Incubus' Mike Einziger, Ben Kenney and Brandon Boyd
Photo: MTV News

For some musicians, hearing the Beatles for the first time inspired them to make music, write songs and start a band themselves. But for others, exposure to the Beatles represented the first real introduction to rock music. Such is the case with Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger, who cites a trip to Knot's Berry Farm as a formative experience.

"I saw Beatlemania, which was a lip-synch show with Beatles impersonators, when I was, like, 5," Einziger told MTV News backstage at the Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco. "I went home with my friend Andrew, and we strummed on broomsticks and my mom got us a Beatles album that I lip-synched to. That was probably the first time I liked a band, now that I'm really thinking about it."

Frontman Brandon Boyd had a similar experience in his youth, though for him the effect was not as clearly defined. " 'Strawberry Fields Forever' was a big moment in my childhood," Boyd said of the psychedelic track from 1967. "It was the first time I was fascinated by music. There are quite a few of their songs where I didn't understand why I was feeling like I was, but I would just go into it. I think I was too young to assume that I would want to make music. I just knew it had a magical reaction in me."

Einziger thinks "The Beatles: Rock Band" is an excellent addition both to the video game world and to the Beatles' legacy. "They really were very universally appealing," Einziger said. "They wrote music that as much as you wanted to get it out of your head, it was sort of stuck there. That's not easy to do. ['Rock Band'] is really fun, and a lot of young people are going to discover the music of the Beatles through video games, and I'm OK with that."

For more information on "The Beatles: Rock Band," check out Multiplayer.MTV.com.

• The Beatles: Rock Band Video Mods

• The Beatles
• Incubus

Silversun Pickups' Brian Aubert performing at the Outside Lands festival in San Francisco on Friday
Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

SAN FRANCISCO — Though the opening day of the second annual Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park was full of young bands trying to make their mark, the day's music was dominated by a handful of wily veterans lead by headliners and soon-to-be-considered-classic rockers Pearl Jam.

	Inside The Outside Lands Music Festval

The seminal grunge outfit — about to release their ninth studio album, Backspacer — turned in a two-hour set full of hits, passion and none of the power outages that marred Radiohead's set at the same time and place last year. Eddie Vedder mentioned early on that the band's current tour, which wrapped with this show, had taken a toll on him and his voice, but his fans were more than happy to help out on favorites like "Black" and "Better Man." Mike McCready's no-look, over-the-head solo during "Even Flow" proved that these guys could play these songs in their sleep, but the band seemed genuinely excited to be out there (especially the pogoing McCready), and they reserved a special energy for new tracks like "The Fixer." Pearl Jam began to close their set with "Alive" before coming back with a Neil Young double-shot of "Throw Your Hatred Down" and "Rockin' in the Free World."

Just in case anyone needed proof of Pearl Jam's influence on alternative rock, Incubus played right before them and showed off why it just put out a hits disc, getting the crowd riled up with songs like "Megalomaniac" and "Stellar." Like Vedder, Incubus singer Brandon Boyd attributed his vocal weakness to a combination of fatigue (they were also ending their tour at Outside Lands) and a cold, but his decision to take his friends' advice to drink wine seemed like a good one.

Still, even Pearl Jam didn't get as many onstage shout-outs as Built to Spill. Vedder himself thanked the band by name and Silversun Pickups frontman Brian Aubert twice referred to them as "one of the best f---ing bands ever." Unfortunately, neither of those compliments made up for the fact that Doug Martsch and Company's set just wasn't loud enough. With three guitarists in tow — and Martsch being one of the noisier guitar heroes on the scene — one would have hoped that a festival setting would help make Built to Spill's songs larger than life. Instead, "Car," "You Were Right," and "Big Dipper" remained little more than nice pop songs.

The volume didn't stay low for long, though. Perhaps the only indie-rock group with enough volume to open for Metallica (which it did at this year's South By Southwest festival), Silversun Pickups brought bucketfuls of sweet distortion to its mid-afternoon set. Singer Brian Aubert tends to know exactly when to let loose for added effect, while bassist Nikki Monninger — whose purple dress matched Christopher Guanlao's drums — does a good job of shooting the crowd coy smiles to remind everyone that even as they're laying out "Future Foe Scenarios," they're here to have a good time. Not surprisingly, the band ended its set with their big hit "Lazy Eye," but it was "There's No Secrets This Year" from this year's Swoon that perfectly displayed their delicate balancing act between anthemic pop and scuzzy shoegaze grooves.

But the grooviest — and perhaps most surprising — tunes on Friday came from old-school sex-bomb Tom Jones, who turned in a unique hour of hits and shoulder shakes. The 69-year-old silver fox with matching goatee was assisted by a solid band that included a horn section and backup singers who helped Sir Tom make the most of hits like "What's New Pussycat," "She's A Lady," and of course "It's Not Unusual." But he saved the best for last: a show-closing cover of Prince's "Kiss," aided by Jones' decision to take the "think I better dance now" line quite literally.

Jones' performance — as well as those of Pearl Jam, Incubus, Silversun Pickups and Built to Spill — captured the free-spiritedness of San Francisco that Ouside Lands tries so harness. So far, so good.

• Inside San Fran's Outside Lands Festival

• Silversun Pickups
• Pearl Jam
• Incubus

Alicia Keys
Photo: Columbia

Alicia Keys took home four trophies from the NAACP Image Awards, held at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium Thursday night. She won the Outstanding Album and Outstanding Female Artist prizes, as well as the top video and song awards. Other honorees included Chris Brown, Jordin Sparks, Denzel Washington and Janet Jackson. Washington and his "Great Debaters" co-star Jurnee Smollett won the Best Actor and Actress prizes for film, while Jackson received the Best Supporting Actress honor for her work in "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?" ...

As Britney Spears' father extended control over her affairs in Los Angeles on Thursday, a New York attorney attempted to undo them by taking the conservatorship to federal court. Claiming he represents the singer — despite a judge already deciding she's unable to retain counsel of her own just yet — attorney Jon Eardley filed a claim that the singer's conservatorship deprives her of her civil liberties, since she's been denied the right to meet freely with whom she chooses (as her father has the power to restrict visitors); make and receive phone calls (since a restraining order prevents manager Sam Lutfi from contacting her); drive a car (since her father hired security to do that for her); and gain access to money or credit cards (since her finances are being handled by her trust). "She is being confined ... to the private person of her own home," the suit reads. Eardley is represented by Lutfi's publicist, Michael Sands, who claims that the motion moves jurisdiction from Los Angeles Superior Court to the U.S. District Court, and voids the conservatorship: "Britney Spears has no conservatorship!" he said in a press release. However, the Los Angeles Superior Court responded, "This is an issue that will have to be litigated by the parties." ...

Paramore and Jimmy Eat World have rolled out dates for their much-anticipated co-headlining tour. The 20-date outing will take them from San Antonio on April 1 to Atlantic City, New Jersey, on May 2, with stops in California, Iowa, New York and elsewhere along the way. ...

Eddie Vedder has sketched out the itinerary for his first-ever solo tour, which he will stage in support of his Grammy-nominated "Into the Wild" soundtrack, according to Billboard.com. The Pearl Jam frontman will swing through Vancouver, British Columbia, on April 2, after which he'll play a smattering of shows in various California cities: Santa Cruz (April 5), Berkeley (April 7), Santa Barbara (April 10), Los Angeles (April 12-13) and San Diego (April 15). ... The Raconteurs are wrapping up their yet-untitled sophomore effort in Nashville, according to a recent post on their MySpace page. The post wasn't forthcoming with more details, although it did say, "They promise to release [the LP] as soon as they can." ...

U2 frontman Bono and British artist Damien Hirst raised $42 million for HIV/AIDS programs in Africa at a Sotheby's auction in New York on Thursday, according to The Associated Press. The (Red) Auction, co-organized by the Gagosian Gallery, sold pieces from some of the world's top contemporary artists. Sotheby's said model Christy Turlington bought a piece for $170,500. "We got serious about love, and not just the love of art, but the love of our brothers and sisters suffering from AIDS in the poorest places on the planet," Bono said, according to BBC News. ...

Coheed and Cambria, Incubus and Disturbed have been added to the roster for this year's Download Festival in England (June 13-15). They join a lineup that already features Kiss, Judas Priest, the Offspring, Motörhead, H.I.M, Children of Bodom, Rise Against, Lostprophets, Alter Bridge and In Flames. ... Aerosmith are starring in a new edition of "Guitar Hero" called, er, "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith." Due in the summer, the game will feature 30 or so songs by the Boston legends, as well as ones by bands that have opened for Steven Tyler's crew. ...

Chan Marshall — better known as Cat Power — has bulked up her tour schedule in support of her recently released album, Jukebox, according to Pitchfork. Following an April 10 show in Vancouver, British Columbia, she will hit up Seattle the following day and continue playing gigs through an April 20 show at Austin, Texas' South by Southwest fest. Two days later, she'll perform in Houston, after which she'll journey down to Mexico City for an April 23 performance. ... The National — whose last album, Boxer, made many critics' top 10 lists last year — have slipped out a live EP through Rhapsody, Pitchfork reports. The release, called Rhapsody Rocks NYC, contains four songs recorded at New York's CMJ Music Marathon last year. ...

Butch Walker has slapped together a new live album, but in case you're running low on funds these days, don't worry — he's posted the 24-track effort for free download at FriendsorEnemies.com. Devout fans can get the release with bonus tracks for $5.99. ... Portishead have firmed up their first album in 10 years. Third will drop April 29 and feature 11 songs, including "Nylon Smile," "Magic Doors" and "The Rip." ...

Yoko Ono has denied reports that she was planning legal action against singer Lennon Murphy, who has sought to trademark the name of her band, Lennon. In a letter to the technology blog BoingBoing, Ono explained that several years ago, Lennon Murphy sought Ono's permission to perform under her birth name, Lennon Murphy, which Ono did not object to. But later, without Ono's knowledge, the singer reportedly filed an application in the U.S. Trademark Office requesting the exclusive right to utilize the name "Lennon" for musical performances. Ono's attorneys asked Murphy's lawyers and manager to withdraw the registration, offering to cover all costs Murphy had incurred in filing for the trademark. When Murphy went ahead with the registration anyway, Ono said she did not sue Murphy, but had her attorneys notify the trademark office that Ono did not believe it was fair that Murphy be granted the exclusive right to the Lennon trademark for musical and entertainment services. Ono wrote, "I am really hurt if people thought that I told a young artist to not use her own name in her performances and had sought to sue her. I did no such thing. I hope this allegation will be cleared." ...

Borders Books is trying a new method to appeal to music downloaders. According to a press release, the retailer will roll out 14 new concept stores this year featuring "digital centers" that will allow customers to burn CDs and download music and books to most MP3 players, though not to iPods.

2.14.08

Avril Lavigne, who was once known as the "anti-Britney," now has nothing but sympathy for the pop star, as she reveals in the new issue of Maxim. "No one else has it as hard as Britney," she told the magazine. "I feel bad for her. How does she even think with all those flashbulbs? When I'm being followed, everything's thrown off. They run red lights. They cause accidents. She can't even walk to her car. F---ing stalkers." Lavigne, who has been known to flip off and spit on the paparazzi in the past, also said she's disgusted at speculation that she's pregnant with her first child. "Remember in high school when people would start fake rumors about you?" she asked. "Well, this isn't high school. It's like, the entire world." Check out more Avril photos from the mag's March issue at Maxim.com. ...

A Los Angeles judge decided Thursday (February 14) to extend the temporary conservatory powers that Britney Spears' father has over the singer's affairs — at least through the next hearing, on March 10. Jamie Spears had been granted control to oversee Britney's well-being and her estate earlier this month, along with co-conservator Andrew Wallet. Court-appointed investigator Samuel Ingham told the court Thursday that he had not finished his psychological evaluation of the singer and was granted an extension until the next hearing. Also by March 10, Britney must undergo a 730 evaluation to study her family to determine the best custody arrangements, Commissioner Reva Goetz decided. Goetz also named Britney's older brother, Bryan — who used to work on her former management team — along with New York estate attorney Ivan Taback as co-trustees for the singer's trust while she is considered unable to manage her own affairs. Meanwhile, Britney's current manager Sam Lutfi has yet to be served with a restraining order. The lawyers for the conservatorship concluded that Lutfi was intentionally avoiding being served because they'd already spent over 200 hours trying to reach him. A hearing about the restraining order is scheduled for February 22. ...

Beyoncé's father, Mathew Knowles, isn't too happy about Aretha Franklin scolding his daughter for comments she made about the Queen of Soul at Sunday's Grammy Awards. "Something this ridiculous — it's childish, it's unprofessional," he said in a statement on Thursday, according to People. "And it's a sad day when egos get bruised because somebody used the word 'king,' 'queen,' 'prince' or 'princess.' " Beyoncé introduced Tina Turner as "the queen" during the ceremony, after which Franklin released a statement in which she said, "I am not sure of whose toes I may have stepped on or whose ego I may have bruised between the Grammy writers and Beyoncé. ... However, I dismissed it as a cheap shot for controversy." ...

Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Ricky Martin and others are voicing support for Alejandro Sanz after the cancellation of a concert he intended to play in Venezuela, Reuters reports. In 2004, the Latin American singer claimed President Hugo Chávez had tried to quash a campaign for a recall referendum against him. Sanz supporters are reportedly accusing Chávez of censorship in the wake of the concert cancellation. ... White Stripes are getting some extra lovin' at Best Buy, Pitchfork reports. The retail chain is selling a five-track EP surrounding the band's new single, "Conquest," that features all the accompanying B-sides that were previously available only on vinyl or in digital form. The EP comes free with the purchase of the band's Icky Thump album, or it can be bought separately. ...

Well, so much for all those reunion tours. A day after Billboard.com reported that the Police would be retiring for good after their upcoming North American trek comes news that the reunited Spice Girls likely won't go on either. Geri Halliwell — or Ginger Spice, to the fans — told the site she isn't anticipating a follow-up to the group's current run, which ends February 26 in Toronto. "It probably won't happen ever again," she said. "I'm still absolutely blown away that we did more than one show. So right now I'm thinking this is it. This is the last time you will ever get to see this Girl Power, the five Spices on the stage as one." Still, she added the requisite nugget of wisdom: "You can never say never." ...

The Smashing Pumpkins have dished up an unreleased track, "SuperChrist," for a limited-edition CD that will be made available March 1 at Guitar Center locations, according to Billboard.com. The compilation disc, which doesn't have a name, was curated by Billy Corgan and the gang — they picked acts that feature Guitar Center employees based on submissions from them. "SuperChrist" was a leftover track from the Pumpkins' 2007 album, Zeitgist, and the band has previously played it on tour. An accompanying video will premiere February 27 on MySpace. ... Guitar Center has another limited-edition goody too: a Roland RZA/Forat Custom MV8800 machine designed by the RZA and electronic trailblazer Bruce Forat. The hand-painted device features original artwork by the two, including allusions to the Wu-Tang Clan's recent 8 Diagrams LP. If you're interested in getting one, though, you'll have to throw down big bucks and act fast when they go on sale February 28: Only eight machines are being made available, and they cost a pricey $5,999 apiece. ...

Christina Aguilera has "never had more respect for the female body," the new mom told People for its new issue, which hits newsstands Friday. She added of her C-section to deliver her 4-week-old son, Max: "The hardest part was deciding on his birthday. I wanted to leave it up to fate, but at the same time I was ready to be done early!" The singer, who shared photos of her baby with the magazine, said she intends to start recording in her home studio this month. As for what she and husband Jordan Bratman have been spinning lately, she revealed: "Yesterday we had Led Zeppelin blaring through the house. Most new moms play Beethoven, but we're playing Metallica, Bob Marley, the Stones." ...

An interview with Michelle Williams in which she addressed her breakup with Heath Ledger, who died from an accidental drug overdose late last month, has just been published. "Obviously so much has changed for me in the last few months that I don't really have an idea of what my life is going to be," Williams told the U.K.'s Wonderland Magazine for what is said to be her last interview before the actor's death. "I thought I knew certain things and it turned out that I didn't, so I don't really try and anticipate so much anymore. I'm not making any bets on the future." ...

Chris Rock has been confirmed to appear the 2008 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, taking place June 12-15 in Manchester, Tennessee. He's just one of more than a dozen comedians set to perform at the fest — a list that also includes David Cross and Janeane Garofolo — but he's the only one that'll do his work from Bonnaroo's main stage (the same stage Kanye West, Pearl Jam and Metallica will appear on) in front of 80,000 somewhat-dazed-and-confused festival-goers. ...

Madonna premiered her directorial debut Wednesday at the Berlin Film Festival, but she said the flick didn't come without a "struggle." Madge and members of the "Filth and Wisdom" cast also held a press conference, during which she said, "One of the themes that I explore in the film is struggle, and if I look back to the beginning of my career, I can recall those moments of struggle like it was yesterday. There are aspects of [the characters'] struggle that I could relate to completely, and I could access that memory and put it into the story." ...

Moby is building anticipation for his upcoming album, Last Night, with an exclusive downloadable preview mix at RCRDLBL.com. Last Night, meanwhile, is due April 1. ... As it turns out, Moby has something in common with Norah Jones, Lou Reed, David Byrne and Scissor Sisters: a mutual distaste for the Iraq war. The musicians will come together March 18 — the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion — in New York for "Speak Up!: A Benefit Concert for Peace in Iraq & Justice at Home." The event will take place at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn. ...

Broken Social Scene have lumped more dates onto their upcoming world tour, Pitchfork reports. In addition to Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Singapore, the band will also hit Taiwan, Mexico, Turkey, Luxembourg, Russia, the U.K., France, and the U.S. ... Battles are gearing up for some road action too: The band, adored by indie-philes, will play Bonnaroo June 12, after which it will swing through Washington, D.C., two days later, and then Philadelphia the day after that. ... Kristin Hersh, Cornershop's Anthony Saffery, Dirty Vegas' Steve Smith and others have concocted heartfelt covers of songs made famous by Joe Cocker, Bill Withers and others in time for Valentine's Day. Expansion Team Records just released Souvenirs, which contains the tracks, in CD and digital form. ...

Clear Channel Broadcasting — the media giant that owns the radio station that promoted the fatal Great White show in 2003 at the Station club in West Warwick, Rhode Island — agreed Wednesday to pay $22 million for more than 100 claims stemming from the fire that claimed 100 lives. According to The Boston Globe, the settlement is linked to Clear Channel's WHJY-FM, which ran ads for the show, where station DJ Michael Gonsalves was killed after introducing the band onstage. "We continue to be deeply saddened by the tremendous harm suffered by the victims, their families and the community as a result of this tragic fire," Andy Levin, chief legal officer of Clear Channel Communications, said in a written statement. "While Clear Channel had no role in causing or contributing to this fire, we are pleased to resolve these claims and, hopefully, contribute in some way to a sense of resolution for the affected victims and their families." The settlement comes on the heels of a $30 million tentative agreement reached three weeks ago with Rhode Island TV station WPRI-TV, whose photographer was accused of standing in the way of patrons attempting to escape the burning building. ...

Three people were arrested at Sunday's Grammy Awards on suspicion of using stolen passes to get access to the show. According to The Associated Press, Sebastian Bonner, 20, was arrested after he tried to enter the event at Los Angeles' Staples Center using one of nine stolen all-access passes. Courtney Mitchell, 30, and Pamela Clay, 44, were found with someone else's event ID card and arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property. Police believe the motive was a desire to see celebrities. "We eliminated that this wasn't something more serious than some people who wanted to see the Grammys who are star-struck," Commander Andrew Smith said. Police believe someone on the inside sold the IDs to friends and acquaintances. ... On Tuesday, Oklahoma State University forwarded a list of 11 student names to the Recording Industry Association of America, in compliance with a court order in the RIAA lawsuit accusing the students of unlawfully downloading copyrighted recordings using school servers. The students had filed a motion to quash their subpoenas, but the judge denied it and ordered the school to turn over their names. Wired.com reported that the move by OSU was the latest incidence of a university complying with the RIAA's newest tactic in combating illegal file-sharing.

• Alicia Keys
• Britney Spears
• Eddie Vedder
• Bono
• U2

Justin Timberlake's <i>FutureSex/LoveSounds: Deluxe Edition</i>
Photo: Jive

Well, music lovers, hopefully you're happy with the releases you snatched up this year, because from here on out, it's going to be mostly slim pickings till late January. But that doesn't mean all is quiet on the music front — here are this week's top players and the other suspects worth keeping tabs on ...

Back to the Future: Justin Timberlake fans who scooped up his Best Buy-exclusive "FutureSex/LoveShow - Live From Madison Square Garden" DVD last week are going to need a little more green on hand — the singer has slapped together a fresher version of his sophomore album too. FutureSex/LoveSounds: Deluxe Edition has a trio of bonus tracks: a new take on "Until the End of Time" that features vocals by one Miss Beyoncé, as well as alternate takes of "SexyBack" and "Sexy Ladies." The heftier price tag is also due to an extra DVD containing videos for three tunes — "SexyBack," "What Goes Around ... Comes Around" and "LoveStoned/ I Think She Knows" — as well as making-of elements and concert clips. For the sake of fans' bank accounts, let's hope Timberlake has worn out this album.

The Bark, Not the Bite: Miami MC Pitbull got some limelight love last year with a featured spot on DJ Khaled's "Born N Raised" — a tribute track to Miami-Dade County that also featured Trick Daddy and Rick Ross. Well, it seems Pitbull has learned that it helps to have friends: For his third studio LP, The Boatlift, he snagged T-Pain, Jim Jones, Twista, Lloyd, Trick Daddy, Don Omar, Frankie J, Lil Jon and more. And in case you were wondering if the album title had anything to do with the immigration debate, you wondered right: As Pitbull said in a press release, "Most immigrants that came to this country came through some type of boatlift. This is my way of taking everybody on a ride through my eyes; this is my boatlift — my way of bringing them to freedom through the universal language of music." Enjoy the ride.

Soul Train: Chuck D is always ready to take on a good cause — his latest release, The Peeps of SoulFunk: Tribb to JB, is an obscurely titled tip of the hat to departed Rock and Roll Hall of Famer James Brown. By D's side is former Air America Radio pal Kyle Jason — who was featured on Public Enemy's 2004 effort, There's a Poison Goin' On — and other peeps from D's Slam Jamz label. Together, the crew redoes Brown staples like "Say It Loud (I'm Black and Proud)" and "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved." Something smells funky indeed.

Do "Look" Back: Now that Incubus have wrapped their extensive Light Grenades jaunt, it's time to take stock of their travels with a new DVD. Fans who preordered the 120-minute "Look Alive" were gifted with bonus audio downloads of four songs performed in concert: "Anna Molly," "Megalomaniac," "Oil And Water" and "Dig." But everyone will be able to enjoy Incubus footage from their July 25 gig at Chicago's Northerly Island, as well as performances from other places across the globe. The 17-song main dish has a few other appetizers as well: rehearsal clips, documentary footage and original music interludes crafted by guitarist Mike Einziger.

Simply the Best: Common has been busy hyping his latest release, Finding Forever, and its four accompanying singles, but in the meantime, one of his former labels, Relativity, is pumping out a greatest-hits disc via Sony's archival division, Legacy. ThisIsMe Then: The Best of Common doesn't really live up to its name, since it only showcases the Chicago rapper's primo product from 1994-'97, but it does feature hookups with Lauryn Hill ("Retrospect for Life") and Cee-Lo ("G.O.D. [Gaining One's Definition]"), among others. The enhanced CD is rounded out by four bonus videos, for "Take It Ez," "I Used to Love H.E.R.," "Invocation" and the aforementioned "Retrospect for Life."

Taking a much different approach at retrospection are Mudvayne, who asked fans to pick the selections for their aptly titled By the People, for the People. Along with live recordings of their vintage songs, Mud also sling forth demos, rarities and two recently recorded cuts: "Dull Boy" and a cover of the Police's "King of Pain." By the way, fans should fret neither the release of this non-studio album nor frontman Chad Gray's participation in metal all-star squad Hellyeah — Mudvayne are threatening a new studio LP next year.

Four for Fore: If you think Thrice are biting off more than they can chew with their four-part Alchemy Index series, wait till you hear what Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman has in store: a quartet of conceptual EPs he's putting out all by himself. Fall — to be followed next year by Winter, Spring and, you got it, Summer — comes out in digital form this week, although it will be issued as a two-disc set with Winter the day the latter effort is released, on January 15. "Because of the autobiographical nature of these songs, they became a self-portrait that was far too personal for a band to release," Foreman said in a statement. "The rest of the band [has] been pushing me to get these types of songs out there for years. So I decided to let them go." But while the rest of Switchfoot are taking a back seat for the releases, the EPs are nonetheless christening the band's own lowercase people records.

Song Title of the Week:

"Trombone Gulch" from Audience's Lunch

Album Cover of the Week:

Rob Jungklas' Gully

Other Notables:

Jesse Dayton & Brennen Leigh's "Holdin' Our Own" and Other Country Gold Duets
Haven't heard of so-called "turbo country" artist Dayton? Well, maybe you're familiar with a guy named Waylon Jennings or a band called the Supersuckers — he's played lead guitar for both over the years. Dayton has also worked with Willie Nelson and, on a slightly more bizarre note, was tapped by Rob Zombie to be part of the fake band Banjo and Sullivan for his flick "Devil's Rejects." Now he's teamed with 23-year-old singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Leigh for this oddly titled collection of country faves and original tunes like "Something to Brag About With You" and "Two Step Program."

T.H. White's The Private Spotlight
The New York multi-instrumentalist was all the rage at the city's CMJ Music Marathon last month — he's been named a "Band to Watch" on Stereogum.com too — and now the distinctively urban artist churns out his second album. Look out for the seven-minute "Blue + Cream," as well as guest-vocal appearances by Meghan Wolf, whose debut album White is co-writing and producing for release next year.

The Rumble Strips' Alarm Clock EP
In the mood for some Thin Lizzy? OK, then how about an indie-rock take on Thin Lizzy? OK, then how about an indie-rock take on Thin Lizzy that involves trumpets and saxophones? Glad we piqued your interest. The U.K. up-and-comers tackle their fellow Britons' best-known song, "The Boys Are Back in Town," and chalk up five more songs on their first Stateside release. The Rumble Strips snuck videos for "Alarm Clock" and "Oh Creole" onto the disc as well, so let's get ready to ... oh, never mind.

New Releases:

· Bear Hands - Golden EP (Freedom in Exile)
· Chuck D featuring Kyle Jason and the Banned - The Peeps of SoulFunk: Tribb to JB (Slam Jamz)
· Jesse Dayton & Brennen Leigh - "Holdin' Our Own" and Other Country Gold Duets (Stag)
· Brittney Elizabeth - Breathe In (Desert Sunrise)
· Rob Jungklas - Gully (Madjack)
· Pitbull - The Boatlift (TVT) [Buy Now]
· The Rumble Strips - Alarm Clock EP (enhanced; Kanine)
· T.H. White - The Private Spotlight (Sky Council)
· Renée Zawawi - Legends (Sapiens, Inc.)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· Alcoholics Unaminous - 20 Years of Tanked Up Tunes (Steel Cage)
· Common - ThisIsMe Then: The Best of Common (enhanced; Relativity/Legacy) [Buy Now]
· Ian Gillan - Gillan's Best (Great American Music)
· Freddie King - Texas in My Blues (Great American Music)
· Mudvayne - By the People, for the People (Epic) [Buy Now]
· Os Mutantes - Everything Is Possible: The Best of Os Mutantes (Luaka Bop/ Redeye)
· Justin Timberlake - FutureSex/LoveSounds: Deluxe Edition (with DVD; Jive) [Buy Now]
· Various artists - Guys and Dolls: A Musical Fable of Broadway (Blue Moon)
· Various artists - Ultimate Grammy Collection: Contemporary Pop and Contemporary R&B (Shout! Factory)
· Various artists - "At Last the 1948 Show" soundtrack (él)

Music DVDs:

· Incubus - "Look Alive" (Epic) [Buy Now]
· The Irish Tenors - "The Irish Tenor Christmas" (Trinity)
· Keane - "Live at the O2" (Universal) [Buy Now]
· Simply Red - "Stay: Live at the Royal Albert Hall" (Universal)
· Dusty Springfield - "Live at the BBC" (Universal)
· Various artists - "Bickershaw Festival: North West England 1972" (Ozit)

Digital Releases:

· As Tall as Lions - Into the Flood (available Thursday; EP; Triple Crown/ East West) [Buy Now]
· Audience - Lunch (Virgin) [Buy Now]
· Bats for Lashes - What's a Girl to Do? (EP; iTunes exclusive; Caroline)
· Bracken - We Cut the Tapes and Scatter (Steinbeck Ultramagnetic Remix by Buddy Peace) (Anticon)
· Burnside Project - Burnside Project (Fraga)
· Flogging Molly - Alive Behind the Green Door; Drunken Lullabies; Swagger; Whiskey on a Sunday; and Within a Mile of Home (Side One Dummy) [Buy Now]
· Jon Foreman - Fall (EP; lowercase people/ Credential)
· The Michelles - Sober Rain (Kitty-Yo)

Coming Attractions:

December 4:
· Daft Punk - Alive 2007 (limited-edition version comes with bonus CD; Virgin) [Preorder]
· Ghostface Killah - The Big Doe Rehab (Def Jam) [Preorder]
· Godsmack - Good Times, Bad Times: 10 Years of Godsmack (also available with DVD; Republic) [Preorder]
· Wyclef Jean - Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant (Best Buy edition comes with three Rhapsody Original bonus tracks; Columbia) [Preorder]
Read: "T.I. Kick-Starts Wyclef Jean's LP; Mary J. Blige, Akon Tagging Along"
· Styles P - Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman) (Koch) [Preorder]

December 11:
· Bow Wow and Omarion - Face Off (also available with bonus DVD; Columbia)
Read: "Bow Wow Says His Face Off With Omarion Will Mean A 'Whole Bunch Of #1 Records' "
· R. Kelly - "Trapped in the Closet, Chapters 1-22" DVD (Jive) [Preorder]
· Mario - Go (J) [Preorder]
· Wu-Tang Clan - The 8 Diagrams (Best Buy edition comes with exclusive DVD; Def Jam) [Preorder]
Read: "Wu-Tang Clan's 'First-Ever Cleared Beatles Sample' Claim Is Incorrect"

December 18:
· Christina Aguilera - "Back to Basics: Live and Down Under" (RCA) [Preorder]
· Mary J. Blige - Growing Pains (Geffen) [Preorder]
Read: "Mary J. Blige Says She's 'Just Fine' With Her New Album, Losing 'Umbrella' To Rihanna"
· Chamillionaire - Mixtape Messiah 4 (Universal) [Preorder]
· Rivers Cuomo - Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo (Geffen)
· Lupe Fiasco - Lupe Fiasco's the Cool (Atlantic) [Preorder]
Read: "Lupe Fiasco's Cool World: Tragedy Meets 'Mad Poppy Beats'"
· Rick Ross - Trilla (Def Jam) [Preorder]

• Justin Timberlake
• Pitbull
• Common
• Keane
• Mudvayne

Incubus' Brandon Boyd performs at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Thursday
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

LAS VEGAS — If you had a million years to think about it and a million dollars to book it, you could probably dream up a more critically reviled double bill than the one served up Thursday night by the good people at Rolling Stone and the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Here it was: Incubus and the Bravery — two bands that have barely received a splash of positive ink — sharing a stage in a parking lot at a theme casino resort on a sweltering Las Vegas evening. Of course, conventional "critic speak" about these bands is full of vim and vigor, but clearly empty on perspective.

(Glimpse Incubus and the Bravery performing at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Vegas, and don't miss pipin'-hot party-scene shots of Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and more.)

Incubus have harnessed the power of modern-rock radio and translated it into millions of records sold (their latest, Light Grenades, debuted at #1 last November) and have earned a dedicated niche of fans with their psychedelic dabblings and loud/soft heroics (see "Incubus Plan To Rest After Tour — But You Won't Find Them Vacationing In Vegas"). And the Bravery, as evidenced by their reception on this night, have still got their fair share of fist-pumping crowd-pleasers.

It may be a stretch to say that both bands are in the same boat — critically ignored, sort of scoffed at by those "in the know," yet still chugging along — but you could probably argue that they're at least in the same fleet. (Incubus would be something like a totally sweet pontoon boat, while the Bravery are like a battle-scarred German sub, if one were to extend the nautical metaphor even further.) The main difference between the two lies in how they respond to this situation.

The Bravery seem hell-bent on changing widespread critical opinions of their music, no matter what they might say to the contrary. Often panned as nothing more than Killers-come-lately, they ditched much of their pogo-ing and strangely crunchy (and strangely appealing) synths on this year's The Sun and the Moon, a record chock-full of five-part harmonies, whistled refrains and Bryan Adams references, although some find it lacking in the tune department.

Taking the stage just as late afternoon became early evening, the Bravery dove headfirst into a pair of sleek tunes from their self-titled debut, "Fearless" and "Public Service Announcement," rather unnecessarily beefing them up with muscle chords, wailing guitar solos and "whoop-whoop" backing vocals.

On songs from Sun, that more-is-more ethos was even more apparent, with even less pleasing results. "Bad Sun" was bogged down by whistles and muddy slide guitar, "This Is Not the End" lost a genuinely pretty chorus to a wall of sonic dreck, and "Every Word Is a Knife in My Ear" — which frontman Sam Endicott described as "a good old-fashioned punk-rock f--k-the-government song" — stumbled right out of the gate due to a sleepy keyboard intro (though, to be fair, it did regain steam midway through). The problem was that each new wrinkle the Bravery added actually weakened them: the overcooked songwriting (seriously dudes, not everything needs to be bumped to 11) and, more obviously, Endicott's voice, which really can't handle the upper-registers he's trying to explore.

This unnecessary overexertion even extended to the band's outfits: Despite the heat, bassist Mike H. staunchly refused to shed his leather jacket until the set's end, and Endicott disappeared backstage just before "An Honest Mistake," apparently to retuck his shirt into his pants.

While the Bravery flailed gallantly, Incubus struck the opposite tact, delivering a set heavy with improvisation and instrumentation. They were the image of a band totally fine with its standing in the rock strata — and why not?

They strode onstage to a sea of camera phones held aloft and slowly broke into the sleepy chords of "Quicksand," from Light Grenades. Then they really let it rip on "A Kiss to Send Us Off," a big, bold example of a band playing to its strengths. DJ-turned-dude-who-plays-everything Chris Kilmore provided the shimmery layers of synth noise, guitarist Mike Enzinger brought the thunderous guitar stabs, frontman Brandon Boyd made with the karate poses, and the whole thing alternately expanded and collapsed time and time again, much to the delight of the now-packed lot.

They followed "Kiss" with "Wish You Were Here," from 2001's sunnier Morning View, and Kilmore's scratching was met with plenty of air-DJ-ing from the dudes in attendance. Boyd delivered most of the lyrics, then smiled and let the audience have the chorus, which was belted out with aplomb by everyone around (a motley crew that included a spiky-haired guy in a tank top, a Nicole Richie look-alike on her BlackBerry, a portable-fan clutching mom and a dude with a backwards ballcap on).

The love didn't stop there. Other hits, like "Drive," "Nice to Know You" and the booming "Megalomaniac," were all greeted with raised fists and lusty cheers, and spacier numbers like "Anna Molly" and "Love Hurts" didn't want for appreciation either. Fans even went nuts when Boyd broke out the djembe, which, as any rock journo knows, is a sign of the impending apocalypse.

And that's probably the point. The majority of people who write about and review music like what they like and hate what they don't. (I am, perhaps unfortunately, included in this group.) The real world has little, if anything, to do with that equation. And for all the jokes I've made, tonight's show was exactly what it was supposed to be: a solid rock concert in a casino parking lot. The kids had a good time (even the one who puked directly in front of me), and the bands did too. It was like one big love-fest in the middle of the desert. And the critics weren't invited.

Catch all the star-packed VMA action direct from Las Vegas on Sunday. MTV News' preshow kicks things off live at 8 p.m. ET, followed by the big show at 9 p.m.

For all the latest VMA updates and info on performers, presenters and voting, check out www.VMA.MTV.com. For reports, photos, video and much, much more from previous VMAs, dive into the VMA archives.

• Incubus' Vegas Vacation

• Adrian Grenier, Nelly, Shia LaBeouf, Britney And More Stars Spotted In Vegas
• Paris Hilton, Diddy, Timbaland, Janet Jackson, More Hit The Vegas Party Scene
• The 2007 MTV Video Music Award Nominees
• 50, Kanye, Diddy, Lil Wayne, Eve, Adam Levine Set For 2007 MTV Video Music Awards

• Incubus
• The Bravery

Lil Jon and Metal Skool perform at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
Photo: Denise Truscello/WireImage.com

LAS VEGAS — "If you don't like this f---ing song, blame Van Halen, dude," sneered Metal Skool guitarist Satchel, a rocker who flashes his tongue at the ladies while fondling his chest. The Los Angeles-based glam-metal lampoon act then prepared to launch into the Halen classic "Jump." But before the song's synth-laden opening began to chime, the band — a parody of every hair-metal band there ever was, wrapped up in one tight spandex package — invited old pal Lil Jon up to handle lead vocals (See snaps of Lil Jon jamming onstage with Metal Skool, plus pipin'-hot party-scene pics featuring Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and many more.)

But Jon was nowhere to be found -- at first. "Dude, I can't find him," frontman Michael Starr said as he gazed out into the audience. "That's 'cause he's lil'!", Satchel shot back.

The rapper, rocking an enormous gold chain around his neck and a diamond-encrusted bracelet around his right wrist, eventually emerged from the darkness to take control of the mic. In between lyrics like, "I get up, and nothing gets me down" and "You got it tough, I've seen the toughest around," Jon belted out his trademark "Whaaaat?!"s and scurried around the stage, pogoing furiously. The MC's constant movement was enough to send foam spurting out the neck of the beer that never left his hand.

Metal Skool, one of the only bands on the planet that'll have you doubled over with laughter while still managing to throw the horns, performed in Las Vegas Thursday night at the Hard Rock Hotel's Body English club. The concert was one of several pre-MTV Video Music Awards events being held in Sin City and perhaps one of the strangest, teeming with odd collaborations.

The gig attracted a bevy of scantily clad beauties and a strange assortment of rockers and celebrities, including Pauly Shore, the Bravery's Sam Endicott, System of a Down drummer John Dolmayan and mixed martial-arts fighter Tito Ortiz and his girlfriend, former porn star Jenna Jameson, who spent much of the night canoodling in one of the corners of the club's V.I.P. section.

With their long teased hair, zebra-print spandex pants (complete with requisite bulge), ripped T-shirts and over-the-top makeup (bassist Lexxi Foxxx touched up his lip gloss between each and every song of the band's set, which included Guns N' Roses' "Paradise City" and Mötley Crüe's "Kickstart My Heart"), Metal Skool's takeoff on '80s Aqua Net metal is nothing short of perfect. They've even got the whole song-dedication thing down: Before honoring Journey with a brilliant version of "Don't Stop Believin'," Starr sent the track out to all of the well-endowed ladies in the crowd, without whom "there would be no reason to wear green spandex."

At one point, Metal Skool even threatened to "play Hoobastank all night" if the crowd didn't respond vigorously enough to their performance.

Jon guested on two songs: "Jump" and an impromptu jam session with Skool and System bassist Shavo Odadjian, who, when joining the band onstage, was himself joined by two women who pranced around him like strippers on acid. "Show us your [breasts]!" Jon shouted at one of them, encouraging the audience to chant along with him. When the woman refused, Jon let his frustration get the best of him. "Get your a-- offstage if you're not going to show us those [breasts] — this is a f---ing rock show!"

The special guests didn't end there. During the Skool's cover of Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar on Me," Incubus bassist Ben Kenney hopped onstage to sing, but he didn't know the song's lyrics — but then redeemed himself by strapping on Foxxx's bass for a rendition of Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer."

"Make some noise for that guy from Incubus," Starr said. "He's famous ... whatever his name is."

Wait -- don't cash out on the VMAs just yet! From Britney's sultry comeback performance to the big winners, you saw it all -- well, almost everything! Get yourself even richer with our wall-to-wall show coverage, party reports, videos and loads more at www.VMA.MTV.com. For reports, photos, video and much, much more from previous VMAs, dive into the VMA archives.

• VMAs 2007: The Vegas Honeymoon

• Paris Hilton, Diddy, Timbaland, Janet Jackson, More Hit The Vegas Party Scene

• Lil Jon
• System of a Down
• Incubus

Incubus' Brandon Boyd and Tim Kash
Photo: MTV News

LAS VEGAS — There are bands that revel in the excesses of this town and love wallowing in the special brew of sin that is only possible when a group of debauched rockers roll into possibly the most decadent city on earth. It's a seemingly endless parade of women, booze, gambling and destruction mixed with the occasional side trip to the pokey. Yes, most bands absolutely, positively love Las Vegas.

Incubus are not one of those bands, something they made abundantly clear when we caught up with them in their oppressively opulent suite at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (think bowling alley, in-room Jacuzzi, eagle's-eye view of the pools and mirrors on every ceiling). Turns out, there are about a million places they'd rather be.

"I am not a fan of Las Vegas, for a number of reasons," frontman Brandon Boyd laughed. "The desert heat and the air conditioning mix together like a peanut-butter-and-urine sandwich. ... I get off the plane or the tour bus and it's like, 'Anything can happen!' But it never does, because I'm not high or drunk enough to let 'anything' happen."

"You never know what time it is, you're always losing your money, and when you leave, you don't remember anything," turntablist/ keyboard player Chris Kilmore added. "It's like 150 degrees, there's no ocean around, and it's all deserts. You've seen it once, you've seen it all."

Oh, come on, dudes. Surely, it can't all be bad. There has to be at least one thing you dig about Las Vegas, right?

"Well, I enjoy having conversations with drunk little old ladies at the slot machines. Most people have a story, and they're willing to tell it if you buy them a drink," Boyd said. "And I like that people seem to get dressed up for nice occasions here ... like the guys will throw on a suit and the girls will get all dolled up for a dinner and some gambling. The idea is nice, but the actuality is vomit on the suit [and] 'Where's my bathing suit? Oh my God, I'm pregnant.' "

Well, at least Boyd and company can revel in the fact that they'll soon be leaving Vegas ... on to Phoenix and the U.K. and Europe and South America and finally Guadalajara, Mexico, when, at last, they'll cease touring in support of last year's Light Grenades album (see "Incubus Celebrate #1 Album Debut By Re-Enacting 'Riverdance' "). And time off the road must mean that Incubus fans can start getting excited about the prospect of a new record, right?

Not really. Though Boyd said the band has been working on new songs, the plan for the immediate future mostly involves taking a well-deserved break. Which doesn't sound like the most rock-star thing to do, but then again, why would you be surprised? It's Incubus.

"We've done some incredibly extensive touring in support of this album, and it's been probably the most successful tour of our career. And since we've been on the road for so long, we've been writing some stuff, trying to break the routine, because routine is the enemy," he said. "But, no, we're not going to come off the road and head right into another album. In fact, we'll probably hibernate for a while. We've been able to establish ourselves, and we can take our time now."

• Incubus' Vegas Vacation

• Incubus

Linkin Park's Chester Bennington at the KROQ Weenie Roast on Saturday
Photo: MTV News

IRVINE, California — For people itching to hear some of this summer's most anticipated new music, the place to be this weekend was Saturday's KROQ-FM Weenie Roast y Fiesta, where the lineup was stacked with bands on the verge of releasing long-awaited new material.

The day kicked off with the Plain White T's over on the second stage, a.k.a. "stage dos" in keeping with the day's Latin theme. The former You Hear It First pick was followed by fellow YHIF alums Silversun Pickups as well as Swedish whistlers Peter, Bjorn and John and Rancid's Tim Armstrong playing solo and delivering scorching riffs under an equally scorching sun. Not to worry, though — there were free sombreros in the Fiesta Village, a place for concertgoers could snack, buy merch and cool off.

As things wound down on stage dos, KROQ darlings Tiger Army took the main stage (no witty Spanish title here). The psychobilly band's "Forever Fades Away" is the current most-requested and most-played song on the L.A. rock station, and the Bay Area trio powered through that and other tracks off their upcoming Music From Regions Beyond, due June 5.

(Check out photos of Tiger Army, Linkin Park, Korn and more from Saturday's show.)

Once their set ended, the revolving stage made the first of many 180 degree turns, revealing a plugged-in and ready to go Bravery, who also had new music to share. Although the crowd was still filing into the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, the very danceable "Public Service Announcement" inspired a fiesta mood. The band followed with the new single "Time Won't Let Me Go," which hits stores Tuesday on the Bravery's new album, The Sun and the Moon.

Next up were 30 Seconds to Mars, who are no strangers to KROQ's music fests, having played KROQ's Inland Invasion show just last year. "It's weird to think that we are veterans of the KROQ shows now, because I was remembering actually sneaking backstage [at a Weenie Roast] to try and watch a band from the side of the stage a number of years ago," frontman Jared Leto recalled.

When the stage spun around for 30 Seconds to Mars' set, the audience instead found a group of folk dancers showing off traditional Latin American moves and fashions. Soon, however, Leto hit the stage ... wearing a sombrero. Always one to put on a spectacle, he also made his way deep into the crowd — twice — even singing closing number "The Kill" as he made his way up to the cheap seats.

(See Jared Leto talk about 30 Seconds to Mars being Weenie Roast "veterans.")

With the crowd now suitably amped, one of the most anticipated bands of the day, Bad Religion, made its way onstage as Linkin Park's Chester Bennington and other artists took a side-stage vantage point to watch. Among their catalog of hits, the Bad boys treated the fiesta-goers to the new single "Honest Goodbye," off July 10's New Maps of Hell. Scoring points for timeliness, the band also cranked out "Los Angeles Is Burning," calling to mind the actual L.A. wildfires from earlier this month.

While Queens of the Stone Age kept Bad Religion's energy going onstage — with new material as well, including the fresh single "Sick, Sick, Sick" — the party was really starting backstage. Those lucky enough to score backstage passes enjoyed a bar, "Guitar Hero" (appropriate, since three bands on the day's bill have songs in the game), and general people/hipster watching/ogling. Both Leto and MySpace phenomenon Tila Tequila made for popular backstage photo ops.

Following an all too sunny set by Interpol (another band stuffing CD racks on July 10) that was cut short due to equipment problems, the revolving stage spun around to reveal a surprise performance that at first caused more head-scratching than high-fiving. A 14-member a cappella group in tuxedos was putting its unique spin on Incubus' "Dig." Confusion turned to screams, however, when Incubus' Brandon Boyd and Mike Einziger walked out a minute later to join in.

While the Killers had been scheduled to appear in that slot, last-minute health problems sidelined frontman Brandon Flowers. "There was another band with a lead singer named Brandon and he got sick," Boyd jokingly told MTV News. "I know what that's like, and it sucks, so they called another band with a singer named Brandon because that's kind of the theme they were going for." The power of YouTube connected Incubus and the singing group, called Ithacapella, after Boyd saw an online clip of their version of "Dig."

The last time the next band had an album out, YouTube was barely a dream. But Orange County's own Social Distortion did what they do best, playing the favorites that will appear on their greatest-hits album due June 26, complete with the new track "Far Behind."

(See Incubus' Brandon Boyd talk about the male choir that opened the band's set.)

The crowd instantly recognized the next act within the first few riffs of its opening number, going into a frenzy that lasted throughout the entire heart-pounding set. Singer Jonathan Davis even prompted a rarely seen over-the-head hand clap from a SoCal audience for the entirety of "Got the Life." New material came in the form of "Evolution," from July 31's still-untitled new album (see "Korn Are Cracking Up Over Eighth LP's 'Gothic Feel,' Munky Says").

Davis was clearly beaming backstage after the performance, which was the band's first full gig with some new members. "It was pretty much a coming-out show in the new lineup because we got [guitarist] Clint [Lowery] from Sevendust and we got [percussionist] Joey [Jordison] from Slipknot up playing with us and it's a different Korn," he said. "It sounds insane — the drums are insane, everything going on is completely different. So after tonight I think we're really, really stoked."

(See Jonathan Davis talk about Korn's "insane" set.)

Closing out the evening were locals Linkin Park. "We ... grew up listening to KROQ, and I remember coming here last year just as a fan of the show and walking around seeing the different bands," guitarist Brad Delson said backstage, "so not only to be playing it this year but to be headlining is a huge honor."

(See Brad Delson talk about Linkin Park's set.)

As the band kicked things off with "One Step Closer," the crowd showed it still had plenty energy left to cheer, sing and mosh to the most anticipated act of the day's bill. Fans hadn't forgotten any of the old songs, singing along during "Numb" and "Somewhere I Belong," among others, but they showed the same amount of enthusiasm for new tracks off the just-released Minutes to Midnight.

When Linkin Park were done, though, and the last note had finally faded away, concertgoers were confronted with something not at all new to them: an enormous traffic headache as some 16,000 people all left the same parking lot at once. Aye-yi-yi!

For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports.

• Linkin Park, Korn, Incubus, More At Weenie Roast '07

• Linkin Park
• Korn
• Incubus
• 30 Seconds To Mars
• Bad Religion

Papa Roach's Jacoby Shaddix
Photo: Greg Patterson

It's often said that a band is like a marriage — so perhaps it should come as no surprise that more and more bands are moving in together.

Yes, on top of living with one another in tour buses for months at a time, some musicians are now opting to sleep under the same roof while recording too. It's a trend that stems from modern technology. As recording equipment has become smaller and more portable, musicians are taking advantage by getting out of the often-stale environment of recording studios and saving rent money in the process.

While the Red Hot Chili Peppers famously recorded 1991's Blood Sugar Sex Magik while living together in a Hollywood mansion (nicknamed the Houdini Mansion after the magician who once lived there) owned by producer Rick Rubin (see "Peppers Say Return To Sex Scene Yielded Different Magik"), bands like Incubus and Papa Roach have popularized that type of recording in recent years.

(See pictures of Papa Roach recording in Hollywood's Paramour Mansion.)

"None of us had a place to live, and we had a recording budget, so [guitarist] Michael [Einziger] had the bright idea," Incubus singer Brandon Boyd said of making 2001's Morning View, named after the street they recorded on in Malibu, California. "He was like, 'Dude, we should rent a mansion and we'll all go live there. That way we don't have to pay rent.' Nobody in our camp — the record label, management — thought it was a good idea. They thought we were gonna, like, piss off and surf all day and play in the beach and stuff like that, which we did, but we happened to write a record too."

