Kelly Clarkson in "Since U Been Gone"
Photo: RCA

Valentine's Day — you either love it or hate it. It makes sweethearts swoon and others want to stab fat cherubs with a bow and arrow. Between the chocolate hearts, the red roses and the teddy bears shoved in our faces, the holiday stirs up a cocktail of emotions: happiness, despair, jealousy, grief, sadness, desire ...

MTV News has all your mood swings covered. In honor of this beloved and dreaded holiday, we're rolling out the Best Love Songs, Best Breakup Songs, Best Makeout Songs and Worst Love Songs in recent memory. It's our Valentine's Day gift to you, minus the dinner-and-a-movie part. So slip into something comfortable, and stay for a while.

Can we just be friends? After all the late-night phone calls, the love notes, the long talks, the weeks spent making promises, that's all you get. Thanks a lot!

There's no gentle way around it — breakups blow. When your heart (and ego) has been ripped to shreds, these artists offer some solace. Walk away from the Ben & Jerry's and rock out to our "screw you" breakup ballads.

10. No Doubt - "Ex-Girlfriend"
Gwen Stefani and crew visit the "woulda-shoulda-coulda" mentality that often rears its ugly head when a relationship kicks the bucket.

9. Jennifer Lopez - "Ain't It Funny"
J.Lo shows her ex the door in this 2002 anthem. Nexxxxxt!

8. The Ting Tings - "Shut Up and Let Me Go"
We couldn't have said it better than the title, which is why we heart the Ting Tings.

7. Kanye West - "Heartless"
Kanye asks the same question on all our minds: "How could you be so heartless?"

6. Carrie Underwood - "Before He Cheats"
Channel all your anger through this 2007 breakup ballad. Just don't follow Carrie's lead by keying your ex's car or slashing his or her tires. Restraining orders aren't "sexy."

5. Pink - "So What"
Think of Pink as a burly high school football coach. In this song, she lyrically smacks your ass and tells you to get back in the game.

4. Justin Timberlake - "Cry Me a River"
Long rumored to be about his famous ex Britney Spears, Justin doesn't mince words: He's pissed and he wants revenge. And after her last few turbulent years, something tells us Brit did a lot of crying.

3. Destiny's Child - "Survivor"
Gather your strength and move on with the help of Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. You will get through this.

2. Alanis Morissette - "You Oughta Know"
Have they already forgotten about you and moved on? Alanis leaves a nasty reminder note in this ultimate breakup song.

1. Kelly Clarkson - "Since U Been Gone"
This "American Idol" alum tells her ex to suck it! If this 2004 single doesn't bring a smile to your face, nothing will.

Do you love it or are you just not that into our picks? Tell us why in the comment section below.

Now that you have the tracks to set the mood, you should gauge your plans with what the celebs are doing. No date? Don't forget that there are single, hot guys that you might have a chance with. Happy Valentine's Day!

• Valentine's Day: Best Breakup Songs

• No Doubt
• Kanye West
• Carrie Underwood
• Destiny's Child
• Kelly Clarkson

Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl
Photo: Karl Walter/Getty Images

Foo Fighters have sketched out their 2008 tour plans, which include the band's first-ever show at Madison Square Garden in New York. Dates for the jaunt — the Foos' biggest one yet in the U.S. — are as follows, with more expected to be announced: Sunrise, Florida (January 16); Orlando, Florida (January 17); Birmingham, Alabama (January 19); Pensacola, Florida (January 20); Houston (January 22); Dallas (January 23); Memphis, Tennessee (January 25); Nashville (January 26); Fayetteville, Arkansas (January 28); Oklahoma City (January 29); Worcester, Massachusetts (February 18); New York (February 19); Philadelphia (February 21); Detroit (February 24); Chicago (February 25); and Minneapolis (February 27). The band will be trekking in support of September's Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace. ...

