Rachael Ray poses with a fan at SXSW 2008
Photo: Sarah Kerver/Getty Images

Just call it Rachael's revenge.

One year after she set the blogosphere on its collective ear by invading the indier-than-thou confines of South by Southwest with her own party — and then shocking everyone when that party actually turned out to be pretty good — Rachael Ray is at again, with plans for another SXSW soiree.

While details are still limited, a source close to the event told MTV News that Ray is looking to throw an "expanded" party at this year's South By, tentatively scheduled for the afternoon of Saturday, March 21. Last year's party was held at Austin, Texas' Beauty Bar, but no location has been determined for this year's event.

The source said that "10 to 12" bands could be booked for Ray's SXSW party (last year's bill featured the Raveonettes, Holy F--- and the Cringe, the band fronted by her husband, Jon Cusimano), and while not all the acts have been confirmed, we hear that a couple of fairly huge names — the Hold Steady and the Airborne Toxic Event — have already committed to play.

The source also added that another "big name" will be added in the coming days.

Ray will work out all the kinks at a SXSW pre-party, scheduled for February 25 at Andrew WK's NYC spot Santo's Party House. Semi-Precious Weapons, the Orion Experience and the Cringe top the bill.

Last year, Ray told MTV News that she didn't understand why so many people were upset by her SXSW plans, saying "people think I'm like this food robot or something, but music is a huge part of my life." But she also admitted that — due to her busy schedule — her SXSW party would probably only be a one-and-done affair.

"I have so many commitments and so many jobs that it'd be really hard for me to sneak out and do this again next year," she said. "So this might just be a one-time thing. And to be honest, the food is more of what I care about."

Looks like she found some time in that schedule after all.

• The Hold Steady
• The Raveonettes

Hold Steady's Craig Finn
Photo: MTV News

Here's the backstory on the Hold Steady: They are five decidedly average dudes, they play straightforward, fist-pumping rock and roll, they tour like maniacs and they may very well be the best band in America.

That seems to be the general consensus about the hard-charging, harder-partying, Brooklyn-via-Minneapolis quintet these days, especially in the wake of their latest release, the thoroughly throttling Stay Positive, which yours truly dubbed "the best album of 2008 (so far)" a few months back.

Yes, the accolades are certainly coming fast and furious for the Steady, and while the praise is flattering, the guys in the band will be the first ones to admit that things may have gotten a bit out of hand. Especially all that "best band" talk.

"I feel like it's better not for us to dwell on that type of thing — it could only go wrong," frontman Craig Finn laughed. "We've all been playing in bands for a very long time, with little or no success, depending on how you define that. But the fact is that we went into this with only one ambition: to have a good time. And for us, being able to still do that is really all that's important."

"We do like the thought of trying to be the best band in America," pianist Franz Nicolay added. "I mean, who really knows who the best band is? I don't, that's for sure. So for us, striving to be really good at what we do and trying to have a good time, that's the fun part. Everything else is just a little beyond us."

While they continue to commit themselves to good times and great shows, everywhere they look, there are signs of change. Though their legendary live sets are still as beery and cheery as ever ("On a good night, we move more alcohol than most bands do in a week," Finn laughed), there are a few noticeable differences in the crowds they attract. First and foremost, there are actually girls in the audience this time around.

"When we first started out, our audiences were maybe a little reflection of us, you know? People in their later 20s, early 30s and predominately dudes, guys who buy records and watch sports and a smattering of angry girlfriends," Finn said. "I think as the band's audience has grown, we've actually expanded younger. And there are a lot more girls coming to the shows and a lot of girls making their presence more upfront, and that's just amazing."

Any great rock-and-roll revolution needs an army, which brings us to the second difference between the Hold Steady of 2008 and the glorified bar band of a few years back: They now command a host of loyal subjects, foot soldiers who don T-shirts and follow them from city to city, sort of like the Grateful Dead's fans, only with less tie-dye.

"One of the coolest things I see now is fathers and sons coming to the show together," Finn said. "We're kind of a classic-rock band, and people who grew up in the '70s and '80s even can probably relate to us as much as a 21-year-old kid now. There's also a really interesting sense of community with the fans — there's a particular group called the Unified Scene who wear matching T-shirts and form these bonds through the shows. And I never thought we'd see that."

So that's where the Hold Steady find themselves today: still partying hard, still touring even harder, but in front of audiences that now include dads and daughters. It's the kind of landscape shift they can deal with. After all, change is a constant when you're the best band in America. Or something like that.

"It's really exciting to think about where this band has been and where we're going," Finn said. "When we started, we wanted to play a show and drink some beer, and then last summer we opened for the Rolling Stones and played Glastonbury, and we opened for the Stooges in Croatia. This band has really taken us around the world, and it's allowed all of us to see so much. I'm pretty much amazed on a daily basis."

"Like on this tour, all of a sudden, we have a barrier in front of the stage — that was weird at first, but we've grown to embrace it," guitarist Tad Kubler added. "But then you realize that it stops the people, but it doesn't stop the beer from raining down on the stage, so it's sort of like old times."

• The Hold Steady: America's Best Rock Band?

• The Hold Steady

Photo: MTV News

• The Hold Steady

Selections from our columnist's "The Best Albums Of 2008 (So Far)" list
Photo: MTV News

On The Record: The Best Albums From The First Half Of 2008

If my math is correct — and believe me, there's a very good chance it might not be — then today is the official halfway point of 2008. So what better time to roll out a list of my favorite albums from the first 182.5 days of the year? (It's a rhetorical question; there really isn't one.)

What follows are the 20 albums that I've been obsessed with thus far in '08. There's been no shortage of really great music made this year, and looking at the list now, I realize that I've already forgotten to throw Beck's Modern Guilt (hey, it leaked yesterday!), My Morning Jacket's Evil Urges and Bun B's II Trill on there. But that's the beauty of the halfway point: I've got a whole six months to rectify those errors.

I've broken things down into two groups. The first is honorable mentions, which are albums that, for whatever reason (usually because I am incredibly lazy), I haven't given proper attention to just yet, though I realize there's something there and I'm sure I'll get around to them one of these days. The second group is a standard top 10, which is, well, my 10 favorites so far.

If you've got a halfway list, I'd love to see it — and if there are any records I've missed, feel free to let me know about them: BTTS@MTVStaff.com is the address. And now, on to my picks.

Honorable Mentions

Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago - Bearded dude records somber acoustic album in a log cabin. This is why I hate Iron & Wine, right? Still, people kept recommending this one to me, and so I'm finally getting around to giving it a proper try. So far, the results are promising.

British Sea Power, Do You Like Rock Music? - Why, yes ... yes I do. For years, BSP have been churning out angular, angsty rock with a flair for the dramatic, and their latest only continues that trend. Unfortunately, it also continues the trend of them never getting enough respect for doing so.

Deerhunter, Microcastles - I'll be honest. I've only heard the leaked version of this one (doesn't it come out in, like, October?), so I'm giving it an incomplete grade for now. But I like the compression and focus and sheen I'm hearing so far, except that they cut out a whole lot of "Calvary Scars," which is sort of bumming me out. Last year DH mastermind Bradford Cox promised that the song would be part of "a three-song suite ... [in which] I would like to attempt — though I'll probably fail — to kill off the adolescent character that haunts everything I write." And I like my self-flagellating song cycles to be as long as (in)humanly possible, dammit.

Islands, Arms Way - An album full of proggy guitars, trilling strings, herky-jerky time signatures and disco bass lines that's also a concept record? Where do I sign up? Still, no matter how much ephemera Nick Thorburn and co. stuff into it, I can't shake the notion that Arms is sort of a leaky piñata, and I'm 90 percent certain it isn't as good as their 2006 effort, Return to the Sea (though the cover art is certainly way more awesome).

Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III - Hey, 1 million Wayne fans can't be wrong, can they? Truth be told, III is really only part of the Weezy phenomenon, one that stretches across mixtapes and message boards and "no he didn't" proclamations and guest spots too numerous to mention, which goes a long way toward explaining just how scattershot it is. But it's also biting, bruising, hilarious and completely confounding, by far the most interesting and compelling hip-hop album released to this point, and probably the only album in history that makes Robin Thicke (who sings on the haunting post-Katrina tune "Tie My Hands") seem interesting. And that's including Thicke's own records.

M83, Saturdays = Youth - A loving ode to raccoon-eyed girls, drinking in graveyards, kissing with tongue and the general splendor of being young and free and unafraid of death, coated in a lacquer of synthesizers and starbursts and even a guitar or three. Or basically like every John Hughes film ever, only dancier and dreamier. And made by a French guy. And not "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."

MGMT, Oracular Spectacular - I really wanted to hate these guys because of their headbands and because someone told me they were "fake major-label hipsters" (which is hilarious). But then — much like with the Bon Iver disc — people kept telling me how great their album was. Lo and behold, people knew what they were talking about. There's so much sumptuous electro-pop going on here ("Time to Pretend" might be the anthem of '08) that I'm sure this one will end up ranking much higher on my year-end list. I wish they'd ditch the shtick, though.

She & Him, Volume One - These kinds of things are never supposed to work, only Zooey Deschanel's voice is so big and pure and clean (it sounds like her eyes look, if that makes any sense), and M. Ward's production is so dusty and crackly and warm that somehow everything falls directly into place. A genuine treat of an album, full of songs about love and loss and sounds that burble and plink; it reminds me of Richard and Linda Thompson's I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight. Scarlett Johansson should take note.

Silver Jews, Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea - David Berman can't sing to save his life, but that's never been the point of Silver Jews. It's about what he's singing, which, on Lookout, means wordy odes to bluegrass drummers washing dishes in 24-hour restaurants and multi-part epics about bungling burglars in San Francisco, to name just a few. Plus, given that he currently resides in Nashville, he's able to use the phrase "squirrely" in the proper context.

The Teenagers, Reality Check - An album that OMGWTFed its way into my headphones based solely on the strength of "Homecoming," a bawdy slice of synth-pop that proves that American girls are dumb and European guys are scumbags. As a whole, Reality Check might be a bit too long (it plays like one long, long, long tumble through PerezHilton.com), and it's got the shelf life of an episode of "Gossip Girl," but if you've ever been curious to know what Pulp would've sounded like if Jarvis Cocker were an erudite, Peter Pan-ish French guy, well, here you go.

The Top 10

10. The Plastic Constellations, We Appreciate You - That this, their final beery hurrah, came and went without so much as a whimper is pretty much the way things have always gone for the Plastics, a hard-charging, harder-partying Minneapolis quartet who sang about brotherhood and metaphorical dragons and stuff and never got the love they deserved. Basically recorded as a thank-you note to their loyal fans in and around the Midwest, Appreciate also displays TPC at the pinnacle of their powers — check the stop/startiness of "Stay That Way" or the doomy guitars of "Phantom Canyon" — and is about as close as you'll ever come to witnessing the sweaty glory of their infamous live sets. It's also one of only two albums I can think of this year (the other sits at #1 on this list) that furthers the concept of "inclusion rock" (which I wrote about back in March), meaning that right up until the bitter end, TPC were fighting the good fight, metaphorical or otherwise.

9. Girl Talk, Feed the Animals - The album LL Cool J doesn't want you to hear, the one that samples Kanye and Metallica and Jimi Hendrix and Radiohead (plus about 300 others) and does so bravely and without apology. Girl Talk couldn't have existed in any other era (OK sure, I know all about Double Dee and Steinski), inasmuch as he's been raised on MTV and he's got both the musical palate and attention span to prove it. And if nothing else, Animals is Exhibit A — a whiplash-fast trip through the past 50 years of recorded music, cut-and-pasted without regard to anyone's feelings and played back like an iPod in a blender. Words are twisted, beats broken and copyright laws tested. It's dance music you can't really dance to, but that's sort of the point now, isn't it?

8. The Breeders, Mountain Battles - In 2002, when I was drunk all the time, I wrote the following review of the Breeders' Title TK album on a napkin, in the hopes of having it published in Spin magazine: "The broken guitars, the charred crystalline of Kim Deal's voice ... like finding a golden broach pinned to a cigarette butt, this is an album of disgusting, dirty beauty." Now, aside from that being totally awesome, it's funny how well it also applies to Battles, an album of even more disgusting and dirtier beauty. Over the course of 37 raucous, raw minutes, the Deal sisters prove that the more things change — time, weight, space — the more they stay the same. Plus, this time, they sing in German and Spanish!

7. Crystal Castles, Crystal Castles - Welcome to the future, as imagined by a couple of hipsters from Toronto and played through an Atari 5200. Chippy, bitty and occasionally really beautiful — like all good electronic albums should be — their self-titled debut stands out from the fold thanks to the moments when frontwoman Alice Glass is allowed to unleash her guttural growl (songs like "Alice Practice" and "xxzxcuzx Me"), which instantly change the Castles into some sort of electro version of the Distillers. Trust me, the record is better than that last sentence indicates.

6. Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend - Look, I was just like you. I saw the boat shoes and the oxfords. I shuddered at the social ramifications of statements like "Upper West Side Soweto." I sat through the video for "Mansard Roof." Believe me, I wanted to dislike Vampire Weekend so, so badly ... probably more than anyone out there. But I just couldn't. Turns out, they're a pretty great band, and their self-titled album is probably better than you remember (since you probably stopped listening to it the moment the blog backlash started). In fact, it'll probably end up wedged a bit higher on this list at year's end. Snappy like a piqued polo, sharp like a pair of Ray-Bans and a pastel sweater tied jauntily 'round the neck, Vampire Weekend make you realize things about yourself — things you probably don't want to think about, like how you're a snarky, judgmental jerk. Or maybe that's just me.

5. Erykah Badu, New Amerykah, Part One (4th World War) - So far, this is the year's most certifiably batsh-- record, a labyrinthine mix of chittering beats, rattling bass and gauzy, hazy vibes, and one that jumps through time like Desmond from "Lost" — from the past to the future and back to the present — only to remind us that things have always been as messed up as they are right now. So we get somber '70s soul rolled up into harrowing postmillennial doomsday proclamations, with Badu — part priestess, part transistor radio — hovering above the din, holding the world in the palm of her hand and spinning it faster and faster on its axis. A positively vital record — probably the most important of the year — full of social commentary and smoky quests for spirituality in these troubled times, one full of hope yet also realistic enough to point out that we're probably teetering on the brink of something very bad. Also, proof that you probably don't want to spend the night alone in Badu's head.

4. Death Cab for Cutie, Narrow Stairs - I wrote an entire column about this album back in March, calling it "unquestionably the best thing they've ever done ... full of songs that thrash and rattle and bounce around echo chambers ... an early contender for the best album of 2008," and, well, nothing's changed since then. Stairs is a marvelous album, full of crags and pockmarks that make me scratch my head and songs that give me goose bumps for days. If possible, it's only grown on me over the past month as I've been driving around Los Angeles for "FNMTV", and though I am aware Ben Gibbard is an avowed anti-L.A. guy, Stairs recalls nothing quite as vividly as it does driving around the city — it's sad and beautiful, and there are terrifying moments when all hell breaks loose and you have no idea what's happening, which is sort of like trying to merge onto the 405.

3. Constantines, Kensington Heights - "You can tell by the way we walk/ We've got hard feelings!" Cons frontman Bryan Webb growls at the beginning of his group's fourth full-length, and quite frankly, it's all downhill from there. Midway through, he's mumbling about how "time can be overcome," and by album's end he's been reduced to bellowing that "you do what you can do with what you got." Welcome to blue-collar anger, circa 2008. Webb knows that he can't win, can't escape and can't afford not to show up, so instead he pours his heart into Kensington Heights, penning songs about falling short of previous generations ("New King"), having sh--ty credit ("Credit River") and the beauty that comes with living proud in the face of overwhelming obstacles ("I Will Not Sing a Hateful Song"). There's a disarming directness to his approach, one that resonates long after the last chord has been struck. Uneasy listening at its finest.

2.No Age, Nouns - Welcome to the future as imagined by a couple of hipsters from Los Angeles and played through a wall of indiscernible feedback. No Age certainly aren't the only band making gloriously lo-fi noise these days, they're simply the best. Recalling the DIY spirit of '77 punk and the bedroom aesthetics of '91 indie rock, they're a band operating at the peak of its powers, only you sort of expect there's a whole other level yet to be tapped. "Eraser" is part sunny psych, part spiky guitars; "Teen Creeps" is electronic whirs and crunchy chords; and "Keechie" is a squealing, dreamy instrumental that sounds like sunshine through the tops of trees. It's noise like you've never imagined noise could be. There's a reason the liner notes to Nouns are packed with photos documenting the L.A. scene that birthed the band: It sounds like a momentous document of an era, a touchstone noise-rock record that's never gonna be topped.

1. The Hold Steady, Stay Positive - The best band in America make the best album of their career, a sprawling, profane opus that takes the singular world frontman Craig Finn has created over the course of four albums — dead-end kids doing dead-end things, usually down by the banks of the Mississippi River — and folds it in on itself, creating something entirely new in the process. There is still plenty of drinking (on water towers, in the woods, in Memphis) and drugging (in hotel rooms, at laser-light shows, in "cute little cars") and dance floors, but things have somehow gotten darker this time around, as if Finn himself knows that the party can't last forever and Sunday morning's gotta come someday. So accordingly, kids are crucified, canonized and catch spears in the side, while VFW Halls and 7 Seconds cassettes are revered like Bethlehem or the Old Testament. Bar bands aren't supposed to be this God-fearing, unless they're drinking the sacramental wine, which, knowing the Hold Steady, doesn't seem all that improbable at this point.

Questions? Concerns? Lists of your own? Send 'em to me! BTTS@MTVStaff.com

• Erykah Badu
• Death Cab For Cutie
• Vampire Weekend
• The Hold Steady

Britney Spears
Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

On The Record: Are You Happy Now?

"There is so much joy in what we do up here!" Craig Finn shouted, arms extended, during the cacophonous climax of the Hold Steady's homecoming show at Minneapolis' State Theatre on Thursday night.

"Long live happiness!" Bruce Springsteen growled less than 24 hours later, as 18,000 fans stood and cheered at the end of his sweaty, sold-out set at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Clearly, there must be something in the Twin City tap water. Rock acts are not supposed to act this way, especially not in this day and age. No one is buying records and the sky is falling and being in a band is a business and business is really, really bad. And rock — which somewhere along the way dropped its "and roll" surname — is no longer the soundtrack to Saturday night. Rock is important now. It is art, and as such, bands must suffer for it each night. Each performance is a pound of flesh. Thom Yorke does not have good times. Win Butler's body is a cage. And, not surprisingly, there is not much room in any of this for concepts of joy and happiness and — gasp! — fun.

Yet, for two consecutive nights last week, all of those things happened. Pretense was shed at the door, like so many winter coats. People in the audience — fathers and sons in matching T-shirts, mothers-of-three cutting loose — pumped their fists and sang along and hugged complete strangers. The bands smiled and drank (a lot, in the case of the Hold Steady) and didn't get bogged down in histrionics or politics or anything of the sort (even the Boss kept his polemic limited to a pair of onstage speeches about the state of the nation). It was everything rock and roll was supposed to be, twice over. There was happiness everywhere.

Of course, I'd be lying if I said all that joy wasn't a tad bit unsettling, though not in the way you might expect. What unnerved me wasn't the bliss, it was the fact that I didn't once consider the things I usually do while watching a band these days (blogs, the fate of major labels, In Rainbows). Rather, in the midst of all that merriment, I kept thinking about Britney Spears.

Because, really, Britney should be this happy. She's earned it. By the time you read this, Blackout, her so-far-beyond-a-comeback comeback album, will be sitting pretty at #2 on the Billboard albums chart, an impressive accomplishment given everything we've seen or read about her over the past two years. The album has been getting good reviews, and the first single, "Gimme More," is an actual hit. I mean, people thought that she was gonna die, and she has one of the top albums in the country. Whatever happens from here on out, Britney pretty much wins. And this should all be sweet vindication for her, but you get the feeling that she's not exactly happy about any of it, or even is she is, she has no real way of showing it.

This is largely based on the assumptions I have formed about her, having never interviewed her, nor even been in a room with her. But I don't think it's a stretch to say that there is very little joy in Britney's life, what with the kids and the paparazzi and court appearances and the alleged running-over-of-people's feet. She exists in a world in which her every move is documented — not that this isn't mostly her own fault — and as such, she'll probably celebrate Blackout's success by doing what she usually does: go to a club somewhere, perhaps dance on a table, maybe not wear underpants.

But just once, I bet she'd like to experience the joy Springsteen did last week, or to be overcome with happiness the way Finn was at the State Theatre, and to do it without being judged.

I realize, of course, that none of that will probably ever happen. As do I realize that it's probably much easier for both Springsteen and Finn to be happy. Neither of them is under the microscope Spears is. The Boss sells out arenas around the world, lords over a loyal army of subjects (though all those "Bruuuuuce" chants must get a bit old after a while) and fronts an amazing band. He is pushing 60, yet can probably do more push-ups than I can. He is rich and famous and people know all the words to all his songs. Finn and the Hold Steady can't compete with Springsteen's level of massiveness, but I don't think they'd ever like to. They are the best bar band in the world. To them, happiness is drinking beers and playing rock and roll and constantly finding themselves in places they never thought they'd be, like headlining the State Theatre in front of their families or making appearances on "Kent Hrbek Outdoors" or opening for the Rolling Stones in Dublin (something Finn mentioned not just during between-song banter in Minneapolis but also in a new song they played, "Ask Her for Adderall").

I wonder if Britney will ever be this happy, if the little things like triumph and silencing her detractors can bring her joy. In reality, happiness is what you make it. And maybe she is very happy about Blackout. It's a shame that she'll never be able to show it, though. Because I shudder to think what Craig Finn would do if the Hold Steady came that close to topping the charts. Actually, I sort of imagine that it'd be like the past two years of Spears' life — the partying, the passing out, the rehab, the shaved head — all rolled up into one, well, Massive Night. And hopefully, it'd take place in Minneapolis, with the Boss there for moral support (and maybe to do a version of "Rosalita [Come Out Tonight]"). And I'd get tickets to see it.

B-Sides: Other Stories I'm Following This Week

Alicia Keys alienates her entire zombie fanbase (see "Alicia Keys: 'If Your Heart Doesn't Feel Me, Then You Are Dead!' ").

Shia LaBeouf was arrested at a Walgreen's in Chicago; that "3rd Rock From the Sun" kid is working at a Rite Aid in Alabama (see "Shia LaBeouf Arrested At Chicago Drugstore").

Jack Nicholson is both a Lakers and a Yankees fan, which defies explanation and makes me like him a little less (see "Jack Nicholson Talks! In Rare Interview, Actor Reveals Details Of Never-Shot 'Chinatown' Sequel").

Questions? Concerns? Craig Finn? Hit me up at BTTS@MTVStaff.com.

• Britney Spears' Ongoing Saga: What's Next?

• Britney Spears
• Bruce Springsteen
• The Hold Steady

Bow Wow and Omarion at the 2007 Teen Choice Awards on Sunday
Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

There were surfboards and gleeful squeals aplenty Sunday night at the Teen Choice Awards — not to mention a whole lot of plugging going on from the stars MTV News caught up with on the red carpet at the event, which took place in Universal City, California. "American Idol" champ Jordin Sparks let it be known that even though she plans to record the majority of her yet-untitled debut after she wraps the Idols Live Tour at the end of September, she's still hoping to have it in stores on November 20. Actress Emmy Rossum promises that her upcoming album Inside Out will package "ambient pop ... in a really sexy, new and fresh way," and Bow Wow and Omarion said that their upcoming album Face Off will be a guest-star-heavy good time: "We just left Chicago, working with R. Kelly, and we still got to work with T-Pain, Timbaland, Lil Ronnie (who produced 'I'm a Flirt'), so we're definitely bringing the noise," Bow Wow said. "We got the chance to give people what they want: There's been a drought in the music, there hasn't been a lot of fun in music, so with the videos and everything, we're gonna do that." ...

(Catch up with Fergie, Bow Wow, Omarion, Jordin Sparks, Emmy Rossum and more at the Teen Choice Awards in these video clips.)

Vincent "Don Vito" Margera saw his first court date on two counts of sexual assault on a child once again pushed back on Monday (August 27) — to October 22. But the news wasn't all positive for Bam Margera's uncle, as he was hit with 12 counts of violating his bail-bond conditions. Pam Russell, a spokesperson for Colorado's Jefferson and Gilpin County district attorney's office, confirmed that each unspecified violation is a felony, but said she was not allowed by law to provide specifics on how Margera is alleged to have violated his bail. A hearing on the bond-violation charges is slated for September 5. Margera, 51, has been out on $50,000 bond since last year, when he was charged in the incident that allegedly involved inappropriate contact with two underage girls at a promotional event in Colorado. He was ordered to return to his home in Pennsylvania, submit to random urine tests, have no contact with children under 18 and supply his bond supervisor with his itinerary if he travels for business. Margera's attorney could not be reached for comment. In addition to a maximum of six years in prison on the assault charges, The Associated Press reported that he could face up to 18 months in prison for the bail violations. ...

Britney Spears' and Kevin Federline's lawyers appeared at a last-minute hearing on Monday to discuss a Department of Child and Family Services child-abuse investigation and the former spouses' child-custody battle. According to a Los Angeles Superior Court clerk, the hearing was closed to the public and held in the judge's chambers, with documents on both sides filed soon thereafter. The documents remain sealed while the judge determines whether they may be released to the public. According to a source in Federline's camp, he could end up with temporary custody of his two children with Spears, Sean Preston and Jayden James. There's no word yet on who filed the complaint that prompted the DCFS investigation, the third the pop singer has faced since having children — the first was prompted when she was photographed driving without a car set for Sean Preston, the second when the child fell out of his high chair. The custody battle will continue September 4. ...

In the meantime, Spears' former manager Larry Rudolph doesn't want to be involved in the child-custody dispute for fear that he might have to reveal certain information about the singer, People reports. Ryan Seacrest said on his "On Air With Ryan Seacrest" radio show on Monday morning that he was in contact with Rudolph over the weekend and that the lawyer "doesn't want to have to go under oath and talk about certain things that might hurt [Spears]." In related news, the singer was cleared by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals after questions were raised about a leg injury sustained by Spears' Yorkshire terrier. The group said Spears had been cooperative and that the dog received proper medical attention. ...

