Lou Reed and Moby perform at an anti-war benefit in New York Tuesday
Photo: MTV News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Lou Reed
• Moby
• Norah Jones
• Talking Heads
• Scissor Sisters

Moby
Photo: Evan Agostini/Getty Images

NEW YORK — In a video taped for MoveOn.org, Moby sits on a Washington, D.C., park bench, bemoaning his failure to get people to stop and talk to him.

"Why won't they listen? No one cares," he says. "No one understands. No one wants to listen."

What Moby's upset about is a hotly debated issue that has Web service companies like Google, eBay and Yahoo! clashing with telephone and cable companies like Verizon, AT&T and Comcast. A bid to add Net neutrality language to a telecommunication bill was shot down by the House of Representatives two weeks ago, and on Thursday (June 22), the Senate began debating the issue in its own reform bill.

Still, Moby's afraid the average Internet user isn't aware of what's going on. Before tackling passers-by to make them listen, Moby says in the clip, "Don't people know their ability to download information from the Internet will be severely compromised if Net neutrality is overturned?"

OK, then — so what is Net neutrality?

"Right now, what's great about the Internet is that all information is equal," Moby told MTV News. "Whether it's coming from AT&T and the White House or some kid in his basement in Brooklyn, all information is delivered at the same speed."

That's because telecommunication companies can't charge Web site providers to have their content sent any faster than others'. While content providers now pay Web-hosting companies to put their content on the Internet, they would also have to pay Internet service providers. If service providers could charge for better access to broadband, the Internet would become more like an information superhighway than ever before, with a slow lane and a fast lane — the fastest speeds reserved for those who pay the most.

Large broadband providers welcome this tollbooth on their superhighway, saying they deserve compensation for extra usage and that the extra funds would allow them to improve cable and DSL and build next-generation networks. Furthermore, providers contend government regulation would harm consumers and stifle innovation.

"If Washington followed Hollywood's lead and gave an Academy Award for the best political sound bite of the year, 'Net neutrality' would win in a walk for 2006," Steve Forbes wrote in the Wall Street Journal, calling it a "good sound bite, bad policy."

But bad policy for whom? Content providers liken the proposed rate increases to protection money. They say they'd have to pay extra to keep going, while smaller companies and start-ups would essentially be driving on a dirt road — which they also say would harm consumers and stifle innovation. The fear is that the telecommunication companies could favor their own services and penalize competitors.

"The big telecoms, they'll be able to throw switches that determine how fast content is delivered to you," Moby said. "The content they're providing is going to be real fast, and the content on MySpace, YouTube and [other sites] will be really slow, unless they pay the big providers to make it faster. Someone's band starts a Web site, and if they don't pay AT&T an onerous charge, their content will be incredibly slow. So eventually, people will just stop looking at independently produced content and small Web sites."

More than that, proponents of Net neutrality are worried about the exchange of ideas, not currency. The Internet, as viewed by many content providers and bloggers like Moby, is a place to debate and share — not to be a highway, but a town square.

That's part of the "egalitarian nature of the Internet," Moby said: We can all connect and participate in the same discussion at the same time. If some people's ideas can't get through as easily, if content is filtered, "That affects us all," Moby said.

• Moby

Moby
Photo: MTV News

Moby once released a whole album of music inspired by and created for films, but that was nearly 10 years ago, and in the movie business that means it's time for a sequel or a remake.

As it happens, the DJ/musician has two new projects he's working on — the music for "Southland Tales" and the big-screen adaptation of "Miami Vice." Moby's collaborated with "Miami Vice" director Michael Mann before, contributing music to the soundtracks of "Heat" and "Ali," so it wasn't too difficult to figure out which tack to take with "Vice," which stars Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx.

"It's very dark and it's got a lot of pathos to it," Moby said of the movie, "so the music is dark and laden with pathos."

But "Southland Tales" — helmed by "Donnie Darko" director Richard Kelly and featuring stars such as Seann William Scott, Sarah Michelle Gellar and the Rock — was a little trickier. After all, it's been described as a comedy, a drama, science fiction and a musical.

"It's very strange," Moby admitted, "from the casting to the narrative to the way it's told. It's very conventional but deeply unconventional. It's essentially about the end of the world but told in a 'Dr. Strangelove' meets 'Repo Man' kind of way. I love it. It'll be interesting to see how people respond to it."

Since the apocalyptic "Southland Tales" is a "very confrontational movie," Moby wanted the music to work to counteract that. He described the score as being "very melodic and atmospheric, very delicate," which he says is surprising and subversive, "because the movie is not delicate. It creates a very interesting counterpoint. Of all the things I've worked on, 'Southland Tales' is one of the ones I'm most proud of," Moby said.

That is, of course, outside of the career-spanning collection he's putting out this fall. The greatest thing about a greatest-hits album, Moby said, is that "you don't have to do a lot of work. The songs are already written and recorded." Same with the live DVD he's putting out April 18, "Moby Live - The Hotel Tour 2005." Recorded in Belgium and directed by George Scott, the disc will also include two unreleased short films. "You can't even call them movies," he said. "When I go on tour, I bring a little video camera with me, and I do these dumb little films. They're more like random assemblages."

While Moby has plenty on his plate as far as film work goes, one thing he doesn't have on his schedule (yet) is producing the next Courtney Love record, although she has told some reporters that he is. Moby's previously remixed or produced Metallica, Britney Spears, Aerosmith, the Beastie Boys and Ozzy Osbourne, so he's certainly up for the challenge, but Love?

"I'm not sure we're working together," Moby said. "The truth is, I actually don't know. I mean, I've known Courtney for a long time, and I find her to be remarkably talented and just a fascinating person, so we might work on something together, but I don't know. It's just been some friendly conversations at this point."

Whether he ends up producing her follow-up to America's Sweetheart, Moby predicts that Love's new songs will "surprise" people, calling her demos "really powerful."

"It's actually really well-written songs that are very earnest, very passionate," he said. "So I'm sure she'll make a wonderful record. It's got a humble strength to it."

Moby also advises Love to keep that same humility when she turns her attention to licensing her late husband's catalog (see "Courtney Love Sells Substantial Share Of Nirvana Publishing Rights"), based on his experience licensing so much of his own music (most famously, every track from Play).

"The majority of licensing I do is to small student films and independent films, but those aren't the ones people necessarily remember," he said. "At this point, because the music business is essentially falling apart, if you're a musician and you make a record and you want people to hear it, you have to explore a lot of avenues. But you sort of have to let your conscience be your guide."

• Moby

Alchemist's <i>1st Infantry Deluxe</i>
Photo: Koch Records

As you can see, it's a pretty weak week for new releases — don't expect to see many new faces cracking next week's top 10 ... or 20, for that matter. In fact, it's so slow that we've decided to double up some of the latest rack contenders tag-team style and see who'd come out on top. It's probably the only time you'll see a margarita-swilling folk legend conspiring with death-metal cretins to body-slam a band of cabaret-loving punks.

Round One: Tricked-Out Magic

Alchemist and Elefant vs. Moby and Coachella: Alchemist is hoping to turn his fading 1st Infantry record — it's been out for almost two years — back into gold with a DVD-enhanced deluxe edition. New York dynamos Elefant are up to some mojo of their own with their second release, The Black Magic Show, taking on producer Don Gilmore (Good Charlotte, Linkin Park) and mixer Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Sonic Youth). In the other corner, Moby pours two bonus films, a cover of Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side" and a full CD of remixes into his "Live - Hotel Tour 2005" set, then gangs up with the cast of "Coachella: The Film" — including the Flaming Lips, Radiohead and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Winners:

When the other Coachella backups — Belle and Sebastian, Muse and Tenacious D — find themselves up against Al's impressive guests (Nas, Game and T.I.), it's time to ring the bell.

Round Two: Burnin' Up

The Fiery Furnaces and Just a Fire vs. Judge Jules and the Red Krayola: Native Chicago twosome the FF burn into this competition with their fourth opus, Bitter Tea, frothing over with songs like "The Vietnamese Telephone Ministry," "Police Sweater Blood Vow" and "Whistle Rhapsody?" Windy City cohorts Just a Fire — featuring members of June of 44 and Sweep the Leg Johnny — keep the temperature raised with their second record, Spanish Time. On the other end of the ring, pre-eminent DJ Judge Jules dishes up his first domestic release in almost 13 years with The Global Warm-Up Mix CD, which cobbles together tracks by lesser-known players like Signalrunner, Randy Katana and E-Craig; and the 40-year-old Red Krayola throw another iron in the fire with their ill-named Introduction, even if it is their first studio set in more than five years.

Winners: Fiery Furnaces and Just a Fire out-sweat the competition.

Round Three: Lunch Break

The Disco Biscuits and Banana Blender Surprise vs. Matthew Sweet and Marshall Chapman: Jam-rock spazz-outs the Disco Biscuits have the most colorful album cover this week with The Wind at Four to Fly, and their tag-team partners Banana Blender Surprise promise even more dietary goodness on their own double-disc affair, Paint the Town Brown, which culls together most of the band's old material. Matthew Sweet and the Bangles' Susanna Hoffs come together to recap some of their favorite '60s tunes by the Beatles, Neil Young and the Velvet Underground for Under the Covers, Vol. 1, while Chapman antes up with Mellowicious!, her first outing in nine years.

Winners: Sweet and Mellowicious! let their sugary tendencies get the better of them, and DB and BBS' continental breakfast makes them the new intercontinental champions.

Round Four: Getting Frisky

Animal Liberation Orchestra and Be Your Own Pet vs. the Lovely Feathers and Lizzie West: ALO put out a different version of Fly Between Falls last summer, but their new one has a fresh recording of "Walls of Jericho" — a song featured on Jack Johnson's recent live DVD — plus reworked takes of "Girl, I Wanna Lay You Down" and "Barbecue." Be Your Own Pet, in the meantime, keep it elementary on their Summer Sensation EP with tracks like "Bicycle, Bicycle" and "Fire Department." On the opposing side, the Lovely Feathers get up on their Hind Hind Legs digipak to name off a couple of their heroes on "Pope Jean Paul" and "Rod Stewart," while Lizzie West ropes in the White Buffalo to craft I Pledge Allegiance to Myself, on which she covers songs by Bob Marley and Steve Goodman.

Winners: Freedom fighters ALO and Be Your Own Pet claw through their opponents (with some help from Elefant, who hunt down the White Buffalo when the ref's not looking).

Round Five: Location, Location

The Dresden Dolls and Stereophonics vs. Jimmy Buffett and Impaled Nazarene: Cabaret hasn't stopped Boston's Dresden Dolls from showing some skin on their Yes, Virginia ... digipak; just look to songs like "Sex Changes" and "First Orgasm" for proof. They get some help from the 'Phonics, who cram 20 nuggets into the two-disc Live From Dakota, which the Brits are putting out on their own Vox Populi imprint. Buffett heads to the Stereophonics' homeland with "Werewolves of London," which appears on the "Hoot" soundtrack; but things are noticeably grittier up north in Finland, where death-metal maniacs Impaled Nazarene send up "One Dead Nation Under Dead God" and "Goat Sodomy" as part of their Pro Patria Finlandia.

Winners: After the other side passes out from too many margaritas and too much animal intercourse, the Dresden Dolls and Stereophonics are the last ones standing.

Round Six: Evil vs. Good

Rye Coalition and Killing Joke vs. the Church and Dio: Indie-rock vets Rye Coalition stuck true to their roots and pulled off a heroic feat by nabbing Curses — their fourth, Dave Grohl-produced record — back from Interscope, breaking their contract with the major label but retaining ownership of the LP all the same (now the record's dropping on underground imprint Gern Blandsten). Backing up Rye are Killing Joke, who holed up in a basement in Prague and used tape-echo machines dating back to 1979 to craft their nine-track Hosannas From the Basement of Hell. On God's side are the Church, who recorded their Uninvited Like the Clouds last summer in Sydney; and Dio, who's Holy Diver Live gives him an excuse to recap hits like "Stand Up and Shout" and "Heaven and Hell," the latter of which he originally tracked with the very unholy Black Sabbath. (Completing the circle, Grohl played drums on Tenacious D's tribute track "Dio.")

Winners: Daniel Johnston — whose documentary "The Devil and Daniel Johnston" precipitated this week's Welcome to My World: The Music of Daniel Johnston archival set — dives into the ring and pile-drives the Church and Dio. Who says Satan can't cheat?

Main Prize: Hogs all around for the winners! There's Demolition Doll Rods' There Is a Difference, plus reissues of the Knights' Hot Rod High and Mr. Gasser and the Weirdos' Hot Rod Hootenanny and Rods N' Rat Finks. Now that's a hootenanny.

Song Title of the Week:

"Cool and Unusual Punishment" from NOFX's Wolves in Wolves' Clothing

New Releases:

• Mindi Abair - Life Less Ordinary (GRP)
• Above & Beyond - Tri-State (Ultra)
• AFX - Chosen Lords (Rephlex)
• Ben Allison - Cowboy Justice (Palmetto)
• Karrin Allyson - Footprints (Concord Jazz)
• American Heartbreak - American Heartbreak (Liquor & Poker)
• Android Lust - Stripped & Stitched (Projekt)
  Buy Now: Stripped & Stitched (Projekt)
  
• Be Your Own Pet - Summer Sensation (EP; Ecstatic Peace)
• Adrian Belew - Side Three (Sanctuary)
• Anthony Braxton Quintet - Live at the Royal Festival Hall - London (2004) (Leo)
• Mel Brown and the Homewreckers - Blues - A Beautiful Thing (Electro-Fi)
• Richard Butler - Richard Butler (Koch)
• Marshall Chapman - Mellowicious! (Tallgirl)
• The Church - Uninvited Like the Clouds (Cooking Vinyl)
• Cities - Cities (digipak; Yep Roc)
• Cretin - Freakery (Relapse)
• Crime in Stereo - The Troubled Stateside (Nitro)
• A.J. Croce - Cantos (digipak; Seedling)
• Da Back Wudz - Wood Work Album (Universal)
  Buy Now: Wood Work Album (Universal)
  
• Demolition Doll Rods - There Is a Difference (Swami)
• Dio - Holy Diver Live (two CDs; Eagle)
  Buy Now: Holy Diver Live (Eagle)
  
• The Disco Biscuits - The Wind at Four to Fly (digipak; two CDs; Sci Fidelity)
• The Dresden Dolls - Yes, Virginia ... (digipak; Roadrunner)
  Buy Now: Yes, Virginia ... (Roadrunner)
  
• Drive-By Truckers - A Blessing and a Curse (New West) http://www.mtv.com/music/#/music/artist/drive_by_truckers/albums.jhtml?albumId=1265189
• Elefant - The Black Magic Show (Kemado)
  Buy Now: The Black Magic Show (Kemado)
  
• Erasure - Union Street (Mute)
  Buy Now: Union Street (Mute)
  
• The Fiery Furnaces - Bitter Tea (digipak also available; Fat Possum)
• The Frauds - The Frauds (High Wire)
• Ian Gillian - Gillian's Inn (DualDisc; Immergent)
• Jon Dee Graham - Full (Freedom/ City Hall)
• Gram Rabbit - Cultivation (Stinky)
• Eddy Grant - Reparation (Ice)
• Hil St. Soul - Soulidified (Shanachie)
• Monica Huggett and Richard Savino - Essential Giuliani Vol I (two CDs; Koch)
• Ihsahn - The Adversary (Candlelight)
• Impaled Nazarene - Pro Patria Finlandia (The End)
• Sherman Irby - Black Warrior (Black Warrior)
• Judge Jules - The Global Warm-Up Mix CD (Koch)
• Junkie XL - Today (Ultra)
• Just a Fire - Spanish Time (Sick Room)
• Kaiser George & the Hi-Risers - Transatlantic Dynamite! (Spinout)
• Kalas - Kalas (digipak; Tee Pee)
• Mat Kearney - Nothing Left to Lose (Aware/ Columbia)
• Killing Joke - Hosannas From the Basement of Hell (Cooking Vinyl)
• Michael Leviton - My Favorite Place to Drown (Ace Fu)
• Eric Lewis & Andy Ratliff - Only Home I've Had (Madjack)
• The Lovely Feathers - Hind Hind Legs (digipak; Equator)
• Lylas - Lessons for Lovers (Fictitious)
• Maritime - We the Vehicles (Flameshovel)
• Muallem - Frankie Splits (digipak; Compost)
• Mugison - Little Trip (Ipecac)
• Ann Nesby - In the Spirit (Shanachie)
• NOFX - Wolves in Wolves Clothing (Fat Wreck Chords)
  Buy Now: Wolves in Wolves Clothing (Fat Wreck Chords)
  
• Mark O'Leary/ Uri Caine/ Ben Perowsky - Closure (Leo)
• People Under the Stairs - Stepfather (two CDs; Basement)
• Phoenix Mourning - When Excuses Become Antiques (Metal Blade)
• The Red Krayola - Introduction (Drag City)
• Vernon Reid & Masque - Other True Self (Favored Nations)
• Rhino Bucket - & Then It Got Ugly (Acetate)
• Rye Coalition - Curses (with bonus DVD; Gern Blandsten)
• Harmonica Shah - Listen at Me Good (Electro-Fi)
• Sick of It All - Death to Tyrants (Abacus)
  Buy Now: Death to Tyrants (Abacus)
  
• Silent Civilian - Rebirth of the Temple (Mediaskare)
• Spank Rock - Yo Yo Yo Yo Yo (Big Dada)
• Spice 1 - Life After Jive (Real Talk Entertainment)
• Stereophonics - Live From Dakota (two CDs; Vox Populi/ V2)
  Buy Now: Live From Dakota (Vox Populi/ V2)
  
• Stoley P.T. - Lesson #1 (In Music We Trust Records)
• Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs - Under the Covers, Vol. 1 (Shout! Factory)
  Buy Now: Under the Covers, Vol. 1 (Shout! Factory)
  
• The Tango Saloon - The Tango Saloon (Ipecac)
• Tony Terry - Changed! (Koch)
• Lizzie West & the White Buffalo - I Pledge Allegiance to Myself (Appleseed)
• Rob Whitlock - Sketchin' 2 (Sketchin')
• Various artists - Pure Joy (Koch)
• Various artists - Putumayo Presents: Paris (Putumayo)
• Various artists - Seventeen: The Best New Music (Hear It First!) (BMG Strategic Marketing)
• Various artists - "Hoot" soundtrack (Mailboat)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

• Aiden - Our Gang's Dark Oath (Victory)
• The Alchemist - 1st Infantry Deluxe (with DVD; Koch)
  Buy Now: 1st Infantry Deluxe (Koch)
  
• Animal Liberation Orchestra - Fly Between Falls (Brushfire)
• Banana Blender Surprise - Paint the Town Brown (two CDs; Freedom)
• Chuck Berry - Definitive Collection (Universal)
• Oscar DeLeon - Millennium Collection (Universal)
• Cornell Dupree - Night Fever: The Versatile Sessions (Empire Musicwerks)
• First Choice - It's Not Over: The Greatest Hits of First Choice (Koch)
• Emerson, Lake & Palmer - The Birth of a Band - Isle of Wight Festival, Sat August 29th, 1970 (DualDisc; Eagle Rock)
• The Ghouls - Dracula's Deuce (Sundazed)
• Buddy Holly - Definitive Collection (Universal)
• Instant Funk - I Got My Mind Made Up: The Best of Instant Funk (Koch)
• Daniel Johnston - Welcome to My World: The Music of Daniel Johnston (High Wire)
• The Kickstands - Black Boots and Bikes (Sundazed)
• The Knights - Hot Rod High (Sundazed)
• Jerry Lee Lewis - Definitive Collection (Universal)
• Mae - The Everglow (special edition with DVD; Tooth & Nail)
  Buy Now: The Everglow (Tooth & Nail)
  
• Ed McCurdy - A Ballad Singer's Choice (Empire Musicwerks)
• Marian McPartland - ... With You in Mind (DRG)
• Mr. Gasser and the Weirdos - Hot Rod Hootenanny, Rods N' Rat Finks and Surfink! (Sundazed)

DVDs:

• Herbie Hancock - "Possibilities" (Magnolia)
• Moby - "Live - Hotel Tour 2005" (with CD; Mute)
• Trina - "Live and Uncut ... Sex, Money and Jewels" (SMC)
• Yes - "9012 Live" (Image Entertainment)
• Young Jeezy - "Hoodz: Street Code - Young Jeezy" (Hoods DVD Magazine)
• Zyklon - "Storm Detonation Live" (Candlelight)
• Various artists - "Coachella: The Film" (Epitaph)

Coming Attractions:

April 25:

• Godsmack - IV (Republic)
  Read: "Godsmack Finishing Up 'Killer' Fourth LP, Working On Football Theme"
  Buy Now: IV (Republic)
  
• Rihanna - A Girl Like Me (Def Jam)
  Read: "Rihanna Getting In Touch With Her Rock Side For Next LP"
  Buy Now: A Girl Like Me (Def Jam)
  
• Taking Back Sunday - Louder Now (Warner Bros.)
  Read: "Taking Back Sunday Say Debuting At #800 Wouldn't Bother Them"
  Buy Now: Louder Now (Warner Bros.)

May 2:

• Lil' Flip - I Need Mine (Sony Urban)
• Mobb Deep - Blood Money (Interscope)
  Read: "Mobb Deep, 50 Cent Get Tattoos To Prove Their Loyalty"
  Buy Now: Blood Money (Interscope)
  
• Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam (J)
  Read: "Pearl Jam, Post-'Therapy': 'The Sex Is Better Than Ever!' "
• Thursday - A City by the Light Divided (Island)
  Read: "Thursday Frontman Says He Doesn't Want To Exploit My Chemical Romance, But ..."
  Buy Now: A City by the Light Divided (Island)
  
• Tool - 10,000 Days (Volcano)
  Buy Now: 10,000 Days (Volcano)
  

May 9:

• The Isley Brothers - Baby Makin' Music (Island)
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium (two CDs; limited edition with DVD also available; Warner Bros.)
  Read: "Chili Peppers Stoked About New Album, Possible Kanye Tour"
  Buy Now: Stadium Arcadium (Warner Bros.)
• Snow Patrol - Eyes Open (A&M)
  Read: "Snow Patrol Turn 'Candy-Assed' Music Into Beastly Arena Rock"
  Buy Now: Eyes Open (A&M)
  

• The Alchemist
• The Dresden Dolls
• Moby
• Rye Coalition
• Elefant

Constantine Maroulis
Photo: Vince Bucci/Getty Images

Constantine Maroulis has split from his pre-"American Idol" band, Pray for the Soul of Betty. "Right now he's working on too many solo projects to be fair to the band," his spokesperson said. "It was time to move on, and the fans have been supportive." Maroulis is working on a solo album, a television pilot and an indie film. ...

VotefortheWorst.com is at it again. The Web site, which encourages readers to call in for the "American Idol" contestant they deem least worthy of the title, is backing Kevin Covais this time around. And what if the 16-year-old, nicknamed "Chicken Little," gets the boot? A post on the site reads: "Don't worry, Pickler. If Kevin goes home, we'll be back." The campaign, which aims to "keep around an entertaining antagonist" picked Scott Savol last year. ... Barry Manilow, who helped "Idol" hopefuls prepare for Tuesday night's 1950s theme, will be front and center when one of his advisees is knocked out of the competition Wednesday (March 22). Manilow, whose The Greatest Songs of the Fifties was certified platinum this week, will perform "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing" on this week's elimination show. ...

Moby will issue a live DVD, "Moby Live — The Hotel Tour 2005," April 18. Recorded in Belgium in May and directed by George Scott, the disc also has a handful of videos and two unreleased short films. Last but not least, the set features a CD with Hotel tracks reinterpreted by Mylo, Tiga, Steve Angello, Booka Shade and Axwell. ... The Coachella documentary — aptly titled "Coachella" — will be released on DVD April 18. Previously seen in limited theatrical release only, the Drew Thomas-directed film features performances by Radiohead, the Pixies, the Flaming Lips, Arcade Fire and a slew of other bands. A bonus DVD features interviews from many of the festival's veterans, including Belle and Sebastian, the Libertines and the Bravery. ...

The first-ever PJ Harvey DVD, "PJ Harvey on Tour: Please Leave Quietly," will hit stores May 2. Directed by Maria Mochnacz, the disc features performances and behind-the-scene footage taken from Harvey's 2004 tour supporting Uh Huh Her. Two previously unreleased tracks, "Uh Huh Her" and "Evol," will also be included, as will Harvey's video diaries and a lengthy interview. ... The second annual AutoRox Awards roll into Las Vegas April 7, with Ice Cube at the wheel. Whips chosen by a panel of auto-industry pros, members of the media and car-enthusiast celebrities will be honored in categories including Best Luxury Car and Chick Magnet. Cube will host the ceremony and perform "Chrome and Paint" and "Why We Thugs" from his upcoming LP, Laugh Now, Cry Later. The awards show airs April 18 at 10 p.m. on Spike TV. ...

Buckcherry will release Fifteen, their first studio album in four years, April 11. The Los Angeles rockers are promoting the record — and their current single, "Crazy Bitch" — with a tour that kicked off this week in Los Angeles and wraps up June 10 in Kansas City, Missouri. ... The self-titled LP from the Drips, the band featuring Distillers guitarist Tony Belivaqua and the Bronx's Matt Caughthran and Joby J. Ford, will hit stores April 25. It was recorded over two days this past summer. The band will perform March 24 in Glendale, California. ...

Soulful songstress Leela James recently finished shooting the video for her second single, "Good Times," in Los Angeles. The throwback-themed clip was helmed by Coodie and Chike, the same directorial team that has worked with Kanye West and Mos Def. James also recently unleashed a digital six-track EP, Leela James: Live in New Orleans, exclusively on iTunes. The set tracks a November 2004 gig at the Big Easy's House of Blues, where the singer previewed joints from her acclaimed 2005 debut, A Change Is Gonna Come. It will be available at other online retails outlets starting in April. ... British grime rapper and Jay-Z signee Lady Sovereign is deep into production on her still-untitled debut album. Before heading out to SXSW, the diminutive MC was working with Beastie Boy Ad-Rock (who worked with Sov on a British-only EP) and had already cut records with the Neptunes, according to a spokesperson for her label. The album is expected later this year. ...

Ex-Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach's been hard at work on his forthcoming solo album, which Spitfire plans to release in July. According to a post on Bach's Web site, he's got 13 songs written so far and summer and fall tours are in the works. "[This year] is gonna kick ass," Bach wrote. ... Detroit soul singer Robert Bradley will release his first full-length live album April 11. What About That: New Year's Eve in Bloomington was recorded a the Bluebird in Bloomington, Indiana, and finds the blind singer backed by an expanded, 10-piece version of his band, the Blackwater Surprise.

03.21.2006

Who knew Ashlee Simpson could surf? The singer is hitting the waves for the "Kelly Slater Celebrity Surf Invitational," airing on MTV March 25 at 4:30 p.m. and also featuring Jack Osbourne and Ashley Parker Angel. Braxton Olita, Simpson's bandmate and boyfriend, came along for the special — "He's my love!" she told Jane magazine for its April cover story. (Check out photos from the spread right here.) Simpson's relationship with Braxton first came to light following her collapse in Japan in December, but she's been dating him since the summer. The reason for the collapse remains in dispute, as she now claims in Jane that she was sicker than reported at the time. "I was dehydrated. I had bronchitis. Who knows exactly what it was? I think it was just complete exhaustion." And apparently celebrity status doesn't equal celebrity care. "I didn't go to a nice emergency room — I ended up in one with blood on the walls," she tells the mag. ...

Fans already clamoring for New Edition's 2008 reunion tour will have their appetites sated sooner than later — the Bobby Brown-led group has agreed to perform at this year's Essence Music Festival in Houston, according to The Associated Press. Diddy, Chris Brown and Jaheim were also just added to the July 1-3 bill, which already included participants Mary J. Blige, Steve Harvey, LL Cool J and Jamie Foxx. ...

Former Bad Boy Records rapper Shyne will have to wait a bit longer to find out if his assets will be unfrozen, so he can pay off some legal bills and help out his family. Lawyers for the MC — who now goes by the name Moses Michael Leviy — are trying to get an exemption from New York's "Son of Sam" law, which is blocking Leviy from gaining access to a $500,000 advance he got from his former record label. A hearing on the motion was delayed for at least two weeks on Monday when the judge in the case was forced to recuse himself because of a conflict of interest. As it turns out the judge's brother-in-law was once represented by the same firm that is seeking some funds from Shyne. ...

Constantine Maroulis has signed on for his first movie role. "I can't tell you too much about it yet, but it will be a super-sexy indie feature and [the filmmakers] have been really avid about making me a part of it," he said. "They want me to supervise the music as well and want some of my music to be [included]." ... Maroon 5 have contributed a cover of the Bill Withers classic "Lovely Day" to the soundtrack of "Hoot," due April 18 on Jimmy Buffett's Mailboat Records. Buffett plays a small part in the comedy, which is about a man fighting to save endangered owls, and has several tracks on the album alongside G. Love, Toots and the Maytals and Mofro. ...

Diddy's Bad Boy South has partnered with Southern hip-hop label Block Enterprises for the release of several albums, beginning with one by Yung Joc, whose "It's Goin Down" is a recent mixtape favorite. New Joc City is due in May. ... Former Destiny's Child singer LeToya (she's dropped her last name, Luckett) will release her self-titled solo debut July 18. Scott Storch worked on the album, which features guest appearances from fellow Houstonians Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Bun B and Slim Thug. ...

It used to be that you couldn't find a Red Hot Chili Peppers track on iTunes to save your life. But the Peppers have finally given in to the digital-music market, making their entire back catalog available for 99 cents a track. All the Chilis albums are also being made available — with bonus tracks — along with videos and short documentary downloads. Fans will have to wait until May 9 to download Stadium Arcadium, the band's forthcoming double LP; the discs are nicknamed "Jupiter" and "Mars." ... The album art for Tool's next album, 10,000 Days, has been posted on the band's Web site. Once again Tool called on artist Alex Grey — who crafted the art for 2001's Lateralus and whose daughter appears in "The Shaggy Dog" — to come up with the cover design. The 77-minute, 11-song 10,000 Days is due in stores May 2. ...

Having already released two full-length albums in 2005 — Digital Ash in a Digital Urn and I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning — the super-prolific Bright Eyes, a.k.a Conor Oberst, is already working on another effort. At Monday night's "Bring 'Em Home Now" concert in New York, Oberst said he's written new material but doesn't feel the need to rush it out until 2007. (See snaps from the concert right here.) "We have a bunch of songs recorded and we are going to put out a record probably next year," he said. "The music's good. It keeps my life turning around." ... At the same event freak-folk rocker Devendra Banhart said he's been switching musical gears in his new home in Mexico. "We're working on some weird stuff inspired by the tropicalista movement in Brazil, Caetano Veloso, Os Mutantes ... that whole movement is really special to us because it is about embracing where you are from but also being open to other cultures and other things." ...

