Peter Bjorn and John's <i>Re-Living Thing</i>
Photo: EMI

It's an unlikely love affair, but quite a few hip-hop heads have really been feeling Swedish indie-rock trio Peter, Bjorn and John lately. From Kanye West, who sampled the group's breakthrough hit "Young Folks" for his Can't Tell Me Nothing mixtape, to Drake, who worked with them on So Far Gone's "Let's Call It Off."

That sonic bromance is going major August 27, thanks to producer Mick Boogie, the man behind last year's lauded Jay-Z/Coldplay mash-up mixtape, Viva la Hova. Boogie was recently handed the master to PB&J's most recent album, Living Thing, and he's done it again, overseeing a full-album remix dubbed Re-Living Thing that the acclaimed mixtape kid said is one of his finest efforts to date. The best part? It's all legit.

The results feature an impressive roster of guest spots from the likes of Wu-Tang Clan's GZA, Kardinal Offishall, Wale, Young Chris & Rhymefest, Bun B, Talib Kweli, Three 6 Mafia with Trouble Andrew, Amanda Blank, 88-Keys and Big Sean with Black Milk. Boogie said he spent time with PB&J and was blown away by what hip-hop heads the soft-spoken Swedes are.

"Because of the success of that Jay-Z thing, great things have been happening," said Boogie, who warmed up for the PB&J gig by reworking Adele's Grammy-winning debut, 19, on the mashup album 1988. "This time the idea was not just remixing, but adding some vocals and getting two to three incredible, known blog-worthy MCs and putting them on every song." As usual, Boogie's job was more like a museum curator, gathering the MCs and a handful of up-and-coming producers and parceling out the songs after sitting down with the band and talking about what they had in mind.

"We talked music and production and artists and it showed me what a global phenomenon hip-hop is, because these guys who grew up in Sweden were quoting Wu-Tang lyrics — and they knew all the underground stuff, too, like Amanda Blank and Kidz in the Hall," he said. Boogie gave the group — Peter Moren, Björn Yttling and John Eriksson — a list of rappers and producers he thought would work, they gave him their list and, in the end, Boogie said they got about three-quarters of the names they were looking for.

"I listened to the album over and over again and I learned it and loved it, and I thought about all the people I wanted to work with and who fit what and then ... I would pick a producer for each song," Boogie said. "After we got the beats back, I would listen to them again and see if the vibe changed and then figure out which artist was good for which track."

 The results will be unveiled as a free online mixtape next week, available, according to Boogie, "on all your favorite blogs." Though there are still some guest spots that are in process and could be added up until the full tape drops, Boogie said he's very happy with the results, which he said might prove to be a template for his future work. Along with legends such as Jazzy Jeff, Boogie tapped such newer producers as nVMe, a Brooklyn crew he said did an amazing job on "Just the Past" with Kanye West protégé Big Sean and Slum Village associate Black Milk.

With two songs on the album, Boogie's former Ohio homeboys in the Kickdrums bring an aggressive sound to "Nothing to Worry About" with Wale, Young Chris & Rhymefest; and "Lay It Down," which mixes the Three 6 Mafia's thugged out Southern sound with Trouble Andrew's more punk-rock-skater-MC vibe.

"I think this is a great model of how to do out-of-the-box stuff," Boogie said.

The tentative track listing for the album, with more to be added later:

» J. Cole & GZA - "The Feeling" (remixed by Marco Polo)
» Kardinal Offishall, Donnis & Heno - "It Just Don't Move Me" (remixed by Jet Audio)
» Big Sean & Black Milk - "Just The Past" (remixed by nVMe)
» Wale, Young Chris & Rhymefest - "Nothing To Worry About" (remixed by The Kickdrums)
» Bun B - "Losing My Mind" (remixed by 6th Sense)
» Freebass 808 & Amanda Blank - "Living Thing" (remixed by Apple Juice Kid)
» Talib Kweli - "I Want You" (remixed by William Russell / Good Life Mike)
» Three Six Mafia and Trouble Andrew - "Lay It Down" (remixed by The Kickdrums)
» Big Pooh, Chaundon and Phil Nash - "Stay This Way" (remixed by Jazzy Jeff)
» Naledge & Mickey Factz - "Blue Period Picasso" (remixed by nVMe)
» 88 Keys, Outasight & 6th Sense - "4 Out Of 5" (remixed by 6th Sense)
» U-N-I - "Last Night" (remixed by Remot)

• Peter Bjorn and John
• Bun B
• GZA
• Three 6 Mafia
• Talib Kweli

50 Cent and Shawty Lo on the BET Hip-Hop Awards red carpet
Photo: Getty Images

ATLANTA — Hip-hop has grown up for sure. At the BET Hip-Hop Awards, any artist with issues on the streets was able to leave those issues on the asphalt without soiling the red carpet.

"This is a great moment. Everybody is peaceful, I'm peaceful," Maino said on Saturday afternoon in front of the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center. He was standing almost directly next to some of his foes in hip-hop, Lil' Cease and Gravy. Even though Maino has had words for both MCs on mixtapes and even had a physical altercation with Lil' Cease a couple of years back, everything remained peaceful. Saturday was a time for the culture and its artists to shine. No time for black eyes on the game.

"At the end of the day, you gotta have some common sense. Don't mess up some of the only good things we got," Juelz Santana said about an hour later as he walked the carpet.

"We're here to celebrate," Talib Kweli added. "Celebration is king. No room for all that nonsense."

A few minutes earlier, Kweli was saluting Ice Cube, whom he credits with being one of his huge inspirations as an MC. "If it wasn't for Ice Cube and Lynch Mob records, I wouldn't know how to do this," said the Brooklyn wordsmith as he stood with the West Coast icon. "I got my own label now. Raw Footage is an incredible album. From AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted to Raw Footage, I want to have that kind of longevity in the game, whether I'm doing other things or not."

The former N.W.A. member also gave his friend props. "Lyrics always win; that's why we still here," Cube said. "[Talib] stays true to his heart, not always chasing that dollar. Some of us get in the game and be like, 'If I make this pop song, I can make a lot of money.' Some MCs stay true. That's the difference between a rapper and an MC. You got a true MC right here that I always pay respect to."

Elsewhere on the carpet, Musiq Soulchild stood with Salt, Pepa and Spinderella. The soul man said he was very much looking forward to sharing the stage with Cube, who was a last-minute replacement for the Game.

"Today I'm here to perform with Ice Cube the second single off his album, 'Why Me,' " Musiq said. "I feel honored I can contribute to Ice Cube's legacy. He contributed so much to hip-hop music. Coming from a wild gangsta past, now he's informing people on the ramifications of being gangsta and living that whole life. He's doing his part of giving back to the community. I'm honored to be a part of that."

As Alfamega, who's signed to T.I.'s Grand Hustle label, paid homage to one of the all-time goddesses of rap, Yo-Yo, they were joined by T-Pain in a very impromptu MTV News interview.

"Sexiness, sassiness," Mega said of Yo-Yo. "She still brings it. [She doesn't look] a day over 26."

"I just turned 27," said the rap queen, who in turn paid compliments to Pain.

"I used to do radio in Los Angeles," Yo-Yo remembered of the singer. "He came to radio when he was first pushing his project. I knew then he was a star. I knew he had a lot of talent. Early one morning during the morning show with me, I made him sing. I'm so proud to see young men pushing the limit in hip-hop, not being afraid to take hip-hop to another level. When we started out, that's something we were afraid to do. We always wanted to take hip-hop to another level but it always had its stigmas, some kind of dress code. But now you're bringing it up."

Pain was all smiles when talking about his 11th-hour call to replace Katt Williams as the show's host. He said he didn't have a bunch of things drawn out, and the show would be more free-wheeling.

"We're running it man," he said. "I know they got one thing planned for me. It's gonna be crazy. But you know me; I'm going in."

Another unexpected encounter was between DJ Khaled, his artist Ace Hood and Oukast's Big Boi. Khaled said he wanted to be down with Outkast's next LP.

"I want in," he said with a wide grin. "I want in on that Outkast album. Tell Andre. I want in, a feature or something."

It was definitely awkward seeing 50 Cent, who showed up just minutes prior to Khaled and company, in such close proximity to the Terror Squad DJ/ crowd-motivator — especially since Fif has well-documented issues with Terror Squad don Fat Joe. But no one was tripping: Everyone was there to show love to their art form. 50 later took a picture with Atlanta's Shawty Lo.

Later E-40 strolled down the carpet with his wife, while Monica and Rocko made their arrival together.

Monica has been happy to see the event take place in her city. "I think it says a lot for us, because in 1995, we had to go somewhere else to do what we had to do," she said. "Now we can just get up out of bed and get on the freeway. It's an enormous blessing and it shows everybody how all of us in Atlanta — hip-hop and R&B — how we really come to together on a regular basis."

• 2008 BET Hip-Hop Awards Red Carpet

• Big Boi
• T-Pain
• Talib Kweli
• Ice Cube

David Banner
Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage

While David Banner the rapper is going out on tour with Talib Kweli, David Banner the producer recently submitted new tracks to Lil Wayne and T.I. and is especially pleased with a song he made with "Get Like Me" co-star Chris Brown.

"With Chris Brown, we worked on a song called 'Save Me,' " Banner recently said in L.A. "It's wonderful. He was actually influenced by what happened during the hurricanes. It's really a gospel song, to be honest with you. And for me to be able to influence Chris in that way, for him to want to take his career to a whole 'nother level and really gamble in that direction, I was really, really impressed."

Banner, who also has a lucrative side gig as an actor, says his records are very much in demand as an MC and as a track master. Who is he to fight the momentum?

"I'm producing two songs on Lil Wayne's album," Banner said. "I really can't get into that. ... Everyone's asking for a beat, so you got to get it while it's hot. Right now, you name it, I'm working with them. You know, just working on everybody we can get close to. I can tell you the thing I'm most excited about: I just finished working with Quincy Jones. We redid [George Benson's] 'Give Me the Night' with Jamie Foxx. We produced it, me and Warren Campbell. You check that out, it's going to be wonderful also."

Banner and Kweli are currently co-headlining the Sony-sponsored Hip-Hop Live! Tour. B.O.B. and Little Brother will open during various stops. The outing started earlier this month and runs through October 25 at New York's Nokia Theatre Times Square.

"We're coming to a city close to you," DB promised. "Inside the tour bus, we have studios. We're going all over America, a lot of places where rap concerts don't stop. And what's going to be amazing about this tour is that we're getting out there touching people, getting out there being with the fans. You have to be in front of everything going on, so we record [while on tour]."