Chris Brown, John Legend, Queen Latifah and Wyclef Jean appear on various covers of Black Enterprise's December issue, which hit stands Tuesday (November 27) with five different covers. Mary J. Blige, Nick Cannon, Diddy, and Alicia Keys are also included on the magazine's year-end Hot List celebrating "bold innovators" under age 40. The issue hits newsstands Tuesday (November 27). ... Legend can't get enough of Baileys — first the singer/songwriter linked up with the liqueur maker for his Baileys Get Together Tour, and now there's a related hourlong special on the way. "Baileys Entertainment Presents Get Together With John Legend," which was taped earlier this month during a stop on the tour, will feature concert performances, interviews and exclusive behind-the-scenes clips with Legend and artists from his Homeschool Records label: Estelle, the James Gang and Vaughn Anthony. The program will air December 16 at 9 p.m. ET on TV One. ...

Kevin Federline — who only made $7,436 in 2006, news outlets reported after documents pertaining to his child-custody battle with ex-wife Britney Spears were released a few weeks ago — has nevertheless landed on the cover of Details magazine's "Power + Influence Issue." He and former Anna Nicole Smith boyfriend Larry Birkhead are tied for the seventh spot on the magazine's list of most-influential men under 45. "They emerged as unlikely candidates for Dad of the Year," Details says. ... A-list celebs Angelina Jolie and Don Cheadle, who have been in the limelight as much for their social-outreach efforts as they have for their movie roles, have been nominated for Spirit Awards. Cate Blanchett, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Sienna Miller will also be up for honors at the show, due to air live on the Independent Film Channel on February 23. ...

Lily Allen has announced that she was diagnosed with a heart murmur three months ago, BBC News reports. The 22-year-old told Grazia magazine that she found out about the condition when she recently switched doctors and that her recent 19-pound weight loss was a result of exercise and a diet change following the discovery. "I used to love nothing more than sitting in front of the telly with two packets of Ginger Nuts and two bags of milk-bottle sweets — and I'd devour the lot," Allen told the magazine. "But this heart thing has made me cut back on all that kind of crap," she said. "I now find that, because I am looking after myself, I don't feel like eating the bad stuff so much." ... Radiohead have finally announced some tour dates for 2008, according to Pitchfork. The group will reportedly play Germany's Southside Festival and Hurricane Festival, both of which are slated to take place June 20-22. It's not yet clear on which dates the band will perform. ... Rick Ross' second effort won't be happening this year, Billboard.com reports. According to the site, Trilla has moved from a December 18 release date to February 19. ...

Three detectives accused of covering up evidence in the Notorious B.I.G. case can be added as defendants in a wrongful-death lawsuit the late rapper's family filed against the City of Los Angeles, a judge ruled Monday. The Christopher Wallace family has argued that Los Angeles Police Department Risk Management Group detectives Stanley Nalywaiko and Stuart Maislin, along with detective Steven Katz, "failed to supervise or directly participated in the concealment of evidence in this case." U.S. District Court Judge Florence-Marie Cooper — who declared a mistrial in the case two years ago after determining Katz hid statements linking the Notorious B.I.G.'s death to two policemen, David A. Mack and Rafael Perez, said "the attempted concealment of evidence and failure to respond to officer wrongdoing is a central issue in this case," and that the family's request could be granted. The Wallace family's top attorney, Perry R. Sanders Jr., said the ruling "gives the family a chance to prove to the world that police were involved in the murder — and that high officials have covered up for those officers. The family is extremely pleased to have the opportunity to hold accountable some of the key people involved in the coverup." The Wallace family also asked that other defendants be added to the suit — that request was denied, although the estate will be able to file separate suits against the additional individuals. ...

Nine Inch Nails' new Remix.NIN.com Web site has launched despite coming under fire from their former record label, Universal. Controversy had erupted over the site, which was intended to be erected following last week's release of Y34RZ3R0R3MIX3D as a home for fans' mash-ups of NIN songs. ... Interpol have pumped out their first batch of official live recordings, exclusively via ThinkIndie.com. Their six-song, simply titled Live EP is available now and captures the band playing at London's Astoria on July 2. The tracks include "Obstacle 1," "Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always Down," "Pioneer to the Falls," "Mammoth," "Rest My Chemistry" and "The Heinrich Maneuver." ... The four members of the Bratz plan to give four girls something new to cheer about: $15,000 scholarships for college. Named after the group members — Yasmin, Cloe, Sasha and Jade — the scholarships will be awarded to the girls who create the best essays answering the question "What are you most passionate about in life, and how would you use this scholarship to help you grow?" Additional details on the Bratz Scholarship Contest are included in the just-released DVD "Bratz: The Movie." ...

Ghostface, Raekwon, Talib Kweli, Young Buck and others have piled onto Hi-Teknology 3, the latest collection from Cincinnati hip-hop producer Hi-Tek. The disc is due December 11, and its first single is "My Piano" (featuring Ghostface, Raekwon and Dion). ... Fat Joe is getting a big thank-you from In Arms Reach Inc., a nonprofit group that reaches out to New York children whose parents are or have been incarcerated. The rapper will be honored Thursday at a dinner and awards ceremony to be held at the City University of New York's City College. Trey Songz will perform at the event. "I'm proud to help bring awareness to this segment of youth, at a time when so many of our families in the minority community remain separated by the system," Fat Joe said in a statement. ... Alanis Morissette is slated for induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, according to the Globe and Mail. The 33-year-old Ottawa native will receive the award on March 7 as part of the Canadian Radio Music Awards in Toronto. ...

Van Halen have spilled out loads more 2008 dates for their ongoing reunion trek. The additional gigs will be held in San Antonio (January 24); Dallas (January 26); Denver (February 1); New Orleans (February 8); Orlando, Florida (February 14); Jacksonville, Florida (February 16); Tampa, Florida (February 18); Charlottesville, Virginia (February 22); Fort Wayne, Indiana (March 3); Cincinnati (March 5); Raleigh, North Carolina (March 7); Baltimore (March 9); Manchester, New Hampshire (March 11); East Rutherford, New Jersey (March 13); New York (March 17); Hershey, Pennsylvania (March 19); Pittsburgh (March 21); Providence, Rhode Island (March 24); Uncasville, Connecticut (March 26); Atlantic City, New Jersey (March 28); Columbus, Ohio (April 1); Chicago (April 3); Grand Rapids, Michigan (April 5); and Milwaukee (April 7). ... Ozzy Osbourne is even more controversial than his fans thought. According to NBC News affiliate KGET, the metal god inspired an emergency ordinance in Bakersfield, California, prior to his playing in the city for fear that he would repeat some of his notorious behavior onstage. Back in 1982, weeks before Osbourne was to perform in Bakersfield, then-Mayor Mary Kay Shell "advised the council [that] a musical rock star scheduled to perform in Bakersfield in June sometimes makes it a practice to bite the head off a bird during or at the conclusion of his performance," according to KGET. The council then adopted an ordinance prohibiting the killing of animals during theatrical performances — or the Ozzy Osbourne Ordinance, as it was called at the time. ...

Janet Jackson fans, get psyched for '08: The singer is prepping a tour and has penciled in her new album for February, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Her yet-untitled debut for Island Def Jam will be executive produced by L.A. Reid — not boyfriend and Island Urban prez Jermaine Dupri. ... New York hip-hop personality Angie Martinez survived an ugly car crash late last week as she readied her first annual Angie Martinez Hair Show and Beauty Expo over the weekend at the Hammerstein Ballroom. The Hot 97 on-air jock told MTV News she fell asleep at the wheel of her car and crashed over a median before colliding with several cars. Martinez was uninjured except for a slight limp. Her two-day expo brought out Missy Elliott, Lil Mama, Nina Sky, Jim Jones, Juelz Santana and others. Cassidy, Trey Songz and Fabolous performed. ...

The Black Crowes have pegged March 4 as the release date for their first new studio album in seven years, Warpaint. The disc will feature 10 songs written by Chris and Rich Robinson — plus a cover of "God's Got It" by Reverend Charlie Jackson — and come out through the band's Silver Arrow Records label. It will also help usher in two new Crowes, guitarist Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars and keyboardist Adam MacDougall. In related news, Dickinson is re-forming his side project the Word with fellow Allstars Chris Chew and Cody Dickinson, John Medeski and Robert Randolph. The group, which also reunited in 2005 for Bonnaroo, has lined up four December gigs, in Hartford, Connecticut (26th); New York (27th); Philadelphia (28th); and Washington, D.C. (29th). ...

For years now, American festival promoters have shamelessly borrowed from English fests like Glastonbury in setting up multi-day destination events like Bonnaroo and Coachella. Now, Festival Republic — the promoter behind three of the biggest English festivals: Reading, Leeds and Glasto — is getting together with the promoters of the revived Lollapalooza, Austin, Texas' C3 Presents, to put on the Vineland Music Festival on a privately owned 500-acre farm in New Jersey on August 8-10. No lineups have been announced yet, but in a press release, organizers promised a "weekend of pure unadulterated rock and roll pleasure" with a "heady mix of the greatest bands in the world, energy charged sets; new rising stars and the freshest acts hitting the stages before the press have had a sniff of them." Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic, said last month that he had secured a site in Jersey and was eager to join the fray in America with his own camping fest. "It hasn't gone unnoticed that American promoters keep coming over and seeing my shows, so I thought, 'Crikey!, I need to get over there and do something before there's no room left." ...

With Army of Anyone on hiatus, singer Richard Patrick has revived his former band Filter. A new album is in the works and could be in stores early next year, he announced on his MySpace page. "I am totally cramming on a new Filter record," he said. "I'm working with some amazing people — all new people. This is absolutely the most amazing stuff I've ever done, and I'm really proud of it." ... Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor's cover band, the DumFux, have booked a gig at the Val Air Ballroom in Des Moines, Iowa, for December 31. On a Pale Horse and Scrue are also on the bill. Tickets for the show will set you back $15. ...

Mario Gutierrez, guitarist for Los Angeles death/thrash metallers Engrave, died late last week of gunshot wounds he sustained during an argument with his brother-in-law, according to the Los Angeles Times. Gutierrez, 37, was reportedly shot and killed in El Sereno, California, at about 10:45 p.m. on Thursday. Police said Gutierrez and his brother-in-law got into an argument during the family's Thanksgiving gathering over a remark the brother-in-law had made about Gutierrez's wife, according to the Times. The argument reportedly escalated to pushing and shoving, and eventually spilled out onto the street, where Gutierrez was shot. The 27-year-old brother-in-law turned himself in to the police a few hours later. ...

Carson Daly is going it alone. The host of "Last Call With Carson Daly" has announced that he will be the first late-night talker to go back on the air since the writers' strike started on November 5. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Daly is expected to start taping new episodes this week and will begin airing them next week.

11.26.07

Wildfires broke out in Malibu, California, again over the weekend, and among those impacted were Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, who lost a home due to the flames, and Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose, who had a close call when the fires burned his roof and singed some of his property. According to a report on KCAL-TV, Rose's assistant said the rocker "was with the hose everywhere" on his property, fighting to save his home. The Los Angeles Times reports that Flea said in a text message that his $4.8 million home in Corral Canyon was "burnt to a crisp" by the fires on Saturday morning. According to TMZ.com, a second, $10 million Malibu home owned by Flea — the one in which he currently resides — did not burn. The one that did was a $4.8 million house that the bassist rents and currently has up for sale, the site reports. ...

Mary J. Blige is slated to perform at an upcoming Lifebeat benefit event honoring Stephen Hill, executive vice president of entertainment and music programming at BET. "Live Beats: A Night of Musical Mayhem and Tonal Terror Fashioned by Fun(k)," set to take place December 4 at New York's Highline Ballroom, will salute the Lifebeat board member for his work in fighting AIDS/HIV. Proceeds from the event will go to Lifebeat, and a related contest will give the winner a chance to play onstage at the venue with Blige's 10-piece backing band. For more info, go to Lifebeat.org. Adding to her good-Samaritan cred, Blige also played last week at a homeless-initiatives benefit show hosted by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and staged by the Staples Center Foundation at the city's Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE. ...

Ho ho huh? Nelly Furtado has ganged up with members of AFI, LCD Soundsystem, the Faint, Panthers, the Horrors, Terror and the Black Lips for an upcoming charity release by Canadian hardcore-punk princes F---ed Up. The track is featured as the B-side on the band's new holiday single, and all proceeds will go to the George Herman House, a Toronto transitional-housing and life-skills program supporting women with mental-health issues. In more conventional news, Furtado has piled together a CD and DVD for her recent Get Loose World Tour. The items, both called Loose the Concert, will drop December 4 and feature 11 and 17 selections, respectively, from the trek. The DVD features a cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" as well as 30 minutes of documentary material ...

If you think Furtado's collaborative affair is out there, try this one on for size: Pete Wentz + Perez Hilton. The Fall Out Boy bassist and gossip guru have joined forces to create a new tee for Wentz's Clandestine Industries. They've come up with a name for it — "I Love Being a Sh--talker" — but are staging a contest to determine the design. The shirt will be sold at the new Clandestine Industries store in Chicago and on the company's Web site, ClandestineIndustries.com, and the winner will get a tee signed by Wentz and Hilton. The deadline to submit an original design is December 14, and the winner will be named seven days later — go to FriendsorEnemies.com for the 411 on how to enter. ...

While Time has yet to decide if J.K. Rowling will best Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore and others for Person of the Year, the "Harry Potter" author has earned her place as the Entertainer of the Year in another magazine, Entertainment Weekly. The publication said she deserves the honor for getting "people to tote around her big, old-fashioned printed-on-paper books as if they were the hottest new entertainment devices on the planet." Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, George Clooney and Will Smith also made EW's list of 25 top entertainers of the year. ...

Linkin Park plan to keep touring in 2008, and they'll be bringing Coheed and Cambria along for the ride. So far, just two dates have been announced for the groups' tour leg: February 16 in Detroit and February 18 in Manchester, New Hampshire. More dates will be revealed in the coming weeks. ... Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood's instrumental score to the upcoming Paul Thomas Anderson film "There Will Be Blood" is due in stores December 18. The movie hits theaters eight days later. The score includes material Greenwood wrote for a previous orchestral piece, "Popcorn Superhet Receiver," which will debut in concert in the U.S. in January when he participates in New York's Wordless Music Series. ... U2's Bono and the Edge surprised about 200 fans on Friday at the small London venue Union Chapel with a 20-minute, four-song acoustic set. According to a report on the band's Web site, the duo played "Stay," "Desire," "Angel of Harlem" and the recently unearthed rarity "Wave of Sorrow," which had never been played live and for which the Edge played keyboards. The gig was part of the Little Noise Sessions put on by Mencap, a group that aids people with learning disabilities. ...

Hulk Hogan said he was totally unaware that his wife of 24 years, Linda Marie Bollea, had recently filed for divorce when asked to comment on Friday by the St. Petersburg Times. According to the paper, Linda filed a petition for the dissolution of their marriage last Tuesday, unbeknownst to her husband. After learning of the development, the wrestler then reportedly thanked the reporter for the "great information" and hung up, calling back five minutes later to say he'd been "kind of shocked" by the news. "You caught me off guard. My wife has been in California for about three weeks," Hogan reportedly said. "Holy smokes. Wow, you just knocked the bottom out of me. I just pulled over to the side of the road for five minutes to find out what was going on here." According to The Associated Press, Linda Bollea requested alimony and child support for their 17-year-old son, Nick Bollea, as well as a share of the family's two multimillion-dollar properties in Florida, in her divorce petition, which calls the marriage "irretrievably broken." The couple married in 1983 and have two children, 19-year-old singer Brooke Hogan and Nick, who was involved in an August car crash that left a passenger critically injured. ...

The critics and moviegoers might be loving "American Gangster," but one New York City Drug Enforcement agent apparently isn't so fond of the film. According to TMZ.com, ex-agent Gregory Korniloff is threatening legal action against the movie's studio, Universal, for what he claims are "false and defamatory statements." In a recently filed cease-and-desist letter filed by his attorney, Korniloff demands a retraction of statements made in the movie, which allegedly presents several misleading facts and incorrectly states that a third of NYC DEA agents were convicted on charges related to gangster Frank Lucas. The now-retired agent was the case agent for the DEA and, as the letter reportedly states, "personally participated in the search of Lucas' house ... and the arrest of Lucas on that same day."

It was another rough weekend for Amy Winehouse. First, according to Reuters, the singer's husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, was denied bail and ordered to remain in custody until at least January 18 after appearing in a London court on Friday, charged with allegedly beating up a bartender. Fielder-Civil and another man, Michael Brown, were slated to stand trial this month in the case, in which they are accused of roughing up pub landlord James King last June. But the trial was recently delayed after police arrested Fielder-Civil and accused him of conspiracy to obstruct justice in the assault case. The news was hardly better for Winehouse, who reportedly showed up 45 minutes late for her gig Saturday night at London's Hammersmith Apollo, at which point some fans were already asking for refunds. NME reported that there was a loud chorus of boos by the time Winehouse finally took the stage and things only got worse from there, including a bit where her famous towering beehive almost toppled over and fell off. At one point, looking bored, she walked offstage and let her backup singers take over lead vocals. During the show's encore she left again, midway through a song, and didn't return. ...

The mystery surrounding AlbumSix.com just keeps growing. The site, believed by many to be a stealth Weezer affair, was under scrutiny again, when the bandmembers posted on its official Web site last week that they have no affiliation with it or any news it purports to have. Weezer also disputed the site's claims that the next album would be called Tout Ensemble and that it already has an official release date. According to a post on AlbumSix, "Weezer and Geffen Records have no affiliation with www.albumsix.com. ... We are honestly surprised how long this lasted. We expected that the media would contact Interscope or Weezer, and they would squash things immediately. But somehow, we slipped through the traditions of journalism. ... We never expected anyone to believe it. We thought we'd get a few Weezer fans on the boards to get excited, but we never actually thought we'd become a legitimate news source. We can't say we blame the media. Viral marketing is the hot new thing. However, we hoped you learned a lesson. ... We are extremely excited about the new Weezer album and are glad to see that everyone seems to share our excitement. We will be anxiously awaiting the real release date and title of album six along with everybody else. Until then, thanks for playing." Weezer offered a "well played" to the people behind the site. ...

Break out your lighters: Extreme are reuniting for a world tour and new album next year. The group broke up 11 years ago but got together in 2004-'06 for a brief re-formation. Guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, who is slated to produce the group's yet-untitled LP, said that in light of the inclusion of the band's song "Play With Me" in "Guitar Hero," "We realized, not only are the people starved for rock 'n' roll, so are we," according to a press release. "Let's eat," he added. ... The Romantics have filed a lawsuit against the makers of the "Guitar Hero" video game series, claiming a cover band tapped to record the act's signature song for the game sounds too much like the original, according to AP. The band's "What I Like About You" appears in "Guitar Hero Encore, Rocks the '80s," and, after declining permission to allow game manufacturer Activision to use the song in the game, the re-recorded version sounds too similar to the original. The band is seeking a cut of royalties produced through sales of the game. ...

The reunited Spice Girls want to set the record straight. After an e-mail went out over the weekend claiming that the group had scrapped a planned gig in Buenos Aires, Argentina, due to high demand for other dates, a spokesperson said the e-mail was a fake and the gig is penciled in for February. A statement on the group's Web site reads, "The Spice Girls would like to make it clear that they have not canceled their Buenos Aires show. ... A story has appeared on several Web sites that includes a fake e-mail and competition from the girls. The fake e-mail claims that due to the demand so far in the U.K. and the U.S. this show is going to be canceled. ... The e-mail goes on to say that they will be running some competitions for their South American fans to travel to the U.K. to watch a show. This is not the case and this email is 100 percent unofficial and has nothing to do with the Spice Girls." ...

A judge set a February 25 court date for faded 1980s pop star Boy George, who has been accused of falsely imprisoning a 28-year-old male escort by chaining him to a wall in his London apartment in April. George (born George O'Dowd), 46, spoke only to confirm his name in court on Thursday, and was released on bail and ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim, according to reports.

• Foo Fighters
• Lily Allen
• Fat Joe
• Alanis Morissette
• Slipknot

Justin Timberlake
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

The news happens all the time, even while you're catching up on your beauty sleep. Check out this brief rundown to bring you up to speed this morning — a quick heads up from your friends at MTV News.

Here's what we've got:

Usher is hard at work on his new LP with producer Jermaine Dupri, and JD said the singer's new fiancee, Tameka Foster, has inspired at least one new song, "The Realest." "Most of the time with Usher it's about the magic," JD said. "For the first month or so of us being in the studio, it's all mostly conversation to drive me to that point where I go into the room and hear something that clicks. He was like, 'I got the realest woman in the world.' And within the hour, I heard what we should be saying in the hook, and he was like, 'Yeah, let's go.' " ...

T.I.'s next album is a battle between his two personas, but the grittier T.I.P. wins out when it comes to the first single. "Big Things Poppin' ", his collaboration with Mannie Fresh, hits radio next week. T.I. told us that the song "is really just me talking to these people who say things and can't back it up." ...

Pearl Jam, Modest Mouse, the Roots, Snow Patrol, Amy Winehouse, Kings of Leon and Muse lead the lineup for Lollapalooza, set to hit Chicago's Grant Park August 3-5. ...

And a teary Haley Scarnato waved goodbye to "American Idol" last night — after 45 minutes of non-elimination action led by Jennifer Lopez, Akon, even Tony Bennett. ...

Quote of the Day: "I think every man wants to have that partner in life he can share the hottest moments with." — Usher

Here's what everyone else is talking about:

Justin Timberlake has lined up a couple of big pop allies. People reports that he's keeping in touch with Britney, and told reporters he's rooting for his ex, even calling her a "great woman." Meanwhile, CBS News' Showbuzz reports that Madonna's rep has confirmed that she is working with JT — and Timbaland, of course — on her next album. ...

OK, Fergie's a good sport, we get it. A week after TMZ.com reported that she sent flowers to Alanis after seeing her "My Humps" parody, People says Ferg didn't do that at all. Instead, she sent Alanis a butt cake — no, not a bundt cake — with "Alanis, You're a genius. Love, Fergie" written in icing. ...

DMX was a no-show for court on Tuesday, and went on to miss his "be there or you're in trouble, mister" appearance on Wednesday. Now there are two warrants out for his arrest, White Plains' Journal News reports. X, who was scheduled to appear in court on a misdemeanor driving count, is now a wanted man in White Plains, New York, and neighboring Yonkers. A lawyer for the rapper said he's out of state, but making efforts to return. ...

Marc Anthony is another musician with legal trouble — and serves as a cautionary tale as tax day nears. The singer will pay $2.5 million in taxes and penalties for neglecting to file for five years, The Associated Press reports. J. Lo apparently handles her own business — and files her own taxes — so she not involved in the investigation. ...

Have no fear, TMZ is on the sex-tape beat, reporting that a video featuring "American Idol" semifinalist Olivia Mojica (who?) from season two's top 24 will be out soon. And rumors of an explicit video featuring "The Hills" star Lauren Conrad are not true, she insists, with "sources close to" LC claiming co-star Heidi Montag may have started the talk. What a pal. ...

And novelist Kurt Vonnegut, the American literary icon responsible for 20th century classics including "Slaughterhouse-Five" and "Cat's Cradle," died Tuesday night in New York, The New York Times reports. He was 84.

• Haley's Out ... And Sanjaya's Not So Bad
• MTV News RAW: Justin Timberlake
• Usher's New Engagements

• In Focus: Justin Timberlake

• Justin Timberlake
• Britney Spears
• Madonna
• Fergie
• Alanis Morissette

Fergie
Photo: MTV/ Getty Images

The news happens all the time, even while you're catching up on your beauty sleep. Check out this brief rundown to bring you up to speed this morning — a quick heads up from your friends at MTV News.

Here's what we've got:

Chamillionaire doesn't care what you think of him anymore. The Houston rapper told us that the success of The Sound of Revenge helped him realize that he had to make music he enjoyed, regardless of its commercial appeal. Cham says he's going back to his mixtape roots on Ultimate Victory, though his guest roster — which includes Snoop Dogg, Kelis, Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne — certainly sounds like money in the bank.

H.I.M. tell us that they don't have the first single from their next album picked — they haven't even finished recording yet — but they do know who they want directing their next video: Bam Margera.

And "Battlestar Galactica" producer Ronald D. Moore spills some secrets on the sci-fi series' future, but doesn't sound too keen on bringing the world to the big screen. "I don't know that there's a great theatrical story out there waiting to be told," he told us. Think of all the films we'd have missed if that stopped everyone.

Quote of the Day: "Yes, we do play Dungeons & Dragons, and we're not ashamed to admit it." — 3 Inches of Blood's Jamie Hooper

Here's what everyone else is talking about:

Fergie either really likes Alanis Morissette's surreal cover of "My Humps" or she's a very good sport. TMZ.com reports that the lady Pea sