John Mayer
Photo: Mat Szwajkos/ Getty Images

In addition to adding the two most-nominated artists of the year to the performing roster for Sunday's Grammys — Kanye West and, via satellite, Amy Winehouse — the show will also feature live sets from John Mayer and gospel great BeBe Winans. Added as presenters are Usher, Will.I.Am, Dierks Bentley, Cuba Gooding Jr., Carole King and Roselyn Sanchez. ...

Common has come up with a title for his new LP: The Believer. The Chicago legend told MTV News he hopes it will be out by November. ... Timbaland has signed a deal to release a straight-to-mobile-phone album, one track at a time over the next year. The unusual scheme hatched with Verizon Wireless, which will give its V Cast subscribers an exclusive chance to access the songs each month, according to Billboard Biz. Tim, who is up for five Grammys, will work with a different artist on each track while touring the country on the Verizon Mobile Recording Studio Bus, which will spin off making-of footage for V Cast subscribers on a dedicated Timbaland channel. Each mobile track will be released just days after it is produced in full-length download, ringtone and ringback version, and will only be available through V Cast and Verizon for $1.99. At the end of the year, a compilation album will be released through Verizon. ...

Pitbull and Baby Bash likely ran into each other at last year's Wango Tango music festival in Southern California — they both performed there — and now the two are joining forces for MTV Trés' Sucker Free Latino spring tour. The two headliners will hit 13 cities starting March 15 in Orlando, Florida, and ending April 4 in San Diego. ... Family, friends and close music-industry associates of the late Big Pun gathered in a private ceremony Thursday night at New York's Studio 450 to honor the eight-year anniversary of the Latino rapper's untimely death. Donations were made both to Pun's family and his foundation, the Christopher Rios Memorial. An attendee told MTV News that the rapper's daughter, Vanessa, paid tribute to her father with a rendition of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You." ...

Teddy Geiger is still busy working on the follow-up to 2006's Underage Thinking — as well as his role in the upcoming flick "The Rocker" — but in the meantime the 19-year-old troubadour has launched a cell phone contest with Mozes. During the month of February, fans can leave messages for Geiger on Mozes.com, after which he'll pick one of the fans to chat with. ... Flyleaf and Seether will team up this spring for an eight-week U.S. tour that kicks off April 8 in Denver and runs through May 31 at a yet-to-be-announced city. A partial list of dates can be found at either band's Web site. ... Thrice have a busy May ahead — the SoCal rockers have a show booked for almost every night that month. The band will actually set out on tour the month before that, beginning April 16 in San Diego, and will bring it to a close May 29 in Hollywood. ...

Members of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Saturday Night Live" castmembers Andy Samberg and Seth Meyers, and others turned up at New York's Webster Hall on Monday night for a party thrown by Chloë Sevigny. The actress invited legendary punks the Slits to play at the event, which celebrated Sevigny's new clothing line. ... Working for a Nuclear Free City — whose Businessmen and Ghosts album was a finalist for this year's Shortlist Music Prize — are hoping to capitalize on the success with a brief run. The Brits will hit the road February 29 in San Francisco and continue playing gigs through Austin, Texas' South by Southwest fest in mid-March. ... Still hooked on Phish? Fans can gobble up a bunch of rare items donated by the now-defunct jam heroes for an online charity auction being put on by the mother of the band's drummer, Jon Fishman. Posters signed by Trey Anastasio and Page McConnell, as well as rare Phish shirts and additional items from Oysterhead, Moe. and the String Cheese Incident. Proceeds from the auction, which ends February 21, will go to the Mimi Fishman Foundation, which raises funds for various charities. ...

Now that his Rolling Stones movie, "Shine a Light," is about to hit the big screen, legendary director Martin Scorsese is set to begin work on a yet-untitled documentary about reggae icon Bob Marley. Variety reports that the movie will be authorized by Marley's family and will be released in February 2010, on what would have been Marley's 65th birthday. ... Walt Disney Parks and Resorts are creating a live-performance attraction based on "American Idol" at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park in Florida. The yet-unnamed attraction, which should open this year, will allow budding singers to "audition" on an "Idol"-like set in front of an audience of 1,000, with a daily winner getting a pass to the show's regional auditions. Visitors will be able to pick their song beforehand, rehearse in a sound booth and, if they pass the audition, work with a vocal coach before performing in front of the live audience and a panel of judges during one of the seven daily shows. ...

Republican presidential candidate John McCain might have a lot of independent-minded supporters, but heartland rocker John Mellencamp ain't one of 'em. The Arizona senator and Republican front-runner stopped playing the unabashedly liberal Indiana singer/songwriter's "Our Country" at his campaign events after Mellencamp's publicist sent a letter questioning the logic of using the tune, according to The Associated Press. "Are you sure you want to use his music to promote Senator McCain's efforts?" read a letter sent to the candidate's campaign on Monday. "Logic says that the facts might prove to be an embarrassment, were they to be circulated widely." The McCain camp said Thursday that the song, and a few others by Mellencamp, would no longer be played at events. Mellencamp publicist Bob Merlis told AP that the situation made Mellencamp uncomfortable and that he couldn't imagine McCain would want to be associated with him. "You know, here's a guy running around saying, 'I'm a true conservative,' " Merlis said. "Well, if you're such a true conservative, why are you playing songs that have a very populist pro-labor message written by a guy who would find no argument if you characterized him as left of center?" ...

Billy Joel will be the last artist to play New York's Shea Stadium before it's torn down. The piano man will perform at "The Last Play at Shea, From the Beatles to Billy" on July 16, during the New York Mets' final season before moving to Citi Field in 2009. The show will make Joel the only artist to have played both Yankee and Shea Stadiums.

2.7.08

Lindsay Lohan just spoke publicly for the first time since leaving rehab in early October — she gave an interview to the U.K. edition of Glamour for its new cover story — but the starlet has more to say. She told Harper's Bazaar for its own LiLo cover story that she'd like to have a low-key relationship, that she's trying to smoke cigarettes less often and that she's "always been a homebody." She also spilled who she would like to make music with next — "I'd love to work with Timbaland. I'd love to work with Kanye West, 50 Cent if I could" — and admitted, "When I look back on this last year, it's like, what was I thinking?" Harper's Bazaar's March issue, in which the story appears, hits stands February 19. ...

Christina Aguilera just made her first public appearance this week since giving birth in January, and now comes news that the singer is already digging into her next album. "This whole incredible thing has taken place in my life," the new mom recently told Ryan Seacrest on his radio show, so there's "so much in me to write about. The next record, I want to have a lot of fun with it. [I've been] brainstorming for the last nine months. This next album will have a whole new me, a different me, so it's a lot to look forward to." She also spoke about her son, Max Liron Bratman — "he's constantly changing, and doing these incredibly cute things and stinky things" — and even touched on Paris Hilton spilling the beans about Aguilera's pregnancy during VMA weekend last year. "It was funny," Aguilera said, taking the high road. "We all looked at each and laughed it off. She did it in a sweet way. It wasn't a tattle-on-me sort of thing." ...

Britney Spears' father, Jamie, had previously been granted temporary conservatorship powers over the singer for a week, during which time it was expected when the powers were granted that she would be in the hospital. Now that she's out, some legal questions were raised in court Thursday (February 7) when Spears' co-conservator, Andrew Wallet, and the attorneys for the conservatorship appeared for an emergency ex parte hearing. Since the hearing was closed and the court documents were sealed, according to a court clerk, no one could say what happened in the hearing. But Adam Streisand, who tried to represent the singer at a previous hearing, only to be ejected from the court, was definitely not present on the singer's behalf, since prior to the hearing, his firm released a statement that he "has decided he will not represent her at this time." Streisand met with Britney Spears on Wednesday "to discuss her legal rights in connection with the conservatorship over her person and estate," but following the meeting, he learned that there was a court order preventing the singer from retaining counsel of her own choosing. ... Despite all Britney Spears' troubles, she still has Danjahandz on her side. The producer recently told MTV News that he'd like to hook up with the singer in the future. "I would work with her again. Hopefully she'll get better," he said, admitting that he hadn't heard of her recent hospitalization. "I definitely have ideas [of] what I would do with her." ...

As had been previously rumored, when Beyoncé takes the stage at the Grammy Awards on Sunday night, she'll be joined by none other than reclusive rock legend Tina Turner, the Recording Academy has announced. Other additions to the show's lineup included Kid Rock, who will perform, as well as presenters Akon, Nelly Furtado, Prince, Jason Bateman, Tony Bennett, Cher, Tom Hanks, Quincy Jones, Joe Mantegna, Ringo Starr, Dave Stewart and Stevie Wonder. ...

Can't remember the last time you bought a CD single? Well, here's a reason to consider picking one up: Ashlee Simpson will meet fans and sign copies of her new "Outta My Head" single February 14 at a Walmart in Dallas. ... Sevendust have a friend in ... Chris Daughtry? Yup, it's true: The Daughtry frontman recently teamed with the hard-rockers to chip in a guest vocal for the band's new song "The Past." The track will be included on Sevendust's April 1 LP, Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow, which will also feature contributions from Alter Bridge's Mark Tremonti and Myles Kennedy. ... This year's South by Southwest festival just got a little more hip-hop-friendly. Ice Cube and N.E.R.D. have hopped onto the sprawling roster for the Austin, Texas, shindig, which will go down March 12-16. ... The Sweet Relief Musicians Fund — a group that helps career musicians in need — is putting up for auction an original Clash T-shirt printed by bassist Paul Simonon. The item will be up for bidding on eBay for 10 days starting Saturday. As MTV News reported late last year, Simonon originally gave the shirt to punk poet Patti Smith 30 years ago, and after she passed it to her drummer, Jay Dee Daughtery, he in turn donated it to Sweet Relief — but the group was not able to raffle the tee because of sweepstakes laws. ...

Don't believe those stories about how infighting and personal disputes are the reason the Spice Girls have canceled most of the remaining dates of their reunion tour. Trying to combat the rumors, the Girls posted a one-minute apology video to fans on their Web site on Wednesday, reiterating that the decision to cancel shows in China, South Africa, Australia and Argentina was due to "family and personal commitments." In the video, Mel C explains: "There has been a lot of rubbish in the media over the last few days, so we wanted you to hear it from the horse's mouth. We're very sorry not to be able to get to all the places we really, really wanted to get to." Several members say that the tour went a month longer than they had actually intended when they first announced the reunion last year. Victoria Beckham adds, "Our kids need to go back to school, and we always said our families are our priorities. So we want to thank all our fans. Sorry we haven't got to see everybody." The singers then get into a mock fight before Mel B screams, "We hate each other? Are you kidding? We love each other!" ...

A star-studded gala organized by Madonna at the United Nations in New York on Wednesday night to benefit sick and poor children around the world raised $3.7 million. Hosted by Chris Rock, the $2,500-to-$10,000-a-plate dinner and live auction attracted guests Drew Barrymore, Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Dita Von Teese, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Amy Adams, Brooke Shields and Salma Hayek. But, according to The Associated Press, the event also made some officials, including U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, a bit uncomfortable with its mix of charity and commercial promotion. The event was paid for by luxury-goods maker Gucci, which used the occasion to promote the opening of its flagship store in New York's Manhattan borough on Friday and put its logo along with UNICEF's behind the walkway on the red carpet. Rihanna, Timbaland and Alicia Keys performed at the event. The night's most expensive auction item was a $600,000 bid to tour with Madonna and take a dance class with her and Gwyneth Paltrow. ...

Eva Mendes left rehab briefly on Thursday. "Eva is attending to some personal business in Los Angeles and intends to return to complete her treatment shortly," a representative for the actress who was not named told TMZ.com. ... Having conquered the reality-TV world, Public Enemy court jester Flavor Flav has signed on to try his hand at scripted comedy. The sometime rapper will star in a new half-hour comedy series on MyNetworkTV called "Under One Roof," which creators call a classic "fish-out-of-water" story. In the show, for which 13 episodes have been ordered, Flav will play Calvester Hill, a former convict who moves in with his wealthy, conservative brother and, predictably, wreaks havoc by parading his old prison cronies through the house, teaching his nephew to be a gangsta rapper and butting heads with Walter's uptight wife, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The series is slated to launch in the spring.

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Coldplay's Chris Martin
Photo: Ryan Pierse/ Getty Images

Dust off your record players, Coldplay fans: The band is compiling all 14 of its singles on vinyl, each pressed as a 7-inch in a sleeve with its original artwork. The box set, dubbed The Singles 1999-2006, will also include 1999's The Blue Room E.P. — the band's first Parlophone item — and is set for a March 26 international release. A U.S. release date is not scheduled, and Coldplay have stipulated that a CD version will not be made. ...

(+44)'s injured drummer, Travis Barker, won't be returning to the road anytime soon. According to a MySpace post by frontman Mark Hoppus, Barker continues to recover from a broken arm — his bones were so brittle that they broke while he was playing drums back in October. Barker is to strap a bone stimulator, a device that encourages the healing process, to his forearm, and doctors also ordered a casual return to the drums as rehabilitation. There's no word on when Barker will be back behind the kit. ...

Jadakiss was indicted Thursday (February 8) in a New York state court on weapon and drug-possession charges stemming from an arrest last year, according to The Associated Press. The Yonkers native and three other men were pulled over by police October 7 after authorities allegedly smelled marijuana coming from the car the rapper was in — and then discovered a gun in the vehicle. In the police report, Jada's lawyer, Clement Patti, said he had "yet to see or hear of any evidence connecting my client to possessing this weapon." If convicted, the rapper could face up to seven years in prison. Through an Interscope spokesperson, Jadakiss declined to comment to MTV News regarding the matter. ...

The performer list for Sunday's 49th annual Grammy Awards keeps growing, with the latest additions including T.I. and James Blunt as well as Earth, Wind & Fire, who will join a previously announced hook-up between Mary J. Blige and Ludacris. More presenters have also been added, including Mandy Moore, Common, Quentin Tarantino, Luke Wilson, Reba McEntire, Natalie Cole and legendary songwriter Burt Bacharach. The Grammys air Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. MTV News' "All Up in the Grammys" preshow begins at 7:30 p.m. on MTV. ... And the Grammys' star-studded green room won't be green at all this year. The Recording Academy and Gap have teamed up to create the first (RED) Room backstage at the 49th annual Grammy Awards in honor of Product (RED), an initiative spearheaded by Bono to help combat HIV/AIDS in Africa. ...

Dr. Dre is setting himself up for the next act in his creative life: movie mogul. According to Variety, Dre has signed a multiyear feature production deal with New Line through his new company, Crucial Films. Dre plans to produce alongside longtime collaborator Phillip Atwell, focusing first on dark comedies before moving on to genres such as horror. He'll be heavily involved in the music side of the film projects. "This is a natural switch for me, since I've directed a lot of music videos," Dre said. "And I eventually want to get into directing." ...

Aching for a night with Justin Timberlake or the celebrity treatment at the VMAs? That wish can come true for the right price. R.S.V.P. to Help, an online charity auction led by Jon Bon Jovi and designer Kenneth Cole, includes a VIP package to see Timberlake perform in London in July, a meet-and-greet with the next batch of "American Idol" finalists on their summer tour, two spots on a Habitat for Humanity build crew with former President Jimmy Carter, a design lesson with Cole and spots on the red carpet and in the celebrity-packed green room at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. The auction ends February 15, with all proceeds benefiting Habitat for Humanity, Help USA and the Philadelphia Soul Foundation. Visit RSVPtoHelp.org for more information. ...

The Isley Brothers — who were nominated for two Soul Train Music Awards earlier this week — will embark on a U.S. tour March 14 in Las Vegas. The group — featuring Ronald Isley, a.k.a. Mr. Biggs — will bring the R&B fun to a close April 28 in Philadelphia. ... The Who announced a European tour Thursday that will take them to 28 cities, beginning with Lisbon, Portugal, on May 8 and ending in Helsinki, Finland, on July 9. Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey performed a four-song acoustic set at their London news conference, AP reports, and they said they will continue touring elsewhere once they're done with Europe. ... The Blood Brothers and Celebration will head out March 15 on a 31-date North American trek that begins in Salt Lake City. The tour will make stops in Denver, Minneapolis, Chicago, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Los Angeles before wrapping April 27 in Seattle. ...

New York State Senator Carl Kruger launched a war on what he called "iPod oblivion" this week, proposing a $100 fine for people who are caught walking, jogging or biking across city streets while jamming tunes. The proposed bill would also outlaw the use of cell phones, Blackberrys, video games and other electronic gear while crossing the street, according to an AP report. Kruger cited the death of a 21-year-old man who was listening to music when he stepped off a curb and was hit by a bus in Brooklyn, New York, in September, and also referred to a 23-year-old iPod user's death last month. ... AP reports that Daniel Baldwin was in Detroit working on a horror flick when a judge in Newport Beach, California, issued a warrant for the actor on charges that Baldwin skipped a court hearing pertaining to the theft of a car. ...

Nike has commissioned underground hip-hop hero Aesop Rock to compose the third installment of its Nike + Original Run music series. The 45-minute continuous mix will be available Tuesday on iTunes. ... Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley and his brothers Stephen, Ky-Mani and Julian have organized a concert to commemorate the birthday of their late father, reggae icon Bob Marley. The peace-promoting event, titled Smile Jamaica, will take place on Saturday, four days after the 62nd anniversary of Marley's birth. Rita Marley, Marley's widow, is also expected to attend the show, which will be held in Jamaica's St. Ann parish. ... Sitting in front of the TV for hours playing video games could be good for your eyesight, despite what your parents may have told you. A University of Rochester study found that non-gamers who played action video games for a few hours per day actually experienced a 20 percent improvement in vision over the course of a month. "These games push the human visual system to the limits and the brain adapts to it," Professor Daphne Bavelier said in the study, published Tuesday. "That learning carries over into other activities and possibly everyday life."

02.07.2007

If you don't like Mandy Moore's upcoming LP, Wild Hope, place the blame squarely on the singer herself. "I knew exactly what type of album I wanted to make and firmly held my ground," she said in a statement announcing the May 8 release of the disc. Moore explained that the project, produced by John Alagia (John Mayer, the Dave Matthews Band) and featuring the singer/actress' songwriting talents, encouraged her to take artistic risks. "Making this record has been the most exciting and fulfilling creative experience of my life." ...

R. Kelly has been hospitalized in Miami following surgery for a ruptured appendix over the weekend. He will miss a scheduled court date in his child-pornography case on Wednesday (February 7), The Chicago Tribune reports. Kelly was expected to attend the status hearing, which will now proceed as planned without the singer, according to an official at the Cook County State Attorney's office. ...

Justin Timberlake brought his FutureSex/LoveShow to Boston Tuesday night, with Pink in tow as the opening act. During his second chat with the audience, JT sat down at the piano, rolled up his sleeves and said, "I've got a lot of friends in Boston. I'd like to make a little toast: Here's to all the girls of Tufts University." ... Timbaland, Ne-Yo, Taylor Hicks, Corinne Bailey Rae and Imogen Heap are among the artists participating in Grammy Career Day at the University of Southern California on Thursday. Randy Jackson, Sean Garrett and the Underdogs are also participating in the workshops. ... And in news involving two of the aforementioned artists, Timbaland's Shock Value — the first single to which, "Give It to Me," features JT and Nelly Furtado — will street March 27. Fall Out Boy, Elton John and other diverse artists also guest. ...

The nominees for the Soul Train Music Awards were announced Tuesday, and Beyoncé leads the field with three nods — B'Day is up for best female R&B soul album, and "Irreplaceable" faces off for best music video and best R&B soul single by a female artist. Double nominee Mary J. Blige meets Beyoncé in the female album and single categories, while John Legend, Chris Brown, Ne-Yo and Yung Joc also racked up two nods each. Prizes for the 21st anniversary event, hosted by Omarion and LeToya, will be presented March 10. The ceremony will air in syndication beginning March 17. ...

Chamillionaire, Slim Thug, Pimp C and LeToya are among the guests on C-Murder's Screamin' 4 Vengeance, due March 20. The album addresses the circumstances surrounding the rapper's incarceration for a 2002 murder he says he did not commit, including the single "Posted on Tha Block." (He was sentenced to life in prison but was later released when his conviction was overturned.) Estevan Oriol (D12, Cypress Hill) directed the video, which features a Snoop Dogg cameo but no new footage of C-Murder, who is under a gag order. ... Jermaine Dupri was appointed president of Island Records Urban Music on Wednesday. The former president of Virgin Records' urban division will lead the new branch of the Island Def Jam Music Group, overseeing Island's entire urban-music operation. "Jermaine's career has grown from strength to strength over the years as a producer and songwriter and recording artist in his own right, as a respected label executive and entrepreneur and as a highly esteemed developer of new talent," Island Def Jam Chairman L.A. Reid said in a statement announcing Dupri's appointment. ...

According to the Smashing Pumpkins' Web site, the band's comeback LP, Zeitgeist, is due July 7. The post says it's due "07/07/07," a Saturday, even though records almost always hit U.S. stores on Tuesdays. Frontman Billy Corgan reactivated the Pumpkins in April, and thus far, the only original member of the group confirmed to return to the fold is drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. Guitarist James Iha will not be participating in the reunion, according to sources close to the band, and it remains unclear whether bassist D'Arcy Wretzky will be involved in the Pumpkins' return. ... There are now five finalists in Incubus' video contest, which is allowing fans to create the clip for the band's second Light Grenades single, "Dig." The finalists, including a 44-year-old mom in Boston, will take the stage with the band at its Tuesday show at the Wiltern LG in Los Angeles. The videos were made using green-screen footage provided by the group and are available to view at IDigIncubus.com. ...

She's already lined up to host the awards show, and now that the nominations for the Junos — Canada's answer to the Grammys — are in, it looks like Nelly Furtado could be the night's runaway star. The singer is up for five prizes at the April 1 event, including Album of the Year, Artist of the Year and the Juno Fan Choice Award. K-os and Billy Talent are also in the running for five prizes, while fellow Canadians Sloan, Islands and Ron Sexsmith are also up for prizes. Justin Timberlake, Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dixie Chicks and Il Divo face off for the Best International Album trophy. ... The Walkmen, who trotted out two albums last year, have lined up a pair of tours: a headlining stint in March and a co-headlining jaunt with Kaiser Chiefs in April. The 'Men will spark their March trek on the 8th in New York and bring it to a close March 23 in Washington, D.C., with the Archie Bronson Outfit, the Broken West and Ferraby Lionheart in tow on select dates. The tag-team tour with Kaiser Chiefs — plus Annuals or the Little Ones, depending on the show — begins April 6 in Philadelphia and concludes April 28 in Los Angeles. ...

Former British rocker Gary Glitter had his child-molestation sentence reduced by a Vietnamese court Wednesday, AP reports. A judge took three months off the three-year term as part of the nation's Lunar New Year prison amnesty program. Glitter, who was convicted of molesting two Vietnamese girls, will be released in August 2008. ... Frankie Laine, one of the most popular entertainers of the 1950s, died Tuesday of heart failure, The Associated Press reports. The singer, who regularly crept into the top 10 before rock and roll took over the pop charts, was best known as the voice behind the theme to the TV western "Rawhide." He also counted "That's My Desire," "Mule Train," "Jezebel," "I Believe" and "That Lucky Old Sun" among his hits.

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T.I.
Photo: Evan Agostini/ Getty Images

In the wake of last Wednesday's brief detour to an Atlanta jail over an outstanding warrant in Florida, T.I. has decided to cancel a planned 10-day tour of Japan. According to a spokesperson at his label, the rapper will resume his U.S. tour on May 24 at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California. The dates in support of his latest album, King, were disrupted on May 3 when a late-night appearance at a Cincinnati club ended in a gun battle with unidentified assailants, who shot and killed T.I.'s assistant, Philant Johnson. ...

DMX's legal woes aren't just contained to the U.S. The rapper was arrested by British police on Saturday when his plane landed in London, detained for abusing the crew on his American Airlines flight. According to a Scotland Yard spokesperson, X got into a verbal confrontation with staff as the plane was approaching Heathrow Airport, reportedly refusing to fasten his seatbelt. He was cautioned and released over the incident. ...

Green Day will receive the Creative Voice Award at the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers' 23rd annual Pop Music Awards on May 22 in Beverly Hills, California. Annie Lennox is receiving the ASCAP Founders Award. ... John Mayer will headline the final night of the 13th annual Telluride Blues & Brews Festival in Telluride, Colorado, from September 15-17. Mayer is performing with the Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars, which include Louisiana music royalty like Tab Benoit and Cyril Neville. ... Aerosmith are returning to the studio on May 20 to begin recording their next album. "It's Armed Forces Day and we're going in with guns a blazing," singer Steven Tyler said in a statement. ...

Trey Anastasio will open the second leg of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' Highway Companion summer tour, which will begin July 29 in Portland, Oregon. Anastasio, who is also performing on many first-leg dates, will open alongside the Allman Brothers Band. Petty's Highway Companion album is due this summer. ... Pussycat Dolls fans have to wait until the end of the year to bring Nicole, Carmit, Ashley, Melody, Kimberly and Jessica home in 12-inch fashion-doll form, but now they can relax in a virtual hot tub with likeminded people as they count down the days. PCDMusicLounge.com, an online club where visitors can chat with each other, listen to club hits and create personalized avatars, is live in beta form, with the official launch set for later this month. ...

The Memphis, Tennessee, house Elvis Presley lived in before moving to Graceland sold on eBay over the weekend for a winning bid of $905,100. The new owners, psychic Uri Geller and two partners, intend to restore the home and eventually turn it into a museum. ... A Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled Friday that a lawsuit filed by Phil Spector against former assistant Michelle Blaine — and Blaine's countersuit against Spector — will proceed as scheduled, denying the producer's bid to delay the cases until after he stands trial for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson, The Associated Press reports. Spector's attorneys sought to postpone the suits arguing that the civil cases could give prosectors information pertaining to the criminal trial, which is scheduled to begin in January. The judge advised Spector, currently free on $1 million bail, that he could dismiss his civil suit against Blaine if he wishes to avoid standard discovery procedures. A hearing is set for May 24.

Ashley Parker Angel is celebrating the release of his solo debut, Soundtrack to Your Life, Tuesday with an in-store performance/record signing at FYE's Palisades Center Mall location in Nyack, New York. The party continues at New York City nightclub Avalon, where Angel is scheduled to perform later that night. And on Thursday, he'll join Bow Wow, Fefe Dobson, "High School Musical" star Vanessa Anne Hudgens and MTV's own Susie Castillo on the runway for Teen People's "Best of Fall" fashion event at New York's Industria. Angel is also teaming up with the magazine for its Rock N Shop Tour, scheduled to hit malls in Minnesota (July 7); Dallas (July 18); Garden City, New York (August 11); and Chicago (August 18). ... Epitaph Records has retired its Punk-o-Rama compilation series after 10 releases in 10 years and will launch a new series, Unsound, June 6. The album will find Korn producer Atticus Ross remixing From First to Last, as well as tracks from Danger Doom, Matchbook Romance and Motion City Soundtrack. ...

Alien Ant Farm will release their third album and first in three years, Up in the Attic, July 25. The record was mostly produced by Jim Wirt (Incubus), although Jay Baumgardner (Coal Chamber, Papa Roach) handled the first single, "Forgive & Forget." "BUSted," the band's first DVD, is also due July 25. ... Alice Cooper was presented with the key to Alice, North Dakota, on Sunday, The Associated Press reports. The small town — home to approximately 60 people and named after the daughter of a railroad surveyor, not the rocker — handed Cooper a marble plaque and a gold-plated key. "There's not a whole lot of buildings to unlock with that key," Mayor Dan Lund said. "But Alice is a cool guy and Alice is a cool city — so it's a fun thing to do."

A suit filed by Aston "Family Man" Barrett, longtime bass player for Bob Marley's Wailers, was dismissed by London's High Court on Monday, The Associated Press reports. A British justice sided with Island-Universal Records and the Marley family, who maintained that Barrett surrendered his rights to Wailers royalties in exchange for $500,000 in a 1994 settlement. Barrett was seeking the equivalent of $115 million. ... Former Power 105 New York radio personality Star (real name Troi Torain), was arraigned in a New York court Friday night on a charge of endangering the welfare of a child and freed after posting $2,000 bail, the AP reports. Torain, who was arrested Friday, made on-air threats against the 4-year old daughter of rival DJ Envy on Wednesday. Police initially announced that Torain would also be charged with harassment. A spokesperson for the district attorney's office said prosecutors are not proceeding with that count but that the investigation will continue. Torain is scheduled to appear in court May 30.

05.12.2006

T.I. was arrested Wednesday for violating probation in Florida that stemmed from a 2003 incident in which he pleaded guilty to battery of an officer. The warrant accused T.I. of not completing at least five hours per month of his 375 community-service hours. His attorney Dwight Thomas, however, told Atlanta's WSBTV that it was nothing more than a "technical matter" between policies in Georgia and Florida. Also on Wednesday, T.I. appeared in court for an unrelated case, in which the rapper was accused of threatening several men outside an Atlanta strip club. ...

In an interview with the Detroit Free Press, D12's Kon Artis said that the Eminem-fronted hip-hop collective plans to carry on without Proof, who was killed during an April 11 nightclub shooting. Kon said that D12 will finish the album they'd been working on, and that the effort will feature verses Proof recorded before his death. "We're just taking the record to the next level," Kon Artis said. "We had some songs recorded already. We got a song called 'Holding Our Own' that we recorded, and Proof is on that song. If people think that because he's not here we're not going to keep doing what we're doing, then they're wrong." The album may include guest appearances by Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes and G-Unit, he said, adding that an album by Proof, called Time Will Tell, should also surface this year. Proof recorded the LP in 24 hours a few months back. ...

Young Jeezy and Paul Wall will perform for VIPs only at Atlanta's Fox Theater on June 16, serving it up for 3,000 local youth who have volunteered at least four hours of their time to community service through Boost Mobile RockCorps. To pitch in for your community — and possibly earn your way into an exclusive concert while you're at it — head to BoostMobileRockCorps.com. ... The ugly war of words between mixtape maven and Hot 97 DJ Envy and former Power 105 New York radio personality Star reached a new low this week. Star (real name Troi Torain) was arrested on charges of endangering the welfare of a child and harassment after he made sexually explicit comments about Envy's 4-year old daughter Wednesday morning. Star was subsequently fired from Power 105 later that night. The rivalry between Envy and Star had heated up over the past several days after Star made some racially and sexually explicit comments about Envy's part-Asian wife. In retaliation, Envy went to Power 105 and waited outside the station to fight Star, although the two wound up never crossing paths. ...

Paris Hilton, Nick Cannon, Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins and members of Linkin Park and Korn were on hand to preview Six Flags Magic Mountain's TATSU, touted as the world's tallest and fastest flying roller coaster. Nicole Richie ex DJ AM provided the music for the event, which doubled as a birthday party for Joe Francis, the mind behind "Girls Gone Wild." Those who missed the bash can line up for a ride on TATSU beginning Saturday, when the coaster opens to the public at the Valencia, California, theme park. ... Former Wailers frontman Elan — who is putting together his debut solo album, Together as One, with help from No Doubt's Tony Kanal — pulled an "All Nighter" with Gwen Stefani. "It's about a girl and a guy, and how they first meet," he explained of the reggae song they recorded. "I compare it to 'Summer Lovin' ' in 'Grease.' It's like a dancehall version. Gwen DJs a bit on it on the back end of the chorus." Gwen fans needn't worry that their girl is changing her style. "She didn't go into a hard-core Lady Saw voice," Elan explained. "She did it like Gwen, her own way." ... Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Gos, Colin Hay of Men at Work, the Motels, Naked Eyes and Tommy Tutone are set to throw Los Angeles' Viper Room into a time warp June 1 with a concert promoting the acoustic compilation '80s Hits Stripped, out May 30. Tickets for the show are $25. ...

Bloc Party — already confirmed to appear at Toronto's Olympic Island Festival on June 24 and the Intonation Fest in Chicago the following day — have just announced a string of new dates to further test out material from their upcoming album. The tour gets under way July 28 at Boston's Bank Pavilion and will make stops in Anaheim, California; Los Angeles; and Mexico City. The Secret Machines and Broken Social Scene will split opening duties on the tour, which ends August 10 in Austin, Texas. Meanwhile, Bloc Party continue working on the follow-up to last year's Silent Alarm with U2 and Snow Patrol producer Jacknife Lee. There is no firm release date for the new album. ... After months of speculation, it looks like the Rentals — the retroist synth act started by former Weezer bassist Matt Sharp — are actually returning. On Thursday, a publicist for the band released a statement confirming that the Rentals were already at work on a new album (their first since 1999's Seven More Minutes), and have even lined up a pair of West Coast dates: July 2 at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, California, and July 7 at the Henry Fonda Theater in Los Angeles. Additional U.S. dates will be announced in the coming weeks. ...

On June 1, Vans will release a sneaker line that pays homage to veteran "caffeine punk" band the Descendents. The shoes — which come in two styles, Old Skool and Authentic — will be available in stores and on Vans.com. The kicks are light blue and emblazoned with Milo, the Descendents' symbol. Vans is planning to release two other sneaker lines in the near future: one featuring imagery from the Circle Jerks and another with the Dropkick Murphys logo. ... Former teen idol Leif Garrett, who recently decided to leave a drug-treatment program, was sentenced to 90 days in jail and three years probation on Thursday, The Associated Press reports. Garrett, who pleaded guilty to drug-possession charges last year, had previously been in an outpatient rehab program. He checked into a live-in drug program earlier this year after failing a drug test. An attorney for the singer/actor said his client chose to check out of the program because it was too strict.

• T.I.
• DMX
• Green Day
• John Mayer
• Aerosmith

Alicia Keys
Photo: Getty Images

Alicia Keys rocked the stage with Usher and John Mayer on Thursday night, and all for a good cause. Keys played host for Time magazine's Black Ball, a fundraiser that concluded the magazine's Global Health Summit aimed at developing solutions to global health crises. All proceeds from the ball, held at Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York, will benefit Keys' charity, Keep a Child Alive, which helps provide HIV/AIDS medicine to children and their families in developing countries. Common and Angelique Kidjo were also on hand to perform, while Jessica Alba, Natasha Richardson, Cynthia Nixon and fashion designer Giorgio Armani were among those who came out to show their support. ...

(Click to see photos of Alicia Keys, Usher, Jessica Alba and more at the Black Ball.)

The vibe was so right that even Beyoncé had to get up and throw the diamond sign in the air. Jay-Z joined Kanye West onstage Thursday night during Ye's tour stop at New York's Theater at Madison Square Garden, and ripped "P.S.A." and "Encore." ... Usher, who's currently dating model Eishia Brightwell, tells Cosmopolitan for its December issue that he's "probably been in love too many times. Maybe I'm just in love with the concept of being in love." Usher also tells the mag that he requires his dates to "be passionate about me," and not just in the bedroom. "If the relationship is based on all physical things, like I like the way she makes me feel in bed, that's not enough," he says. "If something goes wrong, will you stick around to work it out? That's why it's important to be friends first." ...

Colombian rocker Juanes nabbed the most trophies during Thursday night's Latin Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, taking home honors for Best Rock Song, Best Rock Vocal Album and Best Music Video. Among the other winners: Marc Anthony won for Best Salsa Album, Brazilian singer Ivan Lins took the top prize for Album of the Year, Spanish pop star Alejandro Sanz snagged two awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Tu No Tienes Alma," Bebe was named Best New Artist and Daddy Yankee won Best Urban Music Album. ... Will.I.Am's remix of Bob Marley's "Africa Unite" will be included on Africa Unite: The Singles Collection, the first Bob Marley & the Wailers greatest-hits package to include both his early material and his Island Records hits. "That was like the most beautiful experience I've probably had in my life," Will said of redoing the song. The album, due Tuesday, will also include "Slogans," which features Eric Clapton on guitar and is the first unreleased Marley track in more than a decade. Ashley Beedle's "Get Up, Stand Up vs. Jamrock," a mash-up of Marley's classic and "Welcome to Jamrock," the 2005 hit from youngest son Damian, is the other new track. ...

Bayside singer Anthony Raneri is pledging that the band will finish out the Never Sleep Again Tour in the wake of the October 31 van crash that killed drummer John "Beatz" Holohan and broke the back of bassist Nick Ghanbarian. In a post on BaysideRocks.com he writes, "The worst day of my life is over. It lasted 72 hours, but it's over. ... On November 16, [guitarist] Jack [O'Shea] and I will be flying out to St. Petersburg, Florida, to join up with the Never Sleep Again Tour. We will be playing an acoustic set that night and every night through the end of the tour on December 11th. We loved this tour. Beatz loved this tour and this is something that we need to do for ourselves, for our band and for John Beatz." ... Thrice will headline a November 22 benefit at West Hollywood's House of Blues for Invisible Children, a nonprofit organization that funds shelters and schools and raises international awareness for the children in civil-war-torn Uganda. Thrice's video for "Image of the Invisible" is about children being stolen from their parents. ...

Watchbands forged from leather goods from the personal collections of Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Navarro, Red Hot Chili Peppers' Anthony Kiedis, Velvet Revolver's Scott Weiland and Slash, Metallica's Kirk Hammett, Audioslave's Chris Cornell, Jeff Buckley and others will be sold as part of a benefit for MusiCares beginning November 15 at Barneys in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago and at Villains Vault in San Francisco. The one-of-a-kind watches, from Southern California-based accessories firm Nixon, will be accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. The name of the artist whose threads or guitar straps helped in the watch's fabrication will be etched into the band. ...

Heading to the theater this weekend? If you're catching "Jarhead," you'll also see the new trailer for "King Kong," debuting Friday (November 4). It will also be available for download to iPod video at Apple.com. The now three-hour "King Kong" epic comes out December 14. ... Harry Potter's cast a spell on the box office — even though the fourth film of the franchise, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," isn't due out until November 18. According to Fandango, advance ticket sales are showing that it's already the fastest-selling Potter installment to date, accounting for the majority of their weekly ticket sales. ...

Lenny Kravitz's participation in a concert for Marlboro's 50th anniversary is being criticized by the NYC Coalition for a Smoke Free City, which organized a letter-writing campaign among the rocker's fans to ask him to pull out. Youth activists from various tobacco-control programs called on Kravitz to refuse the tobacco company's money, pointing out that Kravitz had insisted a London nightclub go smoke-free before he played there in July so he wouldn't harm his voice. "When cigarette smoke was a threat to you, you did something about it," one such letter asks. "Don't you think it's important to take a stand to protect other people's health, too?" Kravitz's rep didn't respond to requests for comment. ... Hilary Duff's mother/manager, Susan Duff, just hit by a lawsuit from a clothing company for interfering with an exclusive deal it made with the singer for her Stuff by Hilary Duff line, is planning to countersue. The Duffs' company calls NTD Apparel's suit, filed last week in Los Angeles, "without merit," since they're planning a suit against them for failing to produce and deliver the quality of goods specified in the first place. NTD Apparel's lawyer declined to comment. ...

11.03.2005

All but one of the tracks on Madonna's upcoming Confessions on a Dancefloor have leaked onto the Internet, but that's not going to force her hand to put out the album any sooner. Confessions is still slated for a November 15 release, according to Madge's label rep. ...

Ashanti's upcoming remix album will feature four new tracks, including the first single, "Still on It," with Paul Wall and Method Man. "I Love You," "Show You" and "Found It in You" are the other new tracks on Collectables by Ashanti, due December 6. ... Salt-N-Pepa are reuniting for one night on Thursday (November 3) for Motorola's annual Hollywood benefit for Toys for Tots. Paris Hilton, Eva Longoria and Nicole Richie are among those expected to attend. ...

On December 6, the White Stripes will release Walking With a Ghost, an EP featuring not only Jack White's revved-up cover version of Tegan & Sara's tune of the same name, but also four live tracks, two of them recorded at the Teatro Amazones in Manaus, Brazil, hours after White tied the knot with model Karen Elson. The other two are from the Stripes' appearance on radio station KCRW-FM's "Morning Becomes Eclectic" program in September. The EP will also be available for download on iTunes November 14. ...

MySpace Records will launch on November 15 with a compilation disc, MySpace Records: Volume One. The album will feature contributions from Weezer, AFI, Fall Out Boy, All-American Rejects, Dashboard Confessional, the Click Five and others. ... Shinedown have canceled Thursday's show in Orlando, Florida, as singer Brent Smith is being monitored at a hospital for a non-threatening blood circulation problem. Status of further shows will be determined on a day-to-day basis. ...

The Isley Brothers will release a career retrospective DVD called "Isley Brothers: Summer Breeze - Greatest Hits Live" on November 15. Starting off the set is "Between the Sheets" (which forms the bedrock of Notorious B.I.G.'s "Big Poppa" as well as Gwen Stefani's current single, "Luxurious"), followed by "Footsteps in the Dark," rock standards "Shout" and "Twist and Shout" and covers of Seals & Crofts' "Summer Breeze" and Todd Rundgren's "Hello It's Me." Ronald Isley's alter ego, Mr. Biggs, also makes an appearance with "Down Low" and "Contagious" (featuring cameos from R. Kelly). ... Papa Roach singer Jacoby Shaddix just began shooting his first feature film, an as-yet-untitled supernatural thriller directed by Ryan McKinney. Lou Diamond Phillips and Pam Grier are co-starring in the flick, which is shooting in Sacramento, near Shaddix's hometown of Vacaville, California. ...

Mudhoney's seventh studio album, Under a Billion Suns, will see the fuzzy glow of retail light on March 7. It's the Seattle group's first fresh offering since 2002's Since We've Become Translucent, and will feature 11 tracks, including "A Brief Celebration of Indifference," "Where Is the Future" and "I Saw the Light." ... "The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening has announced plans to release All Tomorrow's Parties: Pacific 2003, a collection of live tracks taken from the 2003 ATP festival he curated in California. Artists on the comp include Modest Mouse, the Shins and Sonic Youth. The album is due in stores on December 6. ... "All Dolled Up," a DVD featuring some of the earliest live performances by the recently reunited New York Dolls, will hit stores December 6. Compiled from more than 40 hours of footage shot during the early 1970s by rock photographer Bob Gruen, the feature-length documentary includes performances of "Frankenstein," "Pirate Love," "Bad Detective" and other songs at New York's Kenny's Castaways and Max's Kansas City as well as West Hollywood's Whisky a Go Go and other iconic venues, not to mention revealing interviews, "backstage banter and late-night debauchery." ...

After bloggers flamed the action, Sony Music said on Wednesday that it will distribute a free software patch that reveals hidden files that are automatically installed on computer hard drives by some of its music CDs. According to an Associated Press report, the software was designed to block music piracy, but when a Windows expert reported that his CD drive was disabled when he tried to remove the hidden files, it unleashed charges that Sony was attempting to guard its intellectual property by secretly installing software on the PCs of unsuspecting users. The company said the patch was being offered as a precaution, not because of any security vulnerability, though computer experts cautioned that the software could be used by hackers to mask their programs. The copy-protection technology, which limits how many times a CD can be copied, was included on about 20 titles, including albums by the Bad Plus and Vivian Green. The patch does not remove the copy-protection software. ...

• Alicia Keys, Usher, Jessica Alba, More At The Black Ball 2005

• Alicia Keys
• Usher
• Kanye West
• Jay-Z
• Bob Marley

The Notorious B.I.G.
Photo: WireImage

Diddy originally envisioned The Notorious B.I.G: The Final Chapter as a double-disc duets LP in the vein of duets albums by the likes Ray Charles and Nat King Cole. Although the LP will now be a single disc, Diddy says he still feels he accomplished his mission of releasing one last classic from his deceased best friend.

While putting the LP together with the likes of producers such as Eminem, R. Kelly, Just Blaze and Clinton Sparks, the head of Bad Boy said he had no problems obtaining guests to rap alongside some of Biggie's most cherished verses and even a few that people might not be familiar with (see "Diddy Doin' It In The Studio, Gearing Up For Biggie Duets LP").

"Everyone in the industry wanted to be a part of this, and we got just about everybody," Diddy said last week in New York during a listening session.

Em and Kelly both lend their voices to the LP, as do the Diplomats, Snoop Dogg, Tupac, Nas, the Game, Ludacris, Twista, Akon, Redman, T.I. and Mary J. Blige.

"Puff called, he said he needed me for this Biggie album," Blige said last week of how she got on the track "Living in Pain," which also features Tupac and Nas. "I went to the studio and he played the track. Biggie and Pac was on it, I didn't hear Nas. ... I was listening to the lyrics and I came up with my lyrics based on what they were saying. Mario Winans helped me write it."

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony appear on "Spit Your Game," which is basically an updated version of their 1997 collaboration with Big, "Notorious Thugs."

"I was glad to contribute, be a part of that and put a tight somethin' somethin' down for my man," Twista said.

"They picked me to be on one of those songs where he was kicking that [fast] style," he added. "It was real easy. I was like, 'I'm finin' to lock in right now, make him sound good, make us bounce off each other. I made sure I did my thing, but the way I did it was a tribute."

Jagged Edge, Nelly and Diddy pay tribute to Big and the ladies on "Nasty Girl," the official first single ("Hold Your Head" with Bob Marley has been leaked to the Internet and mixtape circuit). Jazze Pha produced the party anthem, which incorporates the first verse from Biggie's classic "Nasty Boy."

"I love my little girls/ All the ladies, if you feel me/ Grab your t--ties, scream B.I.G.," Jagged Edge sing on the hook. Diddy and Nelly rap on their respective verses about loving women as well. "I'll make you spring a leak/ When I'm done, flip the mattress, change the sheets," Nelly raps. According to Bad Boy, a video is going to be shot for the song.

Elsewhere, Jay-Z reunites with the other half of Brooklyn's Finest via "Whatchu Want," and Mobb Deep rhyme on "Beef," a new version of Biggie's "What's Beef?" R. Kelly and Charlie Wilson sing on "Mi Casa," Diplomats Juelz Santana and Jim Jones join Lil' Wayne and B.I.G. on "I'm Wit Whateva," and Game spits all over "1970 Somethin'."

The Final Chapter is due December 20.

For a feature on the lasting impact of Biggie and his lyrics, check out "Notorious B.I.G.: Still The Illest."

• Notorious B.I.G.
• Eminem
• Tupac
• Nas
• Ludacris

A Perfect Circle's Maynard James Keenan and Billy Howerdel (file)
Photo: David Palmer

One of the two original compositions on A Perfect Circle's most recent release, eMOTIVe, will be the featured song in the upcoming Keanu Reeves thriller flick "Constantine." "Passive," the second single off the album, features the band's Maynard James Keenan and Billy Howerdel collaborating with Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor and Danny Lohner. The Brothers Strause, who handled the visual effects for "Constantine," will direct the video for "Passive." ...

As part of the monthlong celebration of the late Bob Marley's 60th birthday in February, his widow is planning to exhume his remains from where they currently lie in Jamaica and rebury them in Ethiopia, which she calls his "spiritual resting place," according to The Associated Press. Rita Marley said that her late husband's life was "all about Africa, it is not about Jamaica," and said the Ethiopian church and government support her decision. ... Wyclef Jean was in Haiti on Tuesday to launch an after-school program for children living in the seaside slum of Cite Soleil. Intended to keep kids in school, Wyclef's program provides scholarships, tutoring and sports training at L'Athletique d'Haiti Sports Academy for about 650 young children. According to a statement, Wyclef's foundation, Yele Haiti, is also planning to provide scholarships for 4,000 young people in the Haitian city of Gonaives, where floods in September killed hundreds. ...

Kelly Osbourne listened to a lot of Kraftwerk while prepping her upcoming album, and it shows. The electro-sounding single "One Word" has a new age/new wave vibe, where she intones more than sings purposefully robotic verses such as, "One word breaks the code of silence/ Silence tells me all I need to know/ One world driven into madness/ Madness driven by the depths below." Other song titles on Osbourne's still-untitled album, due out June 7, include "Secret Lover," "Edge of Your Atmosphere," "Suburbia," "Don't Touch Me" and "Entropy." ... Virgin Digital and Foot Locker recently announced a special promotion and sweepstakes to offer exclusive content from Def Jam artists such as LL Cool J, Ludacris and Ja Rule. Virgin will offer Foot Locker customers 30-day free trials and one customer will win a Flyaway Sweepstakes to attend the NBA All-Star Game in Denver with Luda. ...

If you weren't hip enough (or old enough) to join Sub Pop Records' now-defunct Singles Club in 1988, now's your chance to score the entire run of rare 45s by the likes of Nirvana, the White Stripes, the Get Up Kids, Death Cab for Cutie, Sonic Youth, Modest Mouse, Soundgarden and more. Someone has posted their entire collection of more than 125 singles on eBay in an auction that ends on Thursday. The bad news? Bidding has already hit $4,500. ... Bam Margera, Andy Dick, Tom Green, Tony Hawk, Shannon Elizabeth, Seth Green, Macaulay Culkin and several cast members of "That '70s Show" are shuffling the deck as part of a new hour-long weekly series called "Hollywood Poker Night," which will begin airing in March on E! The show will feature three different stars and three of their best buddies as they ante-up in their own homes and hangouts. No day or time for the show has been announced yet. ...

Akon is taking the motivation behind his music — "I just want people to learn through my mistakes, to better themselves," he explained — into the launch of Conflict Films. "We're going to death-row inmates and getting their life stories and we want to make movies about their life stories," he said. ... Following the passing of his friend Barry White, who died of kidney failure, Isaac Hayes decided to contribute recipes to a cookbook for people suffering from chronic kidney disease, titled "Kidney Friendly Comfort Foods: A Collection of Recipes for Eating Well With Chronic Kidney Disease." Hayes will appear at Cleveland's HealthSpace Cleveland Museum on Thursday to introduce some of the recipes from the book. ...

The Dillinger Escape Plan have announced plans to take to the road for eight North American shows. The band will kick off the trek in Toronto on February 1 and wind up in New York on February 9. ... Portland, Oregon, indie-rockers the Decemberists will release their third album, Picaresque, on March 22. Produced by Death Cab for Cutie guitarist Chris Walla, the 11-track set will include "The Sporting Life" and "Infanta," among other songs. Singer Colin Meloy will hit the road for a quick 10-date solo trip before the official Decemberists tour starts January 13 in Seattle. ...

01.11.2005

Mariah Carey has picked Paul Hunter to direct the first video for her upcoming album, The Emancipation of Mimi. After what was to be her first single leaked, Carey has chosen "It's Like That" to be her initial offering instead. Carey's label rep said that the final treatment for the clip has yet to be determined. ...

After months of teasing audiences with an a cappella rendition of his unreleased track "Sex in the Kitchen" during his concerts, R. Kelly's record has leaked to the mixtape circuit. Kelly's label says it expects a new LP by the singer this year, but a release date has yet to be scheduled. Kells is in the studio right now — as always — working on new material. ... A Detroit judge ordered the release of the mental-health records of civil-rights legend Rosa Parks as part of her ongoing dispute with BMG and music distributors over the Outkast song "Rosa Parks." The Associated Press reports that Judge George C. Steeh ordered the release of the documents at the request of the Detroit Free Press newspaper; Parks' physician has confirmed in court documents that the 91-year-old bus-boycott icon suffers from dementia. The records — which the paper argued could show whether Parks approved of the $5 billion suit filed on her behalf — could be released by next week. ...

Usher, Prince and Lisa Marie Presley have been added to the list of presenters for the Golden Globe Awards, which will take place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live on NBC on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET. ... Franz Ferdinand led all nominees at Monday's announcement of the Brit Awards contenders with five nods, including Best British Group, British Album, British Breakthrough, Rock Act and Live Act. The natty rockers were followed by multiple nominees Keane, Snow Patrol, the Streets, Kasabian and New York disco rockers Scissor Sisters. Among the nominees for the International Male, Female and Group awards are Eminem, Kanye West, Usher, Avril Lavigne, Gwen Stefani, Green Day, Maroon 5 and Outkast. The 25th anniversary Brits will be held at London's Earls Court on February 9. ...

Apple Computer introduced two new low-priced versions of the iPod on Tuesday (January 11). The new players, dubbed the iPod Shuffle, start at $99 (compared to their $250+ brethren) and hold 120 to 240 songs. ... Talib Kweli has signed on to voice the lead character in Atari's upcoming ode-to-graffiti video game "Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure." Kweli's character, Trane, is described as "an outcast and rebel determined to establish his credibility in the politically oppressive city of New Radius, but who ultimately becomes the unlikely leader of an urban revolution." ...

Columbus, Ohio, rock station WBZX ("The Blitz" 99.7 FM) is auctioning off a Washburn "Dime V" flying V electric guitar autographed by late Damageplan/ Pantera guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott and his bandmates. The last of only 10 autographed Damageplan guitars, the proceeds from the auction will be donated to the families of Erin Halk and Nathan Bray, who were also killed during a shooting rampage at Columbus' Alrosa Villa nightclub on December 8. The bidding ends at noon on January 21 and is currently at $5,000. Go to www.theblitz.com/tribute.asp to bid. ... The 14-track Music From the WB Television Series "One Tree Hill" is slated for release on January 25. The album features exclusive live and acoustic versions of songs by Gavin DeGraw, Sheryl Crow, Tyler Hilton (solo and in a duet with the show's Bethany Joy Lenz) and Story of the Year. The LP also boasts the debut of Michelle Branch's side project, the Wreckers. Also included are songs from Butch Walker, Travis, Jimmy Eat World and others. ...

"Miami Vice" — the stylish '80s TV series that launched all sorts of trends in fashion, music and TV, including the unforgettable look of tight-T-shirt-worn-under-blazer — is coming out on DVD for the first time. The 22-episode first season, featuring the show's original music (tracks by Phil Collins, U2, Tina Turner, the Police and Glenn Frey) remixed in 5.1 surround sound, and guest appearances by the likes of Bruce Willis, Pam Grier, Jimmy Smits, Ving Rhames, Ed O'Neill, John Turturro and Dennis Farina, is out February 8. ...

Hoping to raise money for UNICEF, Björk has decided to break out a whole bunch of remixes of her song "Army of Me," off of 1995's Post album. According to a post on her Web site, "The mixes have ranged [from] high-energy to death-metal ... These versions of the song have been gathering dust in the corner of a hard drive or not-so-seedy office." Björk is also putting out a call for even more versions of "Army of Me," asking fans to send her their mixes. Her favorites will join some older versions on the two-disc Army of Me charity album, scheduled to hit stores at the end of February. ... Former Queens of the Stone Age bassist and current Mondo Generator frontman Nick Oliveri has posted an urgent plea for fans to help save the life of his 8-year-old niece, Kayla. On MondoGenerator.net, Oliveri writes that Kayla is in need of a bone-marrow transplant, adding, "I am going to ask each of you a favor. If you have ever thought about your contribution to making the world a better place ... now's your chance." He finishes the posting by linking to the National Marrow Donor Program, at www.Marrow.org. ...

Alt-rapper Sage Francis is offering fans a chance to remix the first single from his upcoming album, A Healthy Distrust, due out February 8 on Epitaph Records. The vocal track from the song, titled "Slow Down Gandhi," is available now at Francis' Epitaph homepage (www.epitaph.com/bands/index.php?id=410) for fans to download, mash up, and make their own. The current top three remixes (according to Francis himself) are posted on his online forum (www.inhalerproductions.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18917), where fans can vote for their favorite, or post their own. ... Toby Lightman will guest star on NBC's "American Dreams" as a singer in the show's hangout, the Lair. Lightman will perform a rendition of Otis Redding's "That's How Strong My Love Is." The episode will air Sunday on NBC. Lightman is also working on the follow-up to her debut album, Little Things. ...

• A Perfect Circle
• Ludacris
• Bob Marley
• Kelly Osbourne
• Akon

In an incident likely to be addressed in a future Eminem lyric, the rapper's mother, Debbie Nelson, was carjacked Thursday night on 8 Mile in Detroit, the road her son immortalized in his 2002 film of the same name. She was sitting in her black Honda Prelude at a gas station at 11:30 p.m. when a 16-year-old holding a gun yanked her out of the car and drove off. A policeman saw the stolen car on 7 Mile and gave chase. When the teen found himself snarled in traffic, he got out of the car and ran, but was caught. It is not believed that the boy knew his victim was Eminem's mom. ...

Court documents filed Friday in the Michael Jackson molestation case reveal that the 1993 accusations against him were a factor in getting the search warrants on Neverland. Judge Rodney Melville decided parts of the warrants and some of the list of items seized will be available to the public, but the affidavit supporting the search will remain sealed. Melville also turned down requests from both the prosecution and defense to amend his gag order so they could respond to rumors; instead the matter will be discussed at the next hearing. Jackson is due back in court February 13. ...

The next season of “The Osbournes” doesn’t premiere until Tuesday night, but family matriarch Sharon Osbourne will offer a sneak peek of what lies ahead on the reality show during her daily syndicated talk show. Fans can get a taste of the new season of “The Osbournes” on Tuesday’s edition of “The Sharon Osbourne Show,” and can check www.sharonosbourne.com to see when the show airs in their area. …

One of the projects the Neptunes were working on last week while in New York was a remix of Jay-Z's "Change Clothes (And Go)," from The Black Album. The production duo also produced the original. A spokesperson for Jay wasn't sure when or where the remix would be released. ... This time, there was no tongue. When Britney Spears presented Madonna with a career award at a French music-awards show in Cannes this weekend, the pop matriarch eschewed the soul kiss and gave Britney a simple peck on the cheek as she accepted her honor, according to The Associated Press. "My ambition may be American, and I may have married a Brit, but my heart belongs to France," Madonna told the crowd at NRJ radio station's ceremony Saturday. ...

3 Doors Down will release "Away From the Sun" as their next single. The band plans to shoot a video for the song in March but has yet to decide on a director. ... The Roots are looking for a few good artists for their new imprint, Okayplayer Records. Unsigned artists who hope to make the label's first release, expected to drop this summer, can enter submissions at www.okayplayer.com. ...

Mary J. Blige and No Doubt are among the additional performers slated for the ceremony to honor Sting as the 2004 MusiCares Person of the Year. They join a lineup that already includes Black Eyed Peas, Elvis Costello, Dave Matthews and John Mayer. Proceeds from the annual event, which this year takes place February 6 at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California, will help people in the music industry in financial, medical and personal need. ... "The Sharon Osbourne Show" is getting the ax, according to a People magazine insider attending the National Association of Television Program Executives conference in Los Angeles. The syndicated daytime talk show made its debut less than a year ago. ...

Early Bob Marley recordings from 1967-72, the period just before his mainstream arrival, will be available on a 71-track, three-record box scheduled for a March release, after Universal Records acquired the rights to 211 songs from small independent label JAD. "Stir It Up," "Small Axe" and "Guava Jelly," which had before been available on unofficial bootlegs, are among the better-known tracks. ... Ex-Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell and Living Colour are among the artists set to put on their best Jimi Hendrix for three tribute concerts in honor of the guitar legend. Shows are set for February 22 in Seattle; February 24 in Portland, Oregon; and February 26 in San Francisco. The participating artists, who also include Buddy Guy, Joe Satriani and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, will be backed by Jimi Hendrix Experience drummer Mitch Mitchell and Band of Gypsies bassist Billy Cox. ...

Helmut Newton, erotic fashion and celebrity photographer, died on Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at age 83. Newton was driving away from the Chateau Marmont hotel, where he had lived for the past three months, when he suffered a heart attack and crashed. ... Within a week of shutting down one fan site, Prince has set his lawyers on another. Guide2Prince.org plans to cease operations at the end of the month, but the latest target, Smallclub.org, says that it was temporarily closing the site after being contacted by the law firm representing the musician. The domain name for Guide2Prince.org, meanwhile, is now available on eBay. ...

"DIG!," a documentary from video director Ondi Timoner (Vanessa Carlton, Fastball) about the friendship and rivalry between Courtney Taylor of the Dandy Warhols and Anton Newcombe of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, won the documentary grand prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival. "Primer," a time-travel thriller starring newcomer Shane Carruth, who also wrote, directed, produced, edited and composed the movie, won the top dramatic honor. ... Nelly Furtado, who will perform at both the upcoming Super Bowl and NBA All-Star game, is shooting the video for "Try," the second single from November's Folklore, Monday and Tuesday at Universal Studios. Sophie Muller (who helmed Furtado's "Turn Off the Light") is directing the clip, which will portray Furtado as an early settler in a new country. ...

With four nominations apiece, Gov't Mule and String Cheese Incident will be the leading contenders at the fourth annual Jammys, March 16 in New York. Phish, Widespread Panic, Moe and the Allman Brothers Band also garnered multiple nominations. ... "American Idol" finalist RJ Helton will release his debut album, Real Life, March 23 on Gospo Centric's B-Rite Music. Meanwhile, "American Idol 2" Marine Josh Gracin has signed with Lyric Street Records and is recording a country album with Rascal Flatts producer Marty Williams. ... Latin-pop crossover queen Shakira will issue a two-hour DVD, "On Stage, Off the Record," on March 23. The video contains 90 minutes of live footage paired with backstage glimpses of her family, fiancé Antonio de la Rua, and band. ...

1.23.2004

Organizers for Lollapalooza said the festival will return this summer, despite some reports of poor ticket sales last year. A lineup is being finalized and will be announced at a later date. ... Scott Weiland appeared in two separate courtrooms to address drug charges on Friday (January 23) before being ordered back into lockdown rehab. The former Stone Temple Pilots frontman and current Velvet Revolver singer pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in Los Angeles Superior Court to charges of driving under the influence of drugs, stemming from his late October arrest. But because Weiland had left his court-ordered lockdown rehab last month, the singer was ordered into another six-month lockdown stint at a separate, undisclosed facility, with six months of aftercare treatment. Should Weiland walk away from this round of rehab, or test positive for drug use, a bench warrant will be issued for his arrest. His next progress report is scheduled for March 5. ...

Gwen Stefani continues to make progress on her forthcoming solo debut, which now has a tentative title of What You Waiting For?, according to Entertainment Weekly, as well as a projected release date of July, according to her label. The No Doubt singer, who plans to continue writing until the end of March, is next set to collaborate with R&B singer Anthony Hamilton. ... 50 Cent was the center of attention when he recently visited an upstate New York correctional facility where he was once incarcerated. According to the New York Daily News, 50 attended a graduation ceremony for a relative held at the Lakeview Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility this week along with a host of friends, and a few of the guards were less than pleased with the treatment the multiplatinum rapper received, saying that the ex-con was "treated in higher regard than the staff at the facility." Normally, visitors attending a graduation at the boot camp would walk from the entrance of the facility to an area where the ceremony is held. 50, on the other hand, got the plush treatment and was driven, along with his guests, to and from the graduation. Afterward, 50 signed shirts, photos and albums for employees. ...

Conscious-minded rappers Dilated Peoples are set to drop their third album, Neighborhood Watch, on April 6. Kanye West will appear in the video, currently in production, for the single "This Way," a track to which he also lent his vocals. ... Tamyra Gray, who was dropped from J Records, is meeting with other labels under the BMG conglomerate this week, according to her management. The popular finalist from the first season of "American Idol" is finished recording her debut album, which includes production from Scott Storch (Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé). "I've heard Tamyra's record and it's phenomenal," Kelly Clarkson said recently. ...

After a three-month run, Michelle Williams is stepping off the Broadway stage on February 15 to make room for Deborah Cox, who will replace the Destiny's Child singer in "Aida." Cox will take her turn at the title role, as the Nubian princess forced into captivity only to win the love of the soldier who captured her, for a four-month limited engagement scheduled through June 13. ... Inspirational songs from P.O.D., Nickelback and the Foo Fighters are among those included on Committed 2 Rock, a compilation due January 27. Organized by producer David Pack (Kenny Loggins) after reading about a recent double suicide, the album also features Moby, Dave Matthews Band, Jimmy Eat World, 311 and Jars of Clay. ...

Former Jethro Tull member David Palmer has had a sex-change operation and is now going by Dee Palmer, according to the Daily Scotsman. Palmer joined Tull in 1976 as a keyboard player but began arranging orchestral music for the band for its first album, This Was, in 1968. The paper reported that the band's Ian Anderson released a statement saying he hoped fans would accept Palmer as a woman. "I have known for the past two years of David Palmer's intention to undergo gender-changing procedures and, like many other people who have known David for three decades as a bearded, pipe-smoking man's man, I found it difficult to understand at first," he said. "But I fully support his decision to undertake a new life as a woman." ...

Dave Holland, former drummer for Judas Priest, was convicted Friday of attempting to rape a 17-year-old boy with learning difficulties to whom he was giving drum lessons, according to The Associated Press. A jury at Northampton Crown Court in London found Holland guilty of one charge of attempted rape and five counts of indecent assault. Spiros Laouitaris, also accused in the case, was cleared. ... Fresh from getting his face pummeled by White Stripes frontman Jack White, Jason Stollsteimer and his band the Von Bondies will promote their major-label debut, Pawn Shoppe Heart, due March 10, with a North American tour kicking off February 18 in East Lansing, Michigan. The outing wraps March 29 in Hollywood. ...

The Crystal Method will hit the road beginning February 26 in Sacramento, California, for a tour to promote their just-released third album, Legion of Boom. Along the tour, Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland will meet with fans who bring the artwork from the CD to the shows, which are currently scheduled through March 30 in Charlotte, North Carolina. ... Guitarist Warren Haynes has joined the evolving lineup of the Dead, featuring former members of the Grateful Dead Bob Weir, Phil Lesh and Mickey Hart. Haynes will also continue playing in Gov't Mule and the Allman Brothers Band. The new Dead lineup will debut February 9 at the second annual Winter Jam at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco. ...

Simon and Garfunkel are planning another leg of their reunion tour, which wrapped in December. Dates have yet to be announced, but the trek is expected to launch in June. ... Mars Volta will open for A Perfect Circle starting March 18 in Salt Lake City. Dates are scheduled through April 16 in Chicago. ...

Grandaddy, Saves the Day and the Fire Theft will begin a North American tour on March 1 in Santa Cruz, California. Dates run through April 17 in Los Angeles. ... German pop-electronic outfit the Notwist will release their Different Cars and Trains remix EP on January 27. The disc will feature a first-time joint remix by Four Tet and Manitoba as well as mixes by Console. To promote the project, the quartet will hit the U.S. for a 13-date trek beginning February 3 in New York and wrapping up February 17 in Los Angeles. ...

• Eminem
• Britney Spears
• Madonna
• Bob Marley
• Mary J. Blige

• Sean Paul
• Wayne Wonder
• Buju Banton
• Bounty Killer
• Bob Marley

Nelly will probably have to head back into the studio for another sneaker anthem. The gold-toothed MC's spokesperson has announced a partnership between Nelly and Nike for his own limited-edition shoe, to be called "Air Derrty." The Derrty will be released on June 13 and sold in Niketowns in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago and at Squad 1 in Nelly's hometown of St. Louis. All proceeds from the Air Derrty will benefit Nelly's nonprofit foundation 4Sho4Kids, which is dedicated to helping children with Down Syndrome and those born with drug addictions. ...  

Outkast have altered the title of their upcoming double album to Speakerbox/The Love Below. It will hit shelves July 8. ... R. Kelly will be releasing a greatest-hits album this fall, according to his spokesperson. Included in the mix will be a couple of new tracks and a bonus disc of remixes. In the months following, Kelly will also put out a full remix album of all those hard-to-find song reworkings he's made over the year for radio. ...

Britney Spears will guest host radio station Z100's birthday celebration Zootopia 2003 on June 1 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The event, which will include the farewell performance of TLC's Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, will also feature Kelly Clarkson, Mariah Carey, Ja Rule, Ashanti, Jewel, Third Eye Blind, Wayne Wonder, Simple Plan, Tanto Metro & Devonte, Daniel Bedingfield, JC Chasez, Bowling for Soup and Ginuwine. ...   Liz Phair will promote her self-titled fourth album, due June 24, on a summer tour with the Flaming Lips. Phair will play solo and acoustic on the trek, which begins May 23 in Portland, Oregon, and ends June 6 in Denver. ... Ramones drummer Marky Ramone, Misfits bassist Jerry Only and Black Flag guitarist Dez Cadema will perform a set of Ramones songs on May 16 at Webster Hall in New York in celebration of the late Joey Ramone's birthday. Ramone died of lymphatic cancer on April 15, 2001. Rocket From the Crypt will open the show. All proceeds will be donated to the Lymphoma Foundation. ...

Cold's Los Angeles area fans who pre-order their new album Year of the Spider at any Lincs record store May 3 at 10 a.m. will receive a ticket to the band's record-release party at the Roxy in Hollywood on May 14. ... Prodigy member Keith Flint has formed a new band with former Pitchshifter guitarist Jim Davies and drummers Kieran Pepper and Tony Howlett. The band will choose a name and hire a bassist in the coming days. The next Prodigy album is due before the end of the year, the group's publicist said. ...

Actor/rapper Ice-T found a new distribution home in PAL/Ryko for his label Final Level Entertainment. The first release from the partnership will be the soundtrack to the adult film "Ice-T Presents Pimpin' 101," which is due June 17 and features contributions from Busta Rhymes, M.O.P., Kool Keith and Ice's new group, Sex, Money & Gunz. ... Hot Hot Heat, Sahara Hotnights, Modest Mouse and Ted Leo & the Pharmacists are on board for the third annual Siren Music Festival, sponsored by New York alternative weekly The Village Voice, taking place July 19 on the boardwalk in Brooklyn's Coney Island. Last year's show featured Sleater-Kinney, the Donnas and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. ...

A lock of Bob Marley's tresses, along with a 1980 postcard, sold for more than $4,000 at a London auction. Other items that fetched the big dough were Michael Jackson's pillowcase, which sold for $713, and former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell's bikini, which netted $1,128. ... After four years, Chicago industrial metal band Static-X and founding drummer Ken Jay have parted ways. A replacement has yet to be named. ... Los Angeles DJ Christopher Lawrence was detained at LAX airport for two hours and interrogated by 30 different officials earlier this week when authorities found traces of explosives on a box of music equipment he was shipping to Melbourne, Australia. Lawrence was freed, but not until part of the United Airlines international terminal was evacuated. ...

04.30.03

R. Kelly is finally ready to shoot the video for his new single, "Snake." The singer is in Los Angeles Wednesday (April 30) and Thursday to shoot scenes with guest star Big Tigger and director Little X. The video is said to be themed around Kelly getting stuck in a desert and stumbling across an oasis. Tigger says to expect lots of women and slithering reptiles. ...

P. Diddy, R. Kelly, India.Arie and Ron Isley and the Isley Brothers are among the acts slated for the third annual Detroit Music Festival August 1 and 2. Legends the Temptations, the O'Jays, the Four Tops, Frankie Beverly and the Gap Band are also playing the Comerica Park event. ... Challenge for the Children V, 'NSYNC's fifth annual celebrity-driven basketball fund-raiser to benefit children's charities nationwide, will take place at Miami's South Beach, July 18-20. Last year's event raised more than $2 million. ...

A note to thieves: If you're going to try to rob a rock star, make sure he doesn't have a gun collection. A knife-wielding man who scaled the 10-foot walls of David Lee Roth's estate was confronted by the angry shotgun-toting singer, who cornered the intruder and held him at gunpoint until the Pasadena Police arrived to arrest him. The former Van Halen singer, who should have so much hearing damage by now that he'd have trouble distinguishing between the sounds of a jackhammer and telephone, actually woke up to the sound of cracking branches and leapt into action. ...

Nickelback are in the studio working on the follow-up to 2001's Silver Side Up. The quartet, whose members are producing the effort themselves, has completed four or five songs thus far. Neither a release date nor title has been announced. ... Irish eyes will be smilin' on June 21 in Dublin, Ireland, when U2, the Corrs, Samantha Mumba and Ronan Tynan perform at the opening ceremonies of the 11th Special Olympics World Summer Games. The event will take place at Croke Park and will be hosted by comedian Patrick Kielty. ...

With her third proper release, Coverage, recently completed, Mandy Moore has placed clips of three songs on her Web site (www.mandymoore.com), covers of Todd Rundgren's "Can We Still Be Friends," XTC's "Senses Working Overtime" and Joan Armatrading's "Drop the Pilot." "[Coverage] is a compilation of some of the most incredible music I have ever heard in my life and the fact that I got to record these songs is still unimaginable to me," Moore said in a post. ... Musiq, Jaguar Wright and Vivian Green will join forces for the Grey Goose Music Tour, which kicks off May 22 in Washington, D.C., and wraps up June 22 in New Haven, Connecticut. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony headlined last year's outing. ...

For the second year in a row, Los Angeles funk-rock group the Peak Show successfully performed two guerilla shows at Coachella, setting up their own stage in the center of Empire Polo Field. The band's debut, produced by Mario Caldato Jr. (Beastie Boys), and mixed by Serban Ghenea (N.E.R.D.), is due October 14. ... Deee-Lite singer Lady Miss Kier, whose real name is Kierin Kirby, is suing Sega for copying her diva image. In a lawsuit filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, she claims the character Ulala in "Space Channel 5" and "Space Channel 5 Part 2" "bears a striking physical similarity and likeness" to her. ...

New York hip-hop pop group 2 Skinnee J's are touring through the end of May to promote their third album, Sexy Karate. 2 Skinnee J's produced and released the record on their own, after struggling with label problems throughout their 10-year history. ... Irish rockers Ash are returning to the States for a tour beginning May 15 in Boston and ending June 13 in New York. Throughout the trek, the band will be selling an EP of live material recorded during its U.S. tour last year. ...

Following opening stints for AFI, the Used and Glassjaw, among others, louder-than-you rockers the Blood Brothers will embark on a headlining tour on Thursday. Seventeen dates through May 23 are slotted to support the Seattle quintet's third album, Burn Piano Island, Burn. ... Sammy Hagar and Lynyrd Skynyrd will hit the road together starting July 19 in Cadott, Wisconsin, and play dates through August 17 in Reno, Nevada. Skynyrd's guitarist Gary Rossington endured a quadruple bypass in February but has recently been given the thumbs-up to return to the road. ...

• Nelly
• Britney Spears
• OutKast
• Cold
• Bob Marley

Aston Barrett
Photo: Heartbeat

After decades of wrangling with courts, frauds, record companies and hired gunmen, legendary Wailers bassist Aston "Family Man" Barrett may finally get the credit he's been seeking for the contributions he and his late brother, Carlton, made to the musical legacy of reggae icon Bob Marley.

A British High Court has granted Barrett the right to sue Universal/Island Records for what might amount to millions of dollars in unpaid royalties. No trial date has been set.

Barrett and his brother, along with Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston, composed the core of the Wailers during the peak of Bob Marley and the Wailers' popularity. Aston and Carlton provided the rhythm section on legendary LPs such as Exodus, Babylon by Bus and Rastaman Vibration, among others. However, after Marley's death in 1981, the issue of songwriting credit and royalties became the lynchpin of several contentious lawsuits between the surviving members of the Wailers, Marley's estate and the record company.

Aston and Carlton, who was killed by hit men in 1986, had attempted to extricate themselves from the legal mire in 1994 by striking a settlement with Universal to the tune of half a million dollars plus legal fees. But since then, various Bob Marley and the Wailers reissues and merchandising have seen the light of day. Barrett claims he and his late brother are entitled to a cut of anything that features their work.

The Barretts have spent years pushing their suit through various Commonwealth courts in Jamaica and the English High Court appeals system. Universal/Island asked the High Court judge to dismiss the case because it was an "abuse of process" of the courts. In a decision delivered March 28, the Honorable Mr. Justice Hugh Laddie denied the company's motion, saying that the case raised issues "far too complex and numerous" to simply toss out of court.

"They tried to bury us, which I find really ironic considering that Universal has been talking about artists' rights so much lately in regards to passing legislation in California and with file-sharing," said Barrett's U.S. attorney, Stewart Levy. "These two men made huge contributions to the world of music and just seek the credit they deserve."

Universal/Island would not comment on the suit.

• Bob Marley
• The Wailers (Reggae)