Norah Jones

Carrie Underwood Scores Third #1 Debut With Blown Away

09 May 2012 11:39:38 EDT

Norah Jones debuts at #2 and B.o.B in at #5.
By Gil Kaufman

Carrie Underwood is on a roll. The former "American Idol" champ will land her third #1 debut in a row next week when Blown Away easily tops the Billboard 200 tally. Underwood sold 267,000 copies of her fourth effort, according to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan, which was more than enough to hold off Norah Jones , whose Danger Mouse-produced Little Broken Hearts will come in at #2 on sales of 110,000.

There were plenty of other new faces in the top 10, including NOW 42 (#3, 95,000), "So Good" rapper B.o.B's Strange Clouds  (#5, 76,000), the cast album for the NBC show "Smash" (#9, 39,000) and veteran shock rocker Marilyn Manson's Born Villain (#10, 38,000).

The rest of the top 10: Adele, 21 (#4, 77,000), Lionel Richie, Tuskegee (#6, 64,000), Jack White, Blunderbuss (#7, 56,000) and One Direction, Up All Night (#8, 45,000). Though the movie smashed just about every box office record  there is, Avengers Assemble, the hard-rocking soundtrack to "The Avengers," featuring Soundgarden, Shinedown, Rise Against, Papa Roach, Bush, Evanescence and Buckcherry, landed at #11 (27,000).

In the wake of Beastie Boys member Adam "MCA" Yauch's  death on Friday, the group's landmark 1986 debut, Licensed to Ill, broke back onto the charts at #18 on sales of 19,000, as business picked up by more than 800 percent over the previous week.

It was one of several Beastie Boys albums  that crashed back onto the charts, which also included Solid Gold Hits (#51, 8,000), Paul's Boutique (#56, 8,000), Hot Sauce Committee Part Two (#107, 4,000), Ill Communication (#109, 4,000), Check Your Head (#124, 4,000) and Anthology: Sounds of Science (#141, 3,000).

Santigold debuted at #21 with Master of My Make-Believe  (18,000), while the other British boy band, The Wanted, took a major tumble in week two for their debut EP, which plummeted 25 spots in week two to #32 as sales fell 65 percent to 12,000. Madonna also didn't have much to brag about, as MDNA shed another 20 spots to dip to #65 as sales slipped another 30 percent to just under 7,000, leaving the album short of the 500,000 mark.

Underwood also ruled the iTunes album chart, where she edged out B.o.B, who was followed by Jones, White, One Direction, the Beasties' Licensed to Ill, Adele, NOW 42, the "Smash" soundtrack and Manson. On the iTunes singles chart, Gotye continued a strong run with breakout hit, "Somebody That I Used to Know," which beat out Maroon 5's "Payphone," Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe," fun.'s "We Are Young" and Justin Bieber's "Boyfriend." One Direction were at #6 with "What Makes You Beautiful," followed by B.o.B's "Both of Us," Nicki Minaj's "Starships," Flo Rida's "Wild Ones" and the Wanted's "Glad You Came."

The top 10 should remain relatively stable next week, as the only new releases will come from Karmin, Silversun Pickups, Keane and Mary Mary.

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Bonnaroo 2010 Lineup Includes Jay-Z, Weezer, Flaming Lips

09 Feb 2010 13:39:00 EST

Norah Jones, Wale, Flaming Lips, the xx also announced in gradual MySpace reveal.
By James Montgomery

Jay-Z, Weezer, and the Flaming Lips are among the first batch of artists confirmed for the 2010 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, to be held June 10-13 in — as always — Manchester, Tennessee.

Artists are being announced in a series of rolling reveals that will continue throughout the day on Bonnaroo's MySpace page. Tickets for the fest are on sale now through its official site, with a four-day pass running $234.50. An RV pass (if you want to experience the fest in luxury) will cost an extra $150. As in previous years, Bonnaroo is also offering attendees the opportunity to purchase tickets on an installment plan.

Other early confirmations for Bonnaroo 2010 are Norah Jones, comedian/ Grammy-winning bluegrass enthusiast Steve Martin (with his Steep Canyon Rangers), Wale, Regina Spektor, John Fogerty, the Avett Brothers, Medeski, Martin and Wood, Ingrid Michaelson, Bassnectar, Phoenix and hotly tipped Brits the xx.

Jay-Z has already been announced as a headliner for the 2010 Coachella Festival, to be held April 16-18 in Indio, California. The Flaming Lips will be joined by Stardeath and the White Dwarves (the band fronted by Lips' main man Wayne Coyne's nephew) and — much like they did in a raucous Oklahoma City New Year's Eve show — the groups will be performing Pink Floyd's epic Dark Side of the Moon album. News of Weezer's confirmation actually leaked earlier in the day, when the band tweeted that they would be performing at the 2010 'Roo.

Through various online sources, the fest's other rumored acts include the Dave Matthews Band and Georgia metallers Baroness. But the only way to get the latest confirmations is to head over to Bonnaroo's MySpace page, where a new band is being announced every five minutes.

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'SNL' Star Andy Samberg Recruits T-Pain, Justin Timberlake, Norah Jones For New Album

11 Dec 2008 12:51:00 EST

'Ji-- in My Pants' will be first single from Lonely Island's Incredibad.
By Gil Kaufman

It takes a lot of, um, guts, to name your first single "Ji-- in My Pants." But that's the plan for the unabashedly raunchy debut album from Lonely Island, the three-man musical wrecking crew led by "Saturday Night Live" It Boy Andy Samberg and his writing buddies, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer. The disc, Incredibad, is due out on February 10 and will feature some help from an impressive roster of heavy hitters, including T-Pain, Norah Jones, Jack Black, E-40, the Strokes' singer Julian Casablancas and, of course, Justin Timberlake.

With a mix of songs made famous in digital shorts on "SNL" over the years — including the Emmy-winning Timberlake collaboration "Di-- in a Box," as well as "Lazy Sunday" (co-starring Chris Parnell) and the Natalie Portman-assisted "Natalie Raps" — the album is meant to make you laugh, but Samberg said he wouldn't mind if you nod your head to it a bit too.

"We definitely wanted it to be a classic comedy album, but also one you put on more than once," Samberg told MTV News. "We've gone out of our way to make it musically pleasing. We started on a few songs that were not funny enough, for us, but they sounded pretty cool. And the bottom line for the project was, 'Is it going to be funny first and music second?' I think it's 95 percent music, and we hope people would throw it on and bump it."

The trio, who've been posting NSFW songs and videos on TheLonelyIsland.com for years, shared a home in Encino, California, over the summer and collaborated on the 14 tracks. Samberg said Universal Republic Records had been after the troupe to do an album since the "Lazy Sunday" digital short dropped on "SNL" in 2005. And, as Samberg told MTV News in 2006, the friends always did want to make an album.

"We finally had the free time to do it this summer," he said. Though some of the "SNL" songs have become instant classics, Samberg thinks there's an added value to the ones that never appeared on the show "because Jorma and Akiva aren't castmembers, and our songs normally require three dudes with very specific rap skills."

Though he was skimpy with the details, not wanting to ruin the surprise, Samberg did reveal that the album is heavy on hip-hop beats but has some of the signature new-wave goodness of songs like "Space Olympics" and the island vibes of "Ras Trent."

"Jorma makes a lot of the beats, but because we knew we had a set amount of time on this, we asked for any and all beats we could get," Samberg said. That resulted in a combination of homebrewed rhythms and professional help from reggae legends Sly & Robbie on "Ras Trent," as well as a few beats from Jurassic 5 turntable master DJ Nu-Mark and underground producer/DJ J-Zone, who has worked with everyone from Gnarls Barkley to Biz Markie and Pete Rock.

Samberg said he's particularly proud of the thump on the first single, "Ji-- in My Pants," which made its debut on the show last week with cameos from a mop-wielding Timberlake, checkout girl Jamie-Lynn Sigler and club hottie Molly Sims. "When I first heard that beat, it sounded like a Timbaland beat," Samberg said. "My first reference was a Missy Elliott club jam, and then we threw some generic Euro Brit dudes on top, because, to be honest, we don't have the chops to crush a Timbaland beat." The video, which features Taccone rapping alongside Samberg, was shot a week before the current "SNL" seasons started, and Samberg said he had "no intentions" of the Universal-funded clip making it onto the show, but once it played in dress rehearsal, the reaction demanded that it make it on air.

While Samberg admitted the three have an affinity for dirty jokes that end somewhere south of the equator, he said they tried not to make the album all locker-room humor. "I would hope that isn't our theme, but it was getting harder and harder to deny," Samberg said. "When we did 'Di-- in a Box' — and that's what most people know us for — it's an uphill battle from there."

Samberg promised that the album's T-Pain song, "I'm on a Boat," is "straight hip-hop," while the Jack Black tune, "Sax Man," finds the Tenacious D frontman singing his heart out. He also revealed that mellow torch singer Norah Jones (who appears on the tune "Dream Girl") is a "goofy girl" who loves comedy, and his normally dour buddy Casablancas shows some comedy chops that might surprise on "Boombox."

The record is also slated to feature Bay Area hip-hop legend E-40 on the song "Santana DVX," as well as the songs "Who Said We're Wack," "Punch You in the Jeans," "We Like Sportz," "Shrooms" and the "SNL" classic "Iran So Far" with Maroon 5's Adam Levine. There will also be an accompanying DVD, but Samberg said he couldn't talk about what would be on it yet because the terms are still being negotiated.

Samberg would love to take the show on the road, but for now, given his hectic schedule, that remains to be seen. "Some of us are more anxious to do it than others," he said.

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Beastie Boys Tour The Swing States Before Election Day Because That's Where 'Every Vote Matters'

22 Oct 2008 16:35:00 EDT

Mike D calls upcoming vote 'the most important election of our lives.'
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Tim Kash

The Beastie BoysBeastie Boys have plenty in store for fans on their upcoming Get Out and Vote Tour — and not all of it has to do with, you know, voting.

"We're going to work on a lot of dance steps and stuff, because we're setting aside a block of time just for dance stuff. Maybe an hour," Ad-Rock laughed. "And, you know, then the rapping. We've got to work on the rapping stuff. And then just basically physique and toning and tanning. Work on our core. You know, we're going to work on that."

We suspect he's joking (except for the rapping bit), because the Beasties actually have some rather big ideas for the tour — which kicks off October 27 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and will make stops in five other crucial swing states in the week leading up to Election Day. To them, this is the most important election in recent memory, and they hope to get that message across to young voters.

"The decision to play the swing states was like, 'OK, we're here in New York City. It's a foregone conclusion what's going to happen here' — same in California and some other places," Mike D explained. "But let's really get to the places where ... you've got a younger demographic of voter, and they're saying, 'Well, is my vote really going to make a difference? Is it really going to count? Is it really going to be counted?' And I think in this election, in those states, absolutely. Every vote matters. And I think the last two elections were a great precedent — not how they ended up, necessarily — but in terms of if you look at [how the election was] decided by 2,000 votes in the state of Florida. That's a great example of how clear it is that every vote matters."

"And it's a great example of how bad things can get if the wrong person gets into office," MCA added, drawing laughs from his bandmates.

The lineup for the Beasties' tour changes with each city — Jack JohnsonJack Johnson, Ben HarperBen Harper, Norah JonesNorah Jones, Sheryl CrowSheryl Crow and Tenacious DTenacious D are just some of the acts confirmed — but the message remains the same at each stop: Your vote matters. You can make a difference. This is very important.

"We found ourselves — like a lot of people throughout this whole country — sitting around realizing this is going to be the most important election of our lives, for a variety of reasons," Mike D said. "You've got a huge economic crisis, we're engaged in two wars, Social Security is about to run out, [and there are] huge environmental issues and environmental crises. So I think in terms of our lifetime, we thought, 'What can we do to make sure that this is something that's decided by the overwhelming population of the people and not just a few thousand people in one state?' "

The tour wraps in Denver on November 3 — the day before millions head to the polls — and if you're thinking about showing up but worried that a late night might make you groggy on Election Day, don't worry. The Beasties have you covered. Like we said, this is a pretty big deal to them.

"We finish in Colorado, in a very important swing state ... and yes, everyone needs to get up early and get to the polls. So we're going to give them all a gift certificate for coffee in the morning," D laughed. "Actually, I just made that up, so it's sort of a lie, but it's a good idea. I'm going to put that forward to our people. We'll see what happens."

Get informed! Head to Choose or Lose for nonstop coverage of the 2008 presidential election, including everything from the latest news on the candidates to on-the-ground multimedia reports from our 51 citizen journalists, MTV and MySpace's Presidential Dialogues, and much more.

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Lou Reed, David Byrne, Norah Jones, Moby Head Up Anti-War Benefit Concert In New York

19 Mar 2008 14:44:00 EDT

Show in Brooklyn was benefit for anti-war coalition United for Peace and Justice.
By Conor Bezane

BROOKLYN, New York — This week marks the five-year anniversary of the war in Iraq. And in Moby's opinion, the "fireworks show" that rained down on Baghdad five years ago should have never happened in the first place.

"I remember watching it on television and thinking, 'Oh f---, it's begun — and we're gonna be here forever,' " he said at a press conference on Tuesday night prior to "Speak Up: A Benefit Concert for Peace in Iraq and Justice at Home," an anti-war concert that featured short sets from an eclectic lineup including Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, David Byrne, Norah Jones, Antony Hegarty, the Scissor Sisters, Blonde Redhead and Damien Rice. "Iraq is the equivalent of a Venus flytrap or shark's mouth — very easy to get in, but not so easy to get out."

His voice was one of many at this sold-out concert at St. Ann's Warehouse, a benefit for Iraq Veterans Against the War and United for Peace and Justice, an anti-war coalition that is organizing nationwide demonstrations this week. The show alternated between musical performances and speakers, and even featured a piece from noted choreographer Bill T. Jones, who used ballet and poetry to tell a story about the hardships of warfare to the somber accompaniment of a solo violinist.

The mood of the concert, which began with a feedback-drenched guitar rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" from Reed, Anderson, Hegarty and Moby, alternated between anger and melancholy.

Recently back from Texas, where he performed at the South by Southwest Conference, Moby told a story about meeting a couple of soldiers there who were spending the weekend on leave.

"They asked me to play this song in memory of their [soldier] friends who just killed themselves," he said somewhat cryptically before launching into "Slipping Away," from his 2005 LP, Hotel.

Earlier in the evening, Norah Jones, seated at a piano on the corner of the stage, played "My Dear Country." "I wrote this song in November of 2004," she told the audience. "Hopefully this year in November I'll feel a little differently."

Laurie Anderson offered up her techno-flavored protest song "Only an Expert," the lyrics of which address the fruitless search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. She later accompanied Hegarty on violin.

David Byrne, accompanied by Jones, Rice and two Scissor Sisters, played a set of uptempo new material, and also announced that he is once again collaborating with Brian Eno, who co-produced some of Byrne's seminal work with his former band, Talking Heads.

The Scissor Sisters announced they were adopting a new name for the evening — "Don't Ask Don't Tell." Dressed in a dayglow yellow suit jacket, lead singer Jake Shears sang the disco-inspired "I Don't Feel Like Dancing."

The speakers, many of them journalists (including author/Air America personality Laura Flanders and Nation writer Naomi Klein), talked about a variety of agendas, from anti-globalization to denouncing the Patriot Act to the evils of war profiteering. Many of those who appeared onstage placed as much blame on the media as they did on the Bush administration, although there was little acknowledgement of the role that the blogosphere has played in war coveragerole that the blogosphere has played in war coverage.

Antony Hegarty, leader of Antony and the Johnsons, also called out the media, but in a less abrasive tone. He pointed out that while many Americans know that more than 4,000 U.S. soldiers have died in the war, no one knows for sure just how many Iraqi civilians have lost their lives.

"You could Google 'Iraqi casualties' for hours and never come up with a number," Hegarty said. "It's become the job of artists and people on the outside to collect information on what exactly is going on."

The two-hour-plus concert ended with a show of unity, as Reed led the assembled performers in a rendition of "Voices of Freedom." And while no performer had explicitly endorsed a candidate, many alluded to the importance of voting.

"When I went to vote for the [New York] primary, I have to admit, I started to cry," Johnson said earlier that evening. "I felt the weight of the future on my shoulder — and I think a lot of Americans are feeling that way too."

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Don Vito's Fate In Jury's Hands; Plus Tony Yayo, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Pete Wentz, Britney Spears, Madonna, Linkin Park & More, In For The Record

31 Oct 2007 01:48:00 EDT

Yayo trial to begin in January; Jay joins 'Ye onstage in Boston; Fall Out Boy bassist breaks foot (but tour goes on).
By MTV News staff

Vincent "Don Vito" Margera's fate on two counts of sexual assault is in the hands of the jury. Tuesday saw the presentation of closing arguments, during which Pamela Mackey, an attorney for Margera -- Bam's uncle -- argued that he had been in his "goofy, outrageous and vulgar" persona during his August 2006 Colorado mall autograph signing, during which he is accused of having groped three young girls. ...

Tony Yayo will stand trial beginning January 10 in connection with the case in which he is alleged to have roughed up the 14-year-old son of Game manager Jimmy "Henchman" Rosemond in March. According to Yayo's lawyer, Scott Leemon, the judge combined the cases of Yayo (born Marvin Bernard) and a man known as an "honorary" member of the G-Unit, Lowell "Lodi Mack" Fletcher, who was also allegedly involved in the assualt, but whose relationship to Yayo Leemon declined to discuss. ...

Big brother and little brother teamed up Monday night: Jay-Z made a surprise guest appearance at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston during Kanye West's set at the JAMN 94.5 Monster Jam Concert. Kanye also brought T-Pain — who played his own set earlier in the night — for "Good Life." Lil Wayne, Fabolous, J. Holiday, MIMS and Akon also performed at the concert. ...

Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz broke his foot during the band's performance Sunday night at the Voodoo Music Experience festival in New Orleans. Wentz uploaded a gory close-up photo of his severely bruised and swollen foot to his profile page on FriendsorEnemies.com. "For anyone who was at the Voodoo Fest in New Orleans, you got to see me jump around," he wrote. "Ended up breaking the bone that connects my shin to my foot; no shows will be cancelled. I am currently trying to get a 'rocker' boot so I can have a walking cast. Currently, my foot is the size of a small car. If you see me at a show, come sign my cast." ...

Don't expect to see Britney Spears gracing the cover of Maxim anytime soon — the magazine has ranked her #5 on its list of the Five Unsexiest Women Alive. One slot ahead of her is Madonna, who Spears seems to be emulating these days, and they're followed by Sandra Oh, Amy Winehouse and the list-topper, Sarah Jessica Parker. ... Some people might not find Madge too sexy these days, but according to a new tome, "Madonna: Like an Icon," Tupac Shakur was more than just hot for her in the past — they actually dated. The book's author, Lucy O'Brien, claims the Material Girl dated 'Pac for one year in her mid-30s before the rapper's untimely death. O'Brien quotes a friend close to the singer, saying ultimately, the rapper's friends quashed the fling. "She was going out with him," one of Madge's friends said. "But homegirls were saying to [2Pac], 'I can't believe you're going out with a white girl.' " Madonna was then subsequently dumped, according to the book. ...

Linkin Park's outreach project, Music for Relief, has set its sights on a new challenge: helping Southern California recover from the devastating wildfires. The band has contributed $50,000 to Direct Relief International — a Santa Barbara nonprofit that has been providing medical supplies to victims — and the donation was matched by SanDisk Corporation, a flash-data-storage-card company. "The wildfires are an unfathomable tragedy," LP bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell said in a statement. "Being able to help victims of a natural disaster like the wildfires is exactly why Music for Relief was founded." The band is also encouraging its fans to make their own contributions through the Music for Relief Web site. ...

Common's still riding strong with his latest album, the recently released Finding Forever, but while he's looking forward, his former label is looking backward with a new compilation of early cuts. ThisIsMe Then: The Best of Common, being issued by Relativity/ Sony Legacy, compiles 15 songs from 1992-'97 — but the enhanced disc has four video extras too: for "Take It EZ," "I Used to Love H.E.R.," "Retrospect for Life" (featuring Lauryn Hill) and "Invocation." It's set to street November 27. ... The Roc is in the building: Freeway hosted a listening session at S.O.B.'s in New York Monday night for his sophomore set, Free at Last, due November 20. The Philadelphia rapper previewed collaborations with 50 Cent, Rick Ross and Jadakiss, before Beanie Sigel hit the stage with him to perform their Just Blaze-produced classic, "Roc the Mic." ...

Reggae singer Beenie Man was released from a Kingston, Jamaica, jail on $21,000 bail on Monday after appearing in court on tax-evasion charges, according to The Associated Press. Authorities say the singer (born Anthony Moses Davis) owes about $661,000 in overdue taxes in Jamaica. He's due back in court December 3. ... The estate of late rapper Notorious B.I.G. filed a federal court motion on Monday claiming that prison inmate Waymond Anderson, who once implicated a former police officer in the killing of the rapper, was lying when he recently recanted his testimony. AP reports that the motion seeks access to phone and prison visitation records for Anderson, who is serving a life sentence for murder in a separate case. In an August 20 deposition Anderson said he lied about the alleged police involvement as part of a scam involving the slain rapper's family members and attorneys to win a monetary settlement from the city. The estate argued in its filing that the records will discredit Anderson's story and reveal who was behind his "wholesale assault on the truth." ...