The remaining Hip-Hop Live! Tour dates, according to the promoters:

» 10/16 - Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
» 10/18 - Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre
» 10/19 - Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
» 10/20 - Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club
» 10/21 - Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero Theatre
» 10/24 - Foxboro, MA @ Showcase Live (Talib Kweli only)
» 10/25 - New York, NY @ Nokia Theatre Times Square

• David Banner
• Lil Wayne
• Chris Brown
• Talib Kweli

T.I.
Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

T.I. is under house arrest as he awaits his trial on weapons charges — but he doesn't want that to get in the way of the holidays. The rapper (real name: Clifford Harris) has asked a judge to let him host a Thanksgiving Day celebration at his home in Jonesboro, Georgia, according to The Associated Press. On Tuesday, his attorneys requested that a list of family members be given "approved visitation to have dinner with the defendant" from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on November 22. T.I. isn't allowed to have visitors without prior approval and can't have more than three visitors at a time, with minor exceptions. His October 26 release on bond is being supervised by a monitoring service, which would also be present for the Thanksgiving celebration. ...

Lawyers for Britney Spears and Kevin Federline will be in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday for an emergency hearing in their ongoing custody dispute, TMZ.com reports. The hearing was reportedly called by Federline's attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan, who is alleging that the singer has not followed drug-testing procedures. Neither Spears nor Federline are expected to show. In other Brit news, her longtime photographer and friend Mark Lidell revealed to "Extra" what went wrong at the notorious OK! magazine photo shoot earlier this year. "Paparazzi absolutely killed and ruined our day ... they were everywhere ... and it made our shoot absolutely impossible." He said Spears later told him, " 'Mark, if you want me to come back afterwards, I'll do my best and get back' ... but she had to go and finish off the music video [for 'Gimme More']." ...

Embattled pop star Amy Winehouse has been granted a visa allowing her to enter the United States but will still not be making any of her previously scheduled appearances, her publicist confirmed to MTV News on Wednesday (November 7). The "Rehab" singer was set to appear at the mtvU Woodie Awards on Thursday and as the musical guest on "Saturday Night Live" (which is now in reruns anyway, due to the writers' strike) this weekend. Some speculated Winehouse's recent visa troubles were thought to have something to do with her recent arrest for marijuana possession in Norway. Winehouse will next visit the States in January to kick off her U.S. tour. ...

Lily Allen doesn't show much skin when she performs — but she's stripping down to model lingerie as part of a new six-figure deal, according to MTV UK. Like Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dita Von Tesse and Kate Moss before her, Allen has signed with risqué clothing company Agent Provocateur. The singer has also recently modeled for a shampoo company and is working on a TV show. ...

Michael Jackson's Neverland nightmare might be coming true — according to TMZ, the estate has gone into foreclosure per a Notice of Default report for California's Santa Barbara County. The singer was reportedly delinquent on a $23 million loan as of October 12. ...

Lil Wayne, Against Me!, Juelz Santana, Arctic Monkeys and Fat Joe, all in the same place? Indeed — you'll find those artists, as well as Ol' Dirty Bastard, Lady Sovereign, Pete Doherty and others, showcased in "The Vice Photo Book," a new volume culling shots from the magazine's 13-year history. The 336-page tome will be sold for $45 at bookstores starting in December. ...

Swizz Beatz and T-Pain took the stage on Tuesday night at the "Women of King" Calendar party held at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York. Q-Tip, radio personality Wendy Williams and Dres of Black Sheep were all on hand as D-Nice manned the turntables at the shindig, which was sponsored by Remy Martin. ... Talib Kweli, Strong Arm Steady and Jean Grae got together onstage at Belvedere Vodka's Apollo Lounge in New York's Harlem neighborhood on Tuesday night in an effort to draw more young people to the famed Apollo Theatre. Fonzworth Bentley was in attendance. ...

Diddy got a break on Tuesday when a district attorney in New York decided not to charge him with assault in an alleged incident last month. Well, now comes more good news for the music mogul, albeit of a very different variety: His YouTube search for someone to hold his umbrella has ended, he announced on Tuesday on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." He gave the job to Heather Thompson, who remarked, "I understand who the star is in this relationship." Diddy said he's looking for four assistants in total, so his YouTube quest goes on. ...

In what could amount to a case of Jessica Alba mirroring Madonna, the "Fantastic Four" actress, who doesn't have any stage experience, has been approached to star in a new Broadway production of David Mamet's "Speed-the-Plow" in which Madge previously starred, the New York Post reports. According to the Post, James Gandolfini is being considered for one of the male lead roles. ...

My Bloody Valentine fans, the wait is over — that reunion album you've been hoping for is a go, and apparently it's even happening this year. TheDailySwarm.com reports that on Monday VBS.tv will launch an exclusive video interview between My Bloody Valentine mastermind Kevin Shields and Ian Svenonius (Weird War, the Make Up) as part of the online TV channel's "Soft Focus" series. In the conversation, Shields reportedly said a yet-untitled album — which involved the band getting back in the studio for the first time since 1995 — will be dropping this year. "It sounds like what we sounded like — different but not radically different. People will go, 'Yeah, it sounds like My Bloody Valentine,' " he reportedly said. ...

Sub Pop — the record label that boasts "Podfisting our way to your blog. Or whatever" as one of its current slogans — has launched a new digital-download music store. Among the initial 200 offerings in the store, which will eventually incorporate out-of-print material, are releases by the Shins, Sleater-Kinney, David Cross, Low, Band of Horses and Iron and Wine. Customers who purchase files through the store will be able to download them multiple times, which also means that fans will be able to get additional bonus tracks or improved sound quality if and when the releases are enhanced. ...

Radiohead's name-your-own-price album scheme has resulted in only two of five listeners paying for the band's new In Rainbows LP, but the noble pursuit might have landed Radiohead some additional profits. Billboard reports that the band's seven previous albums have sold 35.8 percent more copies since Radiohead made the In Rainbows announcement on September 30. ...

Pete Doherty showed signs of improvement in his ongoing battle with drugs last month when a judge gave him a suspended jail sentence after seeing signs of progress — but now there's more bad news for the Babyshambles frontman. "Peter sadly relapsed last week and is now looking to check himself back into a rehab clinic so that he can try to continue the hitherto excellent attempts he had made to break free of heroin," his record label, EMI, said in a statement, according to AP. The announcement was made after a video of Doherty recently injecting himself with heroin surfaced online. According to EMI, Doherty considers the incident "a stupid, stupid action for which I feel only shame." ...

Cowboy Junkies go to church: The Canadian alt-rockers recently returned to the Church of the Holy Trinity in Toronto, where they recorded 1988's The Trinity Session, to commemorate the album, which many consider to be their most important work. Ryan Adams, Vic Chestnutt, Jeff Bird and Natalie Merchant joined the Junkies for The Trinity Revisited, a reworking of the album that is coming out in the form of a DVD/CD set on February 26, in time for the original effort's 20th anniversary. ...

Actors have been showing their support for the writers' strike in recent days, but former Disney chief Michael Eisner has a much different take on the protest: In a word, it's "stupid," he says. "I've seen stupid strikes, I've seen less stupid strikes. ... This is a stupid strike," he reportedly remarked during a panel discussion at a conference in New York on Wednesday, Reuters reports. "It's a waste of their time," he added. "[The studios] have nothing to give. They don't know what to give." ...

Politically inclined music fans are probably familiar with HeadCount, the voter-registration that teamed with the Dave Matthews Band, the Allman Brothers Band and other artists to register 50,000 people for the 2004 election. Well, the volunteer-run group is coming back for next year's races — and has an even loftier goal in mind: to register 200,000 new voters. HeadCount — which more recently became aligned with O.A.R. as well — is seeking volunteers to join its street teams, which will register people at future concerts. Go to HeadCount.org for more info. ...

Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Hank Thompson died of lung cancer on Tuesday, days after he canceled his tour, AP reports. October 8 — which turned out to be the day of his last show — had been declared "Hank Thompson Day" by Texas Governor Rick Perry and Waco Mayor Virginia DuPuy. Thompson was 82.

11.06.07

Britney Spears is giving an early Christmas gift to ex-husband Kevin Federline — $120,000, for the legal bills he has amassed in his child-custody battle with the pop singer, the Los Angeles Superior Court confirmed to MTV News on Tuesday (November 6). Commissioner Scott Gordon made the ruling in light of the "disparity between the parties' income" and that "the vast majority of the ... litigation deals with [Spears'] conduct," according to documents released Tuesday, TMZ reports. As it was revealed last week, Spears earns approximately $737,000 each month, while Federline made $7,436, after business expenses, in all of 2006. Federline's lawyer had originally requested $160,000, the total costs for Federline's fees, according to UsMagazine.com. He currently receives $15,000 a month from Spears in child support and $20,000 in spousal support, which expires November 15. ...

Should Stephen Colbert be pointing his finger at Barack Obama's camp for his presidential bid being shot down in South Carolina? According to CNN, two of the Illinois senator's supporters called state Democratic Party officials to urge them to keep the "Colbert Report" host off the primary ballot. Obama's campaign is denying that it had any connection to the phone calls. "Democrats in South Carolina, including supporters of ours, had strong feelings on both sides of the ballot issue, and ultimately it was South Carolina Democrats who made this decision," said Kevin Griffis, Obama's South Carolina communications director. At least one member of the executive council — which denied Colbert's bid by a 13-3 vote — said he felt pressured by former State Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum to oppose Colbert's bid to be on the ballet, according to CNN. Tenenbaum is a well-known Obama supporter, and his camp has embraced her endorsement publicly. "She said it wouldn't be fair to the other candidates. That he [Colbert] wouldn't be sincere. That he was only running in one state," said the official, who requested anonymity, according to CNN. "The Obama people, they just didn't want him at all." Tenenbaum said that was a mischaracterization, telling CNN, "I called them to see what they were thinking and if they had made up their mind. I am a volunteer in that campaign, and so I am not a staffer. And I thought it could have taken votes away from a lot of people." South Carolina State Representative Bakari Sellers, who has also endorsed Obama, revealed to CNN that he also made calls to members of the executive council in an attempt to persuade them to deny Colbert's bid. "I placed the calls as a concerned Democrat, realizing that we are a country in despair," Sellers said. "It is not a time for games or to make a mockery of the process." It's unclear what effect the calls had on the executive council's vote. ...

Obama's got someone else on his side — Borat. In a recent Reuters interview, the crazy Kazakh spilled that he would like to see the junior senator from Illinois be president ... er, "premier." "I cannot believe that it possible a woman can become Premier of US and A," he said, clearly referencing Democratic candidate Senator Hillary Clinton. "In Kazakhstan, we say that to give a woman power, is like to give a monkey a gun — very dangerous. We do not give monkeys guns any more in Kazakhstan ever since the Astana Zoo massacre of 2003 when Torkin the orang-utan shoot 17 schoolchildrens. I personal would like the basketball player, Barak Obamas to be Premier." Borat gave the interview to hype the Tuesday release of his new book, the not-so-concisely titled "Touristic Guidings to Minor Nation of U.S. and A. and Touristic Guidings to Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan." He had previously planned two books but wound up combining them into one volume. ...

