slide'? I can bring it back." (Listen here for a preview of the track.) Lil Mama then calls out the "followers," saying she has no competition because she's "so far ahead of my time." And, in what could be an analysis of why Spears has had so many troubles as of late, Lil Mama says, "People always going to tell you what you want to hear," that there's been "too many yeses, not enough noes, not enough real," which means even "the best get torn." Who knew the dance track could be a cautionary tale as well? As Lil Mama raps, "You've been warned by the voice of the young." ...

K-Fed may have physical custody of his children with Spears, but People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is urging him to take the custody battle to the doghouse. In a letter faxed to Federline on Thursday, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk requested that he ask the judge for custody of the couple's pets. "It's no secret that Ms. Spears' impetuous 'pet' purchases and lack of caretaking skills have been a serious concern of ours," she wrote, noting that in 2006 the singer was "the overwhelming choice" for worst celebrity dog owner in polls conducted by New York Dog and Hollywood Dog magazines. Newkirk was also concerned that Britney's latest dog, London, was more of an "accessory" and noted that the Los Angeles chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals had already investigated the dog's lack of veterinary care after breaking his leg when he was stepped on. "As a father, your main concern is the comfort and stability of your children," Newkirk wrote. "London and the other animals whom the boys consider to be part of the family have provided that comfort and stability ... being separated from the animal friends whom they share a bond with is undoubtedly traumatic for them." ...

Jennifer Lopez has a lot more on her hands than just a new album and joint tour with husband Marc Anthony: The couple are expecting twins, TMZ.com reports. The children would be the first for the pair; Anthony has a daughter and two sons from two previous relationships, one of which resulted in marriage. Lopez and Anthony launched their En Concierto trek in late September and will continue on it through a November 2 date in Miami. Her new album, Brave, drops Tuesday. ... The Spice Girls have cooked up their first single in seven years, called "Headlines," according to BBC News. "It's a Spice Girl classic," Geri Halliwell told the news outlet. We are so proud of it. We started putting words down before we even had the finalised 'yes' from everyone." The Girls' reunion world tour launches December 2 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and will be preceded by their Greatest Hits set, due in stores November 20. ...

Owen Wilson briefly attended the Los Angeles premiere of "The Darjeeling Limited," his new movie with director Wes Anderson, on Thursday night, according to People. He reportedly avoided the red carpet and instead entered the theater through a private entrance, after which he joined co-stars Jason Schwartzman and Anjelica Huston, and Natalie Portman (who starred in an Anderson-directed short film tied to "Limited"), onstage. Anderson introduced Wilson as "my best friend," and the audience reacted with strong applause. "I've never made a movie without him. And I hope I never have to," Anderson added. It was Wilson's first major public appearance since he was hospitalized following what police deemed a suicide attempt. ...

Kanye West and designer Takashi Murakami, who have collaborated together on 'Ye's album covers, are putting their heads together again for a collection of gold, manga-style pendants, according to Women's Wear Daily. The rapper wore a diamond-studded one out to Givenchy's in New York earlier this week, according to WWD. "They'll be more accessible, they won't be all diamonds," he reportedly said. "The eyes are not perfectly done. Murakami cringes when he sees the eyes." ... Kid Rock tested out a handful of new songs at a surprise show at Emerald Theatre in Mount Clemens, Michigan, on Thursday night, according to The Detroit News. The show, which ran more than two hours long, had reportedly been announced less than 24 hours earlier, and tickets sold out in five minutes. ...

Beyoncé must be breathing a little easier — the singer hasn't encountered opposition from Muslim groups in Indonesia over her planned November 1 concert there, according to Reuters. She won't have to follow a strict dress code, which she would have had she performed in Malaysia, the country previously scheduled to host the show. ... Ginuwine has filed a lawsuit in New York against King Music Group Inc., according to AP. In the suit, the R&B star claims he was tricked into signing a contract with a record label that didn't even exist. He said he was persuaded to ink the deal back in May, and according to the contract, he was to receive $1.75 million, including a $500,000 advance, to record his first album for the label. But five months later, he hasn't put out any material and hasn't been paid a dime. The lawsuit claims there's no corporate record for King Music Group Inc. anywhere in New York, California, Florida or Tennessee. The filing charges breach of contract, fraud and negligent misrepresentation, and seeks $4 million in damages. ...

Brad isn't the only previously defunct project Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard is reuniting — he's also bringing back Green River, an early Seattle grunge act that featured PJ's Jeff Ament, and Mudhoney's Mark Arm and Steve Turner. The band has scheduled one reunion gig, for Sub Pop's 20th anniversary concert next summer. ... The reunions continue with news that Eve 6 have also been resurrected, three years after splitting up. The group plans to write and record its next full-length effort early next year, with a full North American headlining tour expected to follow. ... And it's been nearly 10 years since we've heard new music from Portishead, but it seems the act is finishing up its third studio album — although it might not sound like you'd expect. According to band principal Geoff Barrow, the still-untitled effort will feature new elements. "It sounds pretty different from what we have done before," he wrote on the band's Web site. "I don't think the fondue society will be happy." ...

Of Montreal, Ween, Sebadoh, Caribou and Man Man are among the initial list of bands for the spring All Tomorrow's Parties shindig, set to take place in England over the course of two weekends in May. Dates, as well as 24 more artists, will be announced for the event, which is being co-curated by ATP and Pitchfork. ... Carbon/Silicon — the band featuring the ex-Clash singer/guitarist Mick Jones and former Generation X bassist Tony James — will release their debut album, The Last Post, October 23. The band formed in 2004. ...

Just like Magic, Bruce Springsteen might have another LP on the way. The Boss, who just issued his new album this week, has a pile of leftovers "that I think are great songs and should end up somewhere, but they just didn't quite fit with this group," producer Brendan O'Brien told Billboard.com. Springsteen has already put out four albums in the last five years, with 2002's The Rising ending a seven-year studio dry spell. On a more bizarre note, an Olympic equestrian is suing Springsteen for breach of contract after the rocker allegedly reneged on a deal to a horse worth $850,000. Todd Minikus filed a suit Thursday in a Florida court, claiming Springsteen and wife Patti Scialfa had put a $25,000 deposit on the horse but later reconsidered buying the animal for their daughter. ...

Isaac Hanson left a Dallas hospital on Friday after recovering from surgery for a pulmonary embolism, caused by a blood clot in the extremities breaking away and traveling to the lungs. The eldest member of Hanson expects to make a full recovery and is due to be released from the hospital Friday (October 5). The band's agents and promoters are trying to reschedule makeup days for the shows it missed. ... Shaggy lives! The dancehall star will perform "Church Heathen" at the Samuel Peters/ Jameel McCline World Boxing Council heavyweight fight at New York's Madison Square Garden on Saturday. The song is featured on his new CD, Intoxication, out November 13.

10.04.07

Nick Cannon has split up with his fiancee, Victoria's Secret model Selita Ebanks, according to People. "Selita and Nick are taking a break to focus on their careers but still very much love each other and remain the best of friends," Ebanks' representative Melissa Raubvogel told the magazine. In early May, Cannon and Ebanks became engaged after the actor took her on a ride in a chauffeured Rolls-Royce Phantom to New York's Times Square — right across the street from the MTV offices — where "Selita, will you marry me?" appeared on the giant Jumbotron. ...

A year after Jadakiss was arrested in Yonkers, New York, and hit with drug and gun charges, prosecutors have dropped the case against the rapper (born Jason T. Phillips) and his co-defendant, Kristian Smith. The Associated Press reports that the Westchester Country district attorney's office asked a judge to dismiss the charges against 'Kiss last week, less than a month after a jury acquitted a third man who was arrested in the case. Darnell Frazier was cleared when DNA tests didn't link any of the three men to the guns found in the car. The rapper's lawyer said it was a "travesty" that the case went as far as it did and that the charges have affected his career. ...

After stunning the music world with their pay-what-you-want download scheme for their upcoming album, In Rainbows, Radiohead are putting the finishing touches on a major-label deal to get the album in stores as well. In an interview with BBC Radio 4, the band's managers said they expect to sign a deal within the week. "We've got about seven days to sort it out. We tend to fly by the seat of our pants," co-manager Chris Hutton said. "The band are incredibly proud of this record and feel that it deserves to be brought into the mass marketplace. That's why we need a record company who have that infrastructure to deliver the CD." ...

Did "Hannah Montana" fans get cheated? Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel is seeking documents from five ticket-sale sites as he investigates whether a fast sellout of a Miley Cyrus concert violated scalping laws, AP reports. Frustrated parents have complained about scalpers selling tickets at four to five times the face value. McDaniel has given the companies 20 days to respond and, on September 21, issued a consumer alert warning parents to research who was selling the tickets before purchasing them. The city council in Kansas City, Missouri, is also looking into the sales. ...

Billy Corgan is stepping up to help the family of Dr. Robert Moog preserve the late electronic-synthesizer pioneer's legacy. The Bob Moog Foundation, which was created after his death in 2005, is planning a Bob Moog Museum and trying to preserve decaying Moog artifacts — schematics, Moog prototypes, reel-to-reel tapes and beyond. "I directly appeal to any musician who has been touched by the work of this great man and spirit to help contribute to the foundation, to please help preserve the work and legacy of Dr. Moog before time has taken an irreversible toll on his archives," Corgan said in a statement. "I humbly also ask any fan of electronic music to consider a donation to the foundation, in recognition of his influence on many of your favorite musical artists." ...

Modest Mouse are still hungry — even though the group has toured extensively in support of March's We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, it has pieced together another road itinerary. Issac Brock and his crew will start with a two-night stand in Spokane, Washington, on Halloween and end with a show in New Orleans on December 15. Man Man and Love as Laughter will open all dates. Also, the band's AOL Spinner Session debuts Friday, while its MySpace video campaign — a 10-day event that will include the premieres of four MM clips — begins Wednesday. ... Ben Lee is also plotting a trek, to hype his recently released CD, Ripe. He'll hit the road November 1 in Santa Barbara, California, and bring his tour to a close December 13 in San Diego. ...

M.I.A. recently spent a couple of days making beats and rhymes with girls at a juvenile-detention center in Australia via Heaps Decent, an initiative that gives a boost to indigenous and underprivileged youth hoping to break into the music biz. According to a post on the Heaps Descent MySpace page, the yet-untitled song they created will soon be released, with all proceeds going to the initiative. M.I.A. screams "popo mind control!" on the hook of the song, according to the post, but its title is not yet known. ...

Can't wait until November 13 for the Killers B-sides album, Sawdust? Well, you can get a taste of what the band has in store with its just-released cover of the Joy Division song "Shadowplay." The Killers' label has posted a stream of the track right here. ... Nirvana's historic "MTV Unplugged in New York" performance is finally coming to DVD. Due November 20, the disc will contain the 66-minute unedited show — including "Something in the Way" and "Oh, Me," which were featured on the accompanying CD but not in the show when it originally aired. Previously unreleased rehearsal and documentary footage will flesh out the set. ...

It seems like just about everybody has something to say about Britney Spears these days. On the Thursday (October 4) broadcast of "Oprah," Sinéad O'Connor sympathized with Spears, reportedly saying, "She had two babies within the space of two years, [there] doesn't seem like a terrible amount of support from the people around her," according to AP. She later added: "I think to attack someone as a mother is very dangerous. I would say that's what puts a young girl on a precipice which is very, very dangerous, in my opinion. Some people may end up really regretting the way they're treating her." ...

And Deborah Gibson — who, like Britney, was a one-time teen queen — has given her two cents on the matter to "Entertainment Tonight." "I think this is probably Britney's lowest point now ... and maybe it'll be what she needs to get herself back together. And then maybe she will regain custody. That's what I hope. I think that has to affect you on such a primal level, to have your kids taken away, so maybe this is the wake-up call that she needs. ... I really think people see Britney as little girl lost. A girl who did not have a childhood, which I can relate to in a way, and she started even younger publicly. ... She's rebelling. She's living her life in reverse in a way." ...

Isaac Hanson, 26, the eldest member of Hanson, remained hospitalized Wednesday night after complaining of chest and shoulder pain following a performance Tuesday night at the House of Blues in Dallas. AP reports that Hanson was taken to Baylor University Medical Center on Tuesday night after the show and was reported to be in stable condition. A Dallas TV station, KDFW, reported that Hanson was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism, caused by a blood clot in the extremities breaking away and traveling to the lungs. ... Los Angelenos have an extra incentive to keep their cars parked and instead take public transportation to the LA Weekly Detour festival on Saturday. Those who bring their Saturday Metro tickets to the Goldenvoice booth at the fest will be able to enter a contest for free Coachella 2008 tickets. Bloc Party, Justice, Turbonegro and more are heading up this year's Detour fest. ...