A 20th-anniversary edition of the A Very Special Christmas album — featuring performances by No Doubt, Wyclef Jean, Sting, Run-D.M.C., Jon Bon Jovi, Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow and U2 — will be released November 20. The package benefiting the Special Olympics will also feature the first-ever DVD collection of videos in the series' history, including performances from the 1998 and 2000 Christmas at the White House specials. ... Two anti-poverty groups co-founded by Bono, the ONE Campaign and Debt AIDS Trade Africa, will merge their operations in the U.S. to create a single organization that will be known as ONE. Reuters reports that the organization will continue to focus on poverty-relief efforts in Africa and the U.S., according to a statement from Bono, in which he said, "ONE and DATA are two organizations with the same outrage: Extreme, stupid poverty in the 21st century makes no sense when the resources and technology exist to do something about it. ... What makes sense is to harness these two forces into a single organization and redouble our efforts. One goal. One team." And in yet more U2 news, National Geographic Cinema Ventures will release a new film, "U2 3D," in late January. The movie will play in 3-D only, in select theaters worldwide. Filmed in South America during a series of U2 concerts on their Vertigo Tour, the film is the first live-action movie ever shot, produced and exhibited in digital 3-D, and strove to capture the intimacy between the band and its audience. ...

Slayer and Halloween are a match made in hell, and this year the metal titans have partnered with MySpace to spook fans into buying their new concert DVD, "The Unholy Alliance - Chapter II: Preaching to the Perverted," which also features performances by Lamb of God, Mastodon and more. One of the clips from the DVD, Slayer's performance of their Grammy-winning song "Eyes of the Insane," will stream all day on MySpace TV on Wednesday. ... SoLow.com, which rewards visitors for making the lowest unique bid for prizes it offers, is giving one lucky fan a chance to spend Thanksgiving with the Osbournes. The winner will also get tickets to Ozzy Osbourne's concert in San Diego, as well as a few hundred bucks in cash and a hotel room in Los Angeles. ... Tom Cruise, meet the Sex Pistols. The actor and the notorious punk-rock legends are both slated to appear — and perform, in the case of the Pistols — on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" on Tuesday night (October 30). Republican presidential hopeful Representative Ron Paul rounds out the odd lineup. ... Forbes has released its list of the top-earning dead celebrities, and Nirvana's Kurt Cobain no longer sits at #1 — that spot now belongs once again to Elvis Presley — the King's estate generated $49 million in the past year, while Cobain's name doesn't even make the list. At #2 is John Lennon, whose drew $44 million in 2007, while fellow Beatle George Harrison takes #4 with $22 million. Other musicians on the list include Tupac Shakur at #8 with $9 million and James Brown at #11 with $5 million. Bob Marley is at #12, having made $4 million this year. ...

In the end, nobody at the University of Florida got zapped. Andrew Meyer, of "Don't tase me, bro" fame, will not face any criminal charges for disrupting an appearance by Senator John K

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Britney Spears' Assistant Served By Kevin Federline; Plus Diddy, Notorious B.I.G., Jennifer Lopez, Amy Winehouse & More, In For The Record

13 Aug 2007 17:25:00 EDT

Diddy to executive produce Biggie biopic; Lopez pegs release date for LP; Winehouse scraps gigs.
By MTV News staff

Britney Spears' assistant was served with court papers Sunday morning to give a deposition in a legal matter between the singer and Kevin Federline. Mark Vincent Kaplan, Federline's attorney, told The Associated Press that Alli Sims will be asked to offer a statement "in connection with the Britney Spears/ Kevin Federline issue," although he didn't elaborate. He added that Sims is "believed to have relevant information" but didn't go into specifics about that either. On Wednesday, Kaplan filed documents in Los Angeles Superior Court for primary physical custody of Federline's two sons with Spears. ...

Diddy will executive produce the upcoming biopic of the Notorious B.I.G., Variety reports. "Soul Food" director George Tillman will be behind the lens for "Unbelievable: The Life, Death and Afterlife of the Notorious B.I.G.," for which an open casting call was launched nationally on Sunday. ...

Jennifer Lopez has pegged October 9 as the release date for her English-language album Brave, her second LP of the year and sixth studio disc overall. The set is highlighted by the just-released single, "Do It Well," and will be produced by J.R. Rotem (50 Cent, Christina Aguilera), among others. J. Lo's other album this year, Como Ama Una Mujer, is the best-selling Spanish-language debut LP ever. ... Amy Winehouse, who was hospitalized last week for severe exhaustion, has scrapped two planned shows in Germany opening for the Rolling Stones, RollingStone.com reports. The singer told Britain's News of the World, "I don't know how to explain what happened. ... I can't remember what I looked like. I couldn't recognize myself. It was terrifying." ...

Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, Kid Rock and Velvet Revolver will anchor Los Angeles radio station KROQ's Inland Invasion fest — which has been renamed the L.A. Invasion, since its relocation from a venue in Devore, California, to one in Carson. Against Me!, Chris Cornell, Hot Hot Heat, Satellite Party, Paramore and Cypress Hill round out the bill for the show, which will take place September 15. ...

The French publisher of the "Harry Potter" series will not seek damages against a 16-year-old who allegedly posted online an unauthorized French translation of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," publishing house Gallimard Jeunesse said Monday (August 13), The Associated Press reports. The case is still being investigated by French authorities, who will decide whether to bring it to trial. ... Robert Smith of the Cure, Julian Casablancas of the Strokes, Frank Black and Tom Waits will judge this year's International Songwriting Competition, RollingStone.com reports. ...

Bloc Party, Múm, Of Montreal and more have been confirmed for the ninth annual Iceland Airwaves festival, set for October 17-21 in downtown Reykjavík. ... The Shins have beefed up their fall tour schedule with a smattering of new U.S. dates. After playing Seattle's Bumbershoot festival on September 1 and Chicago's Download Festival the following day, the band will take a month off, then hit the road again beginning October 5 in Berkeley, California. From there, the Shins will play more West Coast and Southwest dates before dipping down South and winding their way up the East Coast for a two-day stand at New York's Terminal Five on October 23-24. They'll cap the tour with a pair of gigs at Las Vegas' Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel on October 27-28. ...

Wilco are bumping a pair of concerts because guitarist Nels Cline has come down with the chicken pox, according to the band's site. The Tuesday night show in Duluth, Minnesota, will now be staged September 4, and a concert scheduled for Winnipeg, Manitoba, will be postponed or scrapped entirely. ... "You Hear It First" vets the Shout Out Louds will tour for a month after they drop their new album, Our Ill Wills, on September 11. The indie-pop quintet will embark at the LA Weekly Detour festival in Los Angeles on October 6 and stay on the road through a November 3 show in Dallas. ...

According to Killswitch Engage bassist Mike D'Antonio, the band will head out for a co-headlining run with Lamb of God this winter. Suicidal Tendencies and Every Time I Die are in talks to open the gigs. ... Alice in Chains have been working on its first new material in more than a decade, according to frontman William DuVall. He said working with the band has "been deeply rewarding" and the new material sounds "insane." No word yet on when the reunited grunge rockers will release their next LP. ...

"Big Lebowski" fans who incessantly re-enact scenes and dialogue from the cult flick are about to be able to make their interpretations even lifelike: action figures are on the way. Seven-inch scale figures devoted to the Dude and Walter will be available in October and can be preordered here. ... Barenaked Ladies will host another cruise in 2008 called Ships & Dip III and leaving Miami on January 27. Tickets go on sale March 22. Meanwhile, Lynyrd Skynyrd (with guests the Marshall Tucker Band) are also hosting another cruise, while Sister Hazel and Toad the Wet Sprocket are signed on for Rock Boat VIII. ...

According to the Asbury Park Press, police charged 33 people with underage drinking last week at the Family Values Tour's Wednesday stop at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey. Thirteen others were arrested on various other charges, including resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and assaulting a trooper. In all, 46 people, ranging in age from 16-47, were taken into custody during the gig, which was headlined by tour founders Korn. ... A James Brown trustee accused of misappropriating $350,000 of the late singer's money has resigned, the Chicago Tribune reports. David Cannon turned over a check for the sum at a hearing on Friday. A follow-up hearing has been slated for September 24 as wrangling continues over Brown's estate.

08.10.07

Think 50 Cent is taking his upcoming face-off with Kanye West lightly? In an interview posted on SOHH.com on Friday (August 10), Fiddy threatened to end his rap career if he gets upstaged by 'Ye when their albums go head to head on September 11. "If Kanye West sells more records than 50 Cent on September 11, I'll no longer write music," he said. "I'll write music and work with my other artists, but I won't put out anymore solo albums." 50's Curtis will square off against West's Graduation. ...

Lily Allen has canceled gigs once again, this time because she has strep throat and sinusitis, she says in a post on her MySpace blog. "I'm back in London eating my mum's chicken soup, 'cause I'm afraid the traveling has caught up with me," she wrote in the post. "Before anyone starts trying to accuse me of neglecting my fans, I want to apologise and say how sorry I am, but I can't risk causing any permanent damage." Defending herself further, the singer also posted an image of her holding her doctor's note. ...

D'Angelo received suspended jail sentences Friday after pleading guilty to charges of driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license, AP reports. A Virginia judge revoked his license for 13 and a half months and fined him $1,250, with additional penalties suspended. A reckless-driving charge was dropped. ... Beastie Boys finally said hello to Brooklyn, New York, on Thursday night with — if you can believe it — their first-ever concert in the borough. RollingStone.com reports that the group, which played at McCarren Pool in Greenpoint, aptly opened the set with "Hello Brooklyn" and closed it with "No Sleep Till Brooklyn." ...

Norah Jones, Corinne Bailey Rae and Joss Stone are chipping in for Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino, which arrives in stores September 25. Paul McCartney, Elton John, Robert Plant and other classic-rock vets also salute the bluesman on the two-disc set, the sales from which will go toward buying instruments for public schools in New Orleans, rebuilding Domino's home there and helping other Crescent City-related programs. ... Emma Bunton, a.k.a. Baby Spice, gave birth to a, um, baby boy in London on Friday. It's the first child for the singer and boyfriend Jade Jones, who used to be in a pop act of his own: boy band Damage. ...

Bright Eyes are lighting up their tour schedule with seven additional dates: September 14 (Boise, Idaho); September 15 (Spokane, Washington); September 18 (Fairbanks, Alaska); September 19-20 (Anchorage, Alaska); September 23 (Eugene, Oregon); and September 24 (Chico, California). ... Waiting for a Cure LP? Well, the wait just got a bit longer. The band's new album was supposed to drop earlier this year, got bumped to the fall — and now won't be ready until the spring, Billboard.com reports. The band is busy touring and frontman Robert Smith hasn't finished writing yet. ...

Underoath will hit the road with Every Time I Die, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster and Poison the Well for a fall tour beginning September 22 in Houston and ending November 6 in Orlando, Florida. ETID, who are still on the Sounds of the Underground Tour, will drop their new Ferret release The Big Dirty on September 4. Earlier this week, they posted "No Son of Mine" — a track from the Steve Evetts-produced (Dillinger Escape

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Maroon 5 Fight Off The Prince Of Darkness — For Billboard #1

30 May 2007 12:39:00 EDT

It Won't Be Soon Before Long has second-biggest first-week sales of the year.
By Chris Harris

Last week, Linkin Park's Minutes to Midnight usurped Norah Jones' Not Too Late as the year's best-selling first-week performer, with sales clocked at nearly 623,000 — a tough total to top. And this week, although Maroon 5 gave it the old college try, their It Won't Be Soon Before Long didn't quite make the grade — although its 429,500 copies sold did top Jones' first-week total of 405,000, becoming 2007's second-best-selling debut.
It Won't Be Soon Before Long is Maroon 5's second LP and its first to debut at the top of Billboard's weekly albums sales chart, according to the latest SoundScan totals. The band's debut, 2002's Songs About Jane, failed to chart in its first week in stores, but has sold more than 4.3 million units to date, powered by the group's relentless touring. Maroon 5 ran away with next week's coveted title, despite competition from the Prince of Darkness himself (Ozzy) and Young Jeezy's latest project, USDA, which features partners in crime Slick Pulla and Blood Raw.
Ozzy Osbourne's Black Rain enters the chart at #3, having sold close to 152,000 copies during its initial week at retail, and is followed at #4 by Young Jeezy Presents USDA: Cold Summer, which scanned around 95,000 units. (Ozzy's 2001 LP Down to Earth bowed at #4 with 152,500 sold, while 1995's Ozzmosis sold 127,000 copies to also open at #4.) Another newcomer to this week's chart — of which there were a total of 19 — closes out the week at #5 on sales of 92,000: the latest from Utah punk outfit the Used, Lies for the Liars (kinda funny to have USDA and the Used right next to each other on the chart).
Sandwiched at #2 between Maroon 5 and Ozzy is last week's #1, Linkin Park's Minutes to Midnight, which suffered from a 68 percent second-week sales slump but still racked up another 197,700 in sales. Climbing four places to #6 this week is the self-titled debut from "American Idol" season-five finalist Chris Daughtry's eponymous rock troupe, selling more than 74,000 copies; the disc enjoyed a 45 percent spike in sales, probably boosted by the singer's appearance on the show last week. Michael Bublé's Call Me Irresponsible falls four spots to #7 with 62,000 copies scanned, while Carrie Underwood's Some Hearts returns to the top 10, climbing four positions to #8, also with an assist from her "Idol" performance. Avril Lavigne's Best Damn Thing drops to #9 with sales of 48,000, and rounding out the top 10 is Ne-Yo's Because of You.
With 34,700 copies leaving the nation's music stores this week, the Hans Zimmer-helmed soundtrack to "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" makes its Billboard debut at #14, while Trill Entertainment Presents: Survival of the Fittest, a compilation album featuring the work of rappers Foxx, Lil' Boosie and Webbie, bows at #17. The Bravery's new one, The Sun and the Moon, opens at #24, having scanned around 21,800 copies, and checking in at #40 with 14,500 sold is the Beach Boys' retrospective set The Warmth of the Sun.
Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong's solo offering A Poet's Life claims the chart's #59 slot with 10,600 units snatched up — which is quite impressive when you consider the entire effort was made available for free download prior to the CD release. Meanwhile, right behind Tim at #60 is the latest from Christian rockers Hillsong United, All of the Above. Amber Pacific's Truth in Sincerity debuts at #64, selling to the tune of nearly 10,000, and opening at #68 is the National's Boxer, with around 9,400 sold.
Rapper Ca$his' County Hound EP bows at #106 on 6,700 copies sold, and coming in at #127 is Erasure's Light at the End of the World, which scanned more than 5,800 units. Hip Hop Lives, a collaborative album from KRS-One and producer Marley Marl, enters the chart at #140, selling 5,100 and change, while Joan "One of Us" Osbourne's Breakfast in Bed comes in at #160 on sales of 4,500. At #193, with 3,800 copies scanned, is the third installation in the Ultra Weekend compilation series — a two-disc set featuring the remixed likes of Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, Pink, Tiësto and Danity Kane. And lastly, coming in at #195, is the latest from R&B thrush Amel Larrieux, Lovely Standards, which sold 3,700 units in its first week on store shelves.

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Daughtry Reclaim Billboard #1

07 Mar 2007 12:11:00 EST

'American Idol' rocker's band takes top spot from Norah Jones in another slow sales week.
By Chris Harris

After a week in which none of the records comprising the Billboard albums sales chart cleared the 100,000-sold mark, and any mention of "American Idol" immediately prompted discussion of controversial season-six contestant Antonella Barba, the #1 spot on the top 200 belongs to Chris Daughtry.
The "Idol" veteran's band rode a 7 percent sales increase to the top — without any compromising photos of its chrome-domed frontman making the rounds on the Internet.
Daughtry, the self-titled debut from the rock collective, returns to Billboard's apex — dropping the chart's previous champ, Norah Jones, to the #2 position. Daughtry sold close to 90,000 units, giving the singer his second taste of retail domination since late January; the 15-week-old LP first assumed the #1 slot six weeks ago, and has drifted between the #2 and #9 spots since. Jones, whose Not Too Late topped the two previous charts, slips one position after scanning nearly 74,000 copies.
Following Jones at #3 is Akon's Konvicted, which climbs two places with sales reported at 73,000, according to the latest SoundScan data. Fall Out Boy's Infinity on High falls one spot to #4, with 67,000 sales, while Robin Thicke's The Evolution of Robin Thicke claims the #5 position, selling 57,000 units. Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds finishes at #6, with close to 54,000 copies flying off store shelves, while Nelly Furtado's Loose returns to the top 10, surging ahead seven slots to #7 with 45,000 scans.
The soundtrack to "Dreamgirls" is also back in the top 10, thanks to a 19 percent sales boost that amounted to 45,000 copies sold. Selling just 58 fewer copies is Corrine Bailey Rae's self-titled LP, which finishes the week at #9. Rounding out the top 10 with 42,000 scans is the Dixie Chicks' Taking the Long Way.
It was a relatively lethargic week at retail for chart veterans and new releases. The week's biggest-selling debut comes from New Orleans rap group B.G. and the Chopper City Boyz; their latest, We Got This, opens at #21 with 27,000 scans. Returning to the latest chart is the Goo Goo Dolls' updated and reissued Let Love In. The CD/DVD special edition occupies the #48 slot, selling 15,000 units.
Slim Thug's Boss Hogg Outlawz bow at #63, having sold 12,000 copies of their latest, Serve & Collect, while "Blue Collar Comedy" affiliate Bill Engvall's 15 Degrees Off Cool pops up at #93 with 9,000 sold. Marco Antonio Solis' La Historia Continùa ... Parte III opens at #95 with 9,000 scans.
Former "American Idol" contestant Kellie Pickler scores one of the week's biggest gainers with her debut effort Small Town Girl. Sales of the disc rose 37 percent following Pickler's appearance last week on "Idol." The album moved close to 12,000 copies, earning Pickler the chart's #66 spot.

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Norah Jones Holds Billboard #1, Daughtry Climbs Back To #2

28 Feb 2007 12:55:00 EST

Kidz Bop Kids, Tobymac debut in top 10 as overall sales drop.
By Chris Harris

The week following this year's Grammy Awards was a busy one for music retailers as fans of artists like the Dixie Chicks, Justin Timberlake, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers turned out in force to snatch up music from this year's biggest winners. Overall sales of the 200 LPs comprising Billboard's weekly albums chart climbed more than 500,000 copies from the previous week to nearly 4.2 million. Last week, however, was a much different story, with the din of opening cash registers tapering off substantially.
Total sales of Billboard's top 200 fell by more than 1 million, with nearly every album on the chart experiencing declines. Take Norah Jones' Not Too Late, for example. Last week's chart champ racks up another 100,000 sales and holds the #1 spot even after sustaining a 53 percent sales hit, according to the latest SoundScan totals.
The sales plunge may also have something to do with last week's lack of noteworthy new releases. Just 10 artists managed to debut on the latest chart, including the newest installment from the Kidz Bop Kids.
Kidz Bop 11 — a cavalcade of unintentionally surreal covers of hits performed by a collection of preteens — opens at #4 on the latest chart, selling nearly 75,000 units. The set features pint-size takes on songs including Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy," Timberlake's "My Love," and John Mayer's "Waiting on the World to Change." Bowing at #10 is Portable Sounds, the latest from Christian artist Tobymac. The record sold close to 51,000 copies its first week in stores, to be the second of only two newcomers to crack the top 10.
Following Jones at #2 is Daughtry, the eponymous debut from "American Idol" finalist Chris Daughtry's rock outfit; the LP sold 84,000 copies, and climbs seven chart positions, though sales of the disc dropped 17 percent. Fall Out Boy's Infinity on High jumps two slots to #3, selling 79,000 units, while Akon's Konvicted finishes at #5 with 73,000 sold.
Robin Thicke's The Evolution of Robin Thicke holds at #6 for a third-straight week, with sales reported at 68,000, while Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds continues to occupy the #7 spot with 62,000 scans. Corinne Bailey Rae's self-titled album falls four spots to #8, with 56,000-plus units grabbed up, while Gerald Levert's posthumous LP In My Songs follows at #9 with 55,000 sold.
Elsewhere on the chart, Anberlin's Cities opens at #19, with nearly 34,000 copies sold its first week in stores. The Ataris' Welcome the Night opens at #85 with 9,800 scans, while Kittie's Funeral for Yesterday surfaces at #101 with 8,700 sold. Everlife's self-titled LP bows at #121 with 7,100 scans, while Comeback Kid's Broadcasting follows at #129 with 6,500 sales. K-os' Atlantis: Hymns for Disco debuts at #152 after moving 5,700 copies, while Showdown's Temptation Come My Way debuts at #191, selling 4,500 units.

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15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

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07 Jun 2007 00:00:00 EDT

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08 Feb 2007 00:00:00 EST

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30 Sep 2004 00:00:00 EDT

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07 Feb 2003 00:00:00 EST

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