Thursday's A City by the Light Divided, due May 2, will feature 11 tracks: "The Other Side of the Crash/ Over and Out (Of Control)," "Counting 5-4-3-2-1," "Sugar in the Sacrament," "At This Velocity," "We Will Overcome," "Arc--Lamps, Signal Flares, a Shower of White (The Light)," "Running From the Rain," "Telegraph Avenue Kiss," "The Lovesong Writer," "Into the Blinding Light" and "Autumn Leaves Revisited." ... 3 Doors Down and Lynyrd Skynyrd, both Southern-rock giants but from two different eras, will co-headline a 15-city trek. The Double Trouble Summer Tour kicks off June 25 in Cincinnati and wraps up July 22 in Biloxi, Mississippi. ... Five more dates have been added to this summer's Unholy Alliance Tour, featuring Mastodon, Lamb of God, Children of Bodom, Thine Eyes Bleed and headliners Slayer: June 9 (Denver), June 19 (Cincinnati), June 24 (Dallas), June 30 (Cleveland) and July 16 (Salem, Oregon). ...

With "Rock Star" winner J.D. Fortune behind the mic, INXS will embark on a second leg of their Switched on Tour April 21 in Memphis, Tennessee. The outing ends June 1 in Vancouver, British Columbia. ... In the immortal words of Ice Cube in the film "Anaconda," "There's snakes out there this big?" Yes there are, and apparently they're infesting planes too, judging from the "Snakes on a Plane" trailer that's making the rounds online. Aspiring musicians take note: New Line Cinema wants you to compose the theme song for the flick. If you're eager to make songs for Samuel L. Jackson to bash snakes to, submit them to TagWorld.com/SnakesonaPlane by April 11 and they'll be taken into consideration.

• Ashlee Simpson Poses In "Jane" And Surfs For Kelly Slater
• "Bring 'Em Home Now" Concert In New York

• Constantine Maroulis
• Moby
• Radiohead
• Ice Cube
• Buckcherry

Britney Spears
Photo: Jive

Despite reports that Britney Spears' upcoming episode of "Will & Grace" has been canceled after protests from the American Family Association, an organization that, according to its Web site, "exists to motivate and equip citizens to change the culture to reflect Biblical truth," the show will still go on — just not as previously detailed. The description of Spears' character as a conservative Christian who wants to do a segment on cooking called "Cruci-fixins" on Jack's talk show was premature, NBC said Monday (February 6). "Some erroneous information was mistakenly included in a press release," the network clarified, stressing that the April 13 episode has yet to be written. ...

Mariah Carey says that the reason you'll hardly ever see her eating in public is that she likes to do that in bed instead. The singer tells Marie Claire (she's the mag's March cover) that she's not trying to be a "skinny twig," but she's "bad with the weight thing." "I go up and down really quickly, because I am a muscular person. People don't know that I have [well-defined biceps] and these could easily become weird bodybuilder arms," she said. People also don't know that she wears a bib when eating. "I am just like, 'Whatever, nobody is looking at me for once!' That's why I don't really like to eat in public. When people say, 'Mariah never eats in public,' I'm like, 'You're right.' " ... Sheryl Crow's engagement to seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong is off. The couple, who'd been dating for more than two years, announced their engagement last fall. "After much thought and consideration, we have made a very tough decision to split up," a statement from the couple reads. "We both have a deep love and respect for each other, and we ask that everyone respect our privacy during this difficult time." ...

Fall Out Boy are returning to "One Tree Hill" this month for sweeps. In an episode called "Just Watch the Fireworks," the band plays a breast-cancer benefit concert at Tric at the request of Peyton (played by former "TRL" VJ Hilarie Burton). The episode airs February 15 at 8 p.m. on the WB. ... A collaboration between Ghostface and Doom and two tracks from Xzibit's group Strong Arm Steady are among the highlights on a new compilation from Brooklyn, New York, indie hip-hop label Nature Sounds, due April 4. Titled Natural Selection, the album also features Raekwon, Chamillionaire, Ras Kass, Pete Rock and Masta Killa. ...

Switchfoot will return to the road for a late-winter club run starting on February 15 in Bakersfield, California. Only seven dates have been confirmed so far, and more are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. The band has planned stops in New Orleans; Orlando, Florida; Las Vegas; Austin, Texas; Tucson, Arizona; and Baltimore. ... New Jersey rockers Thursday are going with A City by the Light Divided as the title of their forthcoming album, which is scheduled for a May 2 release. The record's first single, "Counting 5-4-3-2-1," should hit rock radio airwaves next month. ...

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are giving fans a little treat to nibble on while they wait for the band's new album, Show Your Bones, due March 28. In addition to unveiling the colorful red, yellow and purple-tinged album art for the follow-up to 2003's Fever to Tell, the New York trio have posted a stream of their new single, "Gold Lion," on their Web site, a day before the track is set to hit the iTunes music store. Two remixes of the single, produced by rapper Diplo and their own guitarist Nick Zinner, are slated for release on February 21 on iTunes ... Moby told a crowd gathered at PETA's fashion-week bash in New York on Friday that he feels like he's a "dilettante," because while he does what he can for animal rights, the activist group does "all the heavy lifting." Moby was one of several feted for their work for the cause, in his case, for promoting vegan recipes during the holidays. Pam Anderson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Alan Cumming, Le Tigre and Nick Zinner were among those congratulating Moby, as well as Nellie McKay and Al Sharpton, who were also honored for their help in PETA's campaigns. ...

Al Lewis, the man who'll forever be known as "Grandpa Munster," died Friday night at the age of 82, according to New York radio station WBAI-FM, where Lewis hosted a weekly radio show. Lewis, who worked as a circus performer before doing time as a vaudevillian actor, got his start in television during the 1960s, first as Officer Leo Schnauzer on "Car 54, Where Are You?" Between 1964 and 1966, he played Grandpa — the hot-tempered father-in-law to Fred Gwynne's Herman Munster — on "The Munsters." In 1998, Lewis staged a failed bid for the New York governorship — he was the Green Party's candidate, and lost to incumbent George Pataki. ... British prog-rockers Th' Faith Healers will reunite in March for five shows, the first time the influential band will have performed together in 10 years. The brief tour kicks off in Austin, Texas, on March 17. ...

02.03.2006

Paris Hilton's lost some of her property because of a payment dispute for her storage bill at a Los Angeles warehouse, and now an agent is offering to sell her locker's contents to the media — including 18 diaries, videotapes, computers, furniture, clothing, sex toys and photographs. David Hans Schmidt is offering the goods in an auction with the bidding beginning in the millions, even though he claims to have bought the contents at a public auction in December for $2,775. Hilton insists through her rep that the property still belongs to her, and that she's been victimized. They're threatening legal action against anyone in possession of the items. ...

Nick Lachey will release a song called "What's Left of Me" as the first single from his forthcoming, as-yet-untitled solo album. The song will be released online next week. ...

Simon Cowell has created a new "American Idol"-like reality show in search of a Las Vegas act. Cowell will executive produce but not serve as a judge on the show, set to debut on NBC in the summer. ... Madonna, who attended Jean Paul Gaultier's Paris fashion show last week, is having him design the costumes for her next tour, according to Women's Wear Daily. ...

Courtney Love appeared in a Los Angeles court Friday to present a progress report in her drug case, which noted that she had completed the house-arrest portion of her rehab sentence. The singer addressed the court, telling the judge she was grateful for the court's patience and that she feels like she's made a full recovery. Love's next progress report is scheduled for May 5, but she won't be required to appear. ...

Time to bust out the mini-grill. Houston rapper Paul Wall and wife Crystal are expecting a little champ of their own, according to his publicist. The couple, who married in October, will welcome their first child — a boy they will name William — in May. ... Maroon 5 guitarist James Valentine made a surprise onstage appearance Thursday at the kickoff of Rilo Kiley singer Jenny Lewis' solo tour at the Vista Theater in Los Angeles. Lewis' acoustic set also featured backup singers the Watson Twins and singer/songwriter Johnathan Rice, and included most of the tracks from her just-released Rabbit Fur Coat, including a stripped-down version of the title track. ...

Before Guns N' Roses, Axl Rose moved through a number of Los Angeles rock bands, including the early '80s group Rapidfire — with whom Rose recorded for the first time. GN'R fans have long wondered what became of those early recordings, which were put to tape in 1983 for a five-track demo. According to Rapidfire's Web site, those songs — "Ready to Rumble," "All Night Long," "The Prowler," "On the Run" and "Closure" — are now being mixed, "in preparation for their release." There's no definitive street date yet for the recordings, but the packaging will purportedly feature pre-tattoo photos of Axl. ... The late Tupac Shakur will be immortalized by Madame Tussauds in Las Vegas. Tupac's wax personification — shirtless and complete with bandana and tattoos — will be unveiled on April 5. ...

'NSYNC's Lance Bass is excited that his movie "Lovewrecked" — which he co-produced and has a cameo in — got picked up by the Weinstein Company. He wrote on his MySpace page, "Looks like it will be out this summer!" "Lovewrecked" stars Amanda Bynes and was directed by Randal Kleiser ("The Blue Lagoon," "Grease"). "This movie is his next 'Blue Lagoon,' " Bass wrote, "so lots of skin. Don't worry, it's PG-ish, moms!" ...

• Britney Spears
• Mariah Carey
• Fall Out Boy
• Ghostface Killah
• Switchfoot

50 Cent
Photo: Zach Gold/Interscope

50 Cent isn't content to be a music and movie star — he also wants to be a movie producer. The rapper told MTV Europe that he's just completed a development deal to produce films. "When I come across a screenplay that's as exciting as my life story, then I will commit to it," he said. 50's already planning to turn his forthcoming G-Unit series of street fiction books into DVD films, if not theatrical releases, shortly after they are published in 2007. ... Meanwhile, 50 and Dr. Dre are facing a copyright-infringement suit, which was filed last week in Manhattan federal court in New York. Janine Gordon, who also goes by JahJah, claims that 50 and Dre borrowed from three of her songs ("Poppin' at Da Club," "Crazy Dreams" and "Hardcore") for The Massacre. ...

It's been more than four years since Moby ripped into Eminem over lyrics the clean-domed DJ deemed "homophobic and misogynistic," and though it appeared the feud was all but over, someone forgot to tell Moby. In a December 6 journal entry on his Web site, Moby again takes Em to task, writing about a recent murder trial in England in which an avid Eminem fan, Christopher Duncan, pleaded guilty to murdering his girlfriend and then stuffing her into a suitcase just hours after performing the rapper's songs in a London karaoke bar. "Now we find out that a British man who is obsessed with Eminem killed a woman with a metal baseball bat and stuffed her body into a suitcase," Moby wrote. "Maybe there's no connection, maybe there is. It's disgusting that we even have to ask that question. ... It's disgusting that people in the media have celebrated musicians who write lyrics that glorify misogyny and homophobia." ... Mike Shinoda will take his Fort Minor side project on the road next year, beginning January 28 in Minneapolis and wrapping up February 9 in Atlanta. Shinoda will be backed by a 10-piece band and will perform some Linkin Park tracks "Fort Minor style," according to his spokesperson. ...

Lindsay Lohan's parents reached a divorce settlement on Monday, ending a battle that started in January when Dina Lohan served Michael Lohan with divorce papers. Dina's lawyer said that "the matter has been resolved and an agreement signed," though he couldn't discuss the terms of the agreement per a gag order from the judge overseeing the case. During their very public battle, the Lohans shot a series of accusations at each other, with Dina claiming that her husband was abusive, and Michael calling her a liar and demanding a cut of his daughter's earnings. ... Travis Barker and No Doubt's Adrian Young are facing off to see who is the better drummer at Guitar Center's annual Drum Off in Los Angeles. The event, which will also feature Bad Religion, takes place January 14 at the Wiltern LG. ...

Members of Korn, Linkin Park, the Offspring, Pennywise, Bad Religion and Taking Back Sunday will all be hosting a week's worth of programming on "Hostile Takeover," a new program that will debut Friday on Sirius Satellite Radio's Faction channel. The hosts will play whatever tunes they like and take phone calls over the air. A definitive schedule is being worked out, but Pennywise are set to host the week of December 23 and Korn will take the week of January 6. ... Bob Dylan has signed on to DJ on XM Satellite Radio. He'll host a weekly hour-long radio show during which he'll spin records, interview guests, take e-mails and offer commentary on music. "A lot of my own songs have been played on the radio, but this is the first time I've ever been on the other side of the mic," Dylan said in a statement. The as-yet-untitled show will debut in March on XM's Deep Tracks (channel 40). ...

Jack Johnson, O.A.R. and Guster have donated rare or live tracks to Rock for Relief, a benefit compilation for Mercy Corps, which is providing relief to victims of the Indian Ocean tsunamis, hurricanes Katrina, Wilma and Rita and the earthquake in Pakistan. Tracks from Howie Day, Citizen Cope and Marc Broussard will also be included. ... Josh Kelley has a holiday gift up for grabs for all you big spenders out there. He is auctioning off a fan package on eBay (dubbed "the ultimate Josh Kelley experience") which will include a meet-and-greet with the singer/songwriter, backstage access before and after the show, a pass to his soundcheck, and the opportunity for you and three of your friends to sit onstage with him during his concert. The winner will also receive a signed Gibson Les Paul Electric Guitar valued at $1,200. Ninety percent of the proceeds go toward the Coalition on Donation, a nonprofit group of national organizations that urges people to donate life-saving organs and tissues to those in need. The auction ends Friday. ...

What do you get the iPod enthusiast who has everything? Well, underwear manufacturer Play's released its iBoxer, a button-fly boxer short that comes complete with a "front pocket which is perfect for holding your iPod" or cell phone. The undies are available in five colors and will set you back $22. Those who pick up two pairs will get three free song downloads from iTunes. ... Buckcherry will release Fifteen, their first album in four years, in the spring. They shot the video for the first track, called "Crazy Bitch," at the Key Club in Los Angeles with director Ulf Buddensieck. The song can be heard on their MySpace page at myspace.com/buckcherryworldwide. ...

12.12.2005

Kanye West, Shakira, Maroon 5's Adam Levine, Fall Out Boy, the All-American Rejects, Young Jeezy and Common have been tapped to perform at MTV's New Year's Eve bash in New York's Times Square, the channel announced Monday (December 12). The event will start airing live at 10:30 p.m. ET on December 31 and will also feature appearances from a host of celebs, including the Reverend Run and his family. ...

It's a match made in pop-punk heaven: New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert and Eisley lead singer Sherri Dupree are engaged. Gilbert popped the question on Friday at the premiere of "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, because the book is Dupree's favorite. "I did it in the lobby of the theater in front of the wardrobe," Gilbert told MTV News via e-mail. "All the employees and people around were clapping. It was super funny. I was really nervous and could barely get the words out, which made the situation even funnier." The couple met earlier this year on NFG's Back to Basics Tour, and though there is no date set for their wedding, Gilbert did say that the couple plan on tying the knot after both bands complete the touring cycles for their respective new albums, which are both due next year. ... On Saturday, Audioslave drummer Brad Wilk married his girlfriend of 10 years, singer Selene Vigil of Seven Year Bitch. According to a spokesperson for Audioslave, the wedding was an "intimate" affair, attended by the couple's immediate family and held at Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe, California. ...

Mariah Carey's making sure you don't forget about "Don't Forget About Us" by offering five different remixes of the song on five different download sites. iTunes users can download a remix featuring Juelz Santana and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Yahoo! Music Engine users get the Quentin Harris (Shelter) anthem mix, Napster users can access the Tony Moran/ Warren Rigg dance version, Real/Rhapsody users get the Ralphi Rosario and Craig Martini version, and MSN Music users are being offered the Ralphi and Jody DB Anthomic dub remix ...

Christina Aguilera helped celebrate the release of British jewelry designer Stephen Webster's Femme Fatale diamond collection by hosting an exclusive party at Los Angeles' Chateau Marmont on Friday night. Christina and husband Jordan Bratman, Stacey Dash and Kate Walsh were all in attendance. ... Now that Nicole Richie's shed fiance DJ AM, her fans can celebrate by wearing a "Simple Life" spoof T-shirt announcing the news of the breakup, which reads, "Nicole - Adam = The Single Life." The shirts are available at Spreadshirt.com. Meanwhile, Richie is celebrating the release of her first novel, "The Truth About Diamonds," at jeweler Judith Ripka's Beverly Hills, California, boutique on Tuesday. ...

Simple Plan have announced the formation of a charity aimed at helping at-risk teens. Called the Simple Plan Foundation, the organization will make donations to youth-oriented charities that deal with the hardships of drug addiction, depression, suicide and poverty. "These are issues that truly matter to us, because a lot of our fans go though difficult times," the band said in a statement. "We are launching the Simple Plan Foundation to hopefully make a difference in their lives. We feel it's the least we can do." ... U2 are being honored with the 2005 Ambassador of Conscience award, Amnesty International's most prestigious human-rights honor, the organization announced Saturday. The band, whose song "One" has helped promote the worldwide One Campaign that strives to curb the global AIDS epidemic and extreme poverty, particularly in Africa, was praised for its more than two decades of work to promote and protect human rights for all. "From Live Aid in 1985 ... through to Live 8 this past July, U2 has arguably done more than any other band to highlight the cause of global human rights in general and Amnesty International's work in particular," Irene Kahn, Amnesty's secretary general, said in a statement. ...

According to Godsmack bassist Robbie Merrill's blog, available at the National Hockey League's Web site, the band is in a Los Angeles studio recording what will be its fifth studio LP and first since 2003's Faceless. "We are at the end of our session, maybe two or three more weeks," he wrote. "Then we will take a break for the holidays and then start up again in January to mix and master. I am personally loving the music. The band will have a meeting about the songs each bandmember loves and hates. All in all, it is going to be a bleeping good record." ... Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell underwent surgery on his left shoulder last week to repair his glenoid labrum — a ring of fibrocartilage that's part of the shoulder joint. Some bone spurs were also removed. In a statement, Cantrell said, "It's tough not being able to play for a while but I'm really looking forward to getting back out and performing without being in constant pain." ...

The management at the Alrosa Villa nightclub — the Columbus, Ohio, music venue where Pantera/ Damageplan guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott was killed — is having trouble luring metal bands to its stage. According to The Columbus Dispatch, booking agents and a few bands have all but blacklisted the club; in the year following the shootings, just eight national acts have performed there, compared with the 20-25 a year the venue hosted before Dime's murder. "We've lost a tremendous amount of money, not because of Columbus customers, but because bands won't play here," club owner Rick Cautela told the paper. "And no band from Texas wants to play here." ...

• 50 Cent
• Moby
• Eminem
• Lindsay Lohan
• O.A.R.

Jem
Photo: Getty Images

With Play, Moby made it acceptable to license songs to TV shows, movies and advertisements — and Jem thanks him for that every day.

Like the electronic-music mastermind did with his 1999 breakthrough album, she too has licensed every song from her 2004 debut, Finally Woken.

"I'm like prostituting myself," Jem joked. "No, I think it used to be a sort of dodgy thing to do, but I mean as far as I'm concerned, as long as it's done creatively ... I don't want my music on like a dodgy food ad or something, but I think that I'm really flattered and its catch is huge. I did write the album to be heard."

Back when Finally Woken was released (see "Jem Out To Make People Forget All About The Holograms"), "The O.C." was the first to use her music, eventually inviting her on to the show to sing at the wedding of two of the main characters.

Since then, songs like "They," "Just a Ride" and "Finally Woken" have appeared in "Six Feet Under," "Desperate Housewives," "Without a Trace" and "Grey's Anatomy," and the release of her second Stateside single, "24," has been tied in with the show of the same name. All the while Jem has watched her record sales slowly climb.

"Honestly, it's not even a money thing," she said. "I don't even see that; it goes straight to [recouping] the record. It's funny 'cause my brother gets publishing [checks] on some of my songs and he'll call, 'I just got blah blah blah,' and I'm like, 'You bastard!' But it's a good way with a country this big to get it out there."

In England, Jem's home country, she's been able to go the more standard promotional route, releasing a string of singles and videos, with the third, "Wish I," dropping in September. She's also been getting her name out there the old fashioned way in both countries through relentless touring.

"It's fun jumping back and forth, it kind of keeps your feet on the ground," she said. "Over there, they're like putting my head on billboards and I'm one of the top 10, but then it's nice 'cause there's something about America where it's a slow growth, but it's so real life."

Jem hopes that some of the videos she's made for her U.K. singles get released in America, but she's also ready to move on to her next record.

"I've got almost a second album ready but with the touring unfortunately the writing [time] does suffer a bit," she said. "Eminem once said if he doesn't write songs he feels like sh-- and I was like, 'Totally!' The last song I've recorded on my own in a studio was last January and it kind of cripples you a little bit."

Time will tell where Jem goes with her follow-up, but she expects it won't stray too far from Finally Woken.

"I think the next one's going to be pretty similar and maybe the one after that, but I think at some point I'm going to lose my mind — whether on purpose or not on purpose — and just go a bit crazy," she said. "But the next one I really like the mix of the upbeat stuff, 'cause especially when you're singing live it's a lot more fun, but I like every now and then to have a real soul kind of feeling song that's beautiful and acoustic."

In the meantime, Jem has "kept sane" by collaborating with Jurassic 5 DJ Cut Chemist on a track for his upcoming solo record.

"It's way sexy," she said. "We tried to tone it down, but I seem to either write pure filthy sexy songs or very sad ones. I'm like, 'What's happened to my head?' It must be being on tour. It makes you go a bit weird."

Jem recently wrapped up a U.S. tour with Josh Kelley (see "Josh Kelley Forgoes The Booze For Sophomore LP, Almost Honest") and will kickoff a run of U.K. shows this month.

• Jem
• Moby

Gang of Four, circa 1979
Photo: Wounded Bird Records

Common rock lore states that although the Velvet Underground didn't sell many albums when they were around, just about everyone who bought one started their own band.

If Lou Reed's old band has an '80s equivalent, it seems to be Gang of Four. The pioneering Leeds, England, post-punk group never broke sales records, but a whole new generation of bands has unabashedly picked up on the Gang's pioneering mix of dub, funk, rock, punk, social commentary and walls of dissonant noise. And now some of those acts — including No Doubt, Beck, Hot Hot Heat, Bloc Party, Massive Attack, the Dandy Warhols and Futureheads — are expected to return the favor by appearing on an upcoming Gang of Four remix album.

Singer Jon King, guitarist Andy Gill, drummer Hugo Burnham and bassist Dave Allen reunited last year for a series of well-received U.K. gigs that have set the stage for an upcoming American run that marks their first-ever full tour of the U.S. with the original lineup. The tour kicked off Sunday with a gig at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio, California.

Gill continues to work on the two-disc Gang of Four compilation, due August 30. One disc contains re-recorded Gang of Four songs from the first three records — Entertainment!, Solid Gold and Songs of the Free — by the original band. The other disc is a remix collection slated to feature many of the bands inspired by the group. The first single, the Gang's re-recording of "To Hell With Poverty," is available now on iTunes.

The full lineup of remixers for the compilation — tentatively titled The Embarrassment of Paleface, (a reference to the artwork of Entertainment!) — is still being worked out, according to Gill. "In some cases, the bands have re-recorded the vocals and done a whole new track," he said.

While Gill noted that former Bush singer Gavin Rossdale is an avowed fan of the Gang, it's a member of his wife's band, No Doubt, doing a remix of "Ether" for the set — which originally was saddled with the cheeky title The Best Record Ever Made. "It's quite tough sounding," he said of No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal's interpretation. "I think people will be surprised, 'cause they've done something quite hard with it."

Other artists currently slated to contribute songs are Beck, Massive Attack, the Dandy Warhols and Moby, who hopes to entirely re-record his track with a live backing band. So far, the Futureheads have signed on to do a cover of "Anthrax," Bloc Party has chosen "To Hell With Poverty" and Hot Hot Heat are tackling "Damaged Goods."

One of the band's most recognizable songs, "I Love a Man in a Uniform," is being re-imagined by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, with Karen O recording new vocals.

"I gave Nick [Zinner] from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs the multitrack that I recorded, and he played around with it and got some wacky sounds out of it and Karen does some singing on it. It's different. I gave them a pretty straightforward version of the song and they definitely played around with it."

"It's an odd project," Gill said. "But when people hear it, they will say 'Wow!' It's odd to hear songs from decades ago re-recorded."

Gill said one of the reasons he was inspired to do the project was his disenchantment with the sound on the group's landmark 1979 album Entertainment!

"I don't think it sounds anything like how we sounded onstage," Gill said. "The drums sounded like Tupperware boxes. There's nothing wrong with the way it sounds, but it would be nice to have something reflecting how we sounded onstage with those powerful drums. The way we're recording it now, it sounds much punchier and explosive. When you hear the live kick drum, it's like being whacked in the stomach. And the snare pops your eyeballs out."

Gang of Four North American tour dates, according to the band's publicist:

• 5/2 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
• 5/3 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
• 5/5 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
• 5/6 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox
• 5/7 - Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
• 5/10 - Minneapolis, MN @ Quest Club
• 5/11 - Chicago, IL @ Metro/ Smart Bar
• 5/12 - Chicago, IL @ Metro/ Smart Bar
• 5/13 - Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
• 5/14 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
• 5/16 - Boston, MA @ Avalon
• 5/17 - New York , NY @ Irving Plaza
• 5/18 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
• 5/20 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
• 5/21 - Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts

• Gang of Four
• No Doubt
• Beck
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Moby

Photo: MTV News

LOS ANGELES — "Hotels fascinate me," Moby mused Monday evening after performing songs from his Hotel at a poolside party at the W. "They're such strange places, 'cause they're public places that are also very private."

Regardless, Moby never knew why he titled his latest album Hotel until literally mid-interview Monday.

"I just thought of a good answer for why it's called Hotel," he said, interrupting a question about the many breakup tracks on the record. "The album is very much a breakup album. It's that situation where you're in a relationship and you really love the other person, but maybe you both know it's not going to last. So maybe that's why it's called Hotel, because a hotel is a place that you stay but you don't live.

"Fantastic!" he continued, liking what he was saying. "And that also explains the artwork, 'cause the artwork is just me alone in the hotel. The only problem is this is the end of the promo tour, so for the last four months I've been trying to think of good reasons why it's called Hotel."

Maybe Moby should just redo the promo tour. Judging by the reaction to his acoustic set at the W, his fans would be behind it.

As dressed-to-impressed VIPs sipped free apple martinis outside the swanky hotel, Moby and his "band" (guitarist Daron Murphy and singers Laura Dawn Murphy and Lucy Butler) strummed through a set of Hotel tunes and reworked favorites, beginning with Play's "Honey."

The 45-minute set also included covers of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire," a song Moby boasted that he'd taught John Kerry how to play, and Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side."

Among the new tracks was his current single, "Beautiful," during which he ad-libbed lines about how pretty he looked (see "Moby Takes Aim At Nick And Jessica With 'Beautiful' ").

"Most of the songs on Hotel were actually written with an acoustic guitar, so doing acoustic versions comes pretty naturally," Moby said afterward. "Redoing some of the old songs on acoustic guitar was a little bit of a challenge, but then again, I grew up playing guitar, so it's just something that comes naturally to me."

Moby will return to the electric guitar and synthesizer versions of the songs when he hits the road for a national tour later this month — with left-field Canadian rapper Buck 65 in support — although he hopes to maintain a similar vibe to his acoustic set.

"The last tour we did for the album 18 was just a complete over-the-top huge tour, especially in Europe, where we had three or four tour buses and three big trucks," Moby said. "It was what I thought I always wanted, playing to 15,000 people a night, but it wasn't nearly as creatively satisfying as I thought. So this tour we're scaling things down ... focusing more on the musicians and the performance and maybe a degree of intimacy that might have been missing on the last tour."

Moby has yet to decide on the second U.S. single from Hotel, but since different first singles were released in other countries — "Spiders," "Lift Me Up," "Raining Again" and "Where You End" — he's already got a few finished videos he could use.

"We made a video for 'Lift Me Up' with Evan Bernard, which is great because he and I have been neighbors for the last 10 years, so it was nice to finally make a video together," Moby said of the director behind Green Day's "Minority" and Kelly Osbourne's "Shut Up." "And we just made a nice low-budget video for 'Raining Again' in Germany. We shot in this dilapidated, crazy old building."

Another second-single possibility is Moby's cover of New Order's "Temptation," which has been heralded in a lot of the reviews of Hotel. Moby, who had a Joy Division quote below his high school yearbook picture, decided to remake the tune after hearing it one morning in his New York cafe, Teany (see "Moby Gets His Paul Newman On: Announces Beverage Line, Cookbook").

"It just struck me how vulnerable and romantic the lyrics were," he said. "And it was one of my ex-girlfriend's favorite songs, and even though I didn't write the song, it is sort of strangely descriptive of our relationship."

Regardless of what hits the airwaves, Moby is hoping several of his Hotel songs find homes, as he's using the same licensing plans he did with Play, where every track was used in a movie, TV show or commercial.

"When I make a record, I work very hard on it and I want to do whatever I can to get people to listen to it, but because I'm not a natural fit anywhere, I have to look at licensing," Moby said. "And licensing to movies is great because if I go on a date to the movies, I get to impress my date and say, 'Oh, that song that's playing now, that's my song.' "

Moby tour dates, according to his publicist:

• 4/11 - Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa
• 4/12 - Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
• 4/14 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
• 4/15 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
• 4/16 - Boston, MA @ Avalon
• 4/17 - Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
• 4/18 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
• 4/20 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall
• 4/22 - Detroit, MI @ State Theatre
• 4/23 - Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
• 4/24 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
• 4/25 - Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theatre
• 4/27 - Salt Lake City, UT @ In the Venue
• 4/28 - Las Vegas, NV @ Hard Rock Hotel - The Joint
• 5/1 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
• 5/3 - Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
• 5/4 - Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
• 5/6 - San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
• 5/7 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern LG
• 5/8 - San Diego, CA @ 4th & B

• Moby

Woodie Awards Biggest and Brightest Moments

• Moby
• Emmanuel Jal
• Debbie Harry
• Mark Hoppus
• Q-Tip

Woodie Awards 2008 Winners and Presenters

• Moby
• Emmanuel Jal
• Jack's Mannequin
• Paramore
• Chromeo

Woodie Awards 2008 Red Carpet

• Paramore
• The All-American Rejects
• All Time Low
• Lykke Li
• Santigold

Meet The Cast Of "Suck"

• Alice Cooper
• Moby
• Iggy Pop

Paramore, All-American Rejects, More Take Home Timber At The 2008 mtvU Woodie Awards

• Paramore
• The All-American Rejects
• Lykke Li
• Moby
• Boys Like Girls

Paramore, Lil Wayne, More At Virgin Mobile Festival 2008

• Lil Wayne
• Paramore
• Lupe Fiasco
• Wilco
• Bloc Party

2006 EMA Red Carpet

• Juliette & the Licks
• Diddy
• Kanye West
• Snoop Dogg
• Fat Joe

Dare to Wear

• Gwen Stefani
• Snoop Dogg
• Christina Aguilera
• Mudvayne
• Mary J. Blige

"Bring 'Em Home Now" Concert In New York

• Peaches
• Rufus Wainwright
• R.E.M.
• Devendra Banhart
• Bright Eyes

2005 MTV Europe Music Awards Nominees

• Coldplay
• Gorillaz
• Shakira
• Moby
• Gwen Stefani