When 50 Cent famously said earlier this year that he would retire if he were to lose to Kanye West in their much-hyped album showdown, his critics were apparently listening. Christian media watchdog group the Resistance is demanding that the rapper keep his promise and quit, according to TMZ. "It is time for 50 Cent to be a man of his word and retire," Mark Dice, a spokesman for the group, reportedly said. "The world will be a better place when this satanic piece of filth retires and stops making music." The group is also asking for people to go to 50 Cent's MySpace and post comments asking him to quit. ... Jay-Z unleashed his American Gangster album on Tuesday, but don't go looking for it on iTunes — it won't be available there. In a statement issued Tuesday, the hip-hop mogul said he isn't selling the album on iTunes because he doesn't want the songs available for individual purchase. "As movies are not sold scene by scene, this collection will not be sold as individual singles," he said. That's probably just as well for Universal Music, which distributes Jay's Def Jam label — earlier this year, the company's chief, Doug Morris, refused to re-up a multi-year contract with iTunes to put Universal music in the online store. Morris has been trying to enlist other industry heavyweights to team up for a competing online music service. ...

Chris Brown has his hands full with a just-released new album, Exclusive, and an upcoming movie, November 21's "This Christmas," but he's taking on another project — and this one's for a good cause. Brown is starring in a new video that encourages middle school students to get interested in math and fundraising. The video — which incorporates elements of the singer's "Run It" clip and will be shown in thousands of schools — is part of the Math-a-Thon program St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has been running for almost three decades. Students who participate in Math-a-Thon complete math problems after getting pledges from family and friends, and the money raised is used to help children with cancer and other diseases. Brown visited the Memphis, Tennessee, hospital last year and has been a steady supporter. "We can all make a difference in the lives of others," Brown said in a statement. "I'm proud to help St. Jude. I feel like I'm just a regular person helping out." ...

Backstreet Boys, Joss Stone, Grizzly Bear, Band of Horses and Garth Brooks have all been forced to scrap their planned late-night talk-show appearances this week due to the ongoing writers' strike, RollingSyone.com reports. ... Prepare to be judged — by Will.I.Am. The Black Eyed Pea will be among the preliminary-round judges for a Super Bowl-related battle-of-the-bands competition being put on by Doritos. The band that wins "Crash the Super Bowl 2" will get a major-label contract and see its original song air during the big game on February 3. Voting is being held at SnackStrongProductions.com. ...

A man has been charged in connection with vandalism at the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts in Georgia last month, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Kenneth Anthony Wilson, 43, was charged late last week with a felony second-degree charge of criminal damage to property and is being held at jail in DeKalb County jail on a $1,500 bond. The building had been defaced and a noose had allegedly been hung around the neck of a statue commemorating the deceased rapper, though police later said the object was actually a cross hung on a string. Police also said defamatory stickers and papers were left on the statue and that a pair of underwear had been wrapped around its head. A police spokesperson told the newspaper that authorities doubt Wilson, who is black, had a racial motive in the incident. ...

Though they still haven't spoken in detail about the nervous condition affecting drummer Meg White which forced them abandon their world tour this summer, the White Stripes announced on their Web site that they've been in the studio and have cooked up some new tunes. The post reports that "the White Stripes have just filmed an exciting new video and recorded three never-before-heard original songs (with a special collaboration) and one unique new version of a song from their latest album, 'Icky Thump.' " No information was given about the release date of the new music or the debut of the video. ... Danish lo-fi rockers the Raveonettes have a new home: Vice Records. The duo's fourth album, Lust Lust Lust, will drop early next year. ...

Prince has beef — with his fans. Lawyers for the singer have been hitting Prince fan sites with cease-and-desist letters demanding that the sites remove all images, artwork, fan-submitted pictures related to Prince, including ones of tattoos and license plates that refer to him, according to RollingStone.com. A handful of Prince fan sites have assembled to create a new site, PrinceFansUnited.com, and said in a post on it that they vow to "defend their position in the proper court of law, as well as fully prosecute any claims to which they are justly entitled." ... Expect to hear music again at legendary New York punk club CBGB, which closed last year — but if you go there to check out a band, expect to be surrounded by men's clothes when you do. The space will soon be home to a new John Varvatos boutique, Billboard.com reports, but the fashion designer told the news outlet that he plans to hold in-store performances at the location and will be integrating the permanent CBGB stage into its design as well. ...

Jimmy Page has more to say about his fractured finger, which forced Led Zeppelin to postpone their hugely anticipated reunion show last week. The guitar icon, who apologized for the concert's postponement on Monday, spoke to reporters at the Classic Rock Awards, according to BBC News. While he said the injury would take "a little while to heal," he also admitted that, "I've broken fingers before, a lot worse than this." "It's a nuisance because it's really needed," he added of his finger, saying that the damage wasn't permanent. The concert has moved to December 10, though it will still be held at London's O2 arena. BBC News also reports that Meat Loaf was not at the awards to receive his classic-album award — the singer, who seemed to have declared an end to his career when he ended a recent concert midway and canceled two shows last week, is reportedly recovering from a bout of acute laryngitis. According to BBC News, it was the illness that caused Meat to cancel two subsequent shows on his U.K. tour. ...

Move over, Elvis Presley — Garth Brooks is now the best-selling solo artist in history. The Recording Industry Association of America recently honored Brooks with a Special Career award for selling 123 million units in total. Presley has sold 118.5 million units. ... Country singer/songwriter Rosanne Cash, the eldest of late country icon Johnny Cash's five children, reports on her Web site that she will have brain surgery for a "rare but benign condition." The condition caused Cash, 52, to cancel four November dates on her Black Cadillac tour, but she said she expects to fully recover from the unnamed ailment and start touring again in the spring after she finishes work on her new album.

• 50 Cent, Akon, Common, RZA, Busta Rhymes Back T.I.

• T.I.
• Britney Spears
• Michael Jackson
• Lil Wayne
• Against Me!

Talib Kweli
Photo: MTV News

NEW YORK — When you're Talib Kweli, you take the good with the bad.

The Brooklyn rapper has been celebrating the biggest first-week-sales debut of his career with Eardrum, his third proper solo album, which landed at #2 on the Billboard albums chart with sales close to 60,000 copies. To the surprise of some, he topped the ubiquitous Swizz Beatz, whose One Man Band Man album also debuted that same week.

But just when Kweli should've been poppin' bottles (of apple juice — after all, he's a man of the people), fans of the uplifting wordsmith cried foul after he tossed out a tentative name for his next album: Prisoner of Conscious.

"You love the Internet, but you hate it," he said, jokingly. "Because that's something that I mentioned to someone, and they put it in an article. ... I might call it that. But I want it to be a surprise, but I guess it's not. I'm definitely aware of what I represent in the business, and I try to play my position well."

His back-and-forth relationship with his online fans aside, things seem to be going more good than bad at the moment for him.

Kweli explained he's easing into what he feels is the third part of his critically acclaimed career.

"I look at the first part, as being a rapper on Rawkus and being excited to be around," he said, "and just wanting people to know I rhyme. And the second part was trying to take control of my career and establishing myself as a solo artist. And the third part is now being an executive and taking complete control of what comes out [through his Blacksmith Music]."

In addition to Kweli planning out his next solo project, his longtime collaborator, producer Hi-Tek, recently announced the two will soon begin working on another Reflection Eternal album.

Kwe was quick to explain the RE idea is still in motion, as he and Tek have worked together on various albums since 2000's Train of Thought. But he also added that fans shouldn't necessarily wait for an RE album — or, for that matter, one by Black Star, his side project with Mos Def — anytime soon. He's not pulling a Dr. Dre/ Detox situation, just some things are easier than others, according to Kweli.

In fact, he went so far as to spell out the differences between a Black Star album and Detox. "Well, the clear difference is Dr. Dre has sold hundreds of thousands of millions more records than we've sold. And two, [with] Detox, Dre can make it happen if he wants to. Black Star is two people. But Dre can sit down in the studio and make Detox himself. I can't do it without Mos Def, and Mos Def can't do it without me."

In the meantime, he's moving forward with Eardrum, even if he's been having a bit of fun listening to his classics lately.

"I was listening to 'Move Somethin' ' the other day, which is a song that I still perform to this day," Kweli said. "But I was listening to technically what I did on the record, I was watching the video on YouTube and I'm like, 'Damn, I'm light-years beyond that style of rhyme. I'm so much better than I was then.' But you'll still get that fan who'll say, 'Yo, there's no way he is as good as he was when he was doing Reflection. I'm like, 'Technically, that's just impossible.' It can't be 15 years later.

"I think the logic of that statement," he continued, "is that people get caught up in a time and what that song represents to them at the time they hear it. And nothing I'm gonna do after that is going to match up to that time period, because they can't get that back. So I have to realize that when I make music, that time is never gonna be back to them. But you gonna get new fans all the time. I got fans that became fans at Black Star, I got new fans at Reflection, new fans at Quality, new fans at The Beautiful Struggle, new fans at Liberation. I got fans of mine who never heard of me [before] and like 'Hot Thing' as the first thing from me. So you're always gonna get new fans, but I just got to remember I have to maintain who I am."

• Talib Kweli

Kanye West and 50 Cent at the 2007 VMAs
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

Kanye West's Graduation is proving to be quite the bear. The album leads with 781,000 copies sold over the 603,000 moved by 50 Cent's Curtis according to projections, Billboard reports. "It's just a few days out," Fiddy told the news outlet, qualifying the numbers. He said the music industry "would consider me to be a hip-hop favorite because of my sales history, and people like to root for the underdog." He also took some time Thursday to sound off about Sunday's VMAs on New York's Hot 97, saying he was shorted compared to 'Ye — even though West has also been complaining he didn't get enough airtime during the show. Fif also managed to take a swipe at his record label, Interscope, during the VMA rant: "As far as the VMAs were concerned, Kanye received the upper hand. I ain't going to front. He had four looks — his song 'Stronger,' his new record 'Good Life,' he had a performance with Soulja Boy, 'Crank [That],' and then he came out with me. So I feel like Def Jam is doing a better job of promoting the CD than Interscope. Interscope is just relying on my base and the actual music. I was on the VMAs for one minute and 20 seconds. I should've just stayed home." ...

