Christina Aguilera
Photo: RCA Records

Veterans Day won't be celebrated for many more months — it falls on November 11, to be precise — but with new releases from Sheryl Crow, Lenny Kravitz, k.d. lang and others dropping, it may as well be Tuesday (February 5). While those releases will likely rank high on next week's SoundScan chart, though, there are a few more-MTV-friendly artists we need to talk about first ...

Back To Back To Basics: Christina Aguilera has been milking her last studio album, big time, in the year and a half since it came out. Originally released in August 2006, Back to Basics was chased by a massive world trek; a "tour edition" re-release of the set, with a bonus DVD, that November; and now an exclusive Best Buy package containing two DVDs. The first disc has 90 minutes' worth of footage from two gigs she played at Sydney's Acer Arena in July 2007, while the second is loaded with behind-the-scenes peeks; interviews with the singer, husband Jordan Bratman, her dancers, her musical director and others; and more. SoCal fans should head to the Best Buy in West Hollywood, where Aguilera will autograph the release, marking her first public appearance since she gave birth in January.

Jack Attack: Now this is what you call going green — Jack Johnson recorded his entire new studio album in Hawaii and Los Angeles using analog tape machines powered by solar energy. The singer/songwriter, who will play his first U.S. show in support of Sleep Through the Static in Hawaii on Earth Day, April 22, said in a statement, "Some of the songs on this album are about making babies. Some of the songs are about raising them. Some of the songs are about the world that these children will grow up in; a world of war and love, and hate, and time and space. Some of the songs are about saying goodbye to people I love and will miss." Fans who preordered the album — which is a bit more electric than Johnson's previous releases — through iTunes were gifted with a bonus track, "Goodbye."

Hot Stuff: The last time we heard from Hot Chip — in 2006, when they put out The Warning — they walked away with a Mercury Music Prize nomination. Now the electro-pop collective is hoping for repeat success with Made in the Dark, which was recorded and self-produced at its London studio over the last half-year. The new songs are more rockin' than previous Hot Chip material, and fans who have caught their recent gigs are already familiar with some of them. If you're really into the band, keep an eye out for the two-disc version of Made in the Dark — it has five live-performance videos, including a pair from the Glastonbury Festival. As for the proper CD, tracks include "Bendable Poseable"; "Touch Too Much"; and "Shake a Fist," which samples a Todd Rundgren tune, if you can believe it.

Vetted: Big surprise — albums haven't been selling well in 2008 so far, with last week's Billboard albums chart champ, the "Juno" soundtrack, winding up in the throne with just under 65,000 copies sold. Well, this week will likely bring a hot sales injection into the charts, thanks to the return of some big-name veteran singer/songwriters:

Sheryl Crow
· Grammys won: 10
· Studio LPs released: six
· New album title: Detours
· Takeaway quote: "This is the most honest record I've ever made," she said in a statement.
· Details: With producer Bill Bottrell — who worked with Crow on her massive 1993 debut, Tuesday Night Music Club — back onboard, it could be one of her most successful too.

Lenny Kravitz
· Grammys won: four
· Studio LPs released: eight
· New album title: It Is Time for a Revolution
· Takeaway quote: "I felt like a kid playing in my bedroom, and that's the most important thing you can tap into, that feeling of being free," Kravitz — who also tapped into his opposition toward the Iraq war on the disc — said in a statement.
· Details: The deluxe edition — which has a color cover, instead of a black-and-white one — comes with a bonus DVD featuring an intimate documentary.

k.d. lang
· Grammys won: four
· Studio LPs released: 10
· New album title: Watershed
· Takeaway quote: "It's about self-examination. It's about seeing where I am in the world, and how I do or don't connect to the universe," she told New York's Daily News.
· Details: The limited deluxe edition is a Unibox with cloth wrap and embossed foil stamp, and includes photo cards, two CD sleeves — and more importantly, a bonus CD with four extra songs and an interview.

Young Brood: Superstars aside, there is also a batch of fresher faces on the singer/songwriter side this week. Here's a quick breakdown:

Jason Collett
· Hails from: Ontario
· Studio LPs released: three
· New album title: Here's to Being Here
· Details: Fellow members of the Broken Social Scene, as well as the Stills and beyond, lent Collett their skills for the effort.

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
· Hails from: L.A.
· Studio LPs released: four (as a solo artist)
· New album title: Calibration
· Details: Frequent collaborator John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mars Volta bandmate Cedric Bixler-Zavala and others gave Rodriguez-Lopez a boost.

Kelley Stoltz
· Hails from: San Fran
· Studio LPs released: six
· New album title: Circular Sounds
· Details: "It's called Circular Sounds, which barely defeated The Glass Moustache and Prism Breakout for [the] new album title," he said in a post on his Web site.

Josh Kelley
· Hails from: Nashville
· Studio LPs released: four
· New album title: Special Company
· Details: He recently married "27 Dresses" actress Katherine Heigl!

Lightspeed Champion
· Hails from: London
· Studio LPs released: one
· New album title: Falling Off the Lavender Bridge
· Details: Taste-making producer Mike Mogis, in addition to members of Bright Eyes and the Faint, helped ex-Test Icicles guitarist Dev Hynes with his LP, which has already drawn raves overseas.

Basia Bulat
· Hails from: Ontario
· Studio LPs released: one
· New album title: Oh, My Darling
· Details: The Rough Trade artist teamed with producer Howard Bilerman (the Arcade Fire, British Sea Power) for the album, and one of the songs has already been selected for a Volkswagen ad.

Song Title of the Week:

"I'll Splatter You Like Jackson Pollock" from Gwen Stacy's The Life I Know

Album Cover of the Week:

Clutchy Hopkins' Walking Backwards

Other Notables:

HorrorPops' Kiss Kiss Kill Kill
"We really wanted to get back to the classic new wave feel that we love," singer Patricia Day said in a statement. "And I think our excitement about these songs has made a hell of difference." The movie-obsessed Danish psychobilly punks dish up "Thelma and Louise," "Hitchcock Starlet" and "MissFit" on their latest effort.

Warbringer's War Without End The young Los Angeles thrash-metal band — which has been touring with Exodus and Goatwhore — made its debut album available for free for a limited time on MetalSucks.net. The disc was produced by Bill Metoyer (Slayer, D.R.I.) and features such titular-appropriate songs as "Total War," "Hell on Earth" and "Shoot to Kill."

Sleep Station's The Pride of Chester James
At the center of this orchestral-pop group is one David Debiak, a man who is prone to mental breakdowns and has written songs in the past about necrophilia, humans falling in love with robots and astronauts dying in outer space. This time around, he and his crew utilized an old tape machine, Hammond organs and more for songs like "Tired of Me Now," "Thunder" and "Hello Mr. Coughlin." "This record has weighed heavily on me for quite some time," he said in a statement. "Writing the songs was the easy part — they came naturally. Living and reliving them was far more difficult, but some say that the joy is in the journey."