The experience brought the band closer together, and it also had an impact on the sound of the album. "I think it affected the songwriting too," Boyd said. "We had never rented a house on the beach the middle of nowhere, and in my opinion when you listen to Morning View you can hear that, you can pick up on this vibe. It sounds like a bunch of dudes squatting in a mansion."

As with Incubus, recording in a mansion left such an impression on Papa Roach that the band named their 2006 album The Paramour Sessions after the estate where it was recorded (see "Papa Roach Clip A Freak Show; LP Inspired By Oil Heiress' Ghost") — which TV viewers might recognize as the "Rock Star: Supernova" or "Rock Star: INXS" house.

"Back home, we'd go to our rehearsal studio from noon to 6, and we'd be trying to juggle our family lives and our rock and roll lifestyle," said P-Roach singer Jacoby Shaddix. "To move into this house and fully immerse ourselves in our music and our creativity and being artistic, we grew by leaps and bounds. We just disconnected ourselves from the world outside of us, and that was what really pushed things forward."

There are no private rooms in most recording studios, but in the Paramour, Shaddix found dozens of intimate places to write music and work songs out. And with engineers also living there, the band was never tied down to a schedule.

"Anytime you wanted to pick up a guitar you could just go for it," Shaddix said. "We were waking up and making music. And being so close in proximity to each other and seeing what was going on in each other's personal lives [definitely influenced the songwriting]."

Bands can spend thousands of dollars a day renting studio space, so mansions are often more cost-effective, especially when an out-of-town band like Papa Roach are also living there.

"It makes the writing easier when you can take your time and not be wasting tons of money in the studio," said Evanescence singer Amy Lee. "And it creates the vibe of just being able to be an artist. You wake up at 4 [p.m.], have a glass of wine and write some music if you feel like it that day and not worry that you just spent five-grand."

My Chemical Romance wrote most of 2006's The Black Parade at the Paramour but chose not to live there. "I like separation," singer Gerard Way said. "I like being able to leave the studio. We would have gone extra crazy if we would have lived there."

And My Chem are not alone in their thinking. Most of the bands that have used the Houdini Mansion in recent years, like Linkin Park and System of a Down (both from Los Angeles, where members already have homes), have not lived there at the same time.

"It's not that we wouldn't be able to live with each other, but we all have families," LP singer Chester Bennington said. "And we've been working on this since January [2006]! Also, there's six guys in our band. To move us all into one house would just be stupid."

"We already live in the same house — it's called a tour bus," added 30 Seconds to Mars singer Jared Leto. "So there's no need for that one."

Perhaps the best solution is to follow the typical recording method of British rockers Muse. "It's great to do a bit of an album that way," singer Matthew Bellamy said. "Every album we've done, we've done at least three or four weeks in a residential studio. It's great to write in, but with [studios] in New York or L.A. or whatever, you can call upon weird instruments when you need them or weird amps and all that kind of stuff."

Incubus recorded both Morning View follow-ups in a studio (see "Incubus Want Change Of Scenery For Morning View Follow-Up"), but the band is open to going back to living together in a mansion.

"We've talked about trying to get like an old, haunted castle somewhere," Boyd said. "We'll write our goth record there."

• MTV News RAW: Red Hot Chili Peppers

• Papa Roach Recording At Paramour Mansion

• Evanescence
• Incubus
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Papa Roach

Incubus' Brandon Boyd
Photo: Todd Brown

UNIVERSAL CITY, California — Maybe it was the red wine frontman Brandon Boyd sipped in between songs at the KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas show on Saturday. Maybe it was the no-frills, all-business, subdued vibe in the band's dressing room, with nary a groupie or celebutante in sight.

Whatever it was, an Incubus that appears to have mellowed with time and grown wiser with age turned up at the festival (see "Fall Out Boy Feel Like Losers While Foo Fighters Win Big At Radio Fest"). Even after landing what is perhaps their most important LP sales debut to date, Boyd and the gang still managed to keep the revelry low-key behind the scenes.

"To me, the celebration is that we're like all 30-ish and we still don't have to have real jobs," Boyd joked.

What the SoCal quintet — singer Boyd, guitarist Mike Einziger, bassist Ben Kenney, turntablist Chris Kilmore and drummer Jose Pasillas — should have been celebrating was a new milestone. With the release of Light Grenades, Incubus' sixth studio LP, they debuted atop the Billboard albums chart last week for the first time in their 15-plus-year existence (see "Jay-Z Takes A Week-Two Fall; Incubus' Grenades Blasts To #1").

"Yeah, that's the cool thing about being a band that's been around," Kenney explained. "For new bands to be #1, they can be hot and be like a flash in the pan — that can happen. But to have been around, for this band, that's really cool. That means that people still care, and that's important."

"Our last two records [2004's A Crow Left of the Murder and 2001's Morning View] debuted at #2 and we were ecstatic about that," Boyd elaborated. "But then we were at rehearsal the other day trying to get good at playing the new songs, and we all got a simultaneous e-mail saying that our record debuted at #1, and we all looked at each other kind of suspicious like ... someone's messing with us. And then we did a little 'Riverdance' thing together, where we like kicked our heels together in a circle, and then there was that moment of uncomfortable silence like, 'That was really lame, what we just did.' "

Despite the lame group hugs and Michael Flatley-style jigs, what's decidedly un-lame is Incubus' new material, which they said gestated over time.

"We took some time off. We relaxed for a year," Kilmore said. "We [used to] go on tour, come back, write a record and then go back on the tour. This time we came off tour and we were like, 'Let's just breathe a little bit and enjoy life.' "

Boyd agreed. "It was a slow-birth record. Every record before, we wrote really, really fast. And it wasn't like we felt rushed making our records — it was that we just always worked really fast. This record is ... better than anything we've ever done before, that's my opinion of it. It's definitely the most cohesive piece of work."

Incubus are also enjoying early success from the album's first single, "Anna Molly," which is #2 on Billboard's Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart. A video for their follow-up single, "Dig," has already been partially shot, with loyal fans starting to come into focus.

"We filmed some green-screen stuff," Boyd said. "We're gonna try and let the people on the wild, wild world of the Internet make a video for the song and see what happens. That's kind of a mini-trend that's happening, and I think that it's a really great idea because it basically doesn't ask anybody's permission to make a music video ... for better or worse."

To support the record, Incubus announced a 29-date North American tour — the band's first in two years — beginning January 5 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and ending February 11 in Los Angeles. In another sign that Incubus have matured, they're playing small theaters as opposed to larger arenas.

"I think it's called 'getting old,' " Kilmore quipped.

"Well, not 'old,' but 'older,' " Boyd playfully snapped back. "It's like 'bald' versus 'balding.' "

Call it what you want, but like fine wine, Incubus have indeed come of age.

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Inside San Fran's Outside Lands Festival

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Paris Hilton, Diddy, Timbaland, Janet Jackson, More Hit The Vegas Party Scene

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Linkin Park, Korn, Incubus, More At Weenie Roast '07

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AFI, MCR, Killers, Foo Fighters, More At KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas 2006

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The Week In Pictures For December 8, 2006

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Lindsay, Paris, Nicole, More At T-Mobile's Sidekick 3 Launch Party

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47th Annual Grammy Awards Red Carpet

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Incubus live at Reliant Arena in Houston, TX 09.17.2004

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MTV.com Exclusive: Incubus Photos

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Diary of Brandon Boyd of Incubus

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