Last weekend, Britney Spears had the VMAs to worry about — this weekend, it's her kids. On Friday (September 14), a Los Angeles Superior Court judge postponed making a ruling on whether court documents relating to the singer's divorce and custody case with ex-husband Kevin Federline should be sealed or open to the public. "Access Hollywood" and People magazine were among the media outlets representing the public's interests. Outside the courtroom, Spears' divorce attorney Laura Wasser spoke to reporters, telling them this is a frustrating time for the singer. "I think she just wants to be a mom," Wasser told reporters, "and both of her kids' birthdays are this week, and I think she would've liked to celebrate with them without having to worry about the entire nation — the entire world — being concerned about what's going on with her personally and her custody battle with Mr. Federline." On Monday, the judge will hear Federline's order to show cause for primary physical custody of the couple's two children: Sean Preston, who turned 2 on Friday; and Jayden James, who turned 1 on Wednesday. ...

Earlier this week, the "American Idol" judges had at Britney Spears' VMA performance — now "Dancing With the Stars" judge Carrie Ann Inaba is following suit. "When I watched it, I think they gave her a great place to make a comeback," she told Newsweek. "It was more mature than we've seen in the past. The thing that was unfortunate is that the center of the performance was Britney, and she was only giving about 30 percent. That's why it fell short. The backup dancers focused all the energy right to Britney, and she was the weakest link. ... I think fear got the best of her." ... Jamie Foxx got a place on Hollywood's Walk of Fame on Friday, and when he chatted with reporters at the induction ceremony, he inevitably gave his two cents on Spears' performance. "I think Britney's gonna be fine," he said. "I think that she was courageous to get up there and do her thing. I wish her well for that." ...

Common and Q-Tip will co-headline this year's 2K Sports Bounce Tour, which will kick off September 22 in Milwaukee and conclude October 14 in Los Angeles, according to Filter magazine. Q-Tip is featured in "NBA 2K8" as a playable character and is on the video game's soundtrack as well. ... Mark Ronson — who manned the ones and twos inside the Palms' Pearl Theatre during last weekend's Vegas VMAs — has slapped two U.S. tour dates onto his itinerary: October 3 (Los Angeles) and October 5 (New York). ...

A fire broke out at the Austin City Limits Music Festival on Friday afternoon, injuring four people, according to Austin360.com. The flames erupted inside a trailer located behind the beverage-vendor tents between two of the festival stages, and Pete Yorn's set was stopped as the fire was extinguished. All four people were transported to Brackenridge Hospital, and two are in critical condition. ...

Madonna, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher attended a Kabbalah conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Friday to celebrate the Jewish New Year, according to The Associated Press. She reportedly didn't speak with the media, and the conference was closed to TV cameras. ... Master P visited Monroe Middle School in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Thursday and spoke to roughly 800 students about the importance of education, good financial management and a vision for success, AP reports. The rapper was approached by math teacher Bonnie Mwanda, who reportedly heard he would be in town and thought his success might be an inspiration for her students, many of whom come from similar backgrounds as the hip-hop mogul. "If the principal tells me y'all have a good year, I'm going to bring Romeo back to do a concert," he told the students, according to AP. ...

Fred Durst has been keeping a relatively low profile these days, but the Limp Bizkit frontman was given a 120-day suspended jail sentence after pleading no contest to seven misdemeanors way back on August 16, AP reports. He was also ordered to perform 20 hours of community service and fined $1,500 for assault, battery and reckless driving, for deliberately hitting two people with his car in Los Angeles in October 2006. Moreover, Durst was hit with a restraining order, is not allowed within 100 yards of the two victims — whose names have not been revealed — and cannot possess a firearm. ...

Elton John made a surprise appearance onstage during a Prince concert at London's O2 arena Thursday night. BBC News reports that John joined Prince for a cover of the Beatles' "The Long and Winding Road." After the two-hour-plus show, Prince ducked into the O2's smaller theater and played another two-hour gig, which included covers of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" and another Beatles song, "Come Together." ... Led Zeppelin fans are getting more time for a chance at tickets to see the band perform a one-off reunion gig November 26 at London's O2 arena. Organizers behind the concert — a tribute to late music icon Ahmet Ertegun — are extending the lottery-application process to Wednesday, Billboard reports. The Web site set up to handle registrations received 89.5 million attempts in a 12-hour period on Thursday, according to the news outlet. ...

Members of underground-rock heroes Shudder to Think will reconvene for a one-off gig at New York's Mercury Lounge on Monday, Pitchfork reports. Frontman Craig Wedren and guitarist Nathan Larson — whose conflicts were part of the reason the band broke up in the late '90s — will get together with drummer Kevin March for the gig, although bassist Stuart Hill will not be accompanying them. ... Glassjaw have booked three California dates for next month. The reunited band will play October 28 in Hollywood; October 29 in San Diego; and October 30 in Pomona, California. ... Iconic punk band Operation Ivy's 1991 self-titled compilation LP will be reissued on November 6 on Hellcat. The classic release has been remastered and will also be available for download for the first time. ... PJ Harvey's White Chalk album has shifted from a September 25 release date to October 2. ...

AT&T's Blue Room, the site where political comments made by Pearl Jam during Lollapalooza were censored a month ago, has announced a new policy to avoid repeating that controversial practice during its webcast of this weekend's Austin City Limits Music Festival. According to AT&T spokesperson Steven Schwadron, "AT&T has developed an AT&T Blue Room policy to maintain integrity of the live performances featured on the site. AT&T will not edit any audio during the live webcast, of performances. We may edit visual content — either through camera angle changes or video blackouts — if there is strong sexual content. Also, we are going to have a clear viewer-discretion messaging both before and during the webcasts. The terms and conditions of the site, which users accept when they choose to view the webcast, requires users to be at least 13 years of age." ...

It's been 42 years since Johnny Cash's arrest in Starkville, Mississippi, for picking flowers from a resident's garden. But a judge who is reviewing the matter could potentially pardon the late musician, according to BBC News, and the city plans to instead honor him with the Johnny Cash Pickin' Festival from November 2-4. Cash wrote the track "Starkville City Jail" — which he performed at his legendary live At San Quentin prison LP — after spending a night in the city's prison.

09.13.07

50 Cent, Common, Nicole Scherzinger and others have all had their say about Britney Spears' VMA performance — now the "American Idol" judges are having at her. "We've decided that we're all going to collectively manage Britney," Simon Cowell remarked at a press conference earlier this week, according to "Access Hollywood." "We're going to manage Britney, take her career over," Randy Jackson added. Cowell snickered that he would "keep her away from the stupid friends, buy her some underwear," while Paula Abdul — as always — tried to put a positive spin on her VMA performance: "I never count her out." Spears' fellow former teen icon Joey Fatone has also chimed in on the performance, telling "Extra," "I felt bad but didn't. It looked like she was really lost. A lot of people ... really want her to seek help ... there's something not right here, something needs to obviously be done before anything tragic happens. She's a great girl ... I've known her for many years." ...

In other Brit news, she attended an unscheduled meeting with Kevin Federline and his attorney on Wednesday — five days before they were due to meet before a family court judge. The meeting was reportedly held at the Century City, California, offices of Spears attorney Laura Wasser. Federline has been trying to seek full custody of the former spouses' two sons, Jayden James and Sean Preston. ...

Lil' Kim — who took a swipe at 50 Cent on her 2005 LP, The Naked Truth — is finding herself right alongside him in a new lawsuit filed by a record producer, The Associated Press reports. Carlos Evans claims in papers recently filed in a New York court that he was contracted to produce, engineer and mix Kim's "Magic Stick" (featuring 50 Cent), a song that sold 2 million copies, but that he wasn't paid the royalties he was promised. He adds that while he was paid the $7,500 advance he was guaranteed for the song, his requests for a royalties audit have been ignored. His suit seeks $1 million in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages. Theodore Sedlmayr, a lawyer for Rotten Apple Records — which is also named in the suit — told AP the late-royalty problems stem from the fact that Evans put a lengthy sample, which had to be licensed and paid for, in the song. "Atlantic is trying to get it straightened out. If after the accounting Mr. Evans is entitled to anything, he'll get it then," Sedlmayr told the news service. ....

Snoop Dogg, Talib Kweli, Mobb Deep, DMC and others will come together November 29 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York for the J.A.M. Awards, a Jam Master Jay- and Run-DMC-inspired event intended to reflect the positive aspects of rap. The event — being put on by Hot 97, the Jam Master Jay Foundation for Music and other organizations — will be co-hosted by DMC, who said in a statement that it "is not designed merely for music fans, but also for people who want to see hip-hop answer its critics with a resounding voice of hope and inspiration." Eminem has also donated money for the cause, and the shindig will also feature Raekwon, Papoose and other to-be-named artists. ...

Beyoncé, Gwen Stefani and Jennifer Lopez are this year's best-dressed women, according to People. Kirsten Dunst and Janet Jackson aren't so lucky, though — they're cited for wearing the worst red-carpet dresses of the year in the magazine's "Best & Worst Dressed" issue, out Friday. Angelina Jolie, Jessica Biel, Cameron Diaz, Avril Lavigne, Lily Allen and Reese Witherspoon are also noted in the issue, as are a handful of men: Terrence Howard, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt and George Clooney among them. ... Shakira, teacher's pet? Perhaps: PeopleEnEspanol.com reports that the singer has been taking Western-civ classes at the University of California, Los Angeles, over the course of the summer. ...

The White Stripes, who announced earlier this week that their U.S. tour would be scrapped due to Meg White's acute anxiety, have tabled their U.K. tour as well, BBC News reports. The band's eight-date arena tour, which was slated for October 24-November 2, would have been its largest U.K. trek to date. ... Foo Fighters have drummed up four shows in addition to their scheduled Saturday performance at Southern California radio station KROQ's LA Invasion. The band — which drops its Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace on September 25 — will grace New York (September 20); New Orleans (October 2); Atlanta (October 4); and Atlantic City, New Jersey (October 6). The rock act will also tape a performance for the "Nissan Live Sets on Yahoo! Music" series on Tuesday and be the featured musical guest on "Saturday Night Live" on October 13. ...

Queens of the Stone Age — who performed with the Foos during the VMAs — apparently have an unlikely fan in "chef-at-large" Anthony Bourdain. They stopped by his "No Reservations" Travel Channel show last week to shoot an appearance for the program. In the episode, Bourdain is cooking a holiday meal in his Connecticut home while the band is performing in the basement. QOTSA emerge wearing cheesy Christmas sweaters, dine with Bourdain and perform the holiday jingle "Silver Bells," retitled "Turkey Bells." The ep also allegedly features karaoke, Christmas carols and a Japanese businessman, so stay tuned. ... System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian — who also performed with the Foos — has announced a bunch of tour dates in support of his solo debut, Elect the Dead, which hits stores October 23. His North American tour kicks off October 12 at the Vic Theatre in Chicago and will make stops in Toronto, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Dallas, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, before concluding October 28 in San Francisco. ...

Led Zeppelin are getting a whole lotta love from fans after announcing a one-off reunion gig on Wednesday. More than 20 million fans have attempted to get tickets for the November 26 concert at the O2 arena in London in honor of late music icon Ahmet Ertegun, according to Agence France Presse. The venue can hold up to 20,000 people, and a lottery is being held in which tickets will be drawn at random. ...

Prince is planning to sue eBay, YouTube and other Web sites as part of an effort to "reclaim the Internet," according to the MediaGuardian.co.uk. Lawsuits pertaining to his material will be launched in the U.S. and U.K. through the anti-piracy firm Web Sheriff, which represents Prince. Over the course of the past two weeks, the artist's legal reps have asked for the removal of more than 2,000 videos that are alleged to have been uploaded illegally online. Web Sheriff Managing Director John Giacobbi said Prince "wants to create a template for other artists" but that he "doesn't really want to go around suing people — he'd much rather people just respected his rights. He will be victorious." ...

A security guard who worked a Guns N' Roses concert nearly 11 years ago is suing Axl Rose for battery and negligence, according to court documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court in late August and obtained by TMZ.com. Gary Armijo claims that he was positioned at the front of the stage at the GN'R show in Universal City, California, on December 20, 1996, and that the singer came to the front of the stage and intentionally kicked the guard in the head, causing injuries. Armijo says he has experienced pain and suffering, sleeplessness, headaches and loss of earnings, and has incurred medical expenses as well. ...

The Cure have rescheduled for next year 18 of the 19 gigs they had intended to play in North America this year. The band's 4Tour North America run will now take them from May 9 in Washington, D.C., through June 20 in New York. In between will be an additional performance at the Sasquatch! Music Festival in George, Washington, on May 25 — the band has been promised a show-closing 150-minute slot for the fest. Those who want refunds on their 2007 tickets can do so at the original point of purchase until November 1. ... "Spawn" creator and toy magnate Todd McFarlane told Reuters he's spawning plans to direct a feature flick. He said he's eyeing low-budget concepts: "You're going to have some young kid do those anyway, so let me have a crack at it." McFarlane was at the annual GameStop convention, showcasing a new lineup of toys based on "Halo 3." ...

Bobby Byrd, James Brown's longtime sideman and co-singer, died of cancer on Wednesday, according to The Augusta Chronicle of Georgia. Byrd sung the classic "get on up" refrain in "Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine." He was also the co-founder of the Famous Flames, which became Brown's first backing band.

• Travis Barker, 50 Cent, Common On Britney's VMA Performance
• 2007 VMA: The Entire 2007 MTV Video Music Awards On-Demand
• Kanye Lectures On The Importance Of Graduation

• Shooting Stars: A Celeb's Eye View Of The VMAs
• 50 Cent's 5 Borough Tour Hits Manhattan
• Paris Hilton, Diddy, Timbaland, Janet Jackson, More Hit The Vegas Party Scene
• Britney's VMA Weekend: From Los Angeles To Las Vegas

• 50 Cent
• Kanye West
• Britney Spears
• Madonna
• Master P

"High School Musical 2" soundtrack
Photo: Disney

Ah, to be young, cute and totally crushing it on TV and the charts. In a year when holding on for two weeks is rare, the kids of "High School Musical 2" will pull off a rare threepeat (the first of the year) next week. The soundtrack to "HSM 2" tops the Billboard albums chart again with sales of almost 210,000, according to SoundScan. Though Zac Efron and the crew will likely take a tumble the next go-'round — when Kanye West, 50 Cent and Kenny Chesney duke it out for the top spot — they can still take pride in zooming to 1.1 million sold since the soundtrack debuted August 14.

The hoofin' high-schoolers held on despite a 43 percent drop in sales from the previous week, which was still enough to easily outpace the surprise #2 debut from Christian soft-rockers Casting Crowns, who crashed the top-three party with 128,000 in sales for their Altar & the Door album, easily besting the #9 debut of their 2005 sophomore effort, Lifesong. The news wasn't as good for rapper Yung Joc. His sophomore disc, Hustlenomics, lands at #3 on anemic sales of 69,000, selling about half as many copies out of the box as his 2006 debut, New Joc City.

Other newcomers to the top 10 include emo thrashers Atreyu, whose major-label debut on Disney-owned Hollywood Records, Lead Sails Paper Anchors, comes in at #7 on sales of 42,000; and Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, whose Lifeline squeaks in at #9 with 41,000 sold.

The "HSM" gang joins another Disney star who's been busting the debut-and-drop trend this year: Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus slips just one spot to #4 in its 10th week while blowing past the 1.2 million mark. After nearly a year on the charts, Fergie creeps up a spot to #5 with The Dutchess, just ahead of the "Hairspray" soundtrack, the 25th installment of the Now That's What I Call Music! series (#7) and the unbreakable Nickelback, who round out the top 10. Last week's #2 album, Talib Kweli's Eardrum, has been blown out of the top 10 to #20, as sales plummeted by 60 percent to just more than 23,000. Producer Swizz Beatz also took his lumps, with his solo debut his solo debut, One Man Band Man, freefalling from #7 to #42 on second-week sales of 15,000.

Veteran big-band country singer Lyle Lovett debuts at #18 with his cheekily titled It's Not Big It's Large, while Akon sneaks back into the top 50, jumping to #23 from #64 the previous week thanks to the release of an extended edition of Konvicted. The top 100 is blessed with a slew of debuts from Christian rock acts, including Mercy Me, whose Coming Up to Breathe bows at #43; Caedmon's Call at #54 with Over Dressed; and worship girl group Point of Grace, whose How You Live is at #56 on sales of 11,800.

The latest from toke-happy rap-rockers the Kottonmouth Kings, Cloud Nine, floats in at #44 on sales just under 14,000, while indie rapper Aesop Rock debuts at #50 with None Shall Pass, selling just a few copies less than hyped Sri Lankan critics' darling M.I.A., whose second album, Kala, nosedives more than 30 spots in its second week to #49 on sales of slightly more than 13,000.

Also debuting this week is the latest from long-running German metal act the Scorpions — with an assist from Smashing Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan — Humanity Hour 1, which comes in at #63 on sales of 10,000. Bubble-inhabiting band Cartel takes one of the biggest drops in their second week on the charts, when their self-titled album drops 50 spots to #70 on sales of less than 10,000, after debuting at #20 with nearly 30,000 the week before. Other notable debuts include the latest from veteran R&B singer Ledisi, whose Lost & Found comes in at #78 on sales of 8,900; and Arizona emo act Scary Kids Scaring Kids, who land at #80 on sales of 8,600.

Finally, a Wal-Mart-only Spanish-language CD/DVD EP from Beyoncé, Irreemplazable, quietly slips in at #105 after selling more than 6,000 copies. And rapper Lil' Mo makes hardly a sound at #112, while moving 6,000 copies of Pain & Paper.

Next week is shaping up to be the blockbuster battle of the year, as the mega-hyped showdown between Kanye and 50 finally goes down more than two weeks after both their albums leaked online and a month after their mutual, repeated boasts of total domination became daily headlines.

• Ashley Tisdale
• Yung Joc
• Kanye West
• 50 Cent
• Kenny Chesney

Photo: Warner Bros.

As far as contests go, this one was the very definition of lopsided.

A margin of nearly 306,600 separates next week's #1 album, the soundtrack to the Disney Channel original movie "High School Musical 2," from next week's #2, Brooklyn rapper Talib Kweli's Eardrum. A trouncing if there ever was one, but not an unexpected development. The soundtrack sold 615,000 units the week before and is the follow-up to one of last year's biggest sellers.

Remarkably, in just two weeks, "HSM2" fell just shy of clearing 1 million in total sales, landing it atop the Billboard albums chart for the second week. According to the latest SoundScan figures, the album — featuring the film's stars Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Lucas Grabeel and Monique Coleman — sold another 367,000 units, despite suffering a 40 percent drop in sales, for a total of 982,500.

Meanwhile, Kweli will have to settle for the chart's #2 position, having generated week-one sales of 60,500 for his latest studio offering. While it marks the highest-charting debut of Kweli's career, his previous outing, 2004's The Beautiful Struggle, sold more than 62,000 units to bow at the chart's #14 slot. Following him at #3 is Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus, the Disney teen sensation's latest opus, which slips one spot on next week's chart with 57,700 scans. And coming in at #4 with 52,900 sold is the soundtrack to "Hairspray," which is closing in on 500,000 in total sales, a mark it should surpass on next week's top 200.

Ending the week at #5 with 52,500 sold is the 25th edition in the ever-growing Now That's What I Call Music! collection, followed at #6 by Fergie's The Dutchess, which sold another 50,400 copies.

As far as new releases go, Kweli's in good company in next week's top 10. One Man Band Man, the new album from hip-hopper Swizz Beatz, opens at #7, having generated 45,200 in first-week sales, while San Diego metallers As I Lay Dying's An Ocean Between Us bows at #8 with 39,500 copies scanned. The remainder of the top 10 is rounded out by two repeat offenders: Nickelback's All the Right Reasons, which claims the #9 slot with 39,200 in sales, and UGK's Underground Kingz, which sold 35,000 units for the #10 spot.

In all, there were 20 new additions to next week's Billboard chart, including Kala, the latest from M.I.A., which debuts at #18 with 28,800 scans. Cartel's self-titled new one follows at #20 with 28,100 sold. Rilo Kiley's Under the Blacklight takes the chart's #22 position, selling 26,600 units, while country crooner Joe Nichols' Real Things trails in the #23 slot, scanning 25,800 copies. Travis Tritt's The Storm opens at #28 with 22,600 copies snatched up, while the New Pornographers' Challengers debuts at #34 with sales reported at 20,000 and change.

Just missing the top 50 cut is Aiden and their new one, Conviction, which takes the chart's #55 spot with 12,300 copies sold. The Devil Wears Prada follow at #58, selling 11,600 copies of their latest LP, Plagues, and coming in at #62 with 10,600 sold is The Heroin Diaries, the debut disc from Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx's Sixx: A.M.

Planet of Ice, the latest from Minus the Bear, makes its debut at #74 with sales of 9,300 and then some, while Josh Ritter's The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter comes in at #79 with 8,800 sold. The soundtrack to Rob Zombie's upcoming "Halloween" flick bows at #82 with 8,400 scans; and with 7,000 copies flying off store shelves, Blaze Ya Dead Homie's Clockwork Gray claims the chart's #100 position. Joe Bonamassa's Sloe Gin opens at #184 with 4,160 in sales, while the Flaming Lips' U.F.O.'s at the Zoo: The Legendary Concert in Oklahoma City MVI album sold 4,100 copies, for a #186 opener. And finally, debuting at #193 with 3,900 copies scanned, is Andorra, Caribou's latest.

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

• Talib Kweli
• Fergie
• Swizz Beatz
• As I Lay Dying
• Nickelback

Amy Winehouse
Photo: Getty Images/ Stuart Wilson

First Amy Winehouse pulled out of shows in Norway and Denmark two weeks ago, then she pulled the plug on her V Festival appearances last week — now the U.K. starlet is shelving her remaining 2007 North American tour dates until next year. "Due to the rigors involved in touring, Amy Winehouse has been advised to postpone her upcoming September U.S. and Canadian tour dates," Winehouse's publicist said in a statement Tuesday (August 21), according to The Associated Press. "Amy's European and U.K. tour dates in October and November remain in place. Plans are being made to reschedule her U.S. tour for early 2008. Until then, Amy has been ordered to rest and is working with medical professionals to address her health." It is unclear whether the change in her North American tour plans will affect Winehouse's previously announced performance at the VMAs on September 9. ...

Forget 50 Cent — Kanye West considers Justin Timberlake his biggest rival. In an interview with XXL magazine for its October issue — which hits stands September 11 — Kanye called Justin his "biggest inspiration and biggest competition," adding that "he's the only other person that gets an across-the-board response and respect level — black radio, white radio. If Justin hadn't come out and killed the game, I can't say that my album, singles and videos would be on the same level that they're on. We push each other. I look at me and Justin like Prince and Michael Jackson in their day." ...

Award-show nominations and #1 records don't seem to be enough for Nelly Furtado this year, so the Canadian beauty decided to add directing to her lengthy list of 2007 accomplishments. Furtado recently made her debut behind the camera shooting a clip for the Loose song "Do It" with co-director Aaron A., her tour documentarian. The video was filmed on location in Detroit during a tour stop and included her dance team, among others. Furtado also announced that she will re-release Loose with bonus material — including her cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" — this fall. ...

Spike Jonze has launched a series of diary-style video interviews through online-broadcast network VBS.TV. The series will capture Jonze interviewing and traveling the world with various artists and entertainers, including the premiere guest, M.I.A. The set kicks off this week with a six-part episode that follows Jonze and M.I.A. around London and at the singer's various enclaves. An interview with Kanye West is scheduled to go live next week. ...

R. Kelly appeared Tuesday in a Chicago court where prosecutors and defense attorneys ironed out a few more details in the R&B singer's child-pornography trial before jury selection starts September 17. After the prosecution tried for a reversal, Judge Vincent Gaughan upheld his ruling that the media and public could view the sex tape that allegedly depicts Kelly having sex with an underage girl and is at the heart of the charges. Gaughan said he wouldn't reconsider his original ruling because the girl who prosecutors say is in the video isn't cooperating with investigators and denies that she's the person on the tape. Had she said she was, the judge would give her victim status and protect her from a public viewing. Instead, he ruled Tuesday that the state can't call her a "victim" but must instead call her an "alleged victim" or the "state's witness." To attempt to prove that she is in fact the girl on the tape, the prosecution wants to call an expert witness to testify that denial is a common issue with victims of child pornography, but the defense argued that the theory is not backed up by science. Judge Gaughan delayed ruling on this, as well as whether an expert could testify that the veins in Kelly's hand are consistent with those in the hand of the man in the video. He is expected to rule on those matters at the next hearing, on September 10. ...

Another day, another problem for Foxy Brown. The troubled rapper is being accused of lying to police during a traffic stop on Wednesday in suburban Mahwah, New Jersey. According to Bergen County's The Record, Brown (born Inga Marchand) was pulled over for talking on a cell phone and failing to stop at a stop sign while driving her SUV. After a check found that the car's registration had been suspended, Brown, 27, reportedly gave officers a different version of her real name and a birth date that was a year off. When the information didn't come up, Brown then gave her correct information, at which point the officers found out that her license was suspended. She was taken to police headquarters and given seven traffic tickets and released. The traffic tussle came one day after Brown was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a New York neighbor with a BlackBerry. But still, Brown has some good news to help take her mind off things — according to the New York Post, she said outside a store in New York earlier this week, "I'm getting married in September. I'm pregnant." ...

With Jane's Addiction on ice and his latest project, the Panic Channel, without a label deal, Dave Navarro has taken up a new side gig: porn-movie director. The guitarist has shot a feature-length adult film titled "Dave Navarro: Broken," the first in a series of flicks to be directed by celebrities. The film for Teravision — owned by adult star Tera Patrick and rocker husband and former Biohazard member Evan Seinfeld — is due September 27 and features an all-star cast of porn actors and actresses (Victoria Sin, Spyder Jonez, etc.). ...

Ben Lee really likes the new Against Me! album, New Wave. In fact, the Australian pop singer likes it so that he has posted a song-for-song cover album on his MySpace page and blog that are available for download or streaming. He's even cooked up his own cover for the effort, Ben Lee Sings Against Me! New Wave — it replaces the fearsome panther on the Florida punk band's original with a less ferocious kitty cat. ...

Devra Robitaille, one of Phil Spector's ex-employees, testified Tuesday that he once threatened her at gunpoint when she attempted to leave his house. The scenario is similar to the ones outlined by four additional women during the music producer's murder trial. After the defense announced it was conditionally resting its case — and that Spector would not be taking the stand during the trial — the prosecution called Robitaille as a rebuttal witness, contrary to the wishes of the defense. She recalled being in Spector's house during a party in which he became heavily intoxicated, after which she said she was going to go home. "He said no and locked the door," testified Robitaille, who added that she had a romantic relationship with Spector. "I remember standing in the lobby with a door in front of me, and when I turned, there was a gun pointed at my temple. ... It was like a long-barreled shotgun." She added that Spector repeated three times, " 'If you leave, I'll blow your f---ing head off.' " Robitaille said he eventually put down the gun and let her leave. ...

Some Lollapalooza footage — of performances by LCD Soundsystem and the Black Keys — finally went up on AT&T's Blue Room site last week, following the revelation that its webcast of the festival featured several edits of anti-President Bush comments made by Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder. Clearances are still being sought for Pearl Jam and other artists, while Lupe Fiasco's comments against Bush — which were also reportedly edited — have not been posted. ...

Five people were arrested early Sunday morning at a campground near the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington, following the Warped Tour performance at the venue Saturday night. The Associated Press reported that sheriff's deputies were called out to the campground following reports of a person being injured at another nearby campground. When officials arrived, they reportedly saw a number of campers involved in fights and a comfort station with portable toilets and sinks that had been set on fire. Some of the 400 campers in the area allegedly set additional fires and pelted deputies with beer bottles, cans and rocks, shattering the windshield of a fire truck with debris. Those incidents led to five arrests for obstructing a law-enforcement officer, disorderly conduct and intimidating a public servant. ...

Additional shows for Van Halen's first tour in more than 22 years — with original frontman David Lee Roth — have been added in Philadelphia (October 3); Detroit (October 20); and Washington, D.C. (November 1). Tickets for the previously announced gigs went on sale over the weekend, and fans snatched them up fast — sellouts were reported in at least five markets so far. ...

Pete Doherty — who was arrested on suspicion of drug possession in London early Monday morning — was released Tuesday because authorities didn't get him to court on time. The charge of breaching bail conditions that he was facing has been dropped as a result of the technicality. ...

The Jacksonville, Florida, chapter of the NAACP is protesting an editorial cartoon that criticized the "no snitchin' " street mantra and ran in the Friday edition of The Florida Times-Union. The image shows a black man wearing a "Don't Snitch" T-shirt, holding a smoking gun and standing over a gunshot victim. Behind him are two children, one a girl with dreadlocks who also wears a "Don't Snitch" shirt and says, "I didn't see nuttin'." In the cartoon, the man responds, "Now that's a good little ho." The comic, which is captioned "The new rule of law!," also has a billboard in the background with an image of a rapper holding a gun below the words "rap your life away," with BET and Warner Music Group called out at the bottom of the billboard. According to local TV affiliate NBC12, on Sunday, a Times-Union editorial-page editor apologized for the "bad judgment" in using the word "ho" in the cartoon. "The object of the cartoon was to comment on the rise of a no-snitching culture, something that is widely in the news today," Mike Clark explained.

08.20.07

Lily Allen had some choice dirty words for President Bush and U.S. immigration on Saturday during her performance at the V Festival in Stafford, England. "This next one is about people who are awkward on the train, U.S. immigration officials and George Bush in general," she said before the song "Everything's Just Wonderful." The outburst, in which she referred to Bush as a "f---ing c---," came just days after Allen was forced to scrap U.S. dates and an appearance at the Video Music Awards in light of the revocation of her working visa in the U.S. "I've been banned from America. That's nice. Oh well, that means I can't go back there. Good," Allen said, according to MTV UK. ...

Wanna hang in the recording studio with Timbaland? The winner of MTV's charity eBay auction will be flown to Las Vegas, stay at the Palms Casino Resort for three days (September 7-9) to check out the VMAs, and hit the Palms studio with the mega-producer as well. Other items up for bid include VMA gift bags, poker-table felt and other memorabilia. Head to the auction — all proceeds of which go to the Staying Alive Foundation, which helps young people fight AIDS and HIV — before it ends Monday (August 20). ...

Good news if you've been digging Talib Kweli's new collabo with Justin Timberlake, "The Nature" — the track will appear as a bonus on Kweli's Ear Drum, due Tuesday. ... "They gonna mix it with Biggie, it was all a dream!": Keyshia Cole's tour rolled through New York on Sunday, with the singer performing at the Nokia Theatre. As one of the highlights, she brought out Missy Elliott and Lil' Kim to perform their hit "Let It Go." Newcomer J. Holiday opened. ...

It's not exactly Lilith Fair, but Avril Lavigne, Fiona Apple and Sheryl Crow will anchor the first-ever Girlfrenzy, a daylong concert that will revolve around female artists and take place October 27 at Irvine, California's Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. Colbie Caillat, Antigone Rising and Sara Bareilles will also perform. ... The Friday premiere of "High School Musical 2" on the Disney Channel drew an estimated 17.2 million viewers, making it the most-watched basic-cable program in history. The first flick attracted 7.7. million in 2006, while the record was previously held by a "Monday Night Football" game that was watched by 16 million in 2006. ...

Gwen Stefani has stapled a seven-date West Coast leg onto her Sweet Escape tour. Sean Kingston will open for the singer when she hits Las Vegas (October 26); Tuscon, Arizona (October 29); San Diego (October 30); Stockton, California (November 1); Oakland, California (November 2); and Phoenix (November 8-9). ... Want to look just like Jessica Simpson? A recently launched e-commerce site, Seen On!, has more than 500 products associated with the actress. ...

We all know Kevin Federline the cocky rapper, but how about Kevin Federline the cocky rocker? That's the role Britney Spears' ex will play on the next season of "One Tree Hill" — he'll be the frontman of fictional band No Means Yes. ... Veronica Mars — er, Kristen Bell — is also doing the guest-appearance thing. She'll appear on a multi-episode arc on "Heroes" in October. ...

Dr. Dre is suing Death Row over the rights to his classic multiplatinum album, The Chronic. The producer/rapper (real name: Andre Young) filed a suit in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Los Angeles on Wednesday in which he claims he created, produced and was the primary performer on the album's master recordings. In 1992 — before the album's November release — Dr. Dre gave Death Row a license to distribute the LP in trade for royalties. Four years later, he gave up his 50 percent ownership interest in the label, agreeing to give it the copyright as long as he continued receiving royalties. In 2000, Dre told Death Row he was overturning the agreement and wanted the copyright back after the label failed to pay him royalties. In the new lawsuit, he says he made good on his part of the original, and that the label and the Chapter 11 trustee involved with the label's bankruptcy case are violating his rights as the owner of the copyright by continuing to distribute The Chronic without his authorization. Dre wants the bankruptcy court to declare that the 1992 and '96 agreements have been rescinded, and force the label and trustee to pay restitution and restore the copyrights to him. Lastly, he's asking for a permanent injunction that would prevent Death Row from offering the copyrights for sale in the future without his written approval. ...

Method Man has agreed to visit 15 New York high schools to warn students about the dangers of drugs as part of a plea deal he reached earlier this year on a marijuana-possession charge. The Associated Press reported that the "How High" star (born Clifford Smith) is thrilled to give the talks, according to his lawyer, who added, "he's never been in trouble before. He's not a stereotypical rapper." Meth was arrested May 17 after toll-booth workers on the Brooklyn, New York, side of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel reported smelling marijuana smoke coming from his SUV. ...

A motley crew of opening acts will help Bon Jovi christen Newark, New Jersey's Prudential Center on October 25-November 10. My Chemical Romance (October 25-26), Big & Rich (October 28 and 30), Gretchen Wilson (November 1 and 3), Daughtry (November 4 and 7) and the All-American Rejects (November 9-10) will help the NJ native sons do the honors. ... Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose will make a guest appearance on the debut solo album from former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach. Angel Down will hit stores November 20 and feature Rose on two tracks: "(Love Is) a B---hslap" and a cover of Aerosmith's "Back in the Saddle." ... The soundtrack to Rob Zombie's "Halloween" is set for release Tuesday and will feature 24 tracks, including Nazareth's "Love Hurts," Rush's "Tom Sawyer" and the Misfits' "Halloween II." ...

Pete Doherty was arrested on suspicion of drugs after being pulled over in a car with two other people in east London early Monday morning (August 20), following Babyshambles' Sunday performance at the V Festival. The three are in police custody at a London station. A magistrate warned Doherty earlier this month that he would face prison if he didn't prove that he was trying to stop using drugs. ... Emo rockers Piebald have called it quits. According to a statement from the band, the pop-punks will pack things up as soon as their current tour concludes September 7 in Englewood, Colorado. No reason was given for the breakup, but the statement claims, "This is a time of new beginnings, positive vibes and a congratulatory nod to the past. There has been talk of a few shows to give the band an official sendoff, but as of yet, those shows are not booked and unknown." ...

Police have charged some of the more than 80 people arrested during last week's Ozzfest stop at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey, with "unruly behavior in the mosh pit." The individuals were charged with assault if they flailed their arms or legs in a way that police felt would hurt others. Meanwhile, in the wake of the arrests and two deaths that occurred at the venue during the show, the PNC Bank Arts Center has announced a total ban on alcohol outside the venue, according to the New Jersey Star-Ledger. The first show affected, a Velvet Revolver gig Friday night, found most patrons refraining from the typical hard-charging tailgating that usually goes on in the parking lot before shows at the venue, which has seen 500 arrests this season. ...

Uncle Kracker gave a statement to People magazine about being arrested on a second-degree forcible-sex-offense charge in North Carolina on Friday. "It's regrettable that someone would make this kind of allegation, not only because it's not the kind of thing I'd do, as the father of three girls, it's the kind of thing that I wouldn't stand for," the former Kid Rock DJ and solo singer said. "Anyone can say anything about anybody but it doesn't make it true or correct. This is one of those cases. I'm saddened that anyone might think I'm capable of this sort of thing." Kracker (born Matthew Shafer), was arrested early Friday morning after an alleged incident at a downtown Raleigh nightclub called the Ess Lounge; he was released later that day on $75,000 bond. Saturday night, Kracker took the stage in his hometown during a show by pal Kenny Chesney to duet on the tune "When the Sun Goes Down."

• Van Halen 'Jump' Headfirst Into Reunion Tour

• Amy Winehouse
• Kanye West
• Justin Timberlake
• Foxy Brown
• Ben Lee

R. Kelly's <i>Trapped In The Closet</i>
Photo: Jive

With just a few more summer weeks remaining, this week will give you plenty of excuses to slip out to the club at least one more time — Swizz Beatz, M.I.A. and Talib Kweli have dealt brand-new bangers sure to keep the floor shaking. That said, this week's biggest release might actually be something for your eyes and ears to feast on. ...

Kells' Bells (and Whistles): If you were worried about R. Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet" series coming to a close, you can sleep a little easier — his latest batch of "alien" installments won't be the last, he said at a screening last week. In chapters 13-22, the always-baffling Kells dresses up as a grumpy old man, stuttering pimp and more. He packs in some bells and whistles, too: The DVD is bolstered by a recap of the preceding chapters as well as a featurette with behind-the-scenes peeks.

Marching to the Beatz: Kelly isn't only on the DVD racks this week, though — he crops up on the remix to "It's Me B---hes" that caps Swizz Beatz' solo debut. The esteemed producer also couldn't turn down Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Jadakiss, Drag-On and Coldplay's Chris Martin, which might mean great things for Swizz's One Man Band Man album but kinda renders its title meaningless. The Ambassador of Music for World Peace to the United Nations piled those artists onto the LP, which features "Big Munny," "Bust Ya Gunz" and "You Know Your Boy Did That."

M.I.A. Rediscovered: M.I.A.'s first two albums could be considered an Adam and Eve of sorts — the crossover rapper named her first album, Arular, after her father, and she has done the same for her mother with the second one, Kala. Recorded in India, Australia, London, Baltimore and beyond, the set features a cameo by Timbaland and a New Order sample among its 12 tracks. And just in case the music isn't enough for you, the disc comes with a free ringtone and cell phone wallpaper to boot.

Lend Him an Ear: Talib Kweli sure knows how to throw a party — Kanye West, Justin Timberlake, UGK, Norah Jones and loads more drop by on Ear Drum, his first album through Warner Bros. and Talib's own Blacksmith label. The rapper re-examines his relationship with religion on the two-part "Hostile Gospel" and delivers many more sermons: "Country Cousins," "My Weather Report," "Soon the New Day" and beyond.

Indie Race: Fear not, indie-rock fans — this week isn't all about the beats. Like Talib Kweli, Rilo Kiley are making their Warner Bros. debut, with Under the Blacklight, which features "Smoke Detector," "Angels Hung Around" and "Dreamworld." Vying against them for the biggest indie-rock release of the week are the New Pornographers and their fourth effort, Challengers. Those who pre-ordered the disc have access to a ton of extras, depending on which configuration they chose: a CD of B-sides, demos and other rarities; a concert disc called "Live From the Future"; and/or a DVD containing videos and photos.

Earlimart's Mentor Tormentor, their fifth LP, will come out via Majordomo Records, the Los Angeles band's new imprint with Shout! Factory. And former Sunny Day Real Estate frontman Jeremy Enigk is going even further under the radar by issuing his fourth solo set, The Missing Link, through the small indie label 567 Records out of Boca Raton, Florida.

Go to the other corner of the country and you'll encounter Seattle's Kinski, who are making their new CD, Down Below It's Chaos, available in three different colors. Pre-orders came with a limited-edition CD-R of the band performing a live score in June at the Seattle International Film Festival.

But if it's variety you're after, look no further than This Is Next: Indie's Biggest Hits, Volume One, the Now-style comp series that assembles together Bloc Party, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Spoon and 12 more indie luminaries. The self-explanatory "SXSW Live 2007" DVD has a good medley of acts as well, with Polyphonic Spree, Peter Bjorn and John, and Mando Diao among them.

Whaa?:

· Andre 3000, Prince, Jill Scott, Talib Kweli and more surface on "Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations," a socially conscious-music project conducted by famed Princeton University Professor Cornel West.

· Speaking of Ivy League cred, Milton & the Devils Party, who issue How Wicked We've Become this week, are English professors from the University of Pennsylvania.

· Ladybirds, who are putting out Regional Community Theater this week, are a side project by Gym Class Heroes keyboardist Tyler Pursel.

· Calling to mind Richard and Linda Thompson, the Mendoza Line's 30 Year Low — which comes with a second disc, The Final Remarks of the Legendary Malcontent — revolves around bandmates Tim Bracy and Shannon McArdle's failed marriage and marks the end of McArdel's involvement with the band.

· S.O.D.'s last CD, Rise of the Infidels, is a 24-track EP — one of the longest in recent memory.

Song Title of the Week:

"A Catastrophe of Epic Proportions" from Through the Eyes of the Dead's Malice

Album Cover of the Week:

Angel of Light's We Are Him

Other Notables:

As I Lay Dying's An Ocean Between Us
The San Diego metalcore marauders are trying to best their last effort, 2005's Shadows Are Security, which peaked at #35 on the Billboard albums chart — and they'll likely get a boost from their recent appearances on the Warped Tour. That said, they didn't wait around for the official release date to put out An Ocean Between Us — the sucker has been streaming on As I Lay Dying's MySpace page since Friday, and they even went so far as to post the lyrics on their blog too.

The Austerity Program's Black Madonna
If you're up for an extra dose of frustration this week, look no further than the experimental hard-rockers' disc, which contains eight unnumbered songs. Well, they're not exactly unnumbered, but with a list of song titles that reads, " 'Song 12,' 'Song 17B,' 'Untitled,' 'Song 19,' " etc., they may as well be. "The Austerity Program would prefer it if you filed this detail under 'your problem' as opposed to 'their problem,' " reads a press release for the disc. Impressive, however, is the fact that the group actually built on its own the studio in which it recorded the album.

Patrick Park's Everyone's in Everyone
The Los Angeles singer/songwriter crafted this effort while on tour with My Morning Jacket and Grandaddy, and you might recognize one of the tracks — "Life Is a Song" — as the last tune heard on "The OC." Producers Dave Trumfio (OK Go, Wilco), Rob Schnapf (Beck, Foo Fighters) and Chris Stamey (Yo La Tengo, Ben Folds) all participated on the effort, which includes "Saint With a Fever," "One Body Breaks" and "Pawn Song."

New Releases:

· Adema - Kill the Headlights (Immortal) [Buy Now]
· Aiden - Conviction (Victory) [Buy Now]
· Lindsay Anderson - If (Minty Fresh)
· Angels of Light - We Are Him (Young God)
· Architecture in Helsinki - Places Like This (Polyvinyl)
· As I Lay Dying - An Ocean Between Us (Metal Blade) [Buy Now]
· The Austerity Program - Black Madonna (Hydra Head)
· Bald Eagle - Hot Shoulders (Emergency Umbrella)
· Bedouin Soundclash - Street Gospels (Side One Dummy)
· Benzino - The Antidote (7th Floor)
· Joe Bonamassa - Sloe Gin (Premier Artists)
· Greg Brown - Yellow Dog (Earthwork)
· Peter Buffett - Staring at the Sun (BeSide)
· Caribou - Andorra (Merge) [Buy Now]
· Cartel - Cartel (Epic) [Buy Now]
Read: "Pop-Punks Cartel Show Off Grandma's Digs, Borrow Benz For 'Cribs' "
· Stephen Cochran - Stephen Cochran (Aria/Quarterback)
· Colette - Push (Om)
· Devil Wears Prada - Plagues (Rise)
· David Dondero - Simple Love (Team Love)
· Omar Kent Dykes & Jimmie Vaughan - On the Jimmy Reed Highway (Ruf)
· Earlimart - Mentor Tormentor (Majordomo)
· Jeremy Enigk - The Missing Link (567)
· Fall of the Leafe - Aerolithe (Firebox)
· Ryan Ferguson - Only Trying to Help (Better Looking)
· Foreign Born - On the Wing Now (Dim Mak)
· Full Blown Chaos - Heavy Lies the Crown (Ferret)
· Galactic - From the Corner to the Block (Anti-) [Buy Now]
· Golden Dogs - Big Eye Little Eye (Yep Roc)
· Darren Hayes - This Delicate Thing We've Made (Powdered Sugar)
· Peter Himmelman - The Pigeons Couldn't Sleep (with DVD; Himmasongs)
· Imperial Teen - The Hair the TV the Baby & the Band (Merge)
· Kaskade - Bring the Night (Ultra)
· Kinski - Down Below It's Chaos (Sub Pop)
· KMFDM - Tohuvabohu (Metropolis)
· Talib Kweli - Ear Drum (Reprise) [Buy Now]
Read: "Stung By Criticism Of Last LP, Talib Kweli Promises No Sting Samples This Time"
· Ladybirds - Regional Community Theater (enhanced digipak; Creep)
· Madball - Infiltrate the System (Ferret)
· Miko Marks - It Feels Good (Aspirion)
· Nathaniel Mayer - Why Don't You Give It to Me? (Alive)
· Ronnie McCoury - Little Mo' McCoury (McCoury Music)
· Mekons - Natural (Quarterstick)
· The Mendoza Line - 30 Year Low/ The Final Remarks of the Legendary Malcontent (two CDs; Glurp)
· M.I.A. - Kala (Interscope)
Read: "M.I.A.'s New LP May Be Smoother — But Her Words Are No Less Controversial"
· Milton & the Devils Party - How Wicked We've Become (Transit of Venus)
· Minus the Bear - Planet of Ice (Suicide Squeeze)
· Mobile - Tomorrow Starts Today (Militia Group)
· Monster in the Machine - Butterfly Pinned (Emotional Syphon)
· Monte Negro - Cicatrix (Adrenaline)
· Travis Morrison Hellfighters - All Y'All (Barsuk)
· DJ Muggs vs. Sick Jacken - The Legend of the Mask and the Assassin (Universal Latino)
· New Pornographers - Challengers (Matador)
· Joe Nichols - Real Things (Universal South)
· Numbers - Now You Are This (Kill Rock Stars)
· Operator - Soulcrusher (Atlantic)
· Over the Rhine - The Trumpet Child (Great Speckled Dog)
· Patrick Park - Everyone's in Everyone (Curb Appeal)
· The Pietasters - All Day (Indication)[Buy Now]
· Poets & Pornstars - Poets & Pornstars (Adrenaline)
· Raintime - Flies & Lies (Bieler Bros.)
· Dax Riggs - We Sing of Only Blood or Love (Fat Possum)
· Rilo Kiley - Under the Blacklight (Warner Bros.)
· Josh Ritter - The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter (with bonus EP; Sony BMG)
· Tom Russell - The Wounded Heart of America (Hightone)
· The Section Quartet - Fuzzbox (Decca)
· Shock Cinema - Our Way Is Revenge (Kanine)
· Nikki Sixx - "The Heroin Diaries" soundtrack (Eleven Seven)
· S.O.D. - Rise of the Infidels (EP; Megaforce)
· Soulstice - Dead Letter Perfect (Vivid Sound)
· Stereo Total - Paris-Berlin (Kill Rock Stars)
· Stuporhero - Last Star Shining (Basement Tape)
· Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra - Come Share the Wine (Rounder)
· John Surman - The Spaces in Between (ECM)
· Swizz Beatz - One Man Band Man (enhanced; Motown) [Buy Now]
Read: "Beyonce Hitmaker Swizz Beatz Defies Radio Rules With Two-Minute Single"
· Luke Temple - Snowbeast (Millpond)
· Terhen - Eyes Unfolded (Firebox)
· Through the Eyes of the Dead - Malice (Prosthetic)
· Travis Tritt - The Storm (Category 5)
· The Waterboys - Book of Lightning (W14 Music /Decca) [Buy Now]
· Cornel West & BMWMB - Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations (Hidden Beach)
· Various artists - Dear Mr Fantasy Featuring the Music of Jim Capaldi & Traffic: A Celebration for Jim Capaldi (two CDs; Eagle)
· Various artists - This Is Next: Indie's Biggest Hits, Volume One (Vice)
· Various artists - "Halloween" soundtrack (Hip-O)
· Various artists - "The Nanny Diaries" soundtrack (Adrenaline)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· Arthur Alexander - Lonely Just Like Me: The Final Chapter (Hacktone)
· Louis Armstrong - Live at the 1958 Monterey Jazz Festival (Monterey Jazz Festival) [Buy Now]
· The Black Keys - Magic Potion (with DVD; Bomp)
· Blackfoot - Rattlesnake Rock 'N' Roll: The Best of Blackfoot (Rhino) [Buy Now]
· The Blues Brothers - The Definitive Blues Brothers Collection (Rhino)
· Brand Nubian - Time's Runnin' Out (Traffic)
· Garth Brooks - Fresh Horses; Garth Brooks; No Fences; and Ropin' the Wind (Pearl)
· Coalesce - There Is Nothing New Under the Sun (Hydra Head)
· Miles Davis - Evolution of the Groove (EP; Columbia/Legacy)
· Miles Davis Quintet - Live at the 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival (Monterey Jazz Festival)
· Firefall - Greatest Hits (Rhino) [Buy Now]
· Ella Fitzgerald - The Very Best of the Duke Ellington Songbook and The Very Best of the Gershwin Songbook (Verve)
· Roberta Flack - Softly With These Songs: The Best of Roberta Flack (Rhino)
· Dizzy Gillespie - Live at the 1965 Monterey Jazz Festival (Monterey Jazz Festival)
· Monique Haas - Monique Haas Plays Debussy & Ravel: Les Enregistrements Erato (six-CD box set; Warner Classics)
· Jethro Tull - Live at Montreux 2003 (two CDs; Eagle Eye)
· Ben E. King - The Very Best of Ben E. King (Rhino)
· Love - Greatest Hits (Rhino) [Buy Now]
· Bobby Matos - The Best of Bobby Matos (Cubop)
· MC5 - The Big Bang! The Best of the MC5 (Rhino)
· Thelonious Monk - Live at the 1964 Monterey Jazz Festival (Monterey Jazz Festival)
· The Rascals - The Very Best of the Rascals (Rhino)
· Ratt - Tell the World: The Very Best of Ratt (Rhino)
· Testament - Greatest Hits (Rhino)
· Conway Twitty - #1s: The Warner Bros. Years (Rhino)
· Sarah Vaughan - Live at the 1971 Monterey Jazz Festival (Monterey Jazz Festival)
· Vee-Gee - The Definitive Collection (four-CD box set; Shout! Factory)
· Bryan White - Greatest Hits (Rhino)
· Various artists - 40 Most Beautiful Classical Anthems (two CDs; Warner Classics)
· Various artists - Live at the Monterey Jazz Festival: Highlights, Vol. 1 (Monterey Jazz Festival)

Music DVDs:

· The Flaming Lips - "U.F.O.s at the Zoo: The Legendary Concert in Oklahoma City" (MVI DVD; Warner Bros.) [Buy Now]
· Jethro Tull - "Live at Montreux 2003" (Eagle Eye)
· R. Kelly - "Trapped in the Closet: Chapters 13-22" (Jive) [Buy Now]
Read: "R. Kelly Screens New 'Trapped In The Closet' Chapters, Calls Series 'An Alien' "
· Loreena McKennitt - "Nights From the Alhambra" (with two CDs; Verve)
· Son Seals - "A Journey Through the Blues: The Son Seals Story" (Sagebrush)
· Various artists - "SXSW Live 2007" (Shout! Factory)

Digital Releases:

· Frank Black - Live Session (EP; exclusively on iTunes)
· Blanche - Little Amber Bottles (Original Signal; in terrestrial stores October 23)
· Nina Hynes and the Husbands - Flutter & Wow (Kitty-Yo)
· The Teeth/ Raccoon - Christmas City EP (Park the Van)

Coming Attractions:

August 28:
· Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass (Def Jux)
· Ice Water - Raekwon Presents: Ice Water - Polluted Water (Babygrande)
· Yung Joc - Hustlenomics (Bad Boy) [Preorder]

September 4:
· Every Time I Die - The Big Dirty (Ferret) [Preorder]
· Megadeth - That One Night: Live in Buenos Aires (two CDs; Image) [Preorder]
· Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (limited-edition three-CD reissue; Capitol)

September 11:
· 50 Cent - Curtis (G-Unit/Interscope) [Preorder]
Read: "50 Cent Explains Last Week's Blowup, Says 'I Will Be #1 On September 11' "
· Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam (Domino)
· Hot Hot Heat - Happiness Ltd. (Reprise) [Preorder]
· Kenna - Make Sure They See My Face (Interscope)
· Kanye West - Graduation (Roc-A-Fella) [Preorder]
Read: "Kanye West And Lil Wayne Counting On 'Barry Bonds' For A Hit Single"

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Discover & Download Live: Talib Kweli

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