Don Imus is close to finishing a deal that would get him back on the air, according to Variety. The controversial shock jock has an impending deal with Citadel Broadcasting that would deny any move to satellite radio — earlier this year, Sirius Satellite Radio expressed interest in Imus. Citadel is owned by ABC Radio, which syndicates conservative talk-show host Sean Hannity and others. ... A man has been arrested in Los Angeles in conjunction with the theft of confidential photos and computers being used for "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." The man, whose identity has not been released, was taken into custody after a sting operation in which the man intended to sell some of the photos, police told AP. ...

The Recording Industry Association of America scored a victory on Thursday when a jury decided that a Minnesota woman had in fact shared copyrighted music online and ordered her to pay $222,000 in damages, AP reports. The six record companies had alleged that Jammie Thomas had shared 1,702 songs online, and the jury ordered her to pay the companies $9,250 for each of the 24 songs that had been focused on in the case. Thomas, her attorney and the jury declined to comment afterward, according to AP, but the RIAA's lead attorney, Richard Gabriel, said, "This does send a message, I hope, that downloading and distributing our recordings is not OK." It was the first-ever file-sharing case to go to trial in the RIAA's four-year campaign to stop illegal downloading.

• Lil Wayne
• Lil Mama
• Britney Spears
• Kevin Federline
• Kanye West

Selita Ebanks and Nick Cannon
Photo: Fernanda Calfat/ Getty Images

Nick Cannon has split up with his fiancee, Victoria's Secret model Selita Ebanks, according to People. "Selita and Nick are taking a break to focus on their careers but still very much love each other and remain the best of friends," Ebanks' representative Melissa Raubvogel told the magazine. In early May, Cannon and Ebanks became engaged after the actor took her on a ride in a chauffeured Rolls-Royce Phantom to New York's Times Square — right across the street from the MTV offices — where "Selita, will you marry me?" appeared on the giant Jumbotron. ...

A year after Jadakiss was arrested in Yonkers, New York, and hit with drug and gun charges, prosecutors have dropped the case against the rapper (born Jason T. Phillips) and his co-defendant, Kristian Smith. The Associated Press reports that the Westchester Country district attorney's office asked a judge to dismiss the charges against 'Kiss last week, less than a month after a jury acquitted a third man who was arrested in the case. Darnell Frazier was cleared when DNA tests didn't link any of the three men to the guns found in the car. The rapper's lawyer said it was a "travesty" that the case went as far as it did and that the charges have affected his career. ...

After stunning the music world with their pay-what-you-want download scheme for their upcoming album, In Rainbows, Radiohead are putting the finishing touches on a major-label deal to get the album in stores as well. In an interview with BBC Radio 4, the band's managers said they expect to sign a deal within the week. "We've got about seven days to sort it out. We tend to fly by the seat of our pants," co-manager Chris Hutton said. "The band are incredibly proud of this record and feel that it deserves to be brought into the mass marketplace. That's why we need a record company who have that infrastructure to deliver the CD." ...

Did "Hannah Montana" fans get cheated? Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel is seeking documents from five ticket-sale sites as he investigates whether a fast sellout of a Miley Cyrus concert violated scalping laws, AP reports. Frustrated parents have complained about scalpers selling tickets at four to five times the face value. McDaniel has given the companies 20 days to respond and, on September 21, issued a consumer alert warning parents to research who was selling the tickets before purchasing them. The city council in Kansas City, Missouri, is also looking into the sales. ...

Billy Corgan is stepping up to help the family of Dr. Robert Moog preserve the late electronic-synthesizer pioneer's legacy. The Bob Moog Foundation, which was created after his death in 2005, is planning a Bob Moog Museum and trying to preserve decaying Moog artifacts — schematics, Moog prototypes, reel-to-reel tapes and beyond. "I directly appeal to any musician who has been touched by the work of this great man and spirit to help contribute to the foundation, to please help preserve the work and legacy of Dr. Moog before time has taken an irreversible toll on his archives," Corgan said in a statement. "I humbly also ask any fan of electronic music to consider a donation to the foundation, in recognition of his influence on many of your favorite musical artists." ...

Modest Mouse are still hungry — even though the group has toured extensively in support of March's We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, it has pieced together another road itinerary. Issac Brock and his crew will start with a two-night stand in Spokane, Washington, on Halloween and end with a show in New Orleans on December 15. Man Man and Love as Laughter will open all dates. Also, the band's AOL Spinner Session debuts Friday, while its MySpace video campaign — a 10-day event that will include the premieres of four MM clips — begins Wednesday. ... Ben Lee is also plotting a trek, to hype his recently released CD, Ripe. He'll hit the road November 1 in Santa Barbara, California, and bring his tour to a close December 13 in San Diego. ...

M.I.A. recently spent a couple of days making beats and rhymes with girls at a juvenile-detention center in Australia via Heaps Decent, an initiative that gives a boost to indigenous and underprivileged youth hoping to break into the music biz. According to a post on the Heaps Descent MySpace page, the yet-untitled song they created will soon be released, with all proceeds going to the initiative. M.I.A. screams "popo mind control!" on the hook of the song, according to the post, but its title is not yet known. ...

Can't wait until November 13 for the Killers B-sides album, Sawdust? Well, you can get a taste of what the band has in store with its just-released cover of the Joy Division song "Shadowplay." The Killers' label has posted a stream of the track right here. ... Nirvana's historic "MTV Unplugged in New York" performance is finally coming to DVD. Due November 20, the disc will contain the 66-minute unedited show — including "Something in the Way" and "Oh, Me," which were featured on the accompanying CD but not in the show when it originally aired. Previously unreleased rehearsal and documentary footage will flesh out the set. ...

It seems like just about everybody has something to say about Britney Spears these days. On the Thursday (October 4) broadcast of "Oprah," Sinéad O'Connor sympathized with Spears, reportedly saying, "She had two babies within the space of two years, [there] doesn't seem like a terrible amount of support from the people around her," according to AP. She later added: "I think to attack someone as a mother is very dangerous. I would say that's what puts a young girl on a precipice which is very, very dangerous, in my opinion. Some people may end up really regretting the way they're treating her." ...

And Deborah Gibson — who, like Britney, was a one-time teen queen — has given her two cents on the matter to "Entertainment Tonight." "I think this is probably Britney's lowest point now ... and maybe it'll be what she needs to get herself back together. And then maybe she will regain custody. That's what I hope. I think that has to affect you on such a primal level, to have your kids taken away, so maybe this is the wake-up call that she needs. ... I really think people see Britney as little girl lost. A girl who did not have a childhood, which I can relate to in a way, and she started even younger publicly. ... She's rebelling. She's living her life in reverse in a way." ...

Isaac Hanson, 26, the eldest member of Hanson, remained hospitalized Wednesday night after complaining of chest and shoulder pain following a performance Tuesday night at the House of Blues in Dallas. AP reports that Hanson was taken to Baylor University Medical Center on Tuesday night after the show and was reported to be in stable condition. A Dallas TV station, KDFW, reported that Hanson was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism, caused by a blood clot in the extremities breaking away and traveling to the lungs. ... Los Angelenos have an extra incentive to keep their cars parked and instead take public transportation to the LA Weekly Detour festival on Saturday. Those who bring their Saturday Metro tickets to the Goldenvoice booth at the fest will be able to enter a contest for free Coachella 2008 tickets. Bloc Party, Justice, Turbonegro and more are heading up this year's Detour fest. ...

Don Imus is close to finishing a deal that would get him back on the air, according to Variety. The controversial shock jock has an impending deal with Citadel Broadcasting that would deny any move to satellite radio — earlier this year, Sirius Satellite Radio expressed interest in Imus. Citadel is owned by ABC Radio, which syndicates conservative talk-show host Sean Hannity and others. ... A man has been arrested in Los Angeles in conjunction with the theft of confidential photos and computers being used for "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." The man, whose identity has not been released, was taken into custody after a sting operation in which the man intended to sell some of the photos, police told AP. ...

The Recording Industry Association of America scored a victory on Thursday when a jury decided that a Minnesota woman had in fact shared copyrighted music online and ordered her to pay $222,000 in damages, AP reports. The six record companies had alleged that Jammie Thomas had shared 1,702 songs online, and the jury ordered her to pay the companies $9,250 for each of the 24 songs that had been focused on in the case. Thomas, her attorney and the jury declined to comment afterward, according to AP, but the RIAA's lead attorney, Richard Gabriel, said, "This does send a message, I hope, that downloading and distributing our recordings is not OK." It was the first-ever file-sharing case to go to trial in the RIAA's four-year campaign to stop illegal downloading.

10.03.07

Lily Allen has signed on for a low-budget spoof of the classic Jane Austen novel "Pride & Prejudice." MTV U.K. reports that Allen will play Lydia Bennett in "Jane Austen Handheld," joining a cast that includes "Star Wars" legend Carrie Fisher and British comedian Russell Brand. ...

Doug Neumann, general manager of Crush Management — home to Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, Gym Class Heroes, etc. — is making an unusual move by stepping out with a covers album of songs by said artists. Neumann, who also went to the Berklee College of Music (go figure!), is redoing the tracks with jazz arrangements and help from members of the bands on the Decaydance label, which is co-owned by FOB bassist Pete Wentz. Tracks include covers of FOB's "Dance, Dance"; Panic's "Time to Dance"; Cobra Starship's "Bring It (Snakes on a Plane)" and more. "One day we were at karaoke and he belted out [Def Leppard's] 'Pour Some Sugar on Me' like it was nobody's business!" Cobra Starship's Gabe Saporta said in a press release. Wentz added, "This dude had me when his shirt came off; the voice he belted out was just the icing on top of hot man cake." ...

Sarah Silverman actually has something nice to say about Paris Hilton, believe it or not. The salty-tongued comedian — who famously jabbed at Hilton at the 2006 VMAs, the 2007 MTV Movie Awards and, most recently, at 2007 VMAs — complimented the heiress on her recent appearance on the "Late Show With David Letterman," during which the host questioned her repeatedly about her time in jail. "I thought she handled herself well," Silverman told People, though she added that Letterman was "being a hilarious pain. I thought it was like old, classic Dave." She also reiterated that she doesn't regret her Britney Spears dis at this year's VMAs. "We're not hanging out like we used to," she said. ...

The track list for Jay-Z's musical accompaniment to the November 2 flick "American Gangster" is good to go, RollingStone.com reports. His American Gangster will include "And the Winner Is," "Welcome," "The Demise" and more. Meanwhile, Island Def Jam has firmed up the track list for the film's proper soundtrack. It will feature two new slices from Anthony Hamilton and classic cuts by Public Enemy, John Lee Hooker and more. ... Nick Cannon and actors Brian White and Keith Robinson were on hand at Nikki East in Manhattan, New York, on Tuesday night as Def Jam princess Chrisette Michele performed at the New York leg of the Hennessy Artistry Tour. ...

Jennifer Aniston tops Forbes.com's first-ever list of top-selling celebrity faces — the list is based on newsstand sales of People, Us Weekly, In Touch Weekly, Life & Style, OK! and Star over a six-month period ending June 30. The actress was on every one of the mags' covers, save In Touch Weekly, at least once during the half-year period, helping sell more than 5 million collective copies of the magazines. As it so happens, her ex-husband, Brad Pitt, is second on the list. ... Congrats are in order for Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis, who is now a daddy — making many of us at MTV News feel really old. He and girlfriend Heather Christie welcomed a son in Los Angeles on Tuesday. ... Brace yourself: A Kidz Bop world tour is in the works. So far only U.S. dates — stretching from October 12-13 in Davenport, Iowa, through November 7 in Kalamazoo, Michigan — have been announced. ...

John Mellencamp has posted a raw acoustic track in support of the Jena Six. The clip, called "Jena," is accompanied by a black-and-white video that intersperses modern footage with clips from the '60s civil-rights era. In the chorus of the song, Mellencamp sings, "Whoa Jena, take your nooses down." ... The final tally for the Rolling Stones two-year A Bigger Bang world tour — which helped earn them a place in Guinness World Records — has been revealed: According to Billboard, the band grossed $558,255,524 between August 21, 2005, and August 26, 2007.

Tool have booked seven dates thus far for their upcoming trek. The band is scheduled to perform November 14 in Austin, Texas, and will hit Houston; New Orleans; and Casper, Wyoming, before playing a two-night stint in Los Angeles on December 10-11. More dates will be revealed in the coming weeks. ... The October 23 soundtrack to "Saw IV" will feature new songs from Avenged Sevenfold, Drowning Pool, Sixx: A.M., Ministry, Saosin, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Every Time I Die, the Red Chord, Nitzer Ebb and more. Both the digital and CD release will feature exclusive tracks. ...

Phil Spector is seeking new lawyers for his murder retrial after his lead attorneys told a judge on Wednesday (October 1) that they were quitting the case, Reuters reports. The development means that the retrial, in which the music producer will again face a charge of murdering actress Lana Clarkson, will be delayed for several months. The music producer's first trial ended in a 10-2 deadlock, with the majority favoring conviction, last month. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler, who oversaw the first trial, said he wants the retrial to begin within four months. He set a hearing for October 23. "Of course now [Spector] is faced with this ordeal all over again, and I'm sure from that point of view he's not happy," his former lead attorney, Roger Rosen, reportedly said on Wednesday. ...

Microsoft has some new Zune portable media players just in time for the holidays, with a number of new features aimed at taking on the iPod. In addition to two new flash-drive based 4GB ($149.99) and 8GB ($199.99) models, there is now an 80GB version for $249.99. The devices have a new feature that lets users wirelessly sync their music to a PC, and though you can still only play them three times, Microsoft has done away with the three-day limit on sharing songs that have been transferred from one device to another. There is also a new online community called Zune Social, where users can chat about music and create a free, customizable Zune Card that automatically updates to show what music they're listening to on their Zune and lets others play samples of the songs. ...

Turns out that one-night-only reunion show by Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard's Brad side project won't be one night only after all. In addition to the benefit gig they're playing October 17 at New York's Webster Hall — to help raise funds for the Huntington's Disease Society of America — Brad will play a warm-up gig the night before at NYC's Highline Ballroom, then treat their Seattle hometown to a show on October 19 at Neumos. A new album is also in the works. ... She Wants Revenge are setting out for a tour just in time for the release of their second album, This Is Forever, which drops Tuesday. The so-called "dark wave" band will fire up the trek Thursday in Los Angeles and continue through a November 13 show in Sacramento, California. ...

Mickey Mouse's beef with metal is apparently continuing, as more heavy shows slated at House of Blues clubs located on Walt Disney property have been moved to other venues. Two dates on the upcoming Operation Annihilation Tour — featuring Shadows Fall, Static-X, 3 Inches of Blood and Divine Heresy — have been adjusted. The October 31 gig, originally planed for the HOB in Anaheim, California, has been moved to the Galaxy Theater in Santa Ana; the October 20 show slated for the HOB in Orlando, Florida, has been canceled outright. "It is sad to say but it looks like Mickey can't handle the metal," Shadows Fall's Brian Fair said in a statement. "We have been informed that the [Walt Disney Co.] has decided to cancel all metal shows taking place at the House of Blues on Disney property in both Anaheim and Orlando. I, for one, am surprised that Disney isn't down with the metal. After all, what is more metal than freezing the decapitated head of your founder?" ...

During the first day of a landmark jury trial in Minnesota — the first file-sharing case to go to trial in the Recording Industry Association of America's four-year campaign to stop illegal downloading — a Sony executive admitted that the RIAA's battle against downloaders has cost the music industry millions of dollars and has been a money-losing proposition for the major labels. According to the Ars Technica blog, the executive also admitted under cross-examination that the music industry has no idea of what actual damages it is incurring because of file-sharing.

• Nick Cannon
• Jadakiss
• Radiohead
• Lily Allen
• Miley Cyrus

Sum 41's <i>Underclass Hero</i>
Photo: Island

Forty two years ago Tuesday (July 31), J.K. Rowling was born — but don't worry, we'll spare you from a full-on Harry Potter motif this week ("The Half-Blood Prince," Harry's UNKLE Vernon, you get the drift). Instead, since this week is packed with so many artists who have something to say, we're going to lay it all out in front of you and let you decide if their two cents is really worth a dime.

Summing It Up: Blink-182, (+44) and Sum 41 walk into a bar ... oh, you do the math. Fitting right in with their brethren bands, Deryck Whibley and his gang are as brash as can be on their fourth studio album, Underclass Hero, which was named in honor of a United Nations worker who saved the band from a battle during the filming of the documentary "Rocked: Sum 41 in Congo."

Their Two Cents: Whibley said in a press release that the LP is "a deeply personal statement that reflects the confusion and frustration in modern society." If that's too abstract, look no further than the song "March of the Dogs," on which the band declares, "the president of the United States of America is dead." Oh, wait, but that's just supposed to be a metaphor.

Purple Prose: Don't have the new Prince album yet? He gave it away for free in editions of British newspaper The Mail on Sunday — and if that's not enough, he'll also be giving away more copies gratis at his upcoming London concerts. Planet Earth features contributions from former New Power Generation and Revolution members, including the mighty Sheila E.

His Two Cents: Prince decries war on the final track, "Resolution," asking, "How many people want resolution?"

Con Artistes: Tegan and Sara's The Con is a veritable party-in-a-jewel-case, what with Death Cab for Cutie's Christopher Walla and Jason McGerr, as well as the Rentals' Matt Sharp and AFI's Hunter Burgan, contributing to the duo's fifth studio LP.

Their Two Cents: An enigmatic post on the twin sisters' Web site seems to indicate that the album has three themes: "I. Fraud; II. Death; III. Confidence."

What-ever: Get out the flannel and stay out of the shower — the '90s are back this week with the return of Silverchair and Hanson. The former band's Young Modern — an album title that could not be more diametrically opposite to Silverchair's status — was partially crafted by heralded composer Van Dyke Parks and even features a medley track combining three songs. After years of wrangling with labels, Hanson — who, like the 'Chair, also formed in 1992 — are putting out their fourth album, The Walk, through their own 3CG Records.

Their Two Cents: We're not sure what Silverchair's modus operandi is these days, but Hanson have been very proactive about helping combat HIV/AIDS in Africa — they donated all profits from their "The Great Divide" single on iTunes to a nonprofit championing for the cause.

Tre Bien: Trey Anastasio doesn't have a whole lot to say on his new album, in a sense — The Horseshoe Curve is a wholly instrumental affair. For it, he called on Jon Fishman, John Medeski, a five-piece brass section, bassist, drummer, percussionist, keyboardist and the Nashville Chamber Orchestra — so the album can hardly be considered a solo outing.

His Two Cents: A portion of the proceeds from The Horseshoe Curve will benefit the Seven Below Arts Initiative, a nonprofit arts-education group Anastasio founded last year.

Hot Licks: Dave Grohl did actress Juliette Lewis a solid by stepping behind the drum kit, as he's still wont to do from time to time, for her band's new album Four on the Floor. Juliette and the Licks deliver a barrage of garage-rock on "Mind Full of Daggers," "Death of a Whore" and "Sticky Honey."

Her Two Cents: Lewis says on her band's Web site that "the through line on this record is desire, in its many forms. Desire of dreams, love, redemption and the consequences of that; the unfulfillment, the betrayal, the pursuit, the need." Chew on that.

What Future?: Oliver Future, from Los Angeles! Well, they actually hail originally from Austin, Texas — The Austin Chronicle named them "Best Band in Austin," in fact — but they've since relocated to Tinseltown, and their new LP Pax Futura is "a love story of L.A. outcasts united," according to a press release.

Their Two Cents: In addition to revolving around the City of Angels, the album features the politically charged "Drowning Parade," a song about Hurricane Katrina.

Song Title of the Week:

"Lee J. Cobb Is Screaming a Lot" from Alamo Race Track's Black Cat John Brown

Album Cover of the Week:

Trey Anastasio's The Horseshoe Curve

Other Notables:

Various artists' "Friday Night Lights" TV soundtrack
No new Billy Bob Thornton material here, even though he starred in the flick version of the high school football saga — and is dropping a new album of his own, Beautiful Door, this week. Instead you'll find the Killers (?), Spoon (??) and Outkast (???), who apparently have this boob-tube program in common. Other indie luminaries abound: ... And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, José González and Explosions in the Sky, the latter of whom contributed heavily to the film soundtrack.

Chromeo's Fancy Footwork
Relying heavily on synth, funk and slow jams, the Montreal duo hope to make you fall in love ... on the dance floor. Noted Parisian producer Philippe Zdar mixed the disc, which features "Opening Up (Ce Soir on Danse)," "My Girl Is Calling Me (A Liar)" and "Bonafied Lovin' (Tough Guys)." These guys definitely qualify as runners-up for this week's best album cover — ch-ch-check it out right here.

The Red Chord's Prey for Eyes
Some Slayer fans might be flocking back to stores this week to pick up the re-release of Christ Illusion — it comes with two extra tracks, a bonus DVD and new cover art — but metalheads shouldn't look past Massachusetts death-grinders Red Chord. Tracked with Eric Rachel (Every Time I Die, Atreyu), the album was named after an inmate at a prison where the brother of the band's frontman, Guy Kozowyk, works as a guard. "The prisoner won't talk and gets into this dialogue via a notepad," Kozowyk recalled in a press statement. "After documenting that he can no longer talk because the devil removed his tongue, my brother checks the con's mouth with his flashlight. When he tells him that his tongue is definitely intact, the inmate replies with the cryptic message, 'Pray for Eyes.' " Creeped out yet?

New Releases:

· Alamo Race Track - Black Cat John Brown (Minty Fresh)
· Bishop Allen - The Broken String (Dead Oceans)
· Trey Anastasio - The Horseshoe Curve (Red Ink) [Buy Now]
· Marc Antoine - Hi-Lo Split (Peak)
· At the Throne of Judgment - Arcanum Order (Rise)
· Bloodhorse - Bloodhorse (EP; Translation Loss)
· Born Again Floozies - 7 Deadly Sinners (Triple R)
· Camp Lo - Black Hollywood (Traffic)
· Chromeo - Fancy Footwork (Vice)
· Peter Criss - One for All (Megaforce)
· Billy Ray Cyrus - Home at Last (Walt Disney)
· Deepfield - Archetypes and Repetition (In De Goot)
· Driver of the Year - ... Will Destroy You (Future Appletree/ Nail in the Coffin)
· Evans Blue - The Pursuit Begins When This Portrayal of Life Ends (enhanced; Hollywood)
· Emily Haines - What Is Free to a Good Home (EP; Last Gang)
· Peter Hammill - Singularity (Fie)
· Hanson - The Walk (Three Car Garage) [Buy Now]
· Corey Harris - Zion Crossroads (Telarc)
· The High Court - Puppet Strings (I Surrender)
· James Holstrom - The Thieves of Kailua (Millpond)
· Joe Sh--head Keithley - Joe Sh--head Keithley and His Band of Rebels (Sudden Death)
· Lonnie Jordan - War Stories (Fantasy)
· Juliette and the Licks - Four on the Floor (enhanced; Militia Group) [Buy Now]
· The Lonely H - Hair (Control Group)
· The Lovemakers - Misery Loves Company (enhanced; Fuzz Artists)
· Manic - Another New Home (Suretone)
· Manic Street Preachers - Send Away the Tigers (enhanced; Red Ink)
· Marmoset - Florist Fired (Secretly Canadian)
· The Masons - Let You Down Easy (75orless)
· Mr. J. Medeiros - Of Gods and Girls (enhanced; Red Urban)
· Mobile - Tomorrow Starts Today (The Militia Group)
· Nodes of Ranvier - Defined by Struggle (Victory)
· Oliver Future - Pax Futura (Transit of Venus/ Fireproof)
· Portugal. The Man - Church Mouth (Fearless)
· Prince - Planet Earth (Columbia) [Buy Now]
· Puddle of Mudd - Famous (Geffen) [Buy Now]
· Marion Raven - Set Me Free (Eleven Seven)
· Joe Rathbone - Under the Scorpio Moon (enhanced; Zakz)
· The Red Chord - Prey for Eyes (Metal Blade)
· Robbers on High Street - Grand Animals (New Line)
· Aaron Ross - Shapeshifter (Grass Roots)
· Saving Jane - One Girl Revolution (Toucan Cove)
· Scenes From a Movie - The Pulse (One Big Spark)
· Matt Shulman - So It Goes (RNB)
· Silverchair - Young Modern (Eleven Music) [Buy Now]
· Will Stratton - What the Night Said (Stunning Models on Display)
· Sum 41 - Underclass Hero (Island) [Buy Now]
Read: "Sum 41 Kill President In New Song — Deryck Whibley Says It's 'A Metaphor' "
· Tegan and Sara - Con (deluxe edition with DVD due same day; Vapor/Sanctuary) [Buy Now]
· Billy Bob Thornton - Beautiful Door (New Door)
· John Vanderslice - Emerald City (Barsuk)
· Tiny Vipers - Hands Across the Void (Sub Pop)
· UNKLE - War Stories (Surrender All)
· Walt Wilkins & the Mystiqueros - Diamonds in the Sun (Palo Duro)
· Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators - Keep Reachin' Up (Light in the Attic)
· Within Temptation - The Heart of Everything (enhanced; Roadrunner)
· Yeah Yeah Yeahs - The Is Is (EP; Interscope) [Buy Now]
· Hans Zimmer - "The Simpsons Movie" soundtrack (limited-edition version with donut packaging due July 31; Adrenaline)
· Various artists - "Friday Night Lights" TV soundtrack (Adrenaline)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· Chet Atkins - The Essential Chet Atkins (two CDs; RLG Nashville/ Legacy)
· Chet Atkins and Les Paul - Chester & Lester (RLG Nashville/ Legacy)
· Bobby Bare - Bobby Bare Sings Lullabys, Legends and Lies (two CDs; RLG Nashville/ Legacy)
· Johnny Cash - The Great Lost Performances (Island/UMe) [Buy Now]
· Dälek - Deadverse Massive Vol. 1: Dälek Rarities 1999-2006 (Hydra Head)
· The Doors - Live in Boston '80 (three CDs; Rhino) [Buy Now]
· The Eat - It's Not the Eat, It's the Humidity (with bonus CD; Alternative Tentacles)
· Merle Haggard - Kern River/ Chill Factor (two CDs; American Beat)
· Waylon Jennings - The Essential Waylon Jennings (two CDs; RLG Nashville/ Legacy) and Waylon (American Beat) [Buy Now]
· Bob Marley and the Wailers - Roots, Rock, Remixed (Quango/Rockr)
· Monster Magnet - 20th Century Masters: The Best of Monster Magnet - The Millennium Collection (A&M/UMe)
· Prefab Sprout - Steve McQueen - Legacy Edition (two CDs; Legacy)
· Billy Squier - Signs of Life (American Beat)
· Riders in the Sky - Public Cowboy #1: A Centennial Salute to the Music of Gene Autry (Rounder)
· Sebadoh - The Freed Man (Domino)
· Slayer - Christ Illusion (with DVD; Columbia) [Buy Now]
· Tandy - To a Friend/ Did You Think I Was Gone? (00:02:59)
· The Thrillseekers - Nightmusic Volume 2 (two CDs; Water)
· Various artists - Monsters of Rock: Platinum Edition (Razor & Tie)
· Various artists - Quiet Storm: Gold and Summer of Love: Gold (two CDs; Hip-O)
· Various artists - Sound of the City: New York Area Doo-Wop (1956-1966) (three-CD box set; Time Life)

Music DVDs:

· Sammy Davis Jr. - "The Best of Sammy Davis Jr. Live" (Eagle Vision)
· Deep Purple - "Live at Montreux 2006: They All Came Down to Montreux" (HD DVD; Eagle Vision)
· The Dubliners - "On the Road - Live in Germany" (Eagle Vision)
· Waylon Jennings and the Waymore Blues Band - Never Say Die: The Final Concert Film (with two CDs; Columbia/Legacy)
· James Last - "Live in Berlin" (Eagle Vision)
· Pet Shop Boys - "Cubism in Concert" (Rhino) [Buy Now]
· Santana - "Hymns for Peace: Live at Montreux 2004" (HD DVD; Eagle Vision)
· Yes - "Live at Montreux 2003" (HD DVD; Eagle Vision)

Coming Attractions:

July 31:
· Common - Finding Forever (Universal) [Preorder]
Read: "Kanye West, Lily Allen Finding Something In Common"
· DevilDriver - The Last Kind Words (Roadrunner)
· Korn - Untitled (deluxe edition with bonus DVD due same day; Virgin) [Preorder]
Read: "Korn Are Cracking Up Over Eighth LP's 'Gothic Feel,' Munky Says"

August 7:
· Constantine Maroulis - Constantine (6th Place)
Read: " 'American Idol' Vets Bo Bice, Constantine Maroulis Can't Stop Rockin' "
· Okkervil River - The Stage Names (Jagjaguwar)
· UGK - Underground Kingz (two CDs; Jive) [Preorder]
Read: "Ex-Con Pimp C Juiced For UGK Album, Says He Has Lessons To Teach"

August 14:
· Blaqk Audio - Cexcells (Interscope)
Read: "AFI Members Have Another Fire Inside: Side Project Blaqk Audio"
· Wayne Wonder - Foreva (VP)
· Various artists - "High School Musical 2" soundtrack (Disney)
Read: " 'High School Musical' Stars Dish On Sequel's Showstoppers, Love Triangles"

• Sum 41
• Prince
• Tegan & Sara
• Hanson

Raekwon
Photo: Matthew Peyton/ Getty Images

Even though it's at the top of the Billboard albums chart, Raekwon doesn't seem to be feeling Jay-Z's Kingdom Come. At the New York stop of the Rock the Bells tour on Tuesday night, the co-headliner told the audience in the middle of his set that he didn't care for Hova's new LP adding, "I don't give a f--- about him." The Chef did say he respects Jay's business acumen, though. Opening act Smif-N-Wessun brought out the whole Boot Camp Clik during their set, while Redman, the last performer of the night, took it all the way back to 1992's Whutt? Thee Album. He also played some new material with his Gilla House crew as Julito McCullum from "The Wire" and others stood in attendance. ...

Britney Spears will host New Year's Eve at the nightclub Pure in Las Vegas. "She's going to do the countdown, a champagne toast and watch the fireworks from the terrace," a club rep said. Nick Lachey will be holding the mic at Pure the night before to host a "goodbye 2006" party. Cheers. ... And while conflicting reports suggested Spears and Paris Hilton were in line to co-host the 2006 Billboard Music Awards, the show's spokesperson said late Wednesday (November 29) that neither is confirmed. In the meantime, however, Pharrell and Young Jeezy will join previously announced performers Gwen Stefani, Ludacris and the Killers for the ceremony, set to air Monday at 8 p.m. on Fox. ...

There's more Lachey news too: The sports enthusiast now has a professional team to call his own. On Wednesday, Lachey was announced as part of the new ownership group for the Tacoma Rainiers, the Washington state AAA affiliate of Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners. Lachey was introduced at a press conference along with other representatives of the Schlegel Sports Group, a Dallas organization that already owns minor-league teams in Texas and Iowa. "When I was given the opportunity to purchase the Rainiers with [SSG founder] Kirby Schlegel, I jumped on it," Lachey said in a statement. "Baseball is a true passion of mine, Tacoma is a growing city and I have every intention of playing an active ownership role in the Rainiers as we continue to grow." ...

"Destiny's Child Groove" — a mobile-phone game featuring images of Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams — will pit players against game characters in a dance battle. The game — which includes "Survivor," "Bug a Boo," "Say My Name" and "Lose My Breath" — is due to roll out on cellular carriers in the winter. ... Tyrese is trying to put together a collaboration between himself, Mary J. Blige and Lauryn Hill that, he said, would find them "singing and rhyming all on the same record." In the meantime, his half-rap/half-R&B album, Alter Ego, is due December 12 and will feature Game, Lil Jon, David Banner, Method Man and R. Kelly, among others. ...

Chris Brown has been working on his second album for the past three weeks, including sessions with production team Dre & Vidal. "I think I am going to name the next album Graduation because I'm 18, last year of high school and stuff like that," he told MTV News. "I am still going to keep it so my younger fans can continue to listen to my music, but I got a couple of joints on there that's for some of the older people." ... Celebrity-covered tote bags featuring the faces of Ludacris, Avril Lavigne and Good Charlotte's Joel and Benji Madden are currently available for $5 at Aldo stores and YouthAIDS-Aldo.org. Proceeds from the bags — along with Hear, See, Speak campaign tag necklaces — support the efforts of the YouthAIDS initiative. ...

Hanson have released an Internet-exclusive song in recognition of World AIDS Day. "Great Divide," which was recorded on the group's trip to Africa this summer and features a South African children's choir, is available for download via iTunes. Proceeds from the song, priced at 99 cents, will benefit the Perinatal HIV Research Unit at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, South Africa. ...The massive electronic-music gala Giant is returning to Los Angeles for its annual New Year's Eve. Now called Giant Maximus, the eight-hour event will boast three "big tops," under which Sasha & John Digweed, Armin van Buuren and other electronic heavyweights will spin. ...

DJ Clue will release The Professional, Part 3, the long-awaited follow-up to 2001's The Professional 2, on December 19. Kanye West and Fabolous appear on the first single, "Like This," while Snoop Dogg, Young Jeezy, Lil Wayne, Cam'ron, Juelz Santana, Game, Rick Ross, Jadakiss, Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Fat Joe, Remy Ma, M.O.P., Mobb Deep, Beanie Sigel, Cassidy, Styles P. and Jagged Edge also guest on the disc's tracks. ... Human-rights groups that expressed concern over Madonna's adoption of 1-year-old Malawian boy David Banda will have a say in the court's decision, The Associated Press reported. The judge who granted Madonna and husband Guy Richie an interim adoption last month — allowing the couple to take custody of the child and bring him to their London home — ruled Wednesday that rights organizations will have a say in the court's assessment of the couple, which is due in May. Under Malawian law, adoptive parents must remain in the country for an 18-month evaluation, a process that the rights groups say they are trying to protect in an effort to combat child exploitation. ...

The winners of YouTube's underground-band contest were announced on "Good Morning America" Wednesday morning. Nashville pop quintet Greenland nabbed Best Song honors for their tune "The Way It Is"; Maldroid's A-Ha-inspired "He Said, She Said" clip earned them Best Music Video; Los Angeles hip-hop/soul collective Ostrich Head notched Best Creative Work for "Freak Show Carnival"; and Philadelphia rockers Pawnshop Rose landed Best Live Performance for "Gets So Hard." Among the prizes were Gibson instruments, trips to NYC and more. ... The Matches, I Am Ghost, Escape the Fate and the Higher are heading out next year to support the punk label the bands currently call home. The 2007 Epitaph Tour starts February 1 in San Diego and winds down March 18 in Las Vegas. ...

"Pelt-wearing party girl" Nicole Richie tops the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' worst-dressed list for 2006. Actresses Ashley Olsen, Christina Ricci and Eva Longoria were also named for wearing fur. Missing from this year's list is PETA's 2005 worst-dressed celebrity, Paris Hilton, who said she's had a change of heart since watching a fur-trade exposé, according to the organization. ... My Morning Jacket, the New Pornographers and Cat Power have been added to the fifth annual Langerado Music Festival, held in Sunrise, Florida, from March 9-11. O.A.R., Matisyahu, Cut Chemist, the Hold Steady, Widespread Panic and former Phish frontman Trey Anastasio are also on the bill.

11.28.2006

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.

• Raekwon
• Jay-Z
• Redman
• Britney Spears
• Pharrell Williams

Green Day
Photo: Vince Bucci/ Getty Images

Green Day will be honored at the People for the American Way's 2006 Spirit of Liberty Awards on October 10 in Beverly Hills, California. George Lopez is hosting the event. ...

A Massachusetts judge says Bobby Brown will be arrested if he sets foot in the state, according to The Associated Press. The judge ordered the arrest on Monday (October 2) after Brown was a no-show at a hearing pertaining to his delinquent child-support payments to ex-wife Kim Ward. Brown's attorney told AP that it's a "difficult time" for the singer, given that Whitney Houston recently filed for a legal separation from him. ...

Maroon 5, Taylor Hicks and Velvet Revolver will perform at the City of Hope's Spirit of Life Awards gala in Hollywood on Thursday. Sarah McLachlan and Josh Groban will also take the stage at the event, which is honoring BMG U.S. President and COO Charles Goldstuck. ... Nick Lachey will perform on Wednesday's episode of "Dancing With the Stars," airing at 8 p.m. on ABC. ...

"El Cantante," starring Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, screened at the Toronto Film Festival last month where it scored a distribution deal with Picturehouse — and a summer 2007 release date. Anthony plays Puerto Rican salsa pioneer Héctor Lavoe in the biopic — acting opposite Lopez, who says the film is already generating interest in Lavoe's sound. "One of the things that people who've seen the movie walk away with is that they loved the music and [ask], 'Who is it? And how can I get more of it?' " Lopez told MTV Tres. ...

According to a post on Jonathan Davis' Web site, Korn will begin writing new material Monday for the follow-up to 2005's See You on the Other Side. "[I] can't wait," the frontman wrote. "I know it's gonna be insane. The band is really on fire and have some phat sh-- to record." ... Ying Yang Twins have renamed their upcoming album Chemically Imbalanced. The Atlanta duo's fifth effort, previously titled 2 Live Crew, will drop in late November. ...

The Foo Fighters are releasing a live album from their recent acoustic tour. Skin and Bones, due November 7, is culled from the band's three Los Angeles performances at the Pantages Theater last month. ... Dave Grohl buddy Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age joined Mastodon onstage at the Music Box @ Fonda in Los Angeles Friday night. The unpredictable metal band ran through "The Colony of Birchmen" with Homme on vocals, dipping into new Blood Mountain material elsewhere with searing renditions of "The Wolf Is Loose," "Crystal Skull" and more. The band also burned through "March of the Fire Ants" and "Workhorse" from 2002's Remission, as well as "I Am Ahab" and "Blood and Thunder" from 2004's Leviathan. Guitarist Bill Kelliher wore a T-shirt promoting opening band the Bronx's self-run label. Converge also opened. ...

Avril Lavigne has issued a statement apologizing for spitting at paparazzi last week while she was out with her husband, Sum 41's Deryck Whibley. "I'd like to sincerely apologize for my behavior with the paparazzi," the apology reads. "It's trying at best dealing with their insistent intrusions. I meant no offense to my fans, whose relationship I truly value. I have and will always go out of my way for my fans. My behavior was a reaction to the persistent attack from the paparazzi." ... Robes to Recovery, an auction sponsored by the Council of Fashion Designers of America and W Hotels benefiting Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, will offer 28 one-of-a-kind robes customized by top designers including Gwen Stefani, Michael Kors, Heatherette, Cynthia Rowley, Diane Von Furstenberg and Juicy Couture beginning October 23 on eBay. To learn more about the effort, check out WHotels.com/RobesToRecovery. ...

Tendonitis in singer/guitarist Barry Hyde's wrist has forced the Futureheads to cancel their October U.S. tour. "[Hyde] has been advised to rest and, as far as we can see, there is no way of us being able to make those shows work, given the state of his wrist," the band said in a statement. "We promise to get out to the U.S. at the next available opportunity." The band's impending U.K. tour will not be affected. ... Ultra-popular Internet time-waster YouTube.com is launching a contest to discover the best unsigned band in the U.S. Starting Monday, bands can submit performance clips to YouTube.com/Underground, where the entire YouTube community can vote on its favorites. The contest runs until October 18, when the final four will be announced by "Grey's Anatomy" music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas. The four winners will make an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America," receive music gear and have their songs featured in an upcoming Patsavas project. ...

The eldest Hanson brother is off the market. Isaac Hanson, 25, married his 22-year-old girlfriend, Nicole Dufresne, in his hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday, People magazine reported. The couple's marriage comes three weeks after Taylor Hanson, 23, and his wife of four years welcomed their third child, and three months after youngest brother Zac Hanson, 20, and his girlfriend tied the knot. ... The first dates for this year's Blackest of the Black Tour have been revealed. The West Coast-only run, which features Lacuna Coil, the Haunted, Belphegor and headliners Danzig, will kick off in Seattle on November 17. Dates are currently scheduled through a November 30 show in Fresno, California. ...

The Cult have rolled out the first 10 dates of their upcoming fall U.S. run. The trek is set to start in Dallas on October 27, with gigs booked through a November 9 stop in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. The Cult's current lineup includes frontman Ian Astbury, guitarists Billy Duffy and Mike Dimkich, bassist Chris Wyse and former White Zombie drummer John Tempesta. ... An appeal filed by former Kiss guitarist Vinnie Vincent was declined by Supreme Court justices Monday, AP reports. A lower court had previously dismissed Vincent's claim that Kiss owe him royalties from their 1983 album Lick It Up. ... George Michael was arrested Sunday morning in London on suspicion of marijuana possession, AP reports. Responding to complaints that a vehicle was blocking a North London intersection, police found the singer slumped over the steering wheel of his car. Michael received a caution for possession of cannabis, was charged with being unfit to drive and released on bail. The singer, who is scheduled to play a show in Lyon, France, on Monday as part of his European tour, was ordered to appear in court in November.

09.29.2006

"Glitter" was a box-office bomb, and now Mariah Carey is pleased that at least one person missed the film. Producer Lee Daniels cast Carey in the upcoming "Tennessee" after catching her performance in the 2002 independent drama "WiseGirls." "I don't know if he's seen ['Glitter'] since then," Carey told MTV News, "but the great thing is, he's in the independent-film world and that's where 'WiseGirls' was such a great validating moment for me — even though it was totally overshadowed by the debacle of 'Glitter.' " The singer, who plays a waitress in "Tennessee" — as she did in "WiseGirls" — said the role is a real departure. "The character is so not what you would think. This is not about hairdos and ensembles. The girl's in the trenches." ...

The Killers are poised to make TV history of sorts next week, when they become the first act to appear for three consecutive nights on "Jimmy Kimmel Live." The stint kicks off Tuesday — the day the Killers' new album, Sam's Town, hits stores — and comes on the heels of the Las Vegas' quartet's appearance as the musical guest on this weekend's season premiere of "Saturday Night Live." ...

Michael Jackson has settled his custody battle with ex-wife Debbie Rowe, The Associated Press reported Friday (September 29). Rowe's attorney wouldn't disclose the terms of the settlement to AP, but Jackson lawyer Michael L. Abrams said the agreement was reached last week and that "both parties are satisfied." ...

Shimmy shimmy ya, one last time: Ol' Dirty Bastard's long-delayed final solo studio album, A Son Unique, will be released November 7 through Damon Dash Music Group/ Koch Records. The date almost coincides with the two-year anniversary of the late rapper's sudden drug-overdose death on November 13, 2004. A Son Unique will feature collaborations with fellow Wu-Tang Clan members Method Man, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, as well as Pharrell, M.O.P. and Macy Gray. ... Patti Smith will perform October 15 at New York's CBGB, marking the iconic punk club's final night in business on the Bowery. Tickets for the gig will go on sale Saturday at noon and are priced at $33 a piece. Additional artists are expected to perform that evening as well. ...

My Chemical Romance have been tapped to perform their single "Welcome to the Black Parade" during Spike TV's Scream Awards, scheduled to air October 10. The event, which will be taped October 7 at Hollywood's Pantages Theater, celebrates the horror, sci-fi and fantasy genres and will present a special honor to Ozzy Osbourne. Rosario Dawson, Rose McGowan and Marley Shelton, stars of the upcoming Quentin Tarantino/ Robert Rodriguez collaboration flick "Grindhouse," will host the show, and Korn are also expected to take the stage. ... Baby Rock Records will release a collection of Nirvana songs transformed into lullabies. Due October 31, Rockabye Baby: Lullaby Renditions of Nirvana will feature 10 kid-friendly renditions of Nirvana classics including "In Bloom," "Smells Like Teen Spirit," "Heart-Shaped Box," "All Apologies" and "Come as You Are." ...

The soundtrack to the surfing documentary "A Brokedown Melody" features new songs from Jack Johnson, Matt Costa and Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder, who contributes the spare ukulele love song "Goodbye." The album, due November 14 on Johnson's Brushfire label, also has tracks from Kings of Convenience, the Beta Band, M. Ward and a solo tune from Built to Spill leader Doug Martsch. ... Costa is also taking part in the latest edition of the Hotel Cafe Tour and will be joined by fellow singer/songwriters Cary Brothers and Tristan Prettyman. The outing, which also includes Joshua Radin, Brett Dennen and actress/singer Schuyler Fisk on a rotating schedule, begins Monday and ends November 15 in Anaheim. ...

A Perfect Circle guitarist Billy Howerdel told MTV News in May that the band's future plans were uncertain, revealing that the group might even be a done deal; he explained that he'd be spending most of his creative time crafting his solo debut. But this week, A Perfect Circle's frontman, Tool singer Maynard James Keenan, updated fans with a brief message on the band's Web site. The message left some wondering whether A Perfect Circle is, indeed, over. "Billy is hard at work on his solo project and I'm on the road with Tool, and making wine in between," Keenan wrote. "Check back often. Peace. Out." ... The Deftones will hit the road late next month for a U.S. headlining run with Deadsy. Seven shows have been announced, starting with a Tempe, Arizona, gig on October 29 through a November 14 performance in Albuquerque, New Mexico. More dates will be revealed over the next few days. ...

Moby has an upcoming greatest-hits collection, Go: The Very Best of Moby, slated for release October 24. It will feature "New York, New York," a track he recorded this summer with Debbie Harry on vocals. A bonus disc will also be included, with remixes by the likes of Timo Maas, Jason Nevins and Tiesto. ... Clinic will release their fourth album, Visitations, October 17 on iTunes. The album, which includes the single "Harvest," will hit retail stores Stateside on January 29. ... Eighteen Visions are heading out with Hinder to tour starting October 18 in College Station, Texas. Eighteen dates, coincidentally enough, have been booked through November 15 in Huntsville, Alabama. ...

Heavens — Alkaline Trio singer Matt Skiba's side project — will be on the road beginning October 24 in Seattle and ending November 17 in Chicago. Their debut, Patent Pending, was released September 12. ... Dredg will issue their "Live at the Fillmore" DVD on November 7. The effort was filmed during the band's May 11 performance at the legendary San Francisco concert venue. ... Godsmack will head up the 2006 Shiner Bocktoberfest Concert October 14 in Green Dickson Park in Shiner, Texas. Blue October, Old 97's, Pat Green and Lost Immigrants are also on the bill. ... Papa Roach and (hed) p.e. are teaming for this year's Zippo Hot Tour, which is set to commence November 12 in Norfolk, Virginia. Just seven dates have been revealed thus far, with more to be rolled out in the coming weeks. Shows are booked through a December 3 stop in Orlando, Florida.

• Green Day
• Maroon 5
• Nick Lachey
• Jennifer Lopez
• Korn

Alicia Keys performs at "Unplugged"
Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

More Keys Please: Devout Alicia Keys fans will want to nab the CD+DVD version of Unplugged, which boasts two additional audio performances, "Goodbye" and "Butterflyz," on the CD, and behind-the-scenes action and a video for "Unbreakable" on the DVD. That's not to mention a booklet that has poems, a letter from Keys, liner notes, photos and info on Keep a Child Alive, a nonprofit she aligned herself with for a World AIDS Day benefit last year.

Leading a Double Life: DualDiscs are all the rage, and record companies usually send them to stores at the same time as the standard album in order to maximize sales potential. Not so with Ricky Martin's Life, which will come out in regular form Tuesday but won't see a DualDisc release until November 22. Tracks on both editions include: "I Don't Care" (featuring Fat Joe and Amerie), a Luny Tunes reggaeton remix of "Que Mas Da" and the Spanish track "Déjate Llevar (It's Alright)."

A New G Thang: G-Funk guru Warren G resurfaces after his longest solo hiatus yet — nearly four years — with the indie release In the Mid-Nite Hour. After spending time with 213 for last year's The Hard Way, Warren gets some help from his comrades on a few tracks: Snoop crops up on "Chronic Break" and "Garilla Pimpin," while Nate Dogg chimes in on "We Need Each Other." Raphael Saadiq, Bishop Lamont and Chuck Taylor also lend their skills.

Dive Right In: Originally called [Adult Swim] Presents DangerDoom, The Mouse and the Mask still realizes what Danger Mouse and MF Doom set out to do: high-five the animated-TV block with a set of inspired songs, plus character voices and skits from shows like "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" and "Sealab 2021." Cee-Lo and Ghostface Killah dip their toes into "Benzie Box" and "The Mask," respectively.

United They Stand: In addition to this week's two metal-champ collections — Numbers From the Beast: An All-Star Tribute to Iron Maiden and the Roadrunner Records 25th anniversary throwdown The All-Star Sessions — there's a spate of other kinetic alliances happening. Illinois punks Resident Genius jam along to a recorded phone conversation they shared with legendary Boston University prof/activist Howard Zinn for You Can't Blow Up a Special Relationship; elusive indie darling Chan Marshall (a.k.a. Cat Power) hops onto grimy Aussie instrumental trio Dirty Three's Cinder; and ex-Swans singer Jarboe duets with members of Low, Ministry and Bauhaus on her new one, The Men Album. (For three points: Blixa Bargeld of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds also sings with Jarboe; her fellow Seed, Warren Ellis, is Dirty Three's violinist.)

SteEPed in EPs: Neo-goth dance punks American Eyes find an unlikely producer in Michael Patterson (Diddy, Notorious B.I.G.) for their first release, Never Trust Anything That Bleeds; likewise, chaotic London punks the Rakes make their debut with Retreat. Also, Lambchop pay Nashville neighbors Hands Off Cuba a visit with Colab; the country-rockin' Magnolia Electric Co. taped two of their Hard to Love a Man tracks at Steve Albini's, uh, Electrical Audio Studios; San Francisco solo artist Kelley Stoltz breaks bread with Sub Pop on The Sun Comes Through; and another solo artist, Amanda Rogers, goes even further out on a limb by covering At the Drive-In, among others, on Something Borrowed Something Blue.

Song Title of the Week: "Major Disappointment Reporting for Duty" (Drowningman's Don't Push Us When We're Hot)

Other Notables:

Sevendust's Next: After eight years and a bitter breakup with career-long label TVT Records, the metal squad is resurrecting itself with a fresh new label (the Universal-affiliated WineDark), single ("Ugly") and guitarist, Snot's Sonny Mayo. Keep an eye out for limited-edition copies of 'Dust's fifth studio record, which come with a bonus DVD.

Gang of Four's Return the Gift: The truly seminal U.K. dance-rock group initially decided to put out a batch of re-recordings of its classic songs as a stand-alone disc and hold off until 2006 for an equally tempting set of remixes by Hot Hot Heat, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, No Doubt's Tony Kanal and others. Now they've decided to simplify by melding the two into a 26-track, double-CD set.

Modest Mouse's Good News for People Who Love Bad News DualDisc: Humble-rodent connoisseurs probably have the bonus track "I've Got It All (Most)" — which previously appeared as a B-side but is tacked onto the Good News DualDisc for good measure — but they should take note of the many visual nuggets: two videos, behind-the-scenes stuff and an interview with main man Isaac Brock directed by — you guessed it — Isaac Brock.

New Releases:

• 31Knots - Talk Like Blood (Polyvinyl)
• Abel - Alegria Musica (Tommy Boy)
• Adult. - Gimme Trouble (Thrill Jockey)
• Agents of the Sun - Monarchs of a Fallen Society (DCide)
• Gary Allan - Tough All Over (MCA Nashville)
• Allister - Before the Blockout (Drive Thru)
• American Eyes - Never Trust Anything That Bleeds (EP; Side One Dummy)
• American Werewolves - 1968 (Fractured Transmitter)
• Apache Indian - Time for Change (Explorer)
• Barr - Beyond Reinforced Jewelcase (5 Rue Christine)
• Hudson Bell - When the Sun Is the Moon (Monitor)
• Boris with Merzbow - Sun Baked Snow Cave (Hydra Head)
• Peter Brötzmann & Han Bennink - Schwarzwaldfahrt (Atavistic)
• Jackson Browne - Solo Acoustic Vol. 1 (Inside)
• Castanets - First Light's Freeze (Asthmatic Kitty)
• Celebration - Celebration (4AD)
• Cheetah Girls - Cheetah-Licious Christmas (Disney)
• The Clientele - Strange Geometry (Merge)
• Company - Parallel Time (Jagjaguwar)
• Constantines - Tournament of Hearts (Sub Pop)
• Susan Cowsill - Just Believe It (Blue Corn)
• Jamie Cullum - Catching Tales (deluxe edition due same day; Verve)
• Danger Doom - The Mouse and the Mask (Epitaph)
• Deerhoof - The Runners Four (Kill Rock Stars)
• Default - One Thing Remains (TVT)
• Dios Malos - Dios Malos (Star Time)
• Dirty Three - Cinder (Touch and Go)
• Drowningman - Don't Push Us When We're Hot (Thorp)
• Early Man - Closing In (Matador)
• Explosions in the Sky - How Strange, Innocence (Temporary Residence)
• Gamma Ray - Majestic (Sanctuary)
• Gang of Four - Return the Gift (two CDs; V2)
  Read: "No Doubt, Beck, Yeah Yeah Yeahs Plan Gang Of Four Remixes"
• Mark Gardener with Goldrush - These Beautiful Ghosts (United for Opportunity)
• Great Lake Swimmers - Bodies and Minds (Misra)
• Hanson - The Best of Hanson: Live and Electric (limited edition; two CDs with DVD; Three Car Garage)
• George Huff - Miracles (Word)
• Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey - The Sameness of Difference (Hyena)
• Jarboe - The Men Album (Atavistic)
• Jonathan Kane - February (Table of the Elements)
• Alicia Keys - Unplugged (special edition due same day; J)
  Read: "Alicia Keys Taps Mos Def, Common For 'Inspired' 'Unplugged' "
• Lambchop/ Hands Off Cuba - CoLAB (EP; Merge)
• The Living Blue - Fire, Blood, Water (Minty Fresh)
• The Long Winters - Ultimatum (Barsuk)
• The Magnolia Electric Co. - Hard to Love a Man (EP; Secretly Canadian)
• Ricky Martin - Life (Columbia)
• The Mass - Perfect Picture of Wisdom and Boldness (Crucial Blast)
• Joe McPhee and John Snyder - Pieces of Light (Atavistic)
• Minus Story - No Rest for Ghosts (Jagjaguwar)
• Mouse on Mars - Live04 (Sonig)
• New London Fire - I Sing the Body Holographic (Eyeball)
• Dolly Parton - Those Were the Days (Sugar Hill)
• Matt Pond PA - Several Arrows Later (Altitude)
• Daniel Powter - Daniel Powter (Warner Bros.)
• The Rakes - Retreat (EP; Dim Mak)
• Resident Genius/ Howard Zinn - You Can't Blow Up a Special Relationship (Thick)
• Roadrunner United - The All-Star Sessions (Roadrunner)
• Amanda Rogers - Something Borrowed Something Blue (EP; Immigrant Sun)
• Kate Rusby - The Girl Who Couldn't Fly (Compass)
• Saving Jane - Girl Next Door (Madacy)
• Sevendust - Next (WineDark/Universal)
  Read: "Sevendust Turn Up The Heaviness, Leave Beef Behind On Next"
• Kelley Stoltz - The Sun Comes Through (EP; Sub Pop)
• Story of the Year - In the Wake of Determination (Maverick)
• T.A.T.U. - Dangerous and Moving (Interscope)
• Susan Tedeschi - Hope and Desire (Verve)
• Warren G - In the Mid-Nite Hour (Lightyear)
• Paul Weller - As Is Now (Yep Roc)
• Nancy Wilson - "Elizabethtown" score (RCA)
• Woolly Bandits - Say Hello to My Little Friend (Dionysus)
• Young Playthings - Pick Up With the Young Playthings (Dionysus)
• Various artists - Numbers From the Beast: An All-Star Tribute to Iron Maiden (Restless)
• Various artists - One Million Strong Vol. 2: Love Peace & War (Bungalo)
• Various artists - "Dora the Explorer: Dance Fiesta!" (Nick/Jive)
• Various artists - "North Country" soundtrack (Columbia)
• Various artists - "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" soundtrack (Varèse)

Notable Reissues:

• Johnny Adams - The Great Johnny Adams Blues Album (Rounder)
• Allman Brothers Band - Gold (Mercury/Universal)
• Bachman-Turner Overdrive - Gold (Mercury/Universal)
• Colosseum II - Strange New Flesh: Upgraded (Castle/Ryko)
• John Coltrane - One Down, One Up: Live at the Half Note (two CDs; Impulse)
• The Diplomats of Solid Sound - Instrumental Action Soul (Hammondbeat)
• Dru Hill - Hits (Def Soul Classics)
• Billie Holiday - Gold (Hip-O/Universal)
• Buddy Holly - Gold (Geffen/Universal)
• Holy Terrors - This Is What It Sounds Like When You're Dead (Eulogy)
• Shirley Horn - But Beautiful: The Best of Shirley Horn on Verve (Verve)
• John Legend - Get Lifted (Columbia)
• Don McLean - Rearview Mirror: An American Musical Journey (Hyena)
• Men's Recovery Project - The Very Best of Men's Recovery Project (5 Rue Christine)
• Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News (DualDisc; Epic)
• Nekromantix - Brought Back to Life Again (Hellcat)
• New Edition - Gold (Hip-O/Universal)
• Linda Perry - In Flight (enhanced; Kill Rock Stars)
• Nina Simone - The Soul of Nina Simone (DualDisc; RCA)
• Lyn Taitt & the Jets - Hold Me Tight: Anthology 65-73 (Trojan)
• Tigertailz - Banzai and Berzerk (Ryko)
• Tom Verlaine - Warm and Cool (with bonus tracks; Thrill Jockey)
• Johnny Guitar Watson - A Real Mother for Ya (with unreleased bonus tracks; Shout! Factory)
• Johnny Guitar Watson - Ain't That a Bitch (with unreleased bonus tracks; Shout! Factory)
• Johnny Guitar Watson - Funk Beyond the Call of Duty (with unreleased bonus tracks; Shout! Factory)
• Hank Williams - Turn Back the Years: The Essential Hank Williams Collection (Mercury Nashville)
• Bill Withers - Just as I Am (DualDisc; Columbia/Legacy)
• Yanni - Live at the Acropolis (with DVD; RCA Victor)
• Various artists - Sand & Steel: The Classic Sound of Jamaican Steel Drums (Trojan)
• Various artists - Southern Rock: Gold (Hip-O/Universal)

DVD:

• Terry Callier - "Live in Berlin" (Verve)
• Charlie Daniels - "The Kings and Friends: Live at the Gothic With Special Guest Hazel Miller" (Burnside)
• K-Ci & JoJo - "All My Life: Their Greatest Video Hits" (Universal)
• Alicia Keys - "Unplugged" (J)
• Machine Head - "Elegies" (Universal)
• Bobby McFerrin - "Live in Montreal" (Universal)
• Carmen McRae - "Live in Montreal" (Universal)

Coming Attractions:

October 18:

• Depeche Mode - Playing the Angel (Reprise)
• Ashlee Simpson - In Another Life
  Read: "Ashlee Remembers 'SNL' Incident But Forgets Boys On New LP"
• Thrice - Vheissu (Island)
  Read: "Thrice Going Underground — In A Sense — For Enigmatic Vheissu"

October 25:

• Chamillionaire - The Sound of Revenge (Universal)
• Destiny's Child - #1's (DualDisc; Columbia)
  Read: "Destiny's Child Look Back With #1's Before Going Their Separate Ways"
• Fefe Dobson - Sunday Love (enhanced; Island)

November 1:

• Nirvana - Sliver: The Best of the Box (Geffen)
• Ozzy Osbourne - Under Covers (DualDisc due same day; Epic)
• Santana - All That I Am (Arista)
  Read: "Guest List For New Santana LP: Big Boi, Mary J., Will.I.Am, Bo Bice And More"

• Alicia Keys
• Ricky Martin
• Warren G
• DangerDoom
• Gang of Four

Destiny's Child
Photo: Getty Images

The soon-to-be-disbanded Destiny's Child have been confirmed to appear at Sunday's 2005 MTV Video Music Awards. The group joins 50 Cent, Kanye West, Mariah Carey, Kelly Clarkson, Green Day, Usher, Jessica Alba, Orlando Bloom, Coldplay, Kirsten Dunst, Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff, Good Charlotte, Ciara, Alicia Keys and a host of others on the roster of artists set to appear at the show. ... Snoop Dogg will release a 19-song greatest-hits album on October 4, The Best of Snoop Dogg. Among the classics on the collection are "Still a G Thang," "Gin & Juice II," "Down 4 My N's," "Woof!," "Just Dippin'," "Snoop Dogg (What's My Name, Pt. 2)," "Lay Low," "Beautiful" and "Hell Yeah." ...

Steven "Stevo" Jensen, who was the original singer for punk band the Vandals, died over the weekend at his home in Maui, Hawaii. The cause of death has not been determined, according to a statement issued by former Vandals guitarist Jan Nils Ackerman. "Stevo was an inspiration to me and was always our friend ... always," the guitarist wrote. Jensen fronted the group from 1980 to 1984. ... Simple Plan are turning their recent "Hard Rock Live" performance into a live album, due at the end of the year. "A bunch of fans have been asking for a live record, so it just makes sense," singer Pierre Bouvier said, adding that the LP will include acoustic versions of some of their songs. ...

Beck, Sleater-Kinney, the Arcade Fire, Devendra Banhart and Talib Kweli have been added to the lineup for the inaugural Vegoose festival at Las Vegas' Sam Boyd stadium on October 29-30. The acts join a bill that already boasts Dave Matthews, the Flaming Lips, Digable Planets and others. ... Coheed and Cambria's Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV - Volume 1: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness will hit record stores on September 20 ... and so will the band's first album, The Second Stage Turbine Blade. Equal Vision plans to reissue the disc, with one new track ("Elf Tower New Mexico") and two demo cuts ("Junesong Provision" and "Everything Evil"). ...

Doctors for Glassjaw frontman Daryl Palumbo have cleared him for a single concert next week, at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom on Wednesday with the Used. "It sucks that my health did not permit me to do the whole tour but I am excited to be able to play a Glassjaw show in my hometown," Palumbo said in a statement. "I am working hard on getting better and look forward to doing more touring with Head Automatica and Glassjaw in the future." ... Hanson's album Live and Electric, due October 11, features the brothers playing all their hits — recorded live last year in Melbourne, Australia — as well as covers of Radiohead's "Optimistic" and U2's "In a Little While." The trio have also produced a documentary, "Strong Enough to Break," about why they decided to set up their own record label. "Our choice to become independent again was about our belief between us and our fans," Taylor Hanson said. "We're passionate about the future of independent music." The documentary will be screened at colleges in each market on their upcoming tour, which kicks off October 18 in Atlanta and runs through November 23 in their hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. ...

Helmet have lined up nine East Coast gigs for the fall, the first on September 22 in Providence, Rhode Island. The band — featuring original frontman Page Hamilton, guitarist Chris Traynor, drummer John Tempesta and bassist Jeremy Chatelain — will wrap things up October 2 in Baltimore. ... Covers of the Rolling Stones' "Mother's Little Helper" (by Liz Phair), Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" (the Indigo Girls) and the Candi Staton-popularized "Young Hearts Run Free" (Gloria Estefan) are among the highlights on the soundtrack to "Desperate Housewives," due September 20. Joss Stone, Macy Gray and Shania Twain, whose "Shoes" is the first single, are also included on the album. ...

To commemorate the release of the Beatles' Rubber Soul LP, indie label Razor & Tie will release This Bird Has Flown - A 40th Anniversary Tribute to the Beatles' Rubber Soul on October 25. The 14-cut disc features contributions from Sufjan Stevens, the Fiery Furnaces, Ben Harper, the Donnas, Ted Leo and others. ... Late Beatles guitarist George Harrison's landmark 1971 all-star benefit show, "The Concert for Bangladesh - George Harrison and Friends," will make its DVD debut on October 25. The DVD of the first rock benefit concert to bring together huge names for a cause features sets by Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Ravi Shankar (a.k.a. Norah Jones' father) and Harrison, who banded together to help the victims of massive flooding in Bangladesh. The two-disc package will include the original 99-minute film, 72 minutes of extras and a 45-minute making-of documentary. A double-disc CD of the show will be released on the same day, with an unreleased recording of a Dylan soundcheck. All artist royalties will go to aid UNICEF. ...

08.25.2005

Beanie Sigel, recently released from prison, has already shot a role in the Young Jeezy video for "Soul Survivor," and has now put his first rhymes on wax since becoming a free man. He appears alongside his onetime rivals Jadakiss and Sheek Louch on Sheek's remix of "Kiss Your Ass Goodbye." Fabolous raps on the track as well. ... At the Scream Tour's Wednesday night stop at New York's Madison Square Garden, a bunch of special guests came out: Juelz Santana hit the stage with Bobby Valentino, Mike Jones rapped "Back Then" during Marques Houston's set and Bow Wow brought out Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat and his girlfriend, Ciara. ...

Bo Bice will be sitting out more American Idols Live Tour dates as he recovers from intestinal surgery, The Associated Press reported Thursday (August 25). The "Idol" rocker went under the knife on Friday to repair a kink in his intestine but is now out of the hospital and will spend the next six weeks recuperating. ...

Björk's infamous 2001 Oscar swan dress — feather skirt and all — is among the 150 items being auctioned off to raise funds for the international aid agency Oxfam, according to The Associated Press. The seven-day charity auction will launch on eBay September 18, in conjunction with London Fashion Week. ... Dashboard Confessional, hard at work on their forthcoming disc, will be taking a break starting this weekend to test out some of the new material on the road. Nine dates have been lined up in all, with most set to go down on college campuses. The band kicks things off August 27 at Michigan State in East Lansing, and wraps up the jaunt on October 17 at East Stroudsburg University in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. ...

The Dave Matthews Band have donated $250,000 to humanitarian organization CARE to fight poverty in some of the Sri Lankan villages hardest hit by the tsunami in December. "Together with CARE, we encourage our fans to join us in this long-term effort to make a serious and lasting impact in the lives of people in Sri Lanka," the band said in a statement. ... A retrospective of Beck's videos will highlight the 2005 Resfest film and video festival, which kicks off September 15 at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center in New York. Eighteen Beck videos will be shown, including clips by such directors as Michel Gondry ("Deadweight"), Spike Jonze ("Guess I'm Doing Fine"), Mark Romanek ("Devil's Haircut") and Stephane Sednaoui ("Mixed Bizness"). Two videos directed by Beck himself will also be shown ("New Pollution," "Sexx Laws"), in addition to the Internet-only clips "Black Tambourine" and "Ghettochip Malfunction (Hell Yes)" by animator Mumbleboy. ...

Don't look for Jewel's next collection of poetry on bookshelves anytime soon — the singer's scrapped plans to publish a volume of love poems, since she thinks they're just "too steamy, too private." "A lot of poets are vampires of emotion," she said. "They suck it out and put it on a page; they're merciless about it. And so when I wrote these poems, everything was fair game." But then she considered who might read them, and thought twice about making them public. "I don't want [my boyfriend Ty Murray's mother] to read them. They're too explicit." Instead, she said, she made a personalized volume for Murray, who gives them two thumbs up. "So it's written, but I don't know how to change it. It wouldn't be honest. It wouldn't be me. But maybe one day [I'll release them]." ... Beginning September 1 in George, Washington, Pearl Jam will hit the road for a string of 20 North American dates — serving on some of those as the opening act for the Rolling Stones. The Seattle rockers will be releasing high-quality digital downloads of most of their live sets via their official Web site — and in most cases, within hours of the concert itself. There will also be downloadable art for each show, along with a slide show specific to each night. ...

O.A.R. will support their new album, Stories of a Stranger, due October 4, with a fall tour beginning October 14 in Memphis and ending November 26 in Camden, New Jersey. The band's new single, "Love and Memories," will be shipped to radio stations in early September. ... Randy Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Gloria Estefan are among those slated to participate in the Recording Academy's inaugural Recording Arts Day on Capitol Hill. The events scheduled for September 7, which include various meetings and performing sessions, are in part designed to inform policymakers of the value of music education. ...

• Destiny's Child
• Snoop Dogg
• Simple Plan
• Talib Kweli
• Hanson

50 Cent (file)
Photo: Interscope

50 Cent's controversial Reebok "I am what I am" ads have been pulled in the U.K., according to BBC News. In response to protests from the group Mothers Against Guns, who previously called for a Reebok boycott, the shoe company discontinued its inflammatory ads that featured 50 counting the number of times he'd been shot. "We are pleased Reebok has shown it is socially responsible — it is the right decision," Michelle Forbes, vice-chairman of Mothers Against Guns, told the BBC. "We know how brave it was for Reebok to do this and we appreciate it." Reebok issued a statement saying, "A small number of the general public found it offensive. Therefore Reebok took the decision to immediately and indefinitely stop broadcasting the 50 Cent spot." ...

A former Neverland security guard testified on Wednesday (April 20) that the security staff was ordered to not allow Michael Jackson's accuser to leave the property, a directive that came around the same time the prosecution alleges that the family was held against their will. However, Brian Barron also told the court that it was policy to not allow children to leave the ranch if they weren't accompanied by their parents, and it seemed like the family wanted to be there. Barron noted that after leaving Neverland as a part-time employee, he was approached by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department to go back to work there and act as an informant, but he refused. ...

Taylor Hanson has a new reason to sing "Penny & Me." The 22-year-old Hanson member and his wife, Natalie, welcomed their second child, a daughter named Penelope, into the world on Tuesday. Their son, Jordan Ezra, was born in October 2002. Baby and mom are both doing fine. ...LCD Soundsystem's next single, "Disco Infiltrator," will be released on May 23, and remixes are being arranged at the moment. Meanwhile, Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor has recruited LCD frontman James Murphy (under his DFA production moniker) to remix "The Hand That Feeds," off the upcoming NIN LP With Teeth. On the NIN Web site, Reznor writes that the DFA and their record label are "doing the most interesting production work out there." Drum'n'bass producer Photek has also been tapped to tweak Teeth. ...

Something Corporate singer Andrew McMahon's side project, Jack's Mannequin, will release their debut, Everything in Transit, on July 12. In the meantime, the band is launching a tour April 27 in Berkeley, California, which wraps June 9 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. ...Jim Verraros, a finalist from the first season of "American Idol," will release his second album — and first on a major label — on Tuesday. Rollercoaster features a guest appearance from fellow contestant Angela Peel. Meanwhile, Verraros' movie debut, "Eating Out," was released April 8. ... Juliette Lewis' band, Juliette and the Licks, have just finished their debut album, the follow-up to their EP, Like a Bolt of Lightning. You're Speaking My Language includes such tracks as "I Never Got to Tell You What I Wanted To," "Pray for the Band Latoya" and "American Boy Vol. 2," and is due out May 17. ...

Natalie Cole is slated to perform at the 12th annual Race to Erase MS benefit, called Rock and Royalty to Erase MS, taking place Friday in Los Angeles at the Westin Century Plaza Hotel and Spa. Randy Jackson, Drea de Matteo and Jamie-Lynn DiScala will be presenters at the gala, which will include a fashion show by Tommy Hilfiger, while Tony Danza, Tom Arnold and Bill Maher will emcee the live auction. Proceeds go to the Center Without Walls, a research program to find a cure for multiple sclerosis. Last year's event raised more than $2 million. ... Want to see Mötley Crüe but don't want to get off your couch? The band is taking care of that excuse by filming its April 27 show in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at the Van Andel Arena for a DVD to come out in the fall. The "Red, White, & Crüe" DVD will be directed by Hamish Hamilton, who's previously shot concerts such as Britney Spears' "Live From Miami" Showtime special. "This will give our fans a chance to see this f---ing incredible show from the safety of their living rooms," Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx said in a statement. ...

The creators of the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival are launching a new multistage tour this summer with Trey Anastasio and Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals headlining. Starting on June 16, the Zooma Tour will stop at 28 amphitheaters around the country before wrapping at the end of July. A complete list of dates and the 20-plus rotating acts who will perform will be available soon. ... Jason Mraz will head out with Alanis Morissette for some unplugged performances on her Jagged Little Pill acoustic tour. The outing begins June 7 in Toronto. ... The Hot Snakes, the last band to record a session for BBC DJ John Peel before he died, are releasing those recordings on Tuesday. The EP features all four tracks from the October 11 session. ...

04.19.2005

Jay-Z has teamed up with Swiss watch designer Audemars Piguet to release a limited-edition, upscale watch collection. According to Jay's publicist, only 100 of the watches, which celebrate the MC's 10th year in the music industry, are being made: 50 in stainless steel, 30 in rose gold and 20 in platinum. The timepieces can be found in Audemars Piguet shops; prices range from $24,000 to $100,000. Each watch comes with an iPod with all of Jay's albums already uploaded. ...

Young Buck's Monday court date in Los Angeles in connection with the melee at last fall's Vibe Awards was continued to May 13. The G-Unit rapper has already pleaded not guilty to assault with a deadly weapon. ... Nas is staging a brief college tour to promote his Street's Disciple album. The five-date jaunt will kick off on Saturday at the University of Connecticut's Storrs campus and wrap on May 21 at the University of Chicago. The rapper is planning a larger tour for the summer. ...

After leaving the Queens of the Stone Age tour earlier this month, Mark Lanegan returned to the stage for the last show on this leg of their outing. About half an hour into the band's set at the Music Box at the Fonda in Los Angeles Monday night, Lanegan emerged onstage without a word of explanation and proceeded to sing several songs. The other surprise of the night came during the first encore, when the band came out with ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons. They performed the 1973 ZZ Top song "Precious and Grace" as well as the Lullabies to Paralyze track on which Gibbons appears, "Burn the Witch." ... Along with working with the same producers he used on Schizophrenic, JC Chasez has been spending time in the studio with James Harry (Britney Spears) and David Maurice (Jay-Z) for the follow-up. "I'm concentrated not so much on the production but the songwriting, so it's gonna be an album of great songs," Chasez said. ...

"Rush Hour" star Chris Tucker was arrested Sunday for reckless driving and fleeing when police in Warren County, Georgia, tried to pull him over for going 109 mph on Interstate 20, according to the Smoking Gun Web site. The actor, driving a 2005 Bentley, reportedly did not immediately stop for authorities. ... Michael Jackson's lawyers finished grilling the accuser's mother on Tuesday, finishing up her five days on the stand by calling into question photographs showing the bruises she claimed came from an altercation with JC Penney security guards. Jackson's attorney Thomas Mesereau tried to establish that the abuse could have been at the hands of her husband, and that she conned the department store into paying a $150,000 settlement. In a mug shot taken immediately after the incident, she testified, she doesn't have bruises because they took time to turn dark and she was wearing makeup. Mesereau also tried to establish that the mother spent money raised for her son's cancer costs, asking about a car she looked into buying and asking how she paid for plastic surgery. "I used a credit card," she said. She said the donations were used to make a room sterile for her son at her parents' home during his chemotherapy. Meanwhile, the prosecution is expected to wrap its case by the end of next week. ...

Lovebirds and "One Tree Hill" castmates Chad Michael Murray and Sophia Bush were married over the weekend in Santa Monica, California. The vows were exchanged at the Hotel Casa del Mar overlooking the ocean and in front of almost 200 guests, including Bethany Joy Lenz and Tyler Hilton, according to Bush's publicist. The couple, who met in 2003, were engaged last July when Murray popped the question on the Australian set of his upcoming movie, "House of Wax." ... A New York judge has issued a warrant for Natasha Lyonne's arrest. The "American Pie" and "Slums of Beverly Hills" actress was a no-show Monday morning for a scheduled court appearance, according to Reuters. She was due in court to answer charges filed back in December in the wake of her arrest on criminal-mischief, harassment and trespassing charges. Police were called to the star's apartment building when a neighbor complained she forced her way into their apartment, broke a mirror and then allegedly threatened to sexually assault their dog. ...

Come Wednesday, Ryan Seacrest will be immortalized — sort of. The "American Idol" host is getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Merv Griffin and Larry King are slated to speak at the ceremony. ... Ashanti's making two stops on TV for sweeps month. Besides her starring role as Dorothy in "The Muppets' Wizard of Oz" (airing May 20 at 8 p.m. on ABC), the singer is also guest-starring as herself on "Las Vegas" as the new girlfriend of Jon Lovitz's colorful billionaire character, Fred Puterbaugh. The episode, called "Magic. Carpet. Fred.," airs May 9 at 9 p.m. on NBC. ...

Since when does P. Diddy skip out on his own party? That was Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman's reaction when the rap boss failed to appear at the Aladdin Resort & Casino on Friday — deemed Diddy Day, no less — for a special press conference. The hip-hop mogul was supposedly going to announce some new business ventures he's been working on, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports, including a new restaurant and a nightclub. Those plans are now reported to be on hold. ... Is Madonna planning on doing a musical? She certainly hints as much in her latest letter to fans in ICON magazine. "I have been back in the studio writing new songs for several different projects," she wrote. "Should I do a musical? Should I record another album?" The singer also mentioned that she's just finished designing the fall line for her English Roses collection and that her upcoming tour documentary is more than what she intended it to be. "It starts out being a film about me and my life on tour and ends up being a story about humanity," she wrote. "I am very excited about it and hope to premiere it at the Cannes Film Festival." ...

Ja Rule's new movie "Back in the Day" is set to premiere on television. Ja plays Reggie Cooper, a young man from the wrong side of the tracks who struggles to avoid the gang life but becomes embroiled in it when his paroled friend (played by Ving Rhames) gets him involved in the murder of a local preacher. The urban drama also stars Pam Grier, Tatyana Ali, Frank Langella and Tia Carrere and will premiere May 13 on BET at 7:30 p.m. ET. The DVD will hit stores May 24. ... Sisqó is planning to spend some time at the beach for his part in the upcoming campy teen comedy "Surf School," a self-described "American Pie"-at-the-beach, which began production last week. The "Thong Song" singer plays rapper Mo, a member of a group of misfits that also includes the school virgin, a goth mute, a sex-crazed loudmouth and a Maryland transplant, who enter a surf contest together. School scenes take place in Laguna Beach, California, while the surf scenes are being shot in Costa Rica. ...

The brothers Gallagher — Noel and Liam — aren't exactly known for their calm demeanors. So they're probably busting furniture over the news that tracks from Oasis' upcoming album, Don't Believe the Truth, have been leaked to the Internet more than six weeks before the record is due in stores. Late Monday night, message boards on several Oasis fan sites began popping with transfers of songs like "The Meaning of Soul," "Let There Be Love" and "Mucky Fingers." No word on how the tracks made their way to the Web, but for fans who still want to buy the album, it's out on May 31. ... On Tuesday night (April 19), the nonprofit organization Dress for Success, which helps low-income women find clothes for joining the workforce, will host a star-studded gala at the Marriott Marquis in New York. Lorraine Bracco will host the event, where revelers can expect to see Star Jones Reynolds, Ashanti, Wyclef Jean and Harry Belafonte, who will be honored. ...

Billy Idol is joining the Warped Tour for a few select dates. The punk idol will perform at the July 6, 7, 10, 16, 17, 20 and 24 shows. "I'm risking it all over again in the clinch, in the trenches, showing people the energy of Generation X, the rock of 'Rebel Yell,' " he said in a statement. Also on the Warped lineup are the Offspring, My Chemical Romance, Transplants, Thrice, Fall Out Boy and Dropkick Murphys. ...

• 50 Cent
• Hanson
• Nine Inch Nails
• LCD Soundsystem
• Randy Jackson

Brandy scored a hit single talking about love, so she's doing it some more. The R&B singer, whose "Talk About Our Love" helped her Afrodisiac debut at #3 on the Billboard albums chart, is following up the single with the LP's title track. " 'Afrodisiac' is about a love, a desire, a need for somebody," Brandy said. ...

In the wake of her canceled summer tour, Christina Aguilera's one-off show that was to take place in Pittsburgh on Saturday has now been scrapped as well — because the promoter filed for emergency bankruptcy at the last minute. Though a total number of fans who bought tickets has not been disclosed, up to 20,000 of them paid between $75 and $150 for passes to Elements, an all-night dance party which would have been the singer's first public performance since strained vocal cords caused her to cancel her tour. Ticketholders now have to wait for bankruptcy court to review the promoter's assets and debts (which he has to provide within two weeks) before they can be considered claimants and get any refunds, even if they paid through Ticketmaster or PayPal. A lawyer representing the promoter said that they're going to make every effort to pay back fans, but there's no guarantee. ...

Alicia Keys is the first artist announced for an international pop music concert at the Great Wall of China to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Great Wall restoration project. The event, which will take place September 25, will mark the first time a concert is staged in front of the national landmark. The Wall of Hope - China 2004 concert will be the first of a series of benefits planned for Beijing, Shanghai and Guanzhou. Proceeds will go to the China Children and Teenagers' Fund. ... Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl played drums for Nine Inch Nails during a session at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California, on Friday. The performance will likely make NIN's upcoming album, Bleed Through, for which no release date has been set. ...

Following his sentencing last week for a DUI, Scott Weiland issued a statement late Friday, stating that he has been clean and sober for more than eight months and has reunited with his wife and children. He claimed that the drugs in his system during the DUI, from October, were prescribed by his doctor. "Now that this is all behind me, I will be able to set the record straight," Weiland said. In an interview with Stuff magazine, the Velvet Revolver singer said that he had been on medication for manic depression, for which he'd sometimes medicate himself with heroin. "I was in a suicidal depression, a narcissistic, obsessive depression," he told the magazine. "And the only thing I could think about was my own self-centered, dark world. My thoughts today are not on myself." ... Seventeen-year-old English soul singer Joss Stone will release her new album, Mind, Body & Soul, on September 28. Stone's sophomore LP, the follow-up to her breakthrough debut, The Soul Sessions, will feature original songs this time around, and such guests as Betty Wright, the Roots' ?uestlove, producer Salaam Remi, Angie Stone and Portishead's Beth Gibbons. ...

One of TV's most famous wives and mothers, Isabel Sanford, died of natural causes on Friday in Los Angeles. Sanford, an Emmy winner best known for playing George Jefferson's spouse, Louise ("Weezy"), on the long-running sitcom "The Jeffersons," was 86. ... Hanson's "I Will Come to You" is going to be used in a multimedia Volkswagen campaign — but only in China. The band is planning to tour Asia in November, and the car company will co-sponsor the group's dates in China. Sony Music Asia will also release a special version of the band's Underneath album containing a live recording of the song as an exclusive bonus track. ...

The first full account of Belle and Sebastian's history is due on bookshelves next year. "Just a Modern Rock Story" will be the first biography on the enigmatic group, notorious for avoiding the press. In addition to giving author Paul Whitelaw in-depth interviews, lead singer Stuart Murdoch is also donating pictures for the book and art for the cover. The tome is due out in the spring/summer of 2005, to coincide with the release of the band's next album. ... The White Stripes are also ending up on bookshelves, thanks to the handiwork of Detroit rock journalist Chris Handyside. His book, "Fell in Love With a Band: The Story of the White Stripes," includes their entire history, from inception to current day. The book is due in October. ...

Apple's iTunes has found a winner for its contest where the person who purchased the 100,000,000th song from the iTunes music store would win an Apple gift pack. Kevin Britten of Hays, Kansas, will win a 17-inch PowerBook laptop, a 40GB iPod and a gift certificate for 10,000 iTunes songs. The track he downloaded to win? Danger Mouse's remix of "Somersault" by the group Zero 7. ... Wilco planned to play select shows at Lollapalooza before it was canceled, and now they've announced six replacement U.S. shows. Dates start in Milwaukee August 2 and wrap up in Newport, Rhode Island, on August 8. ...

Ben Folds has produced and co-written a new album for "Star Trek" actor William Shatner. Titled Has Been and due October 5, the record includes tunes co-written by novelist Nick Hornby ("High Fidelity") and country singer Brad Paisley, and a cover of Pulp's "Common People." Shatner last worked with Folds on the latter's Fear of Pop, Vol. 1 in 1998. ... On Saturday night at Strata in New York, clubgoers were treated to a surprise performance of "Slow Motion" by Juvenile and Wyclef Jean. Clef also performed renditions of "Gone Till November" and "Guantanamera" while Robert Iler of "The Sopranos" looked on. ...

07.09.04

The tables were turned on prosecutor Tom Sneddon in the Michael Jackson case on Friday (July 9), when he was ordered to testify at an upcoming hearing about how much he knew about the singer's private investigator before searching his office and taking evidence. Sneddon offered to testify immediately, but Jackson's attorneys asked for a delay to study materials handed over to them. The defense is arguing that law-enforcement officers went beyond the scope of their warrant and took evidence that was privileged. Though Sneddon has a planned vacation during the time of the next hearing, scheduled for July 27, the judge suggested that the defense accommodate the prosecutor by allowing him to videotape his deposition or appear at a later hearing. The defense also requested a delay with the issues that were to be argued on Friday, which was granted, despite Sneddon's objections that he had brought witnesses from Los Angeles and wanted to proceed. In addition to the July 27 hearing, a hearing is scheduled for August 16 as well (where suppression of evidence is to be argued). The judge also ruled that Jackson violated a court gag order when he commented on a leak of information about the 1993 case, but he was willing to overlook it — this time. ...

P.O.D. are writing for G-O-D ... and Mel Gibson. The spiritual rockers will contribute a track to the album of tunes inspired by the film "The Passion of the Christ," due August 31. Former Creed frontman Scott Stapp's solo offering, "Relearn Love," will serve as the album's first single. ... Having wrapped up their North American tour in support of Room on Fire, the Strokes are taking the first steps toward its follow-up by starting pre-production with longtime producer Gordon Raphael. The band's third album is expected to drop in mid-2005. ...

Wyclef Jean has gone from The Preacher's Son to "Fortunate Son." The rapper will lend his cover of the classic Creedence Clearwater Revival cut to the soundtrack of "The Manchurian Candidate," which will also feature tracks by Fountains of Wayne, the Walkmen, A Tribe Called Quest, Dead Kennedys and others. Wyclef's tune will open the film. ... The Hip-Hop Summit Action Network has announced the date for a Boston Hip-Hop Summit — July 26, the first day of the Democratic National Convention, also being held in Boston. The summit will take place at Roxbury Community College and will bring together community leaders and rap celebrities in a drive to register new voters. ...

At their Sunday show in Augusta, Maine, with Slipknot and Hatebreed, Slayer will perform their classic 1986 album, Reign in Blood, in its entirety for a new DVD. The 75-minute "Reign in Blood: Still Reigning" will be released on September 28. ... A reissue of the Clash's historic 1979 album, London Calling, will be released on September 21 along with a disc of demos from the sessions and a DVD of previously unreleased live footage. ... "Last Summer," a 2-CD single from the Lostprophets, will include B-side cover versions of the Strokes' "Reptilia" and Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight." The 7-inch vinyl version includes a cover of the Cure's "Boys Don't Cry." Both formats will be available as imports on August 23. ...

Let's hope AZ isn't going the route of fellow Brooklynite Jay-Z and thinking about calling it quits from the rap game. The former member of the Firm has announced the title of his next LP, The Final Call. Due on September 21, AZ's album features guest appearances from Aaliyah, C.L. Smooth and Ron G. Singer Tony Sunshine is featured on the album's first single, "Talkin' Gangsta." ... Proof that any time is Miller time, the beer company is holding a contest that will allow winners to attend a special concert, called Rock Through Time, on September 17-18 at New York's Roseland. Performers include the Strokes, Velvet Revolver, the Darkness, Lenny Kravitz, James Brown, Bo Diddley, Cheap Trick, Slash, Ben Folds, Wyclef Jean and the Doors of the 21st Century. ...

• Brandy
• Christina Aguilera
• Alicia Keys
• Nine Inch Nails
• Foo Fighters

Vampire Weekend, Paramore, N.E.R.D., & More Rock SXSW 2008

• Kaki King
• Mike Farris
• R.E.M.
• The Von Bondies
• The Raveonettes

MTV.com LIVE: Hanson Photos 09.15.2004

• Hanson

Hanson at the Skyline Theater in Navy Pier, Chicago, IL 07.31.2004

• Hanson

• Hanson