Authorities unearthed the remains of two more dogs that had been buried in the backyard of DMX's residence in Cave Creek, Arizona, and discovered a half-pound of what they believe to be illegal narcotics, Maricopa County sheriff's office spokesman Captain Paul Chagolla told MTV News on Monday. At a press conference on Saturday, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said more information regarding the raid will be released Tuesday. ...

Nick Bollea, Hulk Hogan's 17-year-old son, was discharged from a hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Monday morning after being involved in a car accident the previous evening. Police said Bollea, who was featured in VH1's "Hogan Knows Best" reality series, was driving his Toyota Supra at a high speed along state Route 60 when he lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a raised median at 7:30 p.m. in Clearwater. The car reportedly flipped over, and the rear of the vehicle collided with a palm tree. Bollea and one of his car's passengers, 22-year-old John Graziano, were airlifted to the Bayfront Medical Center following the crash. The nature of both Bollea's and Graziano's injuries was not immediately known, but a police spokesperson characterized them as serious. Graziano remains under the hospital's care in critical condition. Alcohol is not believed to have played a role in the accident, but police continue to investigate the crash. No criminal charges have been filed. "My son Nick and a friend were involved in a car accident last night," Linda Hogan said in a statement reportedly obtained Monday by TMZ.com. "Nick suffered minor injuries and has been treated and released from the hospital. At this time, his friend John Graziano remains hospitalized. Nick is currently at the hospital with John and his family. His sole concern is for the well-being of his friend. On behalf of my family, we ask that your thoughts and prayers be with John and his loved ones." ...

The White Stripes have a full fall ahead, as they plan to continue to back their recent Icky Thump LP with additional touring. But that's not stopping the tireless Jack White from giving some love to his other project, the Raconteurs, as well. He and bandmate Brendan Benson posted a humorous and slightly enigmatic exchange on their band's Web site on Monday morning, letting slip a few details about the follow-up to last year's Broken Boy Soldiers. "The 'Teurs have a lot of new songs in the works people, the writing and structure of them has dissipated and reinvigorated and many times over since we came home from our last shows," the post read. "The new songs are coming together strong, I hate to even attempt to describe them." ...

The Cure have put the brakes on their planned September/October tour in North America, deciding instead to push it to April/May. "The schedule as it stands only gives us a couple of weeks to finish our new double album before we hit the road again, and we know this just isn't enough time to complete the project to our total satisfaction," the band said in a statement posted on its site, TheCure.com. Tickets purchased for the originally scheduled shows will be honored. ... Phil Spector's top lawyer, Bruce Cutler, announced Monday that he is leaving the case due to a "difference of opinion between Mr. Spector and me on strategy," according to AP. Spector later told reporters that it was his decision for the attorney to leave, saying Cutler "shouldn't do the closing argument because it wouldn't be in my best interest to stay on. He agreed. ... I thought he would be a target with the judge and prosecutors and that he wouldn't be taken as seriously as he should. With his television show, he wasn't here as much as he should have been." Defense lawyer Roger Rosen is taking over as Spector's top lawyer. Also on Monday, the defense called two witnesses — Lana Clarkson's friends Jennifer Hayes-Riedl and Elizabeth "Punkin Pie" Laughlin — to reiterate their testimony. Defense lawyers also started showing jurors e-mails recently extracted from the hard drive on the deceased actress' computer. In the messages, Clarkson detailed her depression over her acting career and turning 40, and wrote about her use of pain pills and alcohol. ...

Madonna and her family are planning to head back to Israel in September — and this time Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher and possibly Bruce Willis are expected to go participate in the trek, The Jerusalem Post reports. The celebrities will join thousands of Kabbalah Center students for the 10-day High Holiday pilgrimage, which begins with Rosh Hashanah (September 12-14) and ends with Yom Kippur (September 21-22). The paper reports that the press will be asked to keep its distance from the celebrities after Madonna — who only plans to go to the first few days of the event — was hounded by media when she made a similar visit three years ago. ... Kevin Smith is no stranger to TV — from subbing for Roger Ebert on "Ebert & Roeper" to cropping up on "Veronica Mars," he's definitely made his presence known on the small screen. Now the "Clerks" director is set to helm episodes of "Heroes: Origins" — a spinoff of the action show — "Reaper" and "Battlestar Galactica." Smith told AOL TV he's especially excited about "Battlestar": "It's cool, but it is scary because it is like, 'What the f---?' I can't bring anything to that show." ...

Matt Costa is putting off his second album a bit longer — Unfamiliar Faces, produced by No Doubt's Tom Dumont, has shifted to January 15. But the California singer/songwriter is staying busy — he's tacked onto his schedule a handful of dates opening for Modest Mouse: Monday (Portland, Oregon); September 10 (Salt Lake City); September 14 (Santa Barbara, California); and September 15 (Las Vegas). ... Rousing indie-rockers the Hold Steady and Art Brut are ganging up for NME's Rock 'N' Roll Riot Tour, which will hit the States this fall for the first time. The run stretches from an October 21 gig in Providence through a November 21 concert in New York. ... My Bloody Valentine are close to signing a deal that would reunite the seminal shoegazer band for a performance at next year's Coachella in April — and a subsequent tour to boot, TheDailySwarm.com reports. The band hasn't been active for a dozen years, but reports have suggested that a new album might be in the works.

08.24.07

Jordin Sparks doesn't have a name for her debut album yet, but she's got a release date set in stone: November 20. In anticipation of the 19 Recordings/ Jive disc, the "American Idol" champ drew back the curtains on her first single on Friday, debuting "Tattoo" on AOL's Pop Eater blog. The track hits radio Monday. Sparks told The Associated Press that the effort was partly modeled after one of her own idols, Kelly Clarkson — but that she's a bit nervous to be following in the wake of Clarkson and Carrie Underwood's success. "They've risen the bar so high and I'm like, 'I hope I can reach it,' " she said. "Hopefully [my LP will] sell well and people will like it." ...

The runner-up to Sparks, Blake Lewis, is following suit — he just signed to 19 Recordings/ Arista and is planning to drop his first album late this year as well. Hit-maker du jour J.R. Rotem is already on board for the effort. ...

It's no McDonald's parking-lot tour, but Missy Elliott will be featured in a new Doritos ad campaign debuting September 17, Billboard.com reports. In the clip, she is seen working on a new song and snacking on Doritos Collision, different-flavored chips that spur her to fuse a little country into her hip-hop track. A contest to be held on SnackStrongProductions.com will allow visitors to create their own mash-ups using Elliott's track, although the prizes have yet to be determined. The site also features a help section in which Elliott will give tips. ...

Listen up, punk-rockers: Unreleased and rare tracks by Panic! at the Disco, Gym Class Heroes, the Used, Cute Is What We Aim For, Sparta, Head Automatica and more fill up Press Play: Volume 1, a new comp that was put together by Photo Finish and Alternative Press. A portion of the proceeds from the September 25 release will go to the Keep a Breast Foundation, a nonprofit organization that fights breast cancer. ...

The Disney Channel will air a special dance-along version of "High School Musical 2" on September 8 at 8 p.m. ET, People reports. Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens and other castmembers will instruct viewers on how to mimic their dance moves during the opening and closing numbers. ... Russell Simmons has stepped down from his post as CEO of Phat Fashions, the company he founded in 1992 that spawned Phat Farm clothing. "I leave the division and the brand in great hands. There are so many things I want to achieve, and this is the appropriate moment for me to move on to my next business venture," the hip-hop mogul said in a statement. ...

Mos Def is sounding off about José Padilla, the Guantánamo detainee who was convicted earlier this week of supporting terrorism. "We all know the history of insufficient evidence or testimony under duress — at the very least, legal circumstances that demand some sort of reinvestigation ... basically saying these people are not the criminals they're being made out to be," he told The Associated Press on Thursday. Mos Def will participate this weekend in the 10th annual Black August benefit concert at New York's Nokia Theatre. The event serves to create awareness about people who its organizers, the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, believe have been unfairly convicted — Talib Kweli, Saigon and Dead Prez are also on the bill. ...

Music, martial arts and chess ... how could members of the Wu-Tang Clan not be involved? RZA and GZA are participating in the Hip-Hop Chess Foundation's first-ever Chess Kings Invitational, set for October 13 at the San Francisco Design Center. The rappers will talk on the tournament's Life Strategies panel about how music, martial arts and chess — activities the organization uses to promote nonviolence — have affected their lives. ...

Muse have plotted a handful of September dates with Juliette and the Licks: Seattle (September 9); Portland, Oregon (September 10); Orem, Utah (September 12); Dallas (September 16); Morrison, Colorado (September 18); Mesa, Arizona (September 20); and Irvine, California (September 21). Muse will also hit the San Diego Street Scene on September 22. ... Ben Kweller just squeezed out a new seven-track live EP, Ben Kweller: Live and Solo at the Artists Den, that was recorded December 13 at New York's Solo House. The disc of rarely performed songs is available now at digital outlets. ...

System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian will shoot a video for "Praise the Lord, Pass the Ammunition," from the rocker's solo debut, Elect the Dead, at an undisclosed venue in Hollywood next week with director Greg Watermann (Mudvayne, Lamb of God). Extras are needed for the video — those interested in auditioning can e-mail Watermann at serjvideo@gregwatermann.com. ... The track list for Thrice's upcoming LP The Alchemy Index: Vols. I & II - Fire & Water has been revealed. Fire will boast six cuts, including "The Messenger," "Backdraft" and "Burn the Fleet"; Water will also contain six tunes, among them "Open Water," "Night Diving" and "Kings Upon the Main." Look for the discs to hit stores October 16. ...

A writer/producer who worked on "In Living Color" and created Nickelodeon's "Roundhouse" is suing the Walt Disney Company, claiming it stole his idea for "Hannah Montana," Reuters reports. In the suit, Morris Taylor "Buddy" Sheffield says he pitched Disney Channel executives the idea for a kids' show about a high school student who leads a secret life as a pop star. Sheffield also claims Disney could owe him and his production company millions in lost profits and damages, and he wants compensation for legal fees. A Disney Channel spokesperson told the news service the network had no comment. ...

Kirsten Dunst's penthouse suite at a hotel in Manhattan, New York, was robbed earlier this month, according to court records obtained by AP. Thieves got away with a $13,000 handbag, cell phone, $2,500 in cash, an iPod, two digital cameras and ID cards belonging to the actress, who had been in the city to shoot scenes for her upcoming flick "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People." One suspect was arraigned Wednesday on burglary and grand-larceny charges, and is being held on $50,000 bond. ...

Hellyeah — the band featuring members of Mudvayne, Pantera and Nothingface — are on the hunt for a dozen women they'd like to act as their "Hellyeah girls." The winners will be featured in the band's 2008 calendar — to enter, contestants need to post an audition video to Break.com and send a link to the clip to hellyeahtv@gmail.com. ... The Dillinger Escape Plan will headline a U.S. tour this fall set to kick off October 4 in Cleveland, Ohio. Just five dates have been confirmed, but more will be announced in the coming weeks. The trek will also feature A Life Once Lost, Behold ... the Arctopus and Genghis Tron. Dillinger's forthcoming LP, Ire Works, lands in stores November 13. ...

The resurrected Jesus & Mary Chain are heading back to the studio to record their first studio album in nine years. The band will also treat four West Coast cities to more concerts: Las Vegas (October 20); Anaheim, California (October 22); Los Angeles (October 23) and San Francisco (October 26-27). ... Queen guitarist Brian May has finished his doctorate in a crazy little thing called astrophysics — he was awarded his Imperial College qualification on Thursday in London. May had been an astrophysics student before joining the band 37 years ago but dropped out as Queen became successful. His thesis? "Radical Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud." ...

Ted Nugent is at it again. The controversial right-wing rocker went on a profanity-spewed tirade at a concert last week, according to video footage posted on LiveLeak.com. With machine guns in his hands, a camouflaged Nugent yelled, "Obama, he's a piece of sh--, and I told him to suck on my machine gun. ... And then I was in New York. I said, 'Hey Hillary, you might want to ride one of these into the sunset.' " He also went off on Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer before saying, "Any questions?" and shouting, "Freedom!"

• Bow Wow, Omarion, Fergie At Teen Choice Awards
• DMX's House Raided; 12 Pit Bulls Removed

• Fergie, Lauren Conrad, Chingy, Kelly Clarkson, More On The 2007 Teen Choice Awards Red Carpet

• Bow Wow
• Omarion
• R. Kelly
• The White Stripes
• Raconteurs

Interpol's Paul Banks performs on Saturday at Lollapalooza
Photo: Jeff Gentner/Getty Images

CHICAGO — Perry Farrell's good luck ran out on Saturday (August 4) when the predicted rain finally fell from the sky to the tune of Karen O's manic wails. But the downpour surely didn't dampen the spirits of the Lollapalooza crowd, which grew significantly on this, the festival's second day.

(Get your Lollapalooza fill: Watch the Roots' ?uestlove, Perry Farrell, Cold War Kids, Stephen Marley and more chill in the shade with Tim Kash and see snaps of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Daft Punk, M.I.A., the Rapture and more.)

Instead of bringing down the mood, the rain kind of cooled things off and made for a nice, humid vibe during Interpol's closing set, as lights were hit with rain, sending steam into the air. Taking the stage like a gang of new-wave Black Barts, Interpol closed out day two of Lollapalooza with style, a boatload of low-end and the velvet-rope-jumping swagger they've become famous for. The thudding bass of dressed-in-black Carlos D. and the molar-rattling kick-drum of Sam Fogarino set the crowd dancing (and doing other things) during the see-sawing "Slow Hands, " as the somber group kicked off a 70-plus-minute set that alternated between propulsive rockers and moody meditations.

It was hard to gauge just what inscrutable singer Paul Banks — also, of course, dressed in black pants, black shirt and sporting a black wristband — was thinking, since his blond mop of hair was hanging in his face for much of the set and he didn't speak except for a perfunctory hello to the rain-soaked crowd.

All the fans needed to hear was the group's string of midset narcotic lullabies building up to the stadium-size anthem "Evil, " which has "instant classic" written all over it. From the Pixies-like walking bass intro to the rat-a-tat drums, Banks' just-behind-the-beat singing and the slashing/watery guitar line from Daniel Kessler, the tune lived up to the band's rock and roll desperado look. And when Carlos D. held up his bass to play his part as if it were a giant Roman Candle, it almost made you wish some sparks would fly out of it.

The rain let up just in time for Muse's closing set, which was a visual stunner: 10-foot panels of pulsating lights, with blinding strobes, and gigantic screens, projecting strange sci-fi (think "Tron") and politically tinged imagery. Opening with "Take a Bow," a powerful commentary on both President Bush and former Prime Minister Tony Blair's decision to enter Iraq, Muse reinvigorated the soggy crowd. The band couldn't have been more on — every note was executed masterfully, making this the perfect ending to a day full of high points.

Next came "Hysteria, " followed by "Supermassive Black Hole" and "Butterflies and Hurricanes." Frontman Matthew Bellamy's haunting vocals put an interesting spin on the band's only cover of the night, Nina Simone's "Feeling Good. " The anthemic performance continued with "Apocalypse Please," "Invincible," "Starlight" and "Time Is Running Out," all of which had the audience mesmerized — these guys put on a huge rock show, which ended with the triumphant "Knights of Cydonia." Muse set the bar pretty high and will be a tough act to best on Sunday.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs certainly brought the power as well. As we've learned from musical history, rock stars are born, not made. And whatever DNA contributed to the makeup of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O must have been one wicked batch. The dynamo lead singer of the indie champs stole the show Saturday with a fashion-forward set that had more costume changes than a Cher extravaganza and some rebel yells that threatened to rattle the windows of the skyscrapers on the Chicago skyline.

Strutting onto the stage in a giant silver cape with black Charlie Brown-style wavy stripes and silver tassels hanging off the neck, O took center stage and eyed the audience before dropping the cape to reveal an all-black leather outfit — bustier, shorts, fingerless gloves, some kind of skirt — accented by silver high-tops and black criss-cross leggings. As the band ripped into the monster-stomping "Sealings, " with O yelling, "Shoot, shoot out your mouth, " she exuded rock-star cool from the first moment, owning the audience.

The punk blues of "Honeybear" lurched around like a drunken, well, Lollapalooza fan, speeding up, slowing down and dropping into grinding dirges as the rain began to fall. O messed with her stage getup throughout the set, putting on a feathered mask with silver tassels, draping her face in a silver shawl, ripping her gloves off with her teeth and smearing her red lipstick around so it looked like she'd been punched in the mouth.

The day started off way more mellow, but no less ominous, with a disco-dance-of-death set from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, whose singer, Alec Ounsworth, sounded less like former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne — whom he is often compared to — and more like a helium-voice preacher. The jangly sounds of "Yankee Go Home" (with the unforgettable refrain "Yankee go, Yankee go, Yankee go home") morphed into a spooky waltz that sounded way too creepy to play in broad daylight — and the day had plenty of creepiness.

After opening by singing a cappella, accompanying herself on percussion by tapping on the microphone rhythmically, oddball singer/songwriter Regina Spektor paid tribute to a legendary artist who would take the stage a few hours later, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Patti Smith, by playing her song "Poor Little Rich Boy," which, in turn, references Smith's version of the Who's "My Generation." Again improvising for percussion, Spektor banged on a chair with a drumstick while playing piano with her left hand during the spare tune. Spektor also stopped her set midway into the second song, "On the Radio," when she spotted a fan who had passed out in the middle of the crowd, urging security to get her some help. "I think there's someone sick," she said in her kewpie-doll voice.

Snow Patrol also reached out to a fellow Lolla act during their set with a duet with Silversun Pickups bassist Nikki Monninger, who filled in for Martha Wainwright on the track "Set the Fire to the Third Bar." The overly polite Scots (frontman Gary Lightbody thanked the audience after every song the band performed and even dedicated each track — to the crowd, to the other bands on the bill, to Monninger "for being so sweet") performed a veritable best-of from their growing catalog, including songs like "Run," "Chasing Cars" (the closing chorus of which the singer left to the audience), "How to Be Dead" and "Spitting Games," which Lightbody dedicated to a man in the front row, who was dressed, from head to toe, in a Spider-Man costume and waving an Irish flag to catch the singer's attention.

About 20 seconds into the song, the Spider-Man wannabe made a beeline for the stairs leading up to the stage but was tackled by a team of security guards before he could make it past the third step. As the final notes of "Spitting Games" reverberated across the open field, echoing off the trees, Lightbody, disappointment in his voice, muttered, "Well, I guess he wasn't the real Spider-Man."

One of the warmest receptions of the day was bestowed upon the Cold War Kids, whose set was impassioned, flawless, and, at times, soulful. There wasn't a person in the fist-pumping audience who wasn't singing along with frontman Nathan Willett — doing his best Joe Cocker impersonation — during "Hang Me Up to Dry."

Next up was this generation's answer to P-Funk, the Roots, arguably the tightest band here at Lollapalooza. The band turned up the funk with a genre-spanning medley filled with chunky bass, virtuoso guitar (that inspired some rapturous hyperbole from our blogger), mind-boggling drum solos and a complete horn section. The Roots shifted effortlessly, and without skipping a beat, from Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" to Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," then to the Gang's "Apache" and Biz Markie's "Just a Friend." Next came ODB's "Shimmy Shimmy Ya," Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It" and MIMS' "This Is Why I'm Hot."

The band's performance even attracted the likes of Geico's Caveman, who made his way through the sea of sweaty flesh in front of the stage, giving high-fives and posing for pictures with the hippies that saturated the crowd. The Roots ended things with a cover of the New Birth's "I Can Understand It," which then faded into a captivating James Brown medley. Still, all the folks here had to contend with was a slight drizzle, but the clouds above Chicago are getting darker, and more and more engorged with rain.

Meanwhile, over on the MySpace stage, the Hold Steady geared up and turned out perhaps the most entertaining performance thus far — if only because of how much fun these guys obviously have when they're in their element. The blood rushed to Steady frontman Craig Finn's face as he spit out the lyrics to fan faves like "Chips Ahoy!," "First Night" and "You Can Make Him Like You." And appearances aren't deceiving in this band's case — these dudes absolutely love being onstage.

"We played here last summer, and I said it was the most fun I'd ever had before 3 p.m.," Finn, who was sporting a Ron Gardenhire jersey, explained. "This is shaping up to be the most fun I've had in my life."

Sherwood started off the day on the MySpace stage with a feel-good, feedback-filled set that included a confession. "We've never been to a Lollapalooza before," said frontman Nate Henry. "I'm sorta confused as to how this happened."

The first act to hit the main stage was Ontario, Canada's Tokyo Police Club, a young indie/ garage-rock outfit whose every song seemed to end on a dime. The band woke the crowd up with a heaping helping of bombastic drum blasts, tinny guitar squeals and thick, syrupy bass lines. And despite the early hour, the turnout for the Club was strong. "It's shocking to see so many of you here," noted frontman Josh Hook before the band launched into the explosive "Box." The crowd showed their appreciation, applauding loudly for the Lolla virgins.

Later on, Minneapolis rockers Tapes n' Tapes churned out a driving set that was so loud it nearly blew the MySpace stage's amps — but not loud enough to scare away at least three dads in attendance, who traipsed through the crowd with infants strapped to their chests. The highlight of the band's volatile performance was "Beach Girls," during which drummer Greg Alsop hammered the skins as if the fate of the free world depended on it.

I'm From Barcelona also warmed up the already-warm crowd with a memorable pre-noon set. The 20-plus-member Swedish band (which included everything from a tuba player to a percussionist with banana-shaped maracas) nearly topped the Polyphonic Spree's Friday set when it came to stage-filling energy and enthusiasm. With songs about chicken pox ("You can't have it once you've had it") and cassettes, lead singer Emanuel Lundgren led the wacky pop/polka powerhouse through a set that had crowd members' hands waving in the air and included a kazoo solo from a fan who claimed he'd never had the pox.

The pre-lunch hours also brought a rare bit of soul to the proceedings, with a funky set from sets from Georgia's Ryan Shaw, a dreadlocked Sam Cooke-alike who had to raise the roof even higher to with the sound bleeding over from dour rocker Pete Yorn on an adjacent stage.

And if you haven't heard of R&B singer Kevin Michael yet, there's a good chance you will soon. Though he played to a sparse crowd, the young singer with the towering afro and a voice that mixes the soulful side of Michael Jackson with a hip-hop edge, played (tellingly) to a mostly female audience during his short set. Unfortunately, hometown hero Lupe Fiasco didn't show up to reprise his cameo on the hand-clapping banger "We All Want the Same Thing," but Michael's keyboard and guitarist/beatboxer band held it down ably as the buff crooner jumped down off of the stage to get some face time with his adoring female fans.

Make sure to stick with MTVNews.com for your Lollapalooza news all weekend.

Seen a great show? MTV News wants your photos, videos and reports from all the latest concerts, including Lollapalooza, for our new You R Here community site. Check out the site to read, rate and comment on reviews from around the globe. We'll put the best stuff on our You R Here blog, and even in on-air news!

[This story was originally published on 8.4.07 at 6:11 p.m. ET.]

• A Look Back At Lollapalooza 2007

• Pearl Jam, Amy Winehouse, Lupe Fiasco, M.I.A., More At Lollapalooza 2007

• Interpol
• Muse
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Snow Patrol
• Cold War Kids

Lupe Fiasco
Photo: MTV News

• Lupe Fiasco
• Ben Harper
• Amy Winehouse
• Juliette & the Licks
• Kings Of Leon

Gwen Stefani
Photo: Michael Buckner/AMA/Getty Images

Gwen Stefani won't be showing much skin in Malaysia, thanks to Muslim students opposed to the singer wearing sexy outfits at her August 21 performance in the country, The Associated Press reports. Responding to charges from the National Union of Malaysian Muslim Students, Stefani "will abide by the Malaysian authorities' guidelines to ensure that her show will not be offensive to local sensitivities," reads a statement issued by show organizer Maxis Communications Bhd. The company hopes to attract 9,000 people to the show. ...

Christina Aguilera has nixed the last two shows on her Back to Basics tour. The gigs were slated for Thursday (August 2) and Friday in Auckland, New Zealand. The singer, who has been under the weather with the flu, issued a statement similar to the one she sent out after canceling a pair of shows in Australia earlier in the week: "This is my first time in your beautiful country, and I have really been looking forward to performing for you all. Unfortunately, I caught a bad flu virus and I have not been able to recover in time. Thank you all for your continued love and support, and I can't wait for the next time." ...

Common was joined by Swizz Beatz, Solange Knowles and De La Soul Wednesday night as the rapper celebrated the release of his new album, Finding Forever, at Marquee in New York. The party made it two nights in a row for Com: Tuesday in Los Angeles, Tracee Ellis Ross, Lauren London and Serena Williams came out to support his Cali album-release party. ...

Nicole Richie is looking more like her "Simple Life" co-star Paris Hilton every day — the pregnant socialite will serve her time at the same jail where Hilton was two months ago, People reports. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department told the magazine that Richie's request to spend four days at the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, California, will be honored. Richie had asked the Sheriff's Department to spend her jail time in county lockup rather than city jail via a request submitted by her lawyer Shawn Chapman Holley earlier this week, AP reported. Holley didn't provide any additional details to the news outlet, including when the socialite would surrender to start her sentence, which must be finished by September 28. The Sheriff's Department spokesperson did not reveal her expected surrender date to People either. ...

In related news, Richie told ABC's Diane Sawyer that she's already a changed person. "I would really want to be someone my child would look up to," the pregnant socialite said in the interview, the first part of which aired Thursday on "Good Morning America." Richie added that her four-day sentence has left her "afraid of the unknown," but, "This is my way ... of being an adult." Good Charlotte's Joel Madden, who was at Richie's side and is the father of her child, said seeing images on TV of children who had been killed by drunk drivers "was our first real parent moment." Madden also revealed that Richie's arrest almost ended their relationship. He said he remembered thinking, " 'This is a great time to walk away' ... 'Nicole, it's been great, but you just freaked me out.' " Instead, he said he went with "my gut ... [Nicole is] a great woman." ...

Chingy, who recently quashed his beef with Ludacris and returned to the Disturbing Tha Peace fold, has split Capitol for Island Def Jam, Billboard.com reports. The rapper's Hate It or Love It is due before the end of the year, and his new DTP single "Celebrity Chicks" will crop up on the collective's Strength in Numbers set, due September 18. ...

Andy Samberg says "Di-- in a Box" pal Justin Timberlake is "obnoxious" — because he can be a hilarious comedian, in addition to everything else he does. "He's brilliant at it, actually," the "SNL" castmember told People about JT's comedic abilities. "It's a little obnoxious. He's really good at what we do — as we are — and also really good at everything else." ... Scholastic reports that "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" has sold a record-breaking 11.5 million copies in the U.S. in its first 10 days on sale. More than 8.3 million copies of the volume were snatched up within the first 24 hours of its release. ...

"A New Day Has Come" indeed for Celine Dion. The singer plans to enlist Timbaland to produce her next album, which will also reportedly feature cuts from R. Kelly and Ne-Yo, RollingStone.com reports. ... Norah Jones graces a cover of Joni Mitchell's "Court and Spark" on Herbie Hancock's tribute LP River: The Joni Letters, set to street September 25. Corinne Bailey Rae, Leonard Cohen, Tina Turner and Mitchell herself also chime in on the disc. ...

Nirvana's entire 1991 landmark LP, Nevermind, has been licensed for use in the upcoming Electronic Arts video game "Rock Band." Players will be able to download the album and play along to it with the game, which hits stores November 20. ... Snow Patrol keyboardist Tom Simpson was supposed to stand before a judge in Glasgow, Scotland, on Tuesday, but was a no-show for what was the start of his drug-possession case. No reason was offered for Simpson's absence, but his lawyer did manage to postpone the hearing until August 28. Simpson was arrested last month and charged with cocaine possession back in 2006. ... Jimmy Eat World have set an October 16 release date for their forthcoming album, Chase This Light, which was recorded over a period of about a year in the band's Arizona studio. ...

Brace yourself — Simon Cowell is making a movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The "American Idol" judge's "Fame"-inspired "Star Struck" feature will follow 10 contestants in a fictional TV singing competition. Sound familiar? Like "Idol," open auditions for roles in the film will be held across the U.S. Cowell will produce the flick, which is slated for a summer 2008 release. ... While Cowell is switching from music to the big screen, Scarlett Johansson is heading in the opposite direction — she's ganged up with members of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and TV on the Radio for her debut album, Lafayette, Louisiana's The Daily Advertiser reports. TVOTR's Dave Sitek is reportedly producing the effort — which doesn't have a title or release date yet — and members of the YYYs and Celebration are set to appear. ...

Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Barry — who made for an unforgettable couple in 2001's "Monster's Ball" — are set to star in another racially charged flick, Variety reports. "Tulia," to be directed by John Singleton ("Boyz N the Hood," "Four Brothers"), will revolve around a small Texas town that drew criticisms of racism in 1999 after blacks were arrested for drugs and later pardoned. ...

Would you like to have your mug appear on the cover of an upcoming Hold Steady single? Well, now's your chance. The band has invited fans to send in scans of photo-booth pictures of themselves, to be considered for inclusion in the cover art for the band's next, yet-unannounced single from 2006's Boys and Girls in America. Check out the Steady's Web site for more details. ... Rob Zombie is gearing up for the September 18 release of his first-ever live album, simply titled Live. The 18-track set was recorded over several nights during Zombie's Educated Horses tour and will contain a 36-page book of never-before-released live pictures, as well as a DVD of live footage and animated videos. ...

The Mars Volta are looking at a tentative September/October release date for their new album, The Bedlam in Goliath. Meanwhile, guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez will release a collaborative EP with Lydia Lunch, Omar Rodriguez Lopez & Lydia Lunch, this summer on the Dutch label Willie Anderson Recordings. ... Sean Penn appears to be buddying up with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez over their mutual disapproval of President Bush. AP reports that, in a recent televised speech, the socialist leader welcomed Penn to come to Venezuela, saying, "He's one of the greatest opponents of the Iraq invasion." Chavez also said he has talked with the actor over the phone and will soon meet him in person.

08.01.2007

Maybe the biggest surprise about Beyoncé's spill last week is that it didn't happen sooner. "The easiest part is dancing in the heels. I don't even think about it anymore; it's just second nature," she told The Associated Press in an interview published last week. But, she added, "It is difficult to dance [and] sing at the same time. I have to make sure I'm in shape and I'm hydrated ... I don't want to wear myself out and get exhausted." She also revealed to the outlet that — sorry, Jay-Z — she loves hanging with the ladies. "Everyone is so supportive of each other," she said of her all-female touring band. "We do things together, like yesterday we went skating; I rented out a roller-skating rink for all of us and everybody's families to come. Also, I have eight female dancers and four males ... they are the only men on the tour, I feel bad for them being around all us women!" ...

He's no Rob Schneider, but Nick Cannon will help Hilary Duff with hosting honors at this year's Teen Choice Awards, slated to air August 26 on Fox. Duff, who has earned a pair of surfboards and a heap of nominations in the past, co-hosted with Schneider in 2005. For his own part, Cannon — who hasn't won one of the trophies yet — is up this year for Choice TV Personality. Ashlee Simpson, Jessica Alba, Megan Fox and the unstoppable Miley Cyrus are set to appear at the show. ...

Things got pretty hairy for members of New Found Glory early Wednesday morning (August 1) when their tour bus was pulled over by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police and a trash bag full of marijuana, mushrooms and paraphernalia was found onboard. The whole incident went down at roughly 6 a.m., as the band was making its way to a Warped Tour appearance in Cincinnati, when an off-duty Metro officer pulled NFG's bus over because the driver failed to turn off the high beams. Upon approaching the vehicle, a spokesperson for the Metro Police told MTV News that the officer on scene noticed marijuana smoke coming from the bus and called a K-9 unit. The dog was alerted at several areas on the bus and an attached trailer, and the band eventually produced the offending trash bag, which contained more than 30 grams of marijuana, mushrooms and bongs, according to the spokesperson. Police then arrested 30-year-old Declan DeWier — who the band's label, Drive-Thru Records, identified as New Found's drum tech — and charged him with possession. The members of NFG were allowed to continue on to Cincinnati, while DeWier — and the band's bus — remained behind in Indianapolis. NFG's publicist said the band will give its scheduled Warped Tour performance Wednesday and stay on the tour as planned. ...

Despite her flop recording debut, Paris Hilton will sing again. AP reports that Hilton — who has been working on tracks for her second CD — has landed a role in "Repo! The Genetic Opera," a horror rock opera based on a stage musical set in a future where people can buy new organs on an installment plan from the Geneco company ... unless they can't pay up, in which case the organs are repossessed. Hilton will play the fame-seeking daughter of the owner of the company, to be played by Paul Sorvino. Shooting will begin in Canada in September. ... Gabrielle Union, LeToya Luckett and others will help Russell Simmons dish out financial advice via his Hip-Hop Summit Action Network's second "Get Your Money Right" summit in Toronto on August 18. The event will cover how to deal with home ownership, bad credit, understanding credit scores and more. ...

Kevin Federline shunning the spotlight? It's true: K-Fed wants to raise his kids so that they can "pretend they're like everyone else," his lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan told AP Tuesday after Federline finalized his divorce with Britney Spears. "When they are with him, he is going to shield his children from unwanted media attention," Kaplan said. "You will not find a picture of Kevin parading with the children out in a public place." ... Melanie Brown announced at a press conference Wednesday that she has filed a paternity petition against Eddie Murphy to legally establish that he is the father of her son. She is also seeking sole custody of the child and asking the court "to decide what is reasonable" in regards to child support. A spokesperson for the actor declined to comment to AP. ...

Phil Spector's daughter testified in her father's defense on Wednesday but was only allowed to confirm that he is right-handed — an assertion that supports previous defense claims that the music producer couldn't have shot actress Lana Clarkson. At a Tuesday conference, the defense decided it would rest early, as it will likely only call a few more witnesses to the stand — Spector not included. Testimony may conclude by August 9, the same day the jury is slated to tour his house. In the meantime, the prosecution will soon begin its rebuttal case. ...

Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan has announced an October 30 release date for the upcoming debut album from his Puscifer project. In a statement on the LP, Keenan explained that its title, V Is for Vagina, was his second choice: "C Is for Chinese Democracy was taken." ... Highway to ... cell? Verizon Wireless has snagged the exclusive rights to deliver AC/DC's back catalog in digital form through its V Cast service — well, until March, that is. Listeners will be able to download the band's 18 albums through the V Cast store — but only on PCs — for $12 each, and then sync them to their phones through the V Cast Music Manager.

• Gwen Stefani
• Christina Aguilera
• Common
• Swizz Beatz
• Justin Timberlake

The 2007 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
Photo: MTV News

On The Record: Braving Bonnaroo

Up until Monday afternoon, I was living in a tent. Showering with bottled water. Wandering aimlessly through a dust bowl, looking for shade, water and food. Fighting for survival, skin bubbling and lips cracked. Hallucinating. Dying.

For four days, I was on assignment down in Manchester, Tennessee, camping out with the unwashed masses at Bonnaroo. I got sunstroke, I got covered in dust and I ate a lot of stuff out of cans (or in burrito form). I also had a great time — I believe in my half-dusted haze I may have even called Bonnaroo "probably the best [festival] in America" (see "Bonnaroo Recap: White Stripes, Police, Lily Allen Bring Heat To Already Scorching Fest").

Somewhere in between all the heatstroke and the hyperbole, I began to jot down notes about my experience, and since I just got back into the office late Monday (via helicopter, 'cause that's how MTV News rolls), I've decided to turn my innate ramblings into this week's edition of BTTS (lucky you!).

I've edited out all the gems like "Friday — 2:47 p.m.: Tempeh not just city in Arizona, Seitan not just Lord of Darkness," but what's left is a pretty good look at my dance with death at Bonnaroo 2007, not to mention a convenient way to take potshots at hippies and link to photos like this and this. Read on if you're looking for the inside scoop on the 'Roo (or if you have five to 10 minutes to kill at work).

Thursday, 10:45 a.m.: JetBlue flight 1043 touches down at Nashville International Airport. Instantly, some doped-out hippie toward the back of the plane bleats, "Bonnnarooo!" I already regret my decision to come here.

11:30 a.m.: Rent car, make trip to Wal-Mart. They have an entire section devoted to biscuits here. No lie. Also, Master P's clothing line, P. Miller, is sold here, and if that isn't an apt metaphor for his entire career, then I don't know what is.

3:47 p.m.: Arrive at Bonnaroo. Survey scene at my campsite.

3:49 p.m.: Want to leave Bonnaroo.

5:31 p.m.: Finish pitching tent in "Guest Camping," which is really only "camping" in the loosest sense of the term ... after all, I have showers nearby and I'm actually sleeping like 5 feet from my rental car. Yet, despite these facts, I will spend the entire weekend A) telling everyone within earshot that I'm "totally camping out"; and B) complaining about the fact that "I only have a tent and an air mattress to sleep on." Also, I decide to keep my hair product packed away in the trunk, as I don't want the heat to make it all gooey.

5:32 p.m.: Question my own masculinity.

8:33 p.m.: The Black Angels totally scare the crap out of anyone on any sort of psychedelic drugs with a droning, terrifying set, one made only more droning and terrifying by the sheer number of helicopters hovering in the night sky, whisking talent on and off the Bonnaroo grounds. I'm not even on acid and I'm scared to death.

10:41 p.m.: Purchase an ironic tie-dyed T-shirt. Feel somewhat bad about doing so. On the flipside, I now have something to wear in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, this summer.

11:10 p.m.: The National take the stage roughly 30 minutes behind schedule, still totally kill it. No joke here: The National rule.

11:30 p.m.: Clutch are, inexplicably, playing Bonnaroo. Begin searching crowd for Bam Margera, as he is required by law to remain within 150 yards of the band at all times.

Friday, 8:02 a.m.: Wake up, sun baking my tent. Totally hate life. One of the kids camping next to me apparently decided to sleep on his cooler last night. It's my first up-close-and-personal interaction with a partied-out "Wookiee," which someone tells me is a term of endearment for jam-band fans with "unshaven faces, long hair and a lack of personal hygiene." (There's even a Web site dedicated to their passing out — complete with awesome Chewbacca sounds.)

8:15 a.m.: Brush teeth. Spend next four hours trying to find shade. Consider crawling under car and dying.

3:50 p.m.: Kings of Leon rock out. Later on in the weekend, a writer who did a story about them will tell me that one of the Kings' mom tailors all their jeans for them, so they're extra tight. Apparently, there are "hidden zippers" involved.

6:12 p.m.: I get a henna tattoo of a unicorn (or, if you ask the woman who gave me the sorta-tat, "A horse with a knife on its head"). I spend the next day walking around with my sleeve pinned up because the henna needs to dry. Get sympathetic looks from several hippies.

9:04 p.m.: Tool. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

11:59 p.m.: Super Jam — an annual Bonnaroo tradition — begins. This year, we've got ?uestlove from the Roots sitting in with John Paul Jones and Ben Harper. At the same time, Sound Tribe Sector Nine — a "five-piece electronic jam band fusing live instruments with electronica," according to their Web site — start up nearby. I begin to wonder if I am allowed to bill MTV for hazard pay.

Saturday, 2:37 a.m.: Sounds like Super Jam is ending. I think STS9 are done too. Of course, I can't be sure, as I am sitting in my tent complaining.

12:30 p.m.: A jam-packed day gets off with a bunch of action in some of the 'Roo's smaller tents, but I am nowhere to be found. Rather, I am debating the merits of R. Kelly with my producer Monty on a shaded picnic table. (He's not crazy about R, but I maintain he's "definitely eccentric. Possibly a genius.") Then we start talking about summer festivals in relation to "Peanuts" characters. We decided that Bonnaroo would definitely be Pigpen, and the Lilith Fair is either Peppermint Patty or Marcie, but we really couldn't decide — oh, wait ... sorry, I think my brain shut off for a minute there.

5:30 p.m.: The Hold Steady finish up a triumphant, fist-pumping set at That Tent. Some drunk guy from Louisville, Kentucky, tries to fight me, then launches into a tirade about how he'll "never come back to Bonnaroo" because security confiscated an ice pick he was trying to bring into the campgrounds. This sucks doubly, because the ice pick was "a family heirloom" and if dude wanted to "f--- someone up, [he] definitely wouldn't need an ice pick to do it." Terrifying.

7:55 p.m.: Franz Ferdinand are totally ruling the Which Stage with a spiky set of tunes both new and old (plus a cover of LCD Soundsystem's "All My Friends"). Meanwhile, aged fans (and a surprising number of actual police) are trooping over to the What Stage to catch the fest's most hyped set — a purported two and a half hours with the mighty Police.

10:40 p.m.: The Police wrap, a scant 50 minutes before their set is supposed to end. Roughly 77,000 people shuffle off into the night, dreams crushed (I covered the Police's disappointing set in greater depth here). Sting and company presumably hop into gold-plated helicopter, hightail it the eff out of the sticks.

11:22 p.m.: Monty turns to me, asks, "Dude, do you think the Police are even in Tennessee anymore?"

Sunday, 12:12 a.m.: The Flaming Lips prove once again that they're the absolute kings of style over substance (and that they're probably the most underappreciated guys in rock) with a mind-melting, shambling, psych-heavy set that featured a spaceship landing onstage, Wayne Coyne's omnipresent bubble, dancing Santas, hand puppets, confetti and balloons. It's so great that you don't notice that Coyne hasn't been able to sing properly since about 2003. Their set wraps at roughly 2:15 a.m., which makes it the longest performance of their 24-year career.

8:15 a.m.: I finally take a shower.

2:30 p.m.: Hey, Wolfmother are playing! And playing the same songs they've been doing for roughly a year and a half now!

4:40 p.m.: I interview the White Stripes. During the end of our chat, Jack White makes a crack about how people at summer festivals shouldn't wear baseball caps. "Have some self respect," he laughs. Incidentally, Monty is wearing a Yankees cap, and he will spend the next four hours threatening to punch Jack White if he ever sees him in public.

5:00 p.m.: I am officially running out of steam. My notes from this time read like this: "Decemberists = Linen Suits" and "Good too see Jeff Tweedy still looks like the Singin' Hobo." Perhaps my brain is cooked.

8:45 p.m.: With a "God bless Bonnaroo, God bless Tennessee!" the Stripes exit the stage, having just rocked the hemp outta 80,000 or so 'Roo heads. At this point, Monty and I decided we've had about all we can take of Bonnaroo. So we skip Widespread Panic — and miss out on what someone described as "possibly the best 20-minute bass solo you'll ever see" — and decide to get ready to leave.

Monday, 11:20 a.m.: My super-charged helicopter lifts off from Bonnaroo.

As we leave the rolling countryside behind us, I feel myself changing from a sun-kissed, sorta-blissed child of the earth back into the jaded, elitist pr--- that I know I really am. Feels good to be headed home.

B-Sides: Other Stories I'm Following This Week

Seriously, has there been a more hotly anticipated major-label release in recent memory with worse pre-release buzz than Kelly Clarkson's My December? (see "Kelly Clarkson's My December: Rumors Aside, LP Isn't A Radical Departure")

Boy, that Slayer/Manson tour sure sounds like it's getting off on the right foot. (see "Slayer's Kerry King Warns Marilyn Manson About Co-Headlining Run")

A piece that combines the theory of German psychiatrist Hugo Münsterberg, the musings of American critic H.L. Mencken and, uh, the stupid crap of something called "The Beaterator." Stephen Totilo rules. (see " 'Grand Theft Auto' Of 1916; Launching 'Traxxpad'; 'Halo' Toys & More, In GameFile")

Questions? Concerns? Drop me a line at BTTS@MTVStaff.com.

• Bonnaroo Blitz: Lily Allen, White Stripes, Franz

• Bonnaroo 2007 Performances
• The Tribe Of Bonnaroo '07

• The National
• The White Stripes
• The Police
• Kings Of Leon
• The Roots