New Releases:

· Air Traffic - Fractured Life (Astralwerks) [Buy Now]
· Baby Walrus - Baby Walrus (Slumber Party)
· Big Bang - Wild Bird EP (Grand Sport) [Buy Now]
· Basia Bulat - Oh, My Darling (Rough Trade)
· Caspa & Rusko - Fabric.Live 37 (Fabric)
· Nick Cave and Warren Ellis - "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" soundtrack (Mute)
· Beth Nielsen Chapman - Prism: The Human Family Songbook (two CDs; Thirty Tigers)
· Jason Collett - Here's to Being Here (Arts & Crafts)
· Chick Corea & Gary Burton - The New Crystal Silence (two CDs; Concord)
· Sheryl Crow - Detours (A&M) [Buy Now]
· Taylor Dayne - Satisfied (Adrenaline)
· Dead Meadow - Old Growth (enhanced; Matador)
· Bill Dixon with Exploding Star Orchestra - Bill Dixon with Exploding Star Orchestra (Thrill Jockey)
· Gwen Stacy - The Life I Know (Ferret) [Buy Now]
· Havoc Unit - h.IV+ (Vendlus)
· Clutchy Hopkins - Walking Backwards (two CDs; Ubiquity)
· HorrorPops - Kiss Kiss Kill Kill (Hellcat)
· Hot Chip - Made in the Dark (also available with DVD; Astralwerks) [Buy Now]
· Jack Johnson - Sleep Through the Static (Brushfire)
· Kamera - Resurrection (Nettwerk) [Buy Now]
· Josh Kelley - Special Company (enhanced; DNK)
· Kenny G - Rhythm & Romance (Concord)
· Lenny Kravitz - It Is Time for a Revolution (special edition comes with DVD; Virgin) [Buy Now]
· Kronos Quartet and Wu Man - Terry Riley's "The Cusp of Magic" (Nonesuch)
· k.d. lang - Watershed (deluxe limited edition with bonus CD also available; Nonesuch)
· Lightspeed Champion - Falling Off the Lavender Bridge (Domino)
· Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Calibration (N20)
· Tera Melos - Drugs to the Dear Youth (Sargent House)
· Aidan John Moffat - I Can Hear Your Heart (Chemikal Underground)
· Bob Mould - District Line (Anti-) [Buy Now]
· Nada Surf - Lucky (limited edition comes with bonus CD; Barsuk)
· Ocrilim - Annwn (Hydra Head)
· The Partisan Turbine - The Partisan Turbine (Ferret)
· Steve Reid Ensemble - Daxaar (Domino)
· Gonzalo Rubalcaba - Avatar (Blue Note)
· Salt the Wound - Carnal Repercussions (Rotten)
· Say Hi - The Wishes and the Glitch (two CDs; Rebel Group) [Buy Now]
· School of Language - Sea From Shore (Thrill Jockey)
· Sleep Station - The Pride of Chester James (Eyeball)
· State Radio - Year of the Crow (Nettwerk)
· Kelley Stoltz - Circular Sounds (Sub Pop)
· Otis Taylor - Recapturing the Banjo (Telarc)
· Claude VonStroke - Beware of the Bird (enhanced; limited edition comes with bonus CD; Fabric)
· Warbringer - War Without End (Century Media)
· Winds of Plague - Decimate the Weak (Century Media)
· Yip-Yip - Two Kings of the Same Kingdom (S.A.F.)
· Various artists - Stronger Than All (enhanced EP; Seventh Dagger)
· Various artists - "Honeydripper" soundtrack (Rhino)
· Various artists - "My Blueberry Nights" soundtrack (Blue Note)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· Bachman-Turner Overdrive - The Definitive Collection (Mercury Nashville)
· Terri Clark - The Definitive Collection (Mercury Nashville)
· Rosemary Clooney - Sings for Lovers (Concord)
· Chick Corea and Return to Forever - The Definitive Collection (Verve)
· Electric Light Orchestra - The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra, Volume 2: Ticket to the Moon (Epic/Legacy)
· Billie Holiday - The Definitive Collection [Buy Now]
· J. Holiday - Back of My Lac (deluxe edition with DVD; Music Line/ Capitol)
· Lang Lang - The Magic of Lang Lang (Deutsche Grammophon) [Buy Now]
· Brian McKnight - 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection - The Best of Brian McKnight (Motown)
· Wes Montgomery - Plays for Lovers (Riverside)
· Kelly Price - 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection - The Best of Kelly Price (Island) [Buy Now]
· Salt-N-Pepa - 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection - The Best of Salt-N-Pepa (Island)
· SheDaisy - The Best of SheDaisy (Lyric Street)
· Jimmy Smith - The Definitive Collection (Verve) [Buy Now]
· They Might Be Giants - Here Come the 123s (Amazon.com exclusive comes with DVD; Disney Sound)
· Mel Tormé - Sings for Lovers (Concord)
· Paul Weller - Wild Wood - Deluxe Edition (Yep Roc)
· Various artists - New Jack Swing Gold (two CDs; Hip-O)
· Various artists - What's Happening in Pernambuco - New Sounds of the Brazilian Northeast (Luaka Bop)

Music DVDs:

· Christina Aguilera - "Back to Basics: Live and Down Under" (two DVDs; RCA) [Buy Now]
· Iron Maiden - "Life After Death" (two DVDs; Universal) [Buy Now]
· Quincy Jones & Friends - "Live at Montreux 1996 - 50 Years in Music" (Eagle Vision)
· Roxy Music - "The Thrill of It All: A Visual History 1972-1982" (two DVDs; Virgin)
· Jill Scott - "Live in Paris+" (Hidden Beach)
· Chris Smither - "One More Night" (Signature Sounds)
· Thin Lizzy - "Live and Dangerous" (UMe)

Digital Releases:

· Boy George - Sold and U Can Never B 2 Straight (Virgin)
· China Crisis - Diary: A Collection and Working With Fire and Steel: Possible Pop Songs, Volume Two (EMI)
· Cutting Crew - The Best of Cutting Crew (SIS/IKN)
· del Amitri - del Amitri (Chrysalis/EMI)
· Devastations - Yes, U (Beggars Banquet)
· Stephen Duffy - They Called Him TinTin (Virgin)
· Brian Eno - Music for Airports (Live) - Bang on a Can (Cantaloupe) [Buy Now]
· The Hooters - Time Stand Still (Megaforce)
· Ferlin Husky - Capitol Collectors Series (Capitol Nashville)
· Killing Joke - Brighter Than a Thousand Suns and Outside the Gate (Astralwerks) [Buy Now]
· Gene McDaniels - The Best of Gene McDaniels (Capitol)
· Pet Shop Boys - Alternative (EMI)
· Ursula 1000 - Undressed ... Remixed (ELS)
· Faron Young - The Complete Capitol Hits of Faron Young (Capitol Nashville)

Coming Attractions:

February 12:
· Michael Jackson - Thriller 25 (with DVD; Epic/Legacy) [Preorder]
Read: "Michael Jackson, Akon Are 'Startin' Somethin' ' On Thriller 25 Track -- Listen To It Here!"
· Metric - "Live at Metropolis" DVD (Last Gang) [Preorder]
· Simple Plan - Simple Plan (Lava/Atlantic) [Preorder]

February 19:
· Foxy Brown - Brooklyn's Don Diva (Black Rose Entertainment/ Koch) [Preorder]
· Mike Doughty - Golden Delicious (ATO)
· Various artists - Kidz Bop 13 (enhanced; Razor & Tie)

February 26:
· Erykah Badu - New Amerykah (Motown) [Preorder]
· Missy Higgins - On a Clear Night (Reprise)
· Janet Jackson - Discipline (deluxe edition comes with DVD; Island) [Preorder]

• Christina Aguilera
• Jack Johnson
• Sheryl Crow
• Hot Chip
• Lenny Kravitz

Lenny Kravitz
Photo: Jo Hale/ Getty Images

If you were to ask Lenny Kravitz whether he's a glass-is-half-full or half-empty kind of guy, there's no doubt he would readily admit to being an unflappable optimist. He's released singles with titles like "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over," "Fields of Joy," "Fly Away" and "Believe in Me." His first album was called Let Love Rule, and his upcoming effort, due February 5, is titled It Is Time for a Love Revolution. It's obvious that there's a little hippie in the rocker.

"I guess I'm just a little naive that way," Kravitz said with a laugh during a recent interview while at a farm in Brazil. "People always accuse me of being motivational in a way, like it was a bad thing, but that's just how I was raised. My mom raised me in a positive environment, with lots of love in my heart, and that reflects in my music."

It's hard to believe, but Kravitz is quietly nearing the two-decade mark in a career of making songs bequeathed with such positivity. Love Revolution, his eighth studio album, will come nearly 19 years after the release of his debut. He has outlasted a lot in pop and rock music in that time — grunge, boy bands, bling-era hip-hop, Britney, et al. — and done it with a devastating consistency as a commercially mega-successful musician.

A preview of Love Revolution offered to MTV News reflected more of the same style of music that has fueled Kravitz's career: classic-rock guitar riffs, a big funk rhythm section and ambitious stadium-size hooks, all cut with an eye on the modern pop form. It's a safe formula, but one that works for Kravitz — and certainly worked out well.

Asked about his track record in registering albums that go gold or platinum, and singles that always seem to find their way into movies and commercials, Kravitz offered up a simple formula. "I always try to keep the circumstances in my life fresh," he explained. "I like to change the physical environment I live in, change the people around me and try to experience things for the first time. I think that keeps one on their toes, creatively and spiritually."

Kravitz has turned the anthemic rock tune into an art form, and there's plenty of that on Love Revolution, including the title track and one song, "Luv Luv Luv" (see aforementioned optimism), in which Kravitz dismisses material goods in favor of having love in one's heart.

But not all of its songs aspire to be stadium-rock staples or ubiquitous TV-commercial scores, though to his credit, Kravitz was a pioneer of the medium. "Dancing Till Dawn" channels disco-era Rod Stewart and recalls a favorite lounge hangout in New York. "Back in Vietnam" has Kravitz in protest mode, equating the war in Iraq with the quagmire that was the war in Vietnam — and it ties into his retro-rock tag quite nicely. And on "A Long and Sad Goodbye," he sings about his father, TV producer Sy Kravitz, who passed away in 2005. The singer/guitarist opens up about his dad's alleged infidelities and their estranged relationship on the song.

"My dad and I made peace with each other a few weeks before he passed, and we spent a lot of time with each other in those last days," Kravitz said. "We didn't have the greatest relationship because he had cheated on my mom and I was basically a mama's boy. It was hard-core. When your mother sits you and your father in the same room on the day he's leaving, and your mother says to your father, 'Don't you have anything to say to your son?' You'd think he'd say, 'Son, I messed up,' or whatever, some redeeming statement. But he said, 'You'll do it, too.' I didn't know what kind of weight that would carry in my life, and I realized a lot of my demons I had to battle came from moments like those. But we got over it, and that song is about that catharsis."

Kravitz plans to tour for two years behind the album, starting with a New Year's Eve performance in New York's Times Square for Carson Daly's annual bash. But before he hits the road, he also plans to finish recording a funk album — titled, well, Funk — for which he's long had plans.

As for that farm in Brazil that he's been staying at lately, he explained, "It's a four-hour drive from Rio, in the middle of nowhere. I told you that I like to change my environment a lot, and this is part of it. A thousand acres, sometimes I go a day or two without seeing any people around. Lots of trees and fruit and things that keep me happy. But it's a friend's place that I'm just staying at. It's not mine — yet."

• Lenny Kravitz

Janet Jackson
Photo: Virgin Records

Janet Jackson has spoken out to deny allegations that she has an 18-year-old daughter from her brief marriage to singer James DeBarge in the 1980s. In a statement to "Access Hollywood," Jackson said, "I do not have a child and all allegations saying so are false." She was reacting to a claim made by singer Young DeBarge, James' younger brother, who told a New York radio station last week that Jackson's older sister Rebbie has been raising the girl in secret. ...

Angelina Jolie, already a mom of two adopted kids — Maddox, 4, and Zahara, 9 months — is planning on expanding her brood. While attending the annual Worldwide Orphans Foundation benefit Monday in New York with her brother, Jolie told People magazine that she wants to adopt again, and "quickly." "It's a very special thing," she told the mag. "There's something about making a choice, waking up, and traveling somewhere and finding your family." ... Nine Inch Nails' groundbreaking 1989 debut album, Pretty Hate Machine, which has been out of print for more than three years, will be reissued on November 22 through Rykodisc. The re-release will feature the same 10 tracks as the original, and the artwork remains unchanged. Rykodisc is licensing the rights to the record from Prudential Securities, which had put Pretty Hate Machine, along with several other TVT Records titles, on the auction block in mid-August; the label presented a bulk of its industrial catalog to Prudential in 1999 as collateral against a $32 million loan. When it failed to attract a credible bid for the material, Prudential opted to hold onto the records' rights and license them out. A Rykodisc spokesperson said the label will also reissue a KMFDM record in early 2006. ...

The "Ozzfest 10th Anniversary" DVD and bonus live CD will be released on November 22. The DVD, filmed at shows in Camden, New Jersey, and at Donington Park in England, will feature performances by Black Sabbath ("War Pigs," "Iron Man" and "Paranoid"), Velvet Revolver ("Sucker Train Blues"), H.I.M. ("Soul on Fire"), Trivium ("A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation"), Rob Zombie ("More Human Than Human" and "Dragula"), the Haunted ("Bury Your Dead"), Soilwork ("Blind Eye Halo") and Wicked Wisdom ("You Can't Handle"), among others. The CD's track list is no different. The DVD also includes interviews with the Osbourne family, Velvet Revolver's Slash and Black Label Society's Zakk Wylde. ...

Lenny Kravitz's toilet troubles aren't over yet. After being sued last year by an insurance company seeking to recover $333,850 from the rocker's downstairs neighbor's claim that Kravitz's toilet had overflowed and caused damage to his Manhattan apartment, Kravitz is being sued yet again over the matter, this time, by the neighbor himself. The previous lawsuit, filed by Amica Mutual Insurance, sought to recover the cost of repairs paid out to neighbor and retired financial exec Joel Disend, but now Disend says it wasn't enough, and is seeking additional damages of $9,387. No word yet on which of Kravitz's eight bathrooms in his $13 million, 6,000-square-foot penthouse had the plumbing problem. ... Andy Dick spent his Wednesday afternoon at Fairfax High School in Hollywood urging students to "cut class, not frogs." The comedian and longtime PETA supporter launched a new ad campaign at the school, signing posters that read "Exercise your right to refuse to dissect animals." Dick previously pressured the clothing company Wet Seal to stop selling fur by leaving hundreds of messages on employees' voicemails, which led to the company meeting with PETA and yanking fur from its shelves. ...

"One Tree Hill" star Bethany Joy Lenz, who attended the Brooklyn College of Opera and plays guitar and piano, has signed a recording deal with Epic Records. Ron Aniello (Lifehouse, Guster) is producing her debut, due next year. Lenz is also collaborating with Garry Marshall and Carole King on a new musical and working with director Arthur Allan Seidelman on a production of "The Outsiders." ... Buyer beware — if you're looking to pick up any Beach Boys memorabilia currently being auctioned off through London's Cooper Owen house, you may want to reconsider, since the band says it's stolen. The auction house has 28 lots of Beach Boys collector's items, even though a criminal investigation by the Los Angeles police is already in place, according to the band's corporate entity, Brother Records, which notes that the FBI and Interpol may also become involved. Brother Records also says that it intends to file civil lawsuits against Cooper Owen, the individual seller, and anyone who purchases any of the memorabilia at the auction. ...

One year after joining Adema, Luke Caraccioli has decided to leave the band. Caraccioli, recruited to replace founding frontman Marky Chavez (half brother of Korn's Jonathan Davis), said in a statement posted to the band's Web site that the decision was personal, one he "had to make at this point in my life." He added that he's rejoined his former band, Rewind Yesterday. Adema released one album with Caraccioli — Planets, which hit stores this past April. ... Jawbreaker drummer Adam Pfahler is planning to roll out a documentary about the band, and has been in discussions with director Keith Schieron ("We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen") about the project. His Blackball Records label would be releasing the film. Pfahler has been compiling old Jawbreaker footage, according to a posting on Blackball's Web site, which added that he did not "know what the arc of this story [would] be," but "doesn't [want the film to] come off too self-congratulatory or play like some cautionary tale on the pitfalls of the music industry." He's asking that others who may have some video footage to contact him through Blackball. ...

10.26.2005

Christina Aguilera, who's warmed up her pipes recently doing support shows for Herbie Hancock, is getting onstage to sing her own tunes next month for charity. She'll join Diana Ross to co-host the Unite of the Stars gala banquet on November 9 in South Africa, and then will sing the next night at a concert for Altech South African Grand Prix Week festivities, in Johannesburg, South Africa, which will benefit the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, Unite Against Hunger, and St. Mary's Hospital. ...

After performing in the Dominican Republic a week and a half ago, Jennifer Lopez and her husband, Marc Anthony, took a pit stop in Puerto Rico to attend a celebrity golf event — and ended up raising more than $100,000 for two Puerto Rican cancer facilities. The couple had headlined the three-day Presidente Latin Music Festival October 14-16, and then on the final day of the fest, visited the inaugural Celebrity Cancer Golf Classic held at the Coco Beach Golf & Country Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. The proceeds raised will benefit the Hospital Auxilo Mutuo Cancer Center and Sociedad America del Cancer. (Click here for photos.)... Madonna's getting "Hung Up" on "CSI" — her new single will be featured next month on crossover episodes of "CSI: Miami" and "CSI: NY." The first of the two episodes, "CSI: Miami" on November 7, is about a convicted serial killer who escapes to Miami and begins a new killing spree. Two days later, on "CSI: NY," the killer returns to New York with a college student as his hostage. "Hung Up" will be heard at the beginning of the shows, which both air at 10 p.m. ET on CBS. ...

The Recording Industry Association of America has released its monthly list of lawsuits against alleged copyright-infringers, and this time 745 individuals at 17 different colleges are being targeted. The "John Doe" suits cite individuals using peer-to-peer services such as Grokster and Kazaa. Among those on the list were students using the file-sharing application i2hub to download and distribute music on Internet2, a super-high-speed system used for research purposes on many college campuses. Lawsuits were filed against students at Boston University, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Drexel, MIT and Harvard, among others. The RIAA also filed suit against 81 named individuals. ... Allergies are no joke. Just ask Sleater-Kinney singer/guitarist Carrie Brownstein, who was forced to drop off the band's planned European tour following two severe allergic reactions that landed her in the emergency room. As a result, the band canceled its Euro tour, explaining on Sleater-Kinney.com that "[Carrie's] doctor has advised that she not travel/tour for prolonged periods of time until the condition stabilizes and further tests are conducted. The band apologizes to all the people that this cancellation affects." ...

Miss Piggy as the next Simon Cowell? Hey, it could happen. In an effort to revive the Muppets franchise, ABC has put in an order for five scripts of "America's Next Muppet," a reality-TV parody show that will take elements from "American Idol" and "America's Next Top Model," according to Variety, to find the next great Muppet character. ABC, along with Disney, remain mum on details of the project, which is still in development, but it looks like there will be a panel of judges (Kermit or Gonzo, perhaps?) who will whittle down contestants to see who has the chops to be the newest furry superstar. ... The man who voiced TV's beloved Jolly Green Giant has died at the age of 80, The Associated Press reports. Elmer "Len" Dresslar Jr., best known for his trademark "ho, ho, ho," the famous laugh in the Green Giant food ads, passed away earlier this month from cancer. Dresslar, a singer who recorded 15 jazz albums over the course of his career, also did voice-overs for Rice Krispies cereal and Marlboro cigarettes. ...

Hot on the heels of their debut (and subsequent remix album), Bloc Party are getting down to the business of recording a brand-new LP. The band plans on hitting the studio in February to begin work on the follow-up to Silent Alarm, which it hopes to have in stores by next summer. The group has already recorded some new material with producer Ben Hiller, who's worked with U2 and Blur. Working titles for new songs include "Hunting for Witches" and "The War's Not Over." ... H.I.M., Breaking Benjamin, the All-American Rejects and Minnie Driver will be featured on the soundtrack to the WB's "Smallville," which drops November 8. Other artists appearing on the disc include Josh Kelley, Depeche Mode, the Dandy Warhols, Stereophonics and Brendan Benson. ...

Love the '80s but wish the tunes from that era were updated just a tad? The upcoming Future Retro compilation, due Tuesday, pairs current club DJs and producers who reimagine classic '80s alternative songs from acts such as Devo, the Cure and Echo & the Bunnymen. Crystal Method tweak New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle," Richard X roughs up Yaz's "Situation" and Adam Freeland electrifies B-Movie's "Nowhere Girl." Static Avenger's take on INXS' "Need You Tonight" was voted one of the top three tracks at this year's Winter Music Conference. ...

• Janet Jackson
• Nine Inch Nails
• Lenny Kravitz
• Rob Zombie

Gwen Stefani at her L.A.M.B. fashion show in New York
Photo: Getty Images

NEW YORK — Gwen Stefani rocked the runway Friday night, unveiling her spring 2006 L.A.M.B. collection in her first-ever fashion show as the finale of New York's Olympus Fashion Week. The flourishing fashion designer not only debuted her new clothes, but also new music, weaving in three songs destined for the sequel to her solo album.

(Click for photos from Gwen Stefani's 2006 L.A.M.B. collection fashion show.)

Stefani's collection — which was previewed at the Roseland concert venue, instead of the usual Fashion Week encampment at Bryant Park — lured the likes of Diddy, Ashanti, Lenny Kravitz, Bijou Phillips, Damon Dash, Kelly Osbourne, Scott Weiland, Faith Hill and Nicky Hilton, not to mention countless buyers from nationwide department stores and boutiques, plus fashion editors such as Vogue's Anna Wintour (who was seated next to the singer's husband, Gavin Rossdale, in the front row).

Interspersing snippets from "The Sound of Music" with her own music, Stefani presented some of her favorite cars, clothes and music on an unconventional runway that wasn't even really a runway at all, but more like the floor of a haunted garage. Four models emerged from pimped-out Cadillacs, which were initially covered with white sheets (to remind folks they were there, the car horns honked intermittently throughout the show).

The clothes themselves combined some of Stefani's other favorite things. One of the looks combines garden party with reggae; she calls it "Rasta Gatsby." Another, named "Pirate Trooper," draws inspiration from Vivienne Westwood's buccaneers and paratrooper jumpsuits. While many models did the usual stomp-walk down the stardust-flecked walkway, a few got into the groove and danced a little, especially when one of Stefani's new tunes was playing.

"I have a bunch of leftover tracks from making Love, Angel, Music, Baby," she said. "And two months ago, Pharrell called me up, he was like, 'Come down to Miami and write some more songs!' And I'm like, 'OK!' I went down there and wrote four songs and played three of them tonight. They're really fresh."

Besides previewing "Candyland," "Breaking Up" and "Orange County Girl," Stefani also snuck in a new song from Rossdale's new band, Institute, called "When Animals Attack." "It was a surprise," she said. "He didn't know about it. I bet he was like, 'Whoa!' "

"It was nice of her to put it in," Rossdale said. "I think she wanted to do something sweet."

"That was probably my favorite part of the whole thing," Stefani said. "Besides 'The Sound of Music,' of course. The Julie Andrews part was the best."

Come back later this week for a full-length feature on Gwen and her foray into fashion.

• Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B. Fashion Show In New York, 9.16.05

• Gwen Stefani
• Diddy
• Lenny Kravitz
• Ashanti

Julieta Venegas at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards Latin America
Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images

The united colors of the Americas were on display at the third annual MTV Video Music Awards Latin America, as the Black Eyed Peas, Avril Lavigne, Maroon 5, Julieta Venegas, Café Tacuba and La Ley all took home awards.

The show's performances were equally diverse: the Peas, Lenny Kravitz, the Beastie Boys and rapper Pitbull represented the U.S., while Venegas, Molotov, Juanes and others held it down for Latin America. Unity was on display during the Peas' show-opening set, as the group was joined by Diego Torres, La Ley and Venegas for Spanish-language covers of songs including "Yeah!," "Hey Ya!" and their own "Hey Mama" and "Let's Get Retarded."

The show, which took place Thursday night in Miami, saw multiple awards handed out to Venegas (who dominated the show with three wins), Mexican group Café Tacuba and L.A.'s Maroon 5, who each took home two awards.

Although the ceremony was scripted entirely in Spanish (including an introduction from Bono and banter from other English-speaking artists), international acts were well represented. Maroon 5 were crowned Best International Rock Artist and International New Artist, besting acts like Franz Ferdinand and Yellowcard. Avril Lavigne won Best International Pop Artist for the second consecutive year (beating out Beyoncé, Hilary Duff, Joss Stone and Nelly Furtado), while the Black Eyed Peas won the new category of Best International Hip-Hop/R&B Artist over 50 Cent, Beastie Boys, Outkast and Usher.

Latin award-winners included Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz, who won for Best Pop Artist (for which host Rubio was also nominated), and up-and-comer Belinda, who took home a trophy for Best New Artist: Mexico. Rockers Airbag won Best New Artist: Argentina, and Torres won Best Artist: Argentina. (Mexico, Argentina and Central America received individual awards for the artist and new artist categories.)

Instead of receiving a Moonman statue, as the winners of the U.S. VMAs do, each winning artist at the MTVLA VMAs was presented with a replica of a large pink tongue pierced with the MTV logo, which represents the Spanish language that unites most Latin Americans in the region.

Nominees in each of the 18 categories were chosen by the MTV Music and Video Academy, which is made up of music-industry professionals and MTV viewers. The winner in each category was determined by Latin American viewers who cast their votes online at MTV Latin America's Web site between September 7 and October 5.

The awards show, which took place at the Jackie Gleason Theater, will air on MTV on October 30 at 11 p.m. PT/ET.

• Julieta Venegas
• Café Tacuba
• Black Eyed Peas
• Lenny Kravitz
• Beastie Boys

Mase and P. Diddy at the 2004 VMAs
Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

We see it every year, the backstage area of the MTV Video Music Awards just brings it out of people. They're free, friendly and ready to explore. It's the only place in the world where you'll see Will Smith chilling with Suge Knight and singing to Queen Latifah, Xzibit admitting he dances in his boxer shorts to the tune of another man's song, Lil Jon making a bid to become an honorary member of the Simpson family with Jessica's big poppa, and Bruce Willis leaning back with P. Diddy.

While Jennifer Lopez kicked things off onstage (see "Outkast, Jay-Z Win Big At VMAs; Usher, No Doubt Land Multiple Moonmen"), hubby Marc Anthony was acting as a one-man Miami welcoming committee, greeting the likes of Good Charlotte and chatting up LL Cool J before heading back to his dressing room. The Reverend Al Sharpton probably could've used Anthony's help to get backstage — seems he misplaced his backstage pass and was left wandering the hallways looking for another way to gain entrance.

Marilyn Manson wasn't in Sharpton's shoes. By the time the VMAs were on the air, the shock-rocker was already cozied up to the backstage bar, surveying the scene with his manager by his side. When he spied Shaquille O'Neal across the room, Manson hurried over to meet the big man.

At the sushi buffet in the backstage lounge, a woman bet Will Smith $1 that he couldn't eat a large chunk of wasabi. After tasting just a dab of the sharp green stuff, Smith backed out. He did manage to pay his respects to some hip-hop royalty, though, serenading Queen Latifah with a loud "Hail to the Queen!" chant as she entered the room.

Lil Jon — royalty of the crunk variety — was holding court by the side of the performance stage. Jon and the East Side Boyz took turns admiring Petey Pablo's pinky pendant while East Sider Big Sam took sips of crunk juice from a small gasoline canister. The crew was joined by Vivica A. Fox, who broke into an impromptu dance and ordered the entire group to "Drop it like it's hot."

(Complete 2004 VMA Winners List.)

Before she took the stage with Kanye West, Chaka Khan was holding court of her own in the VMA green room. Surrounded by a large entourage that combed her hair and dabbed on makeup, the diva fanned herself and sang the chorus of her hit "Through the Fire" out loud. Khan's posse was so large that No Doubt didn't even notice her until they were a few feet away, being hustled to their seats. The bandmembers shot each other startled looks and stared at Khan in awe.

Christina Aguilera did some startling too. As she warmed up her pipes, the power of her vocal exercises caused people standing outside her dressing room to jump. Her performance partner Nelly lounged nearby, trying to decide which afterparties to attend. After they finished their duet, fellow St. Lunatic Murphy Lee congratulated them, yelling, "That sh-- was hot!" And minutes before he bounded through the audience in a giant bubble, the Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne gave Jet hearty congratulations for their Best Rock Video win. Probably still buzzed from the victory, Jet's Chris Cester approached Xzibit and said, "You can pimp my ride anytime!"

	VMA '04 Red Carpet Fashion: Christina, Usher, Jay-Z, Jessica, More
	VMA '04 Backstage: Usher, Kanye, Jay-Z, More
	VMA '04 Onstage: Usher, Jessica, Shaq, Christina, Nelly, Fat Joe, Alicia & Stevie, Outkast, More
	Behind The Scenes At The 2004 VMAs

"Anytime, man," X-to-the-Z replied. "I dance around in my boxer shorts to your sh-- all the time!"

Newly Mohawked P. Diddy relaxed in the artists lounge after dancing to the Terror Squad's performance of "Lean Back." He was joined at the bar by dance partner and posse-mate Bruce Willis, and Willis congratulated Diddy for persuading him to dance, commenting loudly, "Hey! He got the old guy out there!" Later, in a meeting of moguls, Diddy huddled with fellow hip-hop impresarios Jimmy Henchman, Shakim Compere and Lance "Un" Rivera. Nearby, Jay-Z pressed more flesh than a presidential candidate.

Odd couple Lil Jon and Joe Simpson (Jessica and Ashlee's dad) hit it off so well that Jon hooked Simpson up with an honorary pimp cup and the two exchanged phone numbers. Another odd pairing, Mandy Moore and Marilyn Manson, strolled down a hallway chatting cordially, and Manson checked his 'do in Moore's compact mirror before giving daps to the seemingly ubiquitous Jon. And while the Beastie Boys did share stage time with Sasquatch, they were hoping for bigger and better things — seems they had wanted to walk the red carpet with a real live alligator, but the city of Miami shot the idea down.

As all 24 members of the Polyphonic Spree assembled to take the stage, lead singer Tim DeLaughter was getting fitted for his harness to aid in his levitation. Underneath DeLaughther's robe? Some red jean shorts and a bulky knee brace. Farnsworth Bentley and Big Boi looked slightly dazed as they wandered amongst the various Spree members in the hallway. And nearby, Boi's Outkast partner, Andre 3000, popped out of a dressing room and began prepping for their performance. Much to the delight of the many ladies in the hallway, he began doing stretches — shirtless.

Bentley and his ever-present parasol cornered producer Jazze Pha, revealing his plans for world domination. "I'm done with all this background dancing," Bentley said. "From now on, it's all front-ground dancing!" Nearby, Nick Lachey and Paris Hilton were spotted wandering off somewhere ... probably not what you think, since they were mobbed with handlers.

But Lachey and Hilton weren't the only stars making a break for it. The pilgrimage to party land had begun. Despite the fact that she was in super-high heels, Beyoncé managed to make a quick exit from the ceremony. P. Diddy and Bruce Willis left the event just as they arrived, together. Xzibit took off with D12. Nelly — glass of cognac in hand — attempted a hasty exit but was caught at the door by MTV's Sway.

And in the final show-stopping moment of the night, Jay-Z brought the exiting crowd to a standstill as he posed for pictures with fans and shook hands with celebs he hadn't met yet, like Good Charlotte's Benji Madden. And with a farewell wave to screaming fans along the red carpet, Jigga was off into the night.

• VMA '04 Backstage: Usher, Kanye, Jay And More
• VMA '04 Onstage: Usher, Jessica, Shaq, Christina, Nelly, Fat Joe, Alicia, Stevie, Outkast, More
• VMA '04 Behind The Scenes
• VMA '04 Red Carpet Fashion

• Lil Jon
• Jessica Simpson
• Christina Aguilera
• Jet
• Lenny Kravitz

Usher on the red carpet
Photo: Jason Merritt

MIAMI — Whether they arrived by limo, Vespa or yacht, all the stars brought their Miami heat to this year's VMA red carpet.

It should come as no surprise that Gwen Stefani and P. Diddy were the brightest stars on the rug. While many people took the change of venue as an opportunity to dress down and keep cool, these guys showed everyone up in their all-time classic VMA outfits.

Gwen wore a blue, strapless tuxedo shirt with a ruffled front and a bow in the middle; a red pencil skirt with black tulle poking out from underneath; black spike heels; and her hair pulled back, secured by three red roses.

Diddy rocked a white suit, a black shirt, a white tie, black Adidas shell-toes, a black pocket square, and had his hair shorn into a Mohawk. Mase, who arrived with Mr. Best Dressed, was Puff's negative image (see how well they complement each other?) in a black suit with white contrast details.

Other elegant ladies were Christina Aguilera, the Simpson sisters, Jennifer Lopez and Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Aguilera was in full-tilt Marilyn Monroe mode, down to a drawn-on mole. She wore a silver chandelier dress with a low-cut back, curly blond hair (short enough to see the "Xtina" tattoo on her neck) and — what else? — a girl's best friend.

Jessica Simpson wore a silver sequin-topped dress; Ashlee wore a cream macramé frock with green-velvet details; J. Lo donned a brown fedora and brown dress with sequin accents and red-and-yellow flair to her skirt; and Karen O looked like a girl from a Robert Palmer video, clad in a skin-tight black dress and blood-red lipstick.

Representing for the fellas were Big Boi, Dave Navarro and Omarion. Though understated this year compared to what he normally rocks, Big Boi's black suit, silver tie and big diamond medallion made him look as dapper as ever. Navarro was all glam-rock in a completely open red shirt with a Playboy-logo necklace, skin-tight jeans and a wallet chain. Omarion's denim suit was both casual and classic.

It wouldn't really be an awards show in MIA if no one channeled Sonny Crockett. Happy to oblige, Kanye West wore a pale pink button-down shirt and pants with white loafers and a white belt.

Another trend in ostentatious Miami was gold clothing, with Beyoncé setting the bar high in short gold shorts with a matching jacket whose cuff and collars were bedecked with jewels.

Alicia Keys' dress had gold-rhinestone straps that wound around her neck, down her dress, and into a bow around her waist, while Ashanti wore a black dress with gold-dragon print. Marilyn Manson sported a Rosie O'Donnell-style asymmetrical hairdo along with a black high-water pantsuit and gold diamonds.

The Duff sisters were dripping in gold: Hilary in many antique necklaces and Haylie in earrings and a vintage belt.

They say great minds think alike, so Jay-Z, Usher and Ludacris must be geniuses. The three guys all wore white suits and hats, offset with subtle orange. Jay's splash of color was his striped tie, Usher's was in the form of a pocket square, and Cris' personalization was a tangerine button-down shirt under his jacket.

A bunch of the guys took the occasion to shout out to their favorite sports teams: Will Smith wore a Phillies throwback jersey, D12 were head-to-toe in Pistons gear, and Nelly's T-shirt pictured Michael Jordan.

Others, like Chingy and Lil Jon, looked like they were wearing sports shirts, but they were actually wearing personalized garb advertising upcoming albums (Chingy's Powerball) and themselves, respectively. Equally unsatisfied with off-the-rack clothes were Good Charlotte: Joel Madden wore a black vest (with the band's brass-knuckles symbol on the chest) with black pants, a white shirt and black tie, while Benji wore a stick-'em-up bandana over his mouth and a black suit with the brass knuckles painted all over it.

Some artists got their politics on: Beastie Boy Ad Rock wore a crossed-out "W" pin on his lawn-green coveralls and was accompanied by a woman wearing a dress with "Stop Bush" written all over it. Meanwhile, Brian Chase of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs wore a crossed-out picture of the president on his shirt, and Jadakiss sported a black "Buck Fush" tee.

And some were just there to have fun: The robe-bedecked Polyphonic Spree looked like a barefoot, walking box of Crayola crayons.

Finally, Hulk Hogan walked the red carpet in support of daughter Brooke, an up-and-coming singer. Brooke wore a khaki fishnet skirt over shorts and a khaki bikini top studded with gold stars. She also had a fluorescent-pink Miami manicure, while the Hulkster was dapper in an all-black suit and black do-rag.

Now rip off your tank top and get to the show coverage.

• VMA '04 Behind The Scenes
• VMA '04 Red Carpet Fashion
• VMA '04 Onstage: Usher, Jessica, Shaq, Christina, Nelly, Fat Joe, Alicia, Stevie, Outkast, More
• VMA '04 Backstage: Usher, Kanye, Jay And More

• Christina Aguilera
• Diddy
• No Doubt
• Mase
• Ashlee Simpson

Outkast accept their Best Hip-Hop Video award for "Hey Ya!"
Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Miami loves hip-hop, and hip-hop loves Miami, so it's fitting that Outkast and Jay-Z cruised away as the big winners Sunday night at the first Video Music Awards ceremony to be held there.

Outkast's "Hey Ya!" won Video of the Year (the third year in a row a rap act has won the coveted award) as well as Best Hip-Hop Video, Best Special Effects and Best Art Direction. Outkast also had the honor of closing the show, with a medley of "Prototype," "The Way You Move," "Ghetto Musick" and, in Andre 3000's words, "for the millionth time," "Hey Ya!"

For the final number, the American Airlines Arena was made to look like a political convention, with a sea of fans holding up pro-vote signs, and red, white and blue balloons dropping from the rafters. It was a scene similar to the one being staged this week in New York, where the Republican National Convention has the city so tied up that a little Florida vacation seemed in order for the VMAs.

Jay-Z's controversial "99 Problems," which came into the evening as the most nominated video with six nods, one more than "Hey Ya!" (see "Jay-Z, Beyonce, No Doubt, Outkast Lead Pack Of VMA Nominees"), tied Outkast's four, winning Best Rap Video, Best Direction, Best Editing and Best Cinematography. "I was trying to push the envelope ... and this is my reward," Jay, in sunglasses and a straw hat, said as he accepted Best Rap Video before slyly acknowledging his girl. "What up, B!"

Beyoncé answered with a "What up, Jay!" after accepting the Best Female Video for the second year in a row, this time for "Naughty Girl."

No Doubt took home Best Pop Video for "It's My Life," the first award handed out in the main show (by Will Smith and a noticeably thin but warmly welcomed Shaquille O'Neal), along with Best Group Video, the band's third win in that category over the years.

Usher, who had never won a VMA before, also won two awards: Best Male and Best Dance Video, both for "Yeah!" featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris. "This is my first time up here, so let me savor this," he said, smiling wide, while accepting the former.

The Viewer's Choice Award, one of the ceremony's highest honors, went to Linkin Park for their anime video "Breaking the Habit," while another fan-voted award, the MTV2 Award, went to Yellowcard for "Ocean Avenue." "Tony Hawk's Underground" won the new and also fan-voted Best Video Game Soundtrack.

For the first time since Hootie and the Blowfish in 1995, a rock band won Best New Artist in a Video, that being Maroon 5 for "This Love." Other winners included Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" for Best Rock Video, Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out" for Breakthrough Video, Black Eyed Peas' "Hey Mama" for Best Choreography, and Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You" for Best R&B Video.

(Complete 2004 VMA Winners List.)

If there were an award for best performance, Keys might've won it with her medley, which began with her crooning "If I Ain't Got You" and morphed into a funky duet of "Higher Ground" featuring one of her idols, Stevie Wonder, on piano and Lenny Kravitz (shirtless, but with wings!) on guitar.

Also impressive on the piano was none other than Nelly, who kicked off "Tilt Ya Head Back" playing the keys while Christina Aguilera sang and danced above him. The "Chicago"-inspired number also featured a couple of impressive dance breakdowns, including a tap routine.

Britney Spears, whose "Toxic" earned four nominations, remains the Susan Lucci of the VMAs, going home empty-handed once again. Kanye West, the White Stripes, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Steriogram, who all also had four chances for Moonmen, were shut out, as were other multiple nominees D12, Aguilera, Hoobastank, Jessica Simpson, Missy Elliott, Modest Mouse and the Darkness.

Usher kicked off the show by singing "Confessions, Pt. 2" while water poured on his chiseled bare arms. Midway through, while he ad-libbed lines about the VMAs, it became clear he was singing into a mirror, which he later shattered as he busted into "Yeah!" with the help of Lil Jon and Ludacris.

Jet, Hoobastank and Yellowcard served the rowdy audience back-to-back-to-back hits: "Are You Gonna Be My Girl," "The Reason" and "Ocean Avenue," respectively. The crowd got another trio of hits a few minutes later, although this time all from the same artist. Kanye West opened with "Jesus Walks" with stained glass windows dropping from the ceiling and a choir following West around the arena. "All Falls Down" and "Through the Wire" followed, the latter featuring Chaka Khan.

Having rested up after providing his signature screams for "Yeah!," Lil Jon returned to the stage with his East Side Boyz for "Get Low," which launched a hip-hop medley that included the Ying Yang Twins' "Salt Shaker," Petey Pablo's "Freek-A-Leak" and Terror Squad's "Lean Back." Fat Joe and his posse's summer anthem had all the celebs doing the song's dance, from Usher to Queen Latifah to Bruce Willis.

The hip-hop medley brought almost as many people to the stage as the Polyphonic Spree's wonderfully wacky performance of "Hold Me Now," complete with singer Tim DeLaughter rising above his band (or cult of followers, take your pick). Taking a more traditional approach, Jessica Simpson performed a no-frills rendition of "With You" and her cover of Robbie Williams' "Angels."

Before the main show, with the red carpet set up along the shore, artists had plenty of options for grand entrances, many of which were made by yacht. "We about to go to the Bahamas and just skip the VMAs," Ludacris said as he stepped off a vessel with Lil Jon. (P. Diddy shared his boat with Bruce Willis, Mase and Naomi Campbell, while Jessica Simpson rode hers with hubby Nick Lachey.)

Usher, who like Luda and many others came in a white suit, was the first to arrive by water, on a massive silver yacht. "I wanted not only the sexiest and flyest boat, but also the fastest," he said.

The Beastie Boys took the opposite approach, arriving on the same swamp burner the trio rode in their "Ch-Check It Out" video.

The pre-show performances started with Jadakiss leading a parade of picketers — carrying signs like "Power to the People" and "Speak Out" — to the outdoor stage while he and Anthony Hamilton performed their hit "Why." Later, Ashlee Simpson performed her smash single "Pieces of Me," after which the stage was literally taken over by New Found Glory, who pounded through "All Downhill From Here."

This year's broadcast marks the first time in 20 years that the show hasn't been staged in New York or Los Angeles. Instead, MTV headed where many of its biggest artists do when they want to have a good time (see "P. Diddy, Others Agree: Miami Is Hip-Hop Heaven").

• VMA '04 Onstage: Usher, Jessica, Shaq, Christina, Nelly, Fat Joe, Alicia, Stevie, Outkast, More
• VMA '04 Behind The Scenes
• VMA '04 Red Carpet Fashion
• VMA '04 Backstage: Usher, Kanye, Jay And More

• Jay-Z
• OutKast
• Black Eyed Peas
• Lenny Kravitz
• Stevie Wonder

Paris Hilton's <I>Confessions of an Heiress</I>
Photo: Touchstone/Fireside

Despite the leak of Paris Hilton's version of the song "Screwed," Haylie Duff is plowing ahead with her plans to include her version of the song on her own upcoming debut album, since she procured the first rights to record and release the song from both of the songwriters and from their publisher, her rep said. There's no release date for either of the two fledgling singers' albums. ... Meanwhile, Hilton's book does have a release date — "Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-In-Chic Peek Behind the Pose" is due out via Simon and Schuster on September 7. ...

Rick James will be buried on Saturday at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York, according to The Associated Press. A public viewing will be held from 11 a.m. to noon at St. John Baptist Church followed by a funeral service and burial. James passed away on Friday at his home in California. ... Lenny Kravitz, who earlier this month announced a fall tour to promote his album Baptism, is canceling the outing — for now — citing family matters as the reason. "I was really looking forward to getting out there to meet and play for my fans," Kravitz said in a statement Thursday (August 12). "Unfortunately, things come up in life that you cannot control. I hope my fans will understand and I will definitely make it up to them with these shows next year." Kravitz's 19-city tour was to begin September 11 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. ...

Christina Aguilera fans who bought VIP-ticket packages to her canceled summer tour but have yet to receive a refund take note — a hearing is being held in the matter, and the singer is inviting you to attend. Since the company that provided the ticket packages, FansRule, went bankrupt, the hearing is being held at the Bankruptcy Court in Worcester, Massachusetts, on Tuesday, during which the singer's lawyers will fight a motion that seeks to have the FansRule trustees' payment a higher priority than repayment to consumers. ... On August 27, Jay-Z will release the third shoe in his series of S. Carter kicks with Reebok — the S. Carter Basketball Mid. To celebrate the release, Jay will be doing a Footlocker in-store in Miami on August 30. ...

JoJo and Gavin DeGraw are joining a whole host of tennis stars (such as Serena Williams and Mandy Moore's ex Andy Roddick) to headline Arthur Ashe Kids' Day, an annual daylong festival of children's tennis activities. The event, the kickoff to the U.S. Open, will take place on August 28 at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, and will be hosted by Quddus of "TRL." ... Prior to their October tour with New Found Glory, Green Day are lining up a club tour to perform their new album, American Idiot, due September 21, in its entirety. So far, shows are scheduled for Los Angeles (September 16), Chicago (September 18), New York (September 21) and Toronto (September 24). ...

More dates for the Beastie Boys' fall tour have been announced. Tickets for shows in and around Los Angeles (September 13), Philadelphia (October 11) and Atlanta (October 15) go on sale this weekend. Meanwhile, a second San Francisco show (September 17) has been added after the first sold out. ... George Clinton pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor drug charges on Wednesday, according to The Associated Press. The rainbow-haired funk musician was arrested in December in Tallahassee, Florida, when he was found in his car with cocaine in his pocket and a glass pipe. Clinton has been sentenced to 200 hours of community service (he plans to teach free music-education courses) and two years of probation. ...

While Frank Black is making the rounds with the reunited Pixies, the singer is also working on dropping albums of his own. The two-CD Frank Black Francis, due this fall, compiles both pre-Pixies demos and new versions of Pixies tunes; while an album of new Black solo material that was recorded in Nashville is planned for the spring. ... Before Tommy Stinson was known as a member of Guns N' Roses and after he left the Replacements, he was in Perfect. The group's album, Seven Days a Week, never came out. But now, retitled to reflect the LP's troubled history (three labels and three release dates that never came), Once, Twice, Three Times a Maybe is finally hitting shelves, via Rykodisc, on September 14. ...

Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin has plans to start a record label called Aretha Records, on which she plans to release her future albums. Her next LP, a collection of duets, will be released by the new Sony/BMG conglomerate. ... Louisville, Kentucky, live-tronica quartet VHS or Beta will release their sophomore disc, Night on Fire, on September 21. The album will feature production work by Mocean Worker. ...

8.11.2004

The suit brought against Snoop Dogg by two Louisiana women who alleged that their images were used on the cover of the "Girls Gone Wild Doggy Style" tape without their permission has been settled. The women, who were 17 and 18 years old at the time the pictures were taken, according to The Associated Press, claimed that they were told by Mantra Films Inc. owner Joseph R. Francis that their photos would not be used in connection with the video. The terms of the settlement were approved on July 21, but have not been revealed. ...

Metallica are the subject of a "tribute night" to be held Friday by the Fresno Grizzlies, the AAA affiliate of baseball's San Francisco Giants. Grizzlies players will wear Metallica-themed jerseys, and the band's songs will be played between innings. The jerseys will later be auctioned off to benefit the Grizzlies' community fund. The team ran a similar Jimmy Buffett tribute night in May. ... Those searching for spiritual salvation at Target stores will have to look elsewhere. The monolithic chain store has stopped selling the Kabbalah red string bracelet, which retailed for $25.99 on its Web site. A representative at Target's guest relations division said the company received a number of phone calls and e-mails complaining about the product, but would not confirm that the objections were the reason for the product's removal. There is some good news: You can still purchase the ubiquitous red string at the Kabbalah Centre's official Web site, for just a penny more. ...

Founding member of the Kinks Dave Davies has been partially paralyzed by a stroke. According to The Associated Press, Davies collapsed on June 30 while promoting his new solo album, Bug. The guitarist, who is paralyzed on the right side of his body but has some feeling, will reportedly have to spend at least another month in the hospital. Doctors feel that with the help of physiotherapy, he will recover. ... Mandy Moore posted a new message on her Web site about how she's been writing more songs with her friend James (most likely James Renald, the writer of her single "Cry"), but feels like she's been slacking on getting her new album together. "I've been kind of a lazy bum recently," she wrote. "In between watching some wonderful films, hanging with some new friends and going to the occasional meeting, I've been writing a bunch ... and I'm really excited to find the right producer, band, and get working on the record for real." ...

Mariah Carey may have thought a plagiarism lawsuit against her was dismissed, but an appeals court has reinstated the suit, allowing two songwriters to sue her for her 1999 hit with Xscape, "Thank God I Found You." Songwriters Seth Swirsky and Warryn Campbell say "Thank God" is a retooling of their "One of Those Love Songs," a track they wrote for Xscape. ... Metal outfit Cradle of Filth will hit the road later this year on an MTV2-sponsored North American tour. Mudvayne will co-headline the trek. No word on the other bands that will join the tour, and dates and cities have not yet been announced. ...

Tanya Donelly plans to record her next album in front of a live studio audience at the end of the month. On August 27 and 28, the former member of Throwing Muses, the Breeders and Belly will record 10 songs at a performance in Bellow Falls, Vermont. Joining her will be members of the Dambuilders, Come, Buffalo Tom, Fuzzy and others. ... Actress-turned-rocker Juliette Lewis doesn't think KFC is finger-lickin' good — she's just sent a letter to the fast-food chain taking them to task for their treatment of animals, on behalf of PETA. "I was deeply disturbed to learn from my friends at PETA that KFC continues to permit outdated and cruel treatment of chickens by its suppliers," she wrote, urging the company to replace its current animal-handling methods with less-violent methods. ...

"Just Say No" advocate Nancy Reagan would be proud — the new album by Social Distortion, due September 28, is titled Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll. The LP's first single, "Reach for the Sky," recently surfaced at radio. ... James Brown has been busy getting all his memories in order for his upcoming autobiography. "I Feel Good: A Memoir of a Life of Soul" will hit bookshelves in January 2005. ... Grateful Dead bassist and blood-and-organ-donor advocate Phil Lesh will host a blood drive at New York Blood Center's Upper East Side headquarters on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lesh will sign posters and pose for photos with donors between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. ...

• Haylie Duff
• Rick James
• Christina Aguilera
• Lenny Kravitz
• JoJo

Cannes Rocks: Carey, Kravitz, More At The Film Festival

• Mariah Carey
• Lenny Kravitz

Beyonce, Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, More At The New York Premiere Of "Dreamgirls"

• Beyoncé
• Jamie Foxx
• Jennifer Hudson
• Eddie Murphy
• Jay-Z

Stefani, Usher, More Arrive At The American Music Awards

• Gwen Stefani
• Usher
• Clay Aiken
• Alicia Keys
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Paris, Usher, Mischa, At The 2004 Teen Choice Awards

• Usher
• JoJo
• Lindsay Lohan
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• Raven-Symoné

Jessica Simpson, Janet Jackson, More At Wango Tango On-Air Festival

• Jessica Simpson
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• JC Chasez
• Black Eyed Peas
• Hilary Duff

P. Diddy, Pharrell, And Lenny Kravitz "Show Me Your Soul" Video Shoot

• Diddy
• Pharrell Williams
• N.E.R.D.
• Lenny Kravitz

45th Annual Grammy Award Nominees, Presenters, And Performers

• Ashanti
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• Avril Lavigne
• John Mayer
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Lenny Kravitz Concert Photos

• Lenny Kravitz

Mariah Hosts Jay-Z, O-Town, Iglesias, Missy At NY Jingle Ball

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• Alicia Keys
• O-Town

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