Faith Hill

Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band Used Pre-Recorded Track At Super Bowl

5 Feb 2009 10:31:00 EST

The Boss' vocals were live for halftime show, but the band played along to a tape.
By Gil Kaufman

Bruce Springsteen performs at Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday
Photo: Jamie Squire/ Getty Images

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are one of the most notoriously ripping live rock bands on the planet, legendary for their marathon performances, mind-meld timing and brotherly vibe. But, apparently, even a band with a telepathic musical bond plays to tape when they take the stage at the Super Bowl for the halftime show.

Just days after word emerged that Jennifer Hudson lip-synched her performance of the national anthem before Super Bowl XLIII, the Chicago Tribune is reporting that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band also played to a pre-recorded tape.

While the paper said that Springsteen's vocals were live, it revealed that the E Street Band was playing along to a recording during the group's rousing four-song mid-game set.

"The Super Bowl performances are all on tape," Hank Neuberger, a Grammy-winning producer who is supervisor of the broadcast audio for the Grammy Awards telecast, told the paper. Neuberger explained that no matter how good a singer is, backing tapes are a necessary evil of most live, nationally televised musical performances.

"There is no way you can set up a full band in five minutes with microphones, get all the settings right, and expect to get quality sound," Neuberger said. "The Super Bowl has been doing that for years with virtually all the bands."

After the Super Bowl, the pregame show's producer, Rickey Minor, confirmed that both Hudson and singer Faith Hill, who performed "America the Beautiful," used backing tracks. Hudson's publicist explained on Tuesday that the singer's microphone was on, but that she was singing "live to a backing track" at the request of the producers.

According to the Tribune, the Super Bowl has routinely required singers to pre-tape their performances before the broadcast, giving them the option of singing live but encouraging them to use a backing track in case of technical issues. The drama of Hudson's soaring performance of the anthem was heightened by the fact that it was her first live singing engagement since the tragic murders of her mother, brother and nephew in October. And even though message boards and Web sites blew up with shocked comments when it was revealed that the accomplished, Oscar-winning singer had sung to a track, Neuberger said it is no judgment on Hudson's or the E Street Band's skills.

"It's not fraudulent; it's the opposite of fraud," Neuberger said. "It's not like Milli Vanilli. ... This was a case where Jennifer Hudson is the singer, and it was a case of the artist giving the audience her best under adverse conditions." Neuberger compared the arrangement to a similar one employed at the presidential inauguration last month, when the accomplished classical quartet that included violinist Itzhak Perlman and cellist Yo-Yo Ma played to a recorded track because of the inability to properly keep their instruments in tune in the cold weather.

"There were too many variables keeping the instruments in tune while playing outside in cold weather," he said. "You can't control the environment, so the smart decision is to record the performance and play along with it. With Jennifer Hudson, if she goes out there, they set up the microphones, the music starts and something goes wrong — she can't hear herself, the microphone doesn't work — she's in trouble. The performance is going to suffer. You only have a certain amount of time. It's too big of an event to risk something going wrong."

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Jennifer Hudson Lip-Synched Super Bowl Performance

2 Feb 2009 09:17:00 EST

Producer insisted that Hudson and Faith Hill use pre-recorded tracks.
By Gil Kaufman

Jennifer Hudson performs the national anthem at Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday
Photo: Paul Spinelli/ Getty Images

By now, you've probably either read about or seen Jennifer Hudson's stirring rendition of the national anthem before Sunday night's Super Bowl. In her first public performance since her mother, brother and nephew were slain in October, Hudson delivered a stunning version of the anthem.

But after the game, the show's producer, "American Idol" music director Ricky Minor, told The Associated Press that, at his request, Hudson lip-synched the anthem to a previously recorded track.

"This was such an important performance, because it's the first time everyone has seen Jennifer. But she's in such a great place, with such great spirits, and time can heal her wounds. She's on fire right now and totally grounded," said Minor, who has produced a number of Super Bowl pregame performances, including Whitney Houston's iconic 1991 rendition of the anthem, also in Tampa, which is considered one of the all-time greats.

Minor explained that he insisted that both Hudson and Faith Hill, who performed "America the Beautiful" before Hudson, sing to the prerecorded tracks the NFL requires them to submit a week before the game.

"That's the right way to do it," Minor said. "There's too many variables to go live. I would never recommend any artist go live, because the slightest glitch would devastate the performance."

Minor described Hudson as being very calm and prepared for her performance. While many artists try to reach for the Houston standard on the huge Super Bowl stage, he said Hudson's soaring take was more personal than patriotic.

"She's from the church," Minor said. "So we wanted to give it a gospel feel, use a little organ, rhythm and really give it a feel that matched Jennifer. We wanted her to emote the lyrics and connect with the song."

After the performance, Minor said Hudson returned to the dressing room and anxiously asked him, "How did I do?"

"I told her, 'Touchdown!'" Minor told the AP after the performance. Minor added that Hudson's two cell phones lit up "like slot machines" following her performance, including a text from her "Dreamgirls" co-star Jamie Foxx. "His text said 'Amazing. It brought tears to my eyes,' " Minor said. "She's just getting so much love."

Hudson, 27, who has yet to discuss her family tragedy in public, will next appear at the Grammy Awards on February 8.

At press time, reps for Hudson had not granted MTV News' requests for comment.

Will Lil Wayne grab all the gramophones? Is Katy Perry going to tell her girl rivals to kiss off? Can Coldplay march off with a win? MTV News is all over the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, so stay tuned for interviews, analysis and more before, during and after the big night, Sunday, February 8.

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Super Bowl Music Lineup: Rihanna, Snoop Dogg, Diddy Get In The Game

29 Jan 2009 05:18:00 EST

Fall Out Boy, Jay-Z will also appear at related parties; Jennifer Hudson, Bruce Springsteen provide in-game entertainment.
By Gil Kaufman

Rihanna
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Between the commercials, the halftime extravaganza and lingerie-clad counter-programming, it's hard to remember that the reason the Super Bowl is the most-watched TV event of the year is because of, you know, the football game.

Music has increasingly become the biggest distraction from the gridiron action, and this year, that's truer than ever, with a Grammy-night-worthy roster of acts lining up to get a bit of shine on football's biggest day.

There is, of course, the prime-time halftime slot, which has become a haven for classic-rock acts, with one of the biggest one taking the stage this year: the Boss. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will run onto the field between halves — two days before their latest album, Working on a Dream, drops — but that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Faith Hill will sing "America the Beautiful" before the game on Sunday, and Jennifer Hudson will give her first public performance since the murders of her mother, brother and nephew when she sings that national anthem at the game.

On Thursday, the Pepsi Smash concert will air live from the Ford Amphitheatre on VH1, with sets from Rihanna, Fall Out Boy and Lifehouse, with actor Jerry O'Connell hosting. The next night, Enrique Iglesias will headline Pepsi Musica Super Bowl Fiesta at the Ford on Telemundo, which will air Saturday. Friday night will also bring the Miller Lite Super Party in St. Petersburg at Williams Park starring Hoobastank, and the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration at the USF Sun Dome.

Saturday night boasts the Hard Rock Hotel's Rock & Soul Super Saturday Night show featuring the ubiquitous Will.I.Am and DJ Ruckus, with possible appearances by invited guests including Paris Hilton, Brody Jenner and the Kardashians.

That's not to be confused with the Seminole Hard Rock Revolution party on Friday night, hosted by "Entourage" star Kevin "Johnny Drama" Dillon and Khloe Kardashian, with music from DJs Colleen Shannon and Selfborn.

If you're in Florida, you gotta see Flo Rida, right? You're in luck, because the "Low" rapper is playing at the Green Iguana in Tampa as part of a Low Dough Pregame Show. Celebrity DJ Samantha Ronson will take to the decks at another Green Iguana outlet in Tampa, in the Westshore Hotel, following the game for a Celebrity Postgame Show, and Tampa's Club Underground is promoting the I Am Legend Super Bowl party, hosted by Jay-Z, on Saturday night.

Not to be outdone, Diddy, NFL legend Deion Sanders and boxer Winky Wright are hosting what's being called a three-day, star-studded party leading up the game called the Good Life Experience at the Venue in St. Petersburg from January 29-31. Among the guests promised to drop by are comedian Dane Cook and football legend Warren Sapp, and Diddy is set to host the final night's events, called the Icons of the Good Life Diamonds and Pearls Gala.

And just like you can't have a party without Will.I.Am, you can't host an event without the equally everywhere-at-once Dave Navarro, who will be MCing the Rock-N-Babes gig at the Hula Bay Club in Tampa on Saturday with J-Mello. Another party staple, DJ AM, will be spinning with DJ Jazzy Jeff at a Super Bowl kickoff party at AJA on Thursday night in Tampa. Journey and John Legend will also be part of the pregame festivities, performing adjacent to Raymond James Stadium at 5:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Some other random acts making the scene: DJ Kid Capri at the 2009 Players After Party; Cheap Trick singer Robin Zander at the Band Together charity show on Saturday at the Sirata Beach Resort in St. Petersburg; actor Kevin Costner with his band, Modern West, at the Super Sunday HQ party on Saturday night at TPepin Hospitality Centre with New York Giants legend Michael Strahan; Nelly and Jermaine Dupri co-hosting the Under the Veil 2 party on Saturday night at the Museum of Science and Industry; and Nick Lachey teaming up with NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson for the Super Skins Party at the Hula Bay Club in Tampa on Friday, followed by the Super Skins Celebrity Golf Classic the next day.

We'd be remiss if we didn't mention that Snoop Dogg is performing at the Anheuser-Busch-sponsored pregame Bud Bowl concert at Channelside in Tampa on Friday night, with 3 Doors Down playing the next night.

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Britney Spears Pops A Tire; Plus Lindsay Lohan, John Legend, Robin Thicke, Kanye West, Beyonce, Fergie & More, In For The Record

8 Jan 2008 08:17:00 EST

Woman seeking more money from Lohan; Legend, Thicke to perform at MusiCares event; West blogging like crazy.
By MTV News staff

Britney Spears
Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Does anything go right for Britney Spears anymore? In the wake of Brit's recent hospital stay and 15-minute meeting with Dr. Phil, the troubled pop star was spotted Monday night on Los Angeles' Sunset Boulevard, having a bit of car trouble. Spears' car suffered a flat tire near the 405 freeway. According to a rep from the Los Angeles Police Department, the singer abandoned her Mercedes in the middle of the street and accepted a ride home from one of the many paparazzi who were following her. The LAPD had the car towed to a nearby lot for safekeeping. Spears will have to cover the $104 towing fee, as well as a $35.60 storage fee. ...

Lindsay Lohan is being sued by the woman she allegedly chased in July while driving under the influence, and now Tracie Rice is seeking more money from the actress. According to TMZ.com, Rice has filed legal papers that allege she has already spent $3,500 in therapist bills and other medical-related expenses. She also claims she lost her job because of the car chase. ...

John Legend, Robin Thicke, Lil Mama, Anthony Hamilton and Fantasia are some of the stars who will serenade Aretha Franklin when she is honored as the 2008 MusiCares Person of the year at an event at the Los Angeles Convention Center on February 8. The music legend is being hailed for her outreach efforts to children's and health-care groups, churches and food banks in the Detroit area. The event will also feature a silent auction with items by members of Led Zeppelin, Bill Clinton and others — proceeds go to MusiCares, which helps musicians in need of financial, medical and/or personal help. ...

Kanye West has been on fire lately with his blog, posting about everything from Dr. Dre's new line of headphones to a nostalgic look at Jamiroquai's "Virtual Insanity" video. ... Beyoncé, Amy Winehouse, Fergie, Jessica Simpson, Avril Lavigne and Lindsay Lohan have something dubious in common — they've all been named on Mr. Blackwell's annual worst-dressed list. Victoria Beckman topped the list. ... Ray J is teeing up a new album for release in April, and he has taken Lil Wayne, the Game and Snoop Dogg along for the ride. All I Feel also boasts production from Rodney Jerkins, and Yung Berg is featured on the album's first single, "Sexy Can I." ...

What's good for Radiohead is apparently good for Coldplay. According to various reports, including one from British newspaper the Daily Star, Coldplay may be mulling a departure from EMI, the band's longtime label home. Radiohead ditched the label and released their last album, In Rainbows, independently online. According to a source, Coldplay don't feel they "necessarily need a label" and will consider all of their options before re-signing with the company. The band has been working on its fourth LP with producer Brian Eno (U2, Depeche Mode), and had originally hoped to release the new material this spring, though no official release date has been given. ...

The South by Southwest lineup has swollen to include Bun B and the Black Keys. Blitzen Trapper, the Von Bondies, the Raveonettes and Vampire Weekend have also been announced to play at the festival, which will happen March 12-16 in Austin, Texas. Speaking of the Keys, their new album, Attack & Release — which was produced by Danger Mouse — will hit stores April 1. ... Sean Penn and the Coen brothers keep raking in the accolades — the respective "Into the Wild" and "No Country for Old Men" directors have been nominated for the Directors Guild of America's best filmmaker honor. Paul Thomas Anderson ("There Will Be Blood"), Tony Gilroy ("Michael Clayton") and Julian Schnabel ("The Diving Bell and the Butterfly") are also up for the distinction, and the winner will be announced January 26. ...

According to Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail, singer Bif Naked, 36, has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Naked, whose real name is Beth Torbert, reportedly found a lump in her breast during a self-examination. She is scheduled for a lumpectomy this week and will also undergo chemotherapy. "It's like being on 'The Price Is Right,' " she told the paper. "I can't believe coins didn't come out of the machine. They said, 'This is not something we're happy with. Let's do an ultrasound.' ... A week later ... they did these tests, and this biopsy came back basically being pretty gosh darn positive for breast cancer." Naked is not afraid to take on the chronic disease. "I'm really confident that it's going to be a snap for me," she said. "I have a pre-existing aneurysm in my heart, so it will be a challenge medically. Hopefully in three weeks I can start my chemotherapy. ... After that, you can go through the steps of radiation, and hopefully be right as right." ...

According to guitarist Brian Bell, Weezer's forthcoming sixth album is in the bag. "Personally, I think it's our best yet," he said in a statement. "Never have the four of us worked so hard and passionately on an album, and we all look forward to performing this culmination of our talents and combined knowledge in 2008 in a city near you." ... French electronic sensations Justice will anchor the bill for the forthcoming MySpace Music Tour, which is set to kick off March 3 in Austin, Texas, and run through March 31 in Los Angeles. Diplo, DJ Mehdi, Chromeo, Busy P and Fancy are also scheduled to perform. ... Eels frontman Mark Oliver Everett has an autobiography on the way. His tome, "Things the Grandchildren Should Know," examines the singer's life and his early days in rock music. The book will be available in the States in the fall. ...

There's a new Web site that's designed to help pair drummers with bands that are short on talent. Over at DrummerHunter.com, bands that need a kitman can browse potential players using a profile system similar to those used on dating Web sites or social networks like MySpace. Drummers can post contact information, MP3s of their playing, acts they like and genres they can play, all for free. Bands can then search the profiles and contact the sticksmen directly.

1.07.08

Shins multi-instrumentalist Marty Crandall was reportedly arrested Friday night on a domestic-violence charge after an altercation with girlfriend and former "America's Next Top Model" contestant Elyse Sewell. In a LiveJournal.com post titled "Worst Weekend Olympics" that has since been locked, Sewell, who dated Crandall for several years, wrote that a night of drinking in a Sacramento, California, hotel room ended with her escaping "from the room through a blitzkrieg of violence." According to several reports, the post featured photos of Sewell's heavily bruised arms and bloody knuckles, and noted that Crandall bore bite marks from their alleged scuffle, which resulted in Sewell's arrest as well. Both were reportedly booked after she notified hotel security about the incident — Sewell was reportedly released from jail Saturday, while a search of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department Web site shows that a man named Martin Lesley Crandall was released from jail Sunday. A spokesperson for the Sacramento Police Department could not be reached for comment at press time. In a Sunday afternoon post, Sewell wrote on her LiveJournal.com page that, "I'm feeling much better on this new day (after sleeping until noon). I've decided to heed the advice of many commenters (lawyerly types) and friends — lock my last entry about the legal foibles between me and my ex-boyfriend." The Shins' label Sub Pop responded to the matter on Monday (January 7), saying in a statement, "Marty Crandall and his ex-girlfriend Elyse Sewell were both arrested over the weekend following an argument at a Sacramento hotel which resulted in hotel staff calling the police. They were both taken into police custody and released over the weekend. There will be no further comment at this time, and [we] would appreciate their privacy being respected." Crandall and Sewell are due back in court Tuesday. ...

Jay-Z, Bono, Al Gore, George Clooney, Jon Stewart and Matthew McConaughey were just a few of the celebrities who appeared in a video poking fun at Microsoft founder Bill Gates on his last day and subsequent retirement. The clip aired Sunday as a part of Gates' last keynote address to his company. In the video, Gates — with newfound time on his hands — explores several alternative post-career options. First he's in the studio cutting a record with Jay at the boards. "You killed it, Billy G," Jay says in the clip. Then Bono gets a phone call that brings him offstage during a concert — on the other end, Gates shares his new high score at "Guitar Hero." The near-eight-minute video ends with the iconic software advocate receiving a cheering ovation. ... Curiously, the Gates keynote event wasn't the only place where Jay and Bono crossed paths recently — the exiting Def Jam prez checked out a screening of U2's new 3-D concert film on Monday (January 7), according to RollingStone.com. Jay reportedly left the "U2 3D" screening early. ... Miley Cyrus, Fergie and John Legend have been roped into the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, which will go down March 3-22. The country-centric event will also feature Faith Hill, Tim McGraw and Rascal Flatts. ...

Kid Rock's scheduled arraignment Monday in DeKalb County, Georgia, has been postponed until February 4, according to the DeKalb County Solicitor's Office. The arraignment stems from Rock's arrest in October on a misdemeanor battery charge after he allegedly got into a brawl over a woman at a Waffle House. According to a Solicitor's Office spokesperson, the postponement was necessary to give officials more time to investigate the matter and determine whether they'll prosecute the case. ... Nicole Kidman is having another, um, kid. The actress, who already has two adopted children with ex-husband Tom Cruise, is expecting her first baby with new hubby Keith Urban. ...

Add Beanie Sigel to the growing list of veteran rappers unhappy with what they see as a lack of support from Def Jam. Jay-Z detractors LL Cool J and Method Man have been the most vocal, but in an interview with DJ Whoo Kid over the weekend, the Philadelphia lyricist revealed his — and labelmate Freeway's — frustration with the label. "It's some f---ed-up sh-- that needs to be addressed," Sigel said. "A lot of questions should be directed to the people in charge. They need to be put on the spot and asked questions. Because I want to know myself. ... I'm waiting to hear the same answers to questions that me and Freeway get asked." Jay-Z has stepped down as president of Def Jam, but he still seemed to draw some of Beans' ire, though he wasn't directly named. Beans, however, explained he will release a mixtape soon titled "True American Gangster," a play off Jay's most recent album, November's American Gangster. ...

According to a post on Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider blog, "American Idol" season-five winner Taylor Hicks is the latest "Idol" to get the boot from J Records. Just weeks after season-two champ Ruben Studdard was dropped, an unnamed label source told the site that Hicks is going to record his next album on his own, because "he is no longer on the J Records roster." A spokesperson for J Records could not be reached at press time. ... Jessica Simpson escaped to Mexico over the weekend, with boyfriend Tony Romo — and her parents — in tow, according to People.com. The two were also joined by some of Romo's Dallas Cowboys teammates, who have apparently warmed up to the actress, who some had criticized for distracting the quarterback. ... Actor Jack Black and wife Tanya Haden are expecting their second child, according to The Associated Press. Black reportedly confirmed his wife's pregnancy over the weekend. Black and Haden, a cellist and the daughter of jazz great Charlie Haden, were married in 2006 and already have one child, a 6-month-old son. ...

BT, an electronic-music producer who has worked with everyone from Britney Spears to the Roots, is speaking out about the alleged abduction of his daughter by the child's mother. According to a statement released by his publicist, 3-year-old Kaia Transeau has been missing for three weeks, and BT has not had contact with her since the first few days she was gone. "I am diligently and delicately working to do everything possible to amend this tragic family situation," he said in a statement. "As a father, my only goal is to get my daughter back home. I appreciate your continued support and understanding in this desperate hour." Kaia is on the National Crime Information Center's missing-persons list (304-625-2000). ...

José González is feeling green — the indie-folk luminary will launch an environmentally friendly trek starting February 29 in Miami. The singer/songwriter has partnered with Reverb for his Green Tour, which will find him neutralizing emissions from venue energy use and calculating his CO2 footprint. Tickets will cost an extra 50 cents each to offset costs for the effort, and the jaunt will end March 31 in Vancouver, British Columbia. ... OK Go have stepped up for a good cause — the band ganged up with New Orleans funk/soul group Bonerama during the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and recorded music at a studio in the city's Upper Ninth Ward. The end result is an exclusive iTunes EP that will drop February 5 and benefit local musicians — including R&B legend Al Johnson — who are still struggling to get their lives back together. You're Not Alone features three reworked songs from OK Go's last album, 2005's Oh No, as well as covers of David Bowie's "Rock 'N' Roll Suicide" and Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released," with Johnson contributing vocals to the latter track. The groups are also partnering to play two benefit shows: a gig Friday at Tipitina's and a February 2 concert at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., that will be streamed on NPR. ...

R.E.M. aren't the only big-name rock vets who will perform at this year's South by Southwest festival — Black Crowes will also descend on Austin, Texas, with a headlining show at Stubb's on March 15. The band has lined up seven additional March club gigs, during which it will play the entirety of its first proper studio release in seven years, March 4's Warpaint, in addition to classic material. The Crowes' One Night Only run starts March 2 in Sayreville, New Jersey, and ends March 20 in Los Angeles. Speaking of R.E.M., frontman Michael Stipe recently chimed in on the presidential-nomination race, and while he's not exactly going to pull a Chuck Norris and throw his support behind Republican candidate and Mike Huckabee, he did have a few kind words for the former Arkansas governor. "I can't think of probably a single issue in which I am even remotely in the same universe as that guy ... and yet, he was kind of charming and ... self-deprecating," he said on Sirius Satellite Radio program "Jade Radio." "He was actually kind of a good sport, and funny, and I don't know what that means. Maybe it's a good thing that's he's being lauded right now by the right. He's an evangelical. May God bless all living creatures, but my God ... how weird." ... A Perfect Circle mastermind Billy Howerdel has christened his new band Ashes Divide. The group will release its debut album in March, with the album's first single, "The Stone," due to hit radio January 22. ....

Sony/BMG — home to Beyoncé, Alicia Keys and Carrie Underwood — is finalizing plans to sell part of its collection without Digital Rights Management protection in the first quarter of 2008, BusinessWeek.com reports. The first initiative under the deal will come via a Platinum MusicPass series of digital-album gift cards that will be sold starting January 15 at Best Buy, Target and other select stores. The album cards retail for $12.99 and come with bonus material — titles include Backstreet Boys' Unbreakable, John Mayer's Continuum and Bruce Springsteen's Magic. Also being considered is an upcoming Pepsi Super Bowl promotion featuring Justin Timberlake that will involve the free distribution of 1 billion songs from major labels.

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Shins Instrumentalist Arrested For Domestic Violence; Plus Jay-Z, Bono, Hannah Montana, Fergie, Nicole Kidman & More, In For The Record

7 Jan 2008 08:14:00 EST

Jay, Bono poke fun at Bill Gates in video; Miley Cyrus, Fergie roped in to perform at rodeo show; Kidman pregnant.
By MTV News staff

The Shins' Marty Crandall
Photo: Karl Walter/Getty Images

1.4.08

The Hannah Montana tour is definitely one of the hottest tickets in town for tweens and their parents, but one woman admits she went a little overboard in trying to win tickets for her daughter. Texas mom Priscilla Ceballos apologized Friday (January 4) on NBC's "Today" show for writing an essay falsely claiming the girl's father had died in Iraq just so the girl could see Hannah (a.k.a. Miley Cyrus) in person. "I just wanted to help my daughter write a compelling story," she said. The fabricated essay won the contest's grand prize, which included airfare for four to Albany, New York, and four tickets to a sold-out Hannah Montana concert there, as well as a makeover that included a blond Hannah Montana wig. "Please accept my heartfelt apology and please do not punish my child for my mistake," Ceballos urged on the show. ...

What's harder to find than a City of Gold? For "American Idol" rocker Chris Daughtry, it was one of his own songs. Daughtry was commissioned to write a song to play over the end credits of "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," but the single, "Feels Like Tonight," was left on the cutting-room floor, reports Variety. "It's a great song, and probably could have been a good marketing tool, but when we put it up with the movie, it just felt wrong," Disney music chief Mitchell Leib told the Hollywood trade. ...In other "Idol" alumni news, Season Two winner Ruben Studdard and semifinalist Frenchie Davis (who got the boot from the show after Fox discovered that she worked for an adult Web site before trying out) have signed on for the 30th anniversary national tour of the Tony Award-winning musical revue "Ain't Misbehavin'." Richard Maltby Jr. co-wrote and directed the Broadway production, which showcases the music of "Fats" Waller, and he will re-create his original direction. Studdard was in need of some good news after being the first "Idol" winner to be dropped from his label, when J Records let him go in December. Since appearing on "Idol," Davis was in the Broadway cast of "Rent." The "Ain't Misbehavin' " tour will begin in November and run at least through May 2009. ...

Literature probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you think of C-Murder, but the rapper — who is to be retried on a second-degree murder charge on February 11 — is taking part in a unique book club that connects readers with authors. On January 19, C-Murder will help christen the New Orleans "chapter" of the Conversations Book Club when he joins the group at the Comfort Inn & Suites downtown to discuss "Death Around the Corner," his recent novel about the city post-Katrina. ...

R.E.M., My Morning Jacket, Vampire Weekend, Daniel Lanois, Tech N9ne and My Brightest Diamond are among the initial slate of bands scheduled to perform at this year's South by Southwest festival. Lou Reed will be the keynote speaker at the fest, which will take place in Austin, Texas, March 12-16. ... Birdman is being sued for allegedly sampling other artists' songs without paying for them. The lawsuit, which was filed in New Orleans, claims that the Cash Money Records co-founder (real name: Bryan Williams) owes several music publishers money for using copyrighted songs without permission. ... Does Britney have some competition? Both Whitney Houston and her estranged husband, Bobby Brown, were no-shows Friday (January 4) at their scheduled court appearance, TMZ.com reports. According to the Web site, Whitney's attorney, Stephen Kolodny, said the singer was sick. ...

Bay Area producer/DJ Amplive won't be putting out his remix of Radiohead's In Rainbows after all. Just a month after announcing his remix album, Rainydayz Remixes, which was to feature a cameo from Too Short, Amp announced on his MySpace page that he had received a cease-and-desist letter from Radiohead's publisher, Warner/Chappell, on December 18 that barred him from releasing the unapproved album, according to a story on Pitchfork linked to from Amp's site. In a video on his MySpace page, a dejected-looking Amp, holding a sign that reads "free," laments, "In Rainbows is one of the top Radiohead albums, and I'm a big Radiohead fan, and it was all done in celebration." He says he wanted to show his appreciation for Radiohead's pioneering pay-what-you-want scheme by doing a hip-hop remix album that would also have featured Del Tha Funkee Homosapien and Jurassic 5's Chali 2na. He says he wishes that Radiohead could hear the free remix album, which he knows they would like, and suspects the band is not to blame for the legal action. "Thom [Yorke], holla at me, man," he pleads to the band's frontman at the end of the message. ...

Australia's first couple of music, Silverchair singer Daniel Johns and singer/actress Natalie Imbruglia, have announced that they will separate after four years of marriage, according to the Melbourne Herald Sun. The pair announced their split in a joint statement released Friday (January 4) that read, "While we are very sad that our marriage has ended, we want to make it clear that our parting is amicable and we remain friends. ... This mutual decision has not been taken lightly or quickly. However, our career demands and our lives in different parts of the world have brought us to the point where unfortunately this difficult decision was necessary for both of us. We have simply grown apart through not being able to spend enough time together." ... On March 25, long-running, genre-spanning party-poppers the B-52s will return with Funplex, their first album of new material since 1992's Good Stuff (and their first to feature co-frontwoman Cindy Wilson since '89's Cosmic Thing). Guitarist Keith Strickland describes the album as "loud, sexy rock and roll for your pleasure zones, with the beat pumped up to hot pink," just in case you were wondering. ...

Josh Groban had a great Christmas, but the music industry? Not so much. For the eighth year in a row, album sales were down, with total album sales diving 15 percent in 2007 to 500.5 million units, according to year-end figures from Nielsen SoundScan. The Los Angeles Times reports that it was the lowest tally and steepest decline since Nielsen began publishing estimates based on in-stores sales data in 1993. There was a bright spot with digital-album sales rising 2.4 percent to 30.1 million units, but even that paled in comparison to the 19 percent uptick in 2006. The overall picture, including albums, singles and individual-song downloads, showed a rise of 14 percent to 1.4 billion units, which, again, was down from the 19 percent gain in 2006. ...

Last year's Live Earth concert and the Roskilde Festival in Denmark will be recognized with environmental honors at the upcoming Midem Green World Awards in Cannes, France, later this month, according to BBC News. The awards pay tribute to events that promote a greater awareness of environmental issues. Live Earth is being recognized for the strict green guidelines it set out in order to create a low-impact worldwide event, while Roskilde, one of the largest European festivals, is earning praise for serving all its drinks in recyclable plastic mugs. ...

Not everyone is psyched about the huge music festival that is slated to touch down in Vineland, New Jersey, this summer courtesy of a hookup between Lollapalooza promoters C3 and the people behind England's Glastonbury Festival. According to the Vineland Daily Journal, a group of citizens, including a former City Council president, have mobilized under the banner of Neighbors Against Rock Concert Site in an attempt to block the show. The first meeting of NARCS is slated to take place Thursday, with the goal of blocking the festival — currently scheduled for August 8-10 — from taking place on a local 570-acre farm. The event is expected to draw 35,000-40,000 people over three days, with mostly on-site camping, which neighbors worry will have a negative impact on the area due to potential increases in traffic, noise, crime and pollution. According to the Journal, NARCS isn't opposed to the festival, just its location. The group is considering a lawsuit to stop the show, while suggesting that promoters move it to a more "appropriate" location, such as the local county fairgrounds. ...

The once-in-a-lifetime New Year's Eve gig at a small club in Surrey, England, that featured Who guitarist Pete Townshend, former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and guitar god Eric Clapton might not be a one-off after all. The secret show, which the trio performed under the name Totally Abandoned, benefited charity and included mostly "old classics," according to London newspaper The Independent. A Thursday post on the Who's site confirmed that the gig took place and teased that "a much larger gig" could happen in New York before March. ...

Stephen Stills is recovering after having surgery for prostate cancer on Thursday. He is expected to be at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25 for the world premiere of "CSNY/ Déjà Vu," a movie directed by Neil Young that revolves around his and Stills' group, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

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Underwood Takes "Wheel" to No. 1 for Fifth Week

11 Feb 2006 11:00:00 EST

Country Newcomer Returns to Top of Country Album Chart
By Craig Shelburne

In the battle between booty-shaking and reckless driving, the edge still goes to rising star Carrie Underwood. For the fifth week in a row, "Jesus, Take the Wheel" clutches the No. 1 spot on Billboard's country airplay chart, as Trace Adkins' "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" apparently loses its shot at the top spot, falling from No. 2 to No. 3.

Both songs had a decrease in spins last week, which means that Brad Paisley's "When I Get Where I'm Going" -- No. 2 with a bullet -- is potentially poised to reach the summit next week.

Or maybe not. After 29 weeks on the chart, Josh Turner's "Your Man" continues its steady climb, now at No. 4 with a bullet. He's just ahead of Faith Hill's "Like We Never Loved at All" at No. 5, Keith Urban's "Tonight I Wanna Cry" at No. 6 and Sugarland's "Just Might (Make Me Believe)" at No. 7. Rounding out the Top 10 are Tim McGraw's "My Old Friend" at No. 8, Kenny Chesney's "Living in Fast Forward" at No. 9 and Billy Currington's "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right" at No. 10.

George Strait claims the week's highest debut with "The Seashores of Old Mexico," a cover of a Merle Haggard song, splashing in at No. 48. Other new singles include Neal McCoy's "The Last of a Dying Breed" at No. 52, Martina McBride's cover of Johnny Cash's "I Still Miss Someone" at No. 53, Underwood's "Before He Cheats" at No. 59 and new artist Eric Church's "How 'Bout You" at No. 60.

Underwood returns to No. 1 on the country albums chart, trading places with Turner. The Legend of Johnny Cash lives on at No. 3, followed by the latest albums from Adkins, Rascal Flatts, Urban, Chesney and Sugarland. Walk the Line settles in at No. 9, followed by Miranda Lambert's Kerosene, at No. 10

New albums hitting the chart include Jamey Johnson's The Dollar at No. 20 and Alabama's three-disc boxed set, Livin' Lovin' Rockin' Rollin': The 25th Anniversary Collection, at No. 28. Kenny Rogers also makes several appearances on the chart: 21 Number Ones at No. 11, Golden Legends: Kenny Rogers at No. 57 and 42 Ultimate Hits at No. 75.

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Hilary Duff Still Most Wanted As LP Holds At #1

31 Aug 2005 11:04:00 EDT

Compilation tops Billboard albums chart despite 51 percent sales decrease.
By Chris Harris

Hilary Duff
Photo: Alberto Tamargo

Hilary Duff's latest offering, a collection of hit tracks and new cuts appropriately dubbed Most Wanted, maintained its hold over the Billboard albums chart despite moving only half as many copies as it had the previous week.

Scans of just over 101,000 were all Duff needed to keep the top spot, as Most Wanted spends a second straight week on top, according to the latest SoundScan totals. Duff's disc outsold the 19th chapter in the Now That's What I Call Music! series — featuring the likes of Gwen Stefani, Ludacris, the Killers, Shakira and Coldplay — by just over 5,000 copies.

Mariah Carey's The Emancipation of Mimi sits tight at the chart's #3 slot with sales of close to 89,000, followed by the Black Eyed Peas' Monkey Business, up two spots to #4 with 85,000 copies leaving record-store shelves.

It wasn't an especially arresting week for debuts, with the highest-charting new entry, Harlem: Diary of a Summer from Diplomats' Jim Jones, opening as Billboard's #5 disc with sales of more than 74,000. British novelty act Crazy Frog's Crazy Hits was Jones' closest competitor in the debuts category, and takes the chart's #19 slot with scans of 40,000 and change; the album's single, "Axel F," started out as a ringtone and eventually blossomed into one of Europe's fastest moneymakers. Time will tell if the craze will sink or swim after crossing the pond.

Something Corporate frontman Andrew McMahon's side project, Jack's Mannequin, opens at #37, with sales for that band's debut, Everything in Transit, coming in at just over 22,000. The New Pornographers' Twin Cinema takes the chart's #44 with more than 19,000 scans. Fear Factory's latest, Transgression, comes in at #45 with sales of close to 19,000. Death Row's Kurupt finds himself at #60, with nearly 16,000 copies of his latest, Against Tha Grain, leaving stores. Every Time I Die's Gutter Phenomenon is in at #71, with more than 14,000 in debut-week sales. The Bled's Found in the Flood follows at #87, selling more than 12,000, while Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's Howl finishes at #90 with just under 12,000 scans. All Star Smash Hits, a retrospective release from Smash Mouth, comes in at #96 with 11,000 plus copies sold.

Brad Paisley, who spent the previous week on Duff's heels, slips four spots to #6 with his Time Well Wasted. Young Jeezy's Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 climbs three spots to #7 with more than 61,000 copies of the disc sold. Demon Days, the latest from animated rock troupe and MTV Video Music Award winners the Gorillaz, checks in at #8 with sales just shy of the 52,000 mark, followed by fellow Moonman owner Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway, which became a million seller three times over with nearly 51,000 scans recorded this time out. VMA dominating punkers Green Day round out the top 10 with American Idiot, which inches its way up three spots with week-49 sales of nearly 51,000.

Staind's Chapter V drops five spots to #12, close behind Faith Hill's 11th place finishing Fireflies, while Coldplay's X&Y clings to the top 15, taking the chart's #13 with over 47,000 scans. Fall Out Boy's From Under the Cork Tree jumps three spots to #14 with 45,000 plus scans. And Gwen Stefani's Love, Angel, Music, Baby is in at #15 with more than 44,000 copies sold.

Check out "Hilary Duff: The Nicest Brat" for a closer look at the chart champ. And for a feature on the chart's #7 finisher, check out "Young Jeezy: Putting His Mouth Where His Money Is."

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Staind Score Third Straight Billboard Win With Chapter V

17 Aug 2005 11:01:00 EDT

Massachusetts band outruns Now 19 and Faith Hill in sales race.
By Chris Harris

Staind's Chapter V
Photo: Atlantic Records

It had been awhile — two years, in fact — since Staind released 14 Shades of Grey, so the fate of the New England band's latest album, Chapter V, was uncertain. Fortunately for Staind, the LP's leadoff single, "Right Here," helped move nearly 185,000 copies of the album, giving the rockers their third consecutive Billboard-topping debut, according to the latest SoundScan figures.

While Chapter V marks a victory for the band, it isn't Staind's biggest first-week performer. 2003's 14 Shades opened with close to 221,000 scans, while the band's 2001 breakthrough, Break the Cycle, scored sales of more than 716,000 during its first week in stores. This time out Staind were closely followed by the 19th installment in the Now That's What I Call Music! series, which sold more than 160,000 copies during its fourth week in stores, capturing the albums chart's #2 and pushing the compilation — which includes hit songs by Eminem, Gwen Stefani, Ludacris and Coldplay — to just over 1 million sold.

Country queen Faith Hill's Fireflies — which slips from #1 to #3 — wasn't too far back, with second-week scans of nearly 124,000. Mariah Carey's The Emancipation of Mimi falls from #3 to #4 for the first time in three weeks; that release netted close to 103,000 scans for an 18-week total of more than 2.9 million. The Black Eyed Peas' Monkey Business climbs three spots to #5 thanks to a 21 percent boost in retail interest. More than 74,000 copies of the disc sold during this most recent chart week, bringing the LP's grand total to over 1 million moved.

Young Jeezy's Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 falls two spots to #6 with scans of 71,000 plus, followed at #7 by Coldplay's X&Y, which sold nearly 60,000 copies. Up two chart positions from last week to take #8 is the latest from Gorillaz, Demon Days; sales of the disc were clocked at just under 57,000, enough to top Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway, which holds on to the chart's #9 slot. Bow Wow's Wanted is just that, it would seem, as the disc jumps two spots to #10 with week-five sales of 51,000.

"TRL" favorites Fall Out Boy climb another three spots on the chart to take #13 this week. Their latest, From Under The Cork Tree, moved over 46,000 copies. Sales of Green Day's American Idiot surged 15 percent this past week, securing the band the chart's #14 spot with nearly 44,000 scans. Rounding out the top 15 — and coming in with just 129 fewer scans than Green Day — is Gwen Stefani's Love, Angel, Music, Baby.

After Staind, Billboard's biggest debut was turned in by progressive bluegrass act Nickel Creek whose latest, Why Should The Fire Die?, opens at #17 with nearly 42,000 scans. Looking for Lucky, the newest offering from Hootie and the Blowfish, comes in at #47 with debut-week sales of over 20,000. Rocker/reality-TV star Tommy Lee takes the chart's #62 spot with his latest, Tommyland: The Ride, moving over 16,000 copies. Searching for Jerry Garcia, the solo offering from D12's Proof, pops up at #65 with 15,000 plus scans. Chimaira's self-titled disc hits #74 (14,000), Pennywise's Fuse grabs #78 (13,000), and in at #104 is Killer Queen, a tribute disc honoring the Freddie Mercury-fronted band featuring contributions from Jason Mraz, Joss Stone, Sum 41, Shinedown, Gavin DeGraw, and Constantine Maroulis of "American Idol" fame.

Duff's The Stuff

"Wake Up," the latest single from Hilary Duff, has fast become a "TRL" favorite and a radio staple. The song appears on the singer/actress' Most Wanted, a compilation mixing the 'tween queen's greatest hits and some fresh cuts, which hit stores this week. Perhaps the anticipation that has been building for the new release has helped boost sales of Duff's 2003 LP Metamorphosis and last year's self-titled disc. The sales surge could also be attributed to Duff's hectic summer schedule: She's been on tour since mid-July, and is booked through September.

Duff's self-titled LP jumps 25 spots to #155 on the most recent albums chart, moving more than 6,700 copies — a 12 percent sales boost. Metamorphosis, which was a no-show on the previous week's chart, climbs back into the top 200 and reaches #189 with 5,500 scans, an 11 percent spike.

Upward Motion For Twin Cities Band

Motion City Soundtrack have had a solid summer. The Minneapolis-based, Mark Hoppus-endorsed band is fresh from a stint on this summer's Warped Tour and has a fall trek with Fall Out Boy lined up. And on August 9, Motion City Soundtrack's video aired on MTV while the band was the featured artist on the network's primetime "10 Spot Drop."

Apparently there were a lot of people glued to the tube that evening. Commit This to Memory, the band's latest album, experienced a 41 percent sales hike last week, moving more than 7,400 copies of their newest LP to land at #136.

For a feature on Young Jeezy, check out "Young Jeezy: Putting His Mouth Where His Money Is."

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Faith Hill Knocks Down Now 19; Teairra Mari Debuts Big

10 Aug 2005 09:52:00 EDT

Country crooner and Roc-A-Fella princess have week's highest-ranking chart debuts.
By Chris Harris

Faith Hill's Fireflies
Photo: Warner Bros.

It took one of country music's top earners to unseat the 19th installment in the Now That's What I Call Music! franchise from Billboard's albums-chart throne after two weeks of domination. With opening-week scans of 329,000, Faith Hill outsold the singles compilation — featuring Eminem, Gwen Stefani, Ludacris, Destiny's Child and Coldplay — by over 150,000 copies, leading the chart charge for the third time in her 12-year career.

Hill's #1 debut comes as little surprise considering the diva's imposing track record, but the next-highest debut belongs to a newcomer. Signed by L.A. Reid and approved by Jay-Z, the Detroit-born "Princess of the Roc," Teairra Marí, bows at #5 with nearly 69,000 copies of Roc-A-Fella Presents Teairra Marí scanned during its first week in stores.

With Faith Hill on top, Now 19 falls to the chart's #2 slot, earning week-three sales of more than 177,000 discs. Holding strong at #3 is Mariah Carey's comeback offering, The Emancipation of Mimi, which sold 99,000 copies during its 17th week on record-store shelves for a grand total of more than 2.8 million scans. Atlanta rapper Young Jeezy's Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 falls two spots to #4, thanks to a 50 percent second-week sales slump; more than 85,000 copies of the disc moved this past week.

The chart's #6 spot belongs to a collection of hit songs performed by a group of children dubbed the Kidz Bop Kids. The eighth edition in the Kidz Bop series achieved sales of 67,000, scoring the third-best debut on this week's chart. The record features pint-sized covers of Maroon 5's "She Will Be Loved," Stefani's "Rich Girl," Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out," U2's "Vertigo," and Green Day's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams."

Coldplay's X&Y comes in at #7 with sales of more than 65,000, followed by Monkey Business, the latest from the Black Eyed Peas, which recorded scans of 61,000 plus to grab #8. Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway climbs two spots back into the top 10 to #9, selling over 60,000 this time out. Eclectic animated act Gorillaz take #10 with Demon Days, which netted scans of 53,000 and change during its 11th week of retail availability.

Rascal Flatts earn the chart's #11 post, selling more than 50,000 copies of their newest LP, Feels Like Today. Bow Wow's Wanted, follows at #12 with scans of nearly 50,000. Stefani's Love, Angel, Music, Baby finishes as the chart's #13 album with sales of close to 47,000, followed by TP.3 Reloaded, R. Kelly's latest offering, which falls five positions to #14 with nearly 46,000 copies scanned. Falling 11 spots is no laughing matter for comedian Dane Cook, who checks in at #15 with his disc, Retaliation; the album earned second-week sales of 44,000 and then some, a 48 percent drop.

New Zealand-born Natasha Bedingfield, a hit-maker in the U.K., invades this week's chart at #26 with her U.S. debut, Unwritten. The album achieved opening-week sales of more than 34,000, making it one of the week's biggest debuts. Melodic hardcore act Emery opens at #45 on the chart, with Question earning sales of 21,000, while Public Enemy's Power to the People and the Beats: Public Enemy's Greatest Hits, debuts at #69, moving close to 17,000 copies. Rockers Blindside return to the top 200 with Great Depression, which takes #89 with opening week scans of close to 12,000, while Alice Cooper sold nearly 6,500 copies of his latest LP, Dirty Diamonds, to open at #169.

Check out "Jay-Z Ready To Unleash Three New Roc-A-Fella Artists" to learn more about Teairra Marí. For a feature on Young Jeezy, check out "Young Jeezy: Putting His Mouth Where His Money Is."

TLC's Tele-Search Boosts Sales

Since its debut two weeks ago on UPN, the TLC-centric reality series, "R U the Girl With T-Boz & Chilli," in which the remaining members of the R&B trio search for a woman to fill the shoes of the late Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, has been pulling in its fair ratings share. At the same time, sales of the group's recently re-released best-of collection, Now & Forever: The Hits, seem to be rising slowly but steadily. This week the disc grabs the chart's #159 spot (up from #195 the week before), with scans of 6,700 and change; sales rose 21 percent, compared to the previous week's totals.

VMA Nominees

While Kelly Clarkson's #9-finishing Breakaway experienced a small, 7 percent sales spike after news of her dual nominations for "Since U Been Gone" (for Best Female Video and Best Pop Video) broke, two other MTV Video Music Awards nominees benefited from a slight increase in retail interest. The chart's #23 album, Green Day's American Idiot, climbed nine chart positions thanks to a 17 percent sales jump, accounting for more than 38,000 scans; the band received eight nominations, including Video of the Year, Best Group Video and Viewer's Choice. U2's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb rose 27 spots on the chart to #164, after sales of their disc surged 16 percent to end the week with 6,500-plus scans; the video for "Vertigo" was nominated for Best Group Video and Breakthrough Video.

Boy Falling Up, Not Out

Being in Billboard's top 20 isn't anything new for Fall Out Boy. After all, the week after the Chicago band's From Under the Cork Tree hit stores, the album debuted at #9, with sales of about 68,000. Since then, the disc has hovered in the mid-40s range, falling only as far as #54. That was three months ago, before Fall Out Boy had one of TRL's hottest videos and one of rock and pop radio's most-wanted cuts in "Sugar, We're Goin Down."

Much like genre contemporaries My Chemical Romance, whom they've passed on the chart (MCR's Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge claimed up to the chart's #42 slot, but has been on record store shelves for more than a year), Fall Out Boy's been ascending the chart at a sloth's pace, and this week, with a #16 showing, inches another three chart positions closer to the top 10. Last week Cork was the chart's #19, while the week before, it checked in at #25. If the last few weeks are any indication, it's plausible Fall Out Boy could continue this upward mobility trend and return to the top 10.

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New Releases: Teairra Mari, Natasha Bedingfield, Faith Hill, Michael Penn, Alice Cooper, Madball

1 Aug 2005 09:16:00 EDT

New records from Prom Kings, Greenhornes also due Tuesday.
By Kurt Orzeck

Roc-A-Fella Records Presents Teairra Marí
Photo: Roc-A-Fella

The Princess Awakes: Detroit's Teairra Marí has melted L.A. Reid and Jay-Z alike, but it's the latter mogul who'll be giving the singer a presidential push this week with Roc-A-Fella Records Presents Teairra Marí. She's already made waves with "Make Her Feel Good," which samples Eric B. & Rakim and appears on this record along with two versions of "No Daddy," co-written by Sean Garrett (Destiny's Child, Beyoncé).

Yes, They're Related: New Zealand-born singer Natasha Bedingfield — sister of dance-pop artist Daniel — hopes to replicate her substantial European success with the U.S. release of her debut, Unwritten (she's only the third solo singer in U.K. history to debut at #1). The DualDisc has behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and more.

Another Blonde Gone: Faith Hill, who showed up on the cover of 2002's Cry as a tempting, sweat-drenched blonde befitted with a crucifix, now appears as a sleek, Pantene-d brunette on Fireflies. (Maybe husband Tim McGraw, who duets with her on "Like We Never Loved at All," had a few words to say this time around.) Expect a big splash from Hill's sixth record, which contains "Mississippi Girl," a song that debuted higher than any of her previous singles on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. Fans can get the album signed through a limited offer on FaithHill.com.

The Prom Kings Got Game — But Where?: Funky L.A. rockers the Prom Kings have opened for Sum 41 and Papa Roach and have shipped to radio two hip-shaking cuts from their self-titled debut: "Alone" and "Birthday." Only time will tell if the Kings will crown their Game-featured golden egg, "Down," as single number three. Yes, that's the Game.

Rewriting History: Michael Penn tells a history lesson with his long-awaited fifth album, Mr. Hollywood, Jr. 1947, with wife Aimee Mann stepping in for a brief bit of bass playing and backup singing. A limited run has a bonus track, "Down by the Riverside," plus a video for "Walter Reed."

Song Titles of the Week:
"In a Lose, Lose Situation," followed by "In a Win, Win Situation" (Emery's The Question)

Other Notables:

Alice Cooper - Dirty Diamonds

Billion Dollar Babies

Deadman - Our Eternal Ghosts and D'Nell - 1st Magic (BBE)

The Greenhornes - East Grand Blues EP

Maria Muldaur - Sweet Lovin' Ol' Soul

Sweet Lovin' Ol' Soul,

Blue Highway,

Various artists - The Free Design: The Now Sound Redesigned

The Free Design: The Now Sound Redesigned.

Various artists - Generations: A Hardcore Compilation

Out Tuesday, August 2:

New releases:

Amadou & Mariam - Dimanche a Bamako (Nonesuch)
Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten (Epic)
Buy Now: Unwritten (Epic)
BA - Sports (Rah)
Danny Barnes - Get Myself Together (Terminus)
Bass Freq - Neon Skyline (Neurodisc)
Blindside - The Great Depression (RTE/DRT)
Buy Now: The Great Depression (RTE/DRT)
Bliss - Quiet Letters (Quango)
Bootcut - Hammond vs. Drums (Gadfly)
Brazen Abbot - My Resurrection (Melodic Symphony)
Alice Cooper - Dirty Diamonds (New West)
D'Nell - 1st Magic (BBE)
Deadman - Our Eternal Ghosts (One Little Indian)
Benjamin Diamond - Out of Myself (!K7)
Emery - The Question (Tooth & Nail)
The Greenhornes - East Grand Blues EP (V2)
Johnny Freeman - How Much Is Free (Southern Signal)
Don Friedman VIP Trio - Timeless (441)
Mitchell Froom - A Thousand Days (Inner Knot)
Faith Hill - Fireflies (Warner Bros.)
Buy Now: Fireflies (Warner Bros.)
Stan Hope - Put on a Happy Face (Savant)
Houston Calls - A Collection of Short Stories (Rushmore/Drive-Thru)
I Self Divine - Self Destruction (Rhymesayers)
Lorene Drive - Romantic Wealth (Lobster)
Madball - Legacy (Ferret)
Madredeus - Faluas Do Tejo (Metro Blue)
Teairra Marí - Roc-A-Fella Records Presents Teairra Mari (Roc-A-Fella)
Read: "Jay-Z's Picks: Teairra Mari, Rihanna, Ne-Yo"
Milk Inc. - Closer (Water Music)
Mr. Del - The Future (Holy Hip Hop)
Maria Muldaur - Sweet Lovin' Ol' Soul (Stony Plain)
Greg Osby - Channel Three (Blue Note)
Michael Penn - Mr. Hollywood, Jr. 1947 (spinART)
Read: "Free At Last, Michael Penn Attempts A Comeback With Mr. Hollywood Jr."
Doug Pinnick - Emotional Animal (Magna Carta)
Tristan Prettyman - Twentythree (Virgin)
The Prom Kings - The Prom Kings (Geffen)
Darryl Lee Rush - Llano Avenue (Infinity Nashville)
Sahnas - Odyssey (Native Language)
Sons of the Never Wrong - Nuthatch Suite (Gadfly)
Angela Strehli - Blue Highway (MC)
Turning Point - Matador (Native Language)
Various artists - Dark Trance vs. Neogoth (Cleopatra)
Various artists - Desire: Piano Tribute to U2 (Vitamin)
Various artists - Fashion Lounge (Cleopatra)
Various artists - Fusion for Miles (Tone Center)
Various artists - Generations: A Hardcore Compilation (Revelation)
Various artists - Harley Davidson: Ride (Capitol)
Various artists - Kidz Bop, Vol. 8 (Razor & Tie)
Various artists - Nu:Jazz Brasilia (Sunswept)
Various artists - The Piano Tribute to Iron Maiden (Vitamin)
Various artists - Pick Yourself Up From the Ground: Pickin' on Eric Clapton Vol. 2 (CMH)
Various artists - Pickin' on Beck (CMH)
Various artists - Pickin' on Franz Ferdinand (CMH)
Various artists - Pickin' on Nickelback (CMH)
Various artists - Prinz Myshkin: Treats From the Garden of Earthly Delights (Radikal)
Various artists - Smooth Sounds Tribute to Mariah Carey's Greatest Hits (Tribute Sounds)
Various artists - The String Quartet Tribute to Queens of the Stone Age, Volume 2 (Vitamin)
Various artists - Tribute to Insane Clown Posse (Big Eye)
Various artists - "Broken Flowers" soundtrack (Decca)
Various artists - "Rainbow Six: Lockdown" soundtrack (Calvin) (dualdisc)
Warren Brothers - Barely Famous Hits (BNA)
Abigail Washburn - Song of the Traveling Daughter (Nettwerk)
Wetton/ Downes - Icon (Frontiers)
Reuben Wilson - Fun House (Savant)
Madelin Zero - Gotta Know (Indecent Media)

Notable reissues:

Johnny Cash - The Legend (Columbia) (box set)
June Carter Cash - Keep on the Sunny Side: Her Life in Music (Columbia)
John Coltrane - The Bethlehem Years (Shout! Factory) (two CDs)
Bill Cosby - Inside the Mind Of (live) (Geffen)
Dungen - Ta Det Lugnt (Kemado) (with second disc containing five unreleased bonus tracks)
Richard Hell - Spurts: The Best of Richard Hell (Rhino)
Marshall Tucker Band - Just Us (Shout! Factory) (with two bonus alternate takes)
Charles Mingus - East Coasting (Shout! Factory) (with eight bonus remixes)
Public Enemy - Power to the People and the Beats: Greatest Hits (Def Jam)
The Rolling Stones - Forty Licks (limited-edition box set) (ABKCO/Virgin)
Six Feet Under - 13/ Graveyard Classics, Vol. 2 (Metal Blade)
The Slits - Live at the Gibus Club (Castle/Sanctuary)
Various artists - The Free Design: The Now Sound Redesigned (Light in the Attic)
Various artists - "Raging Bull" soundtrack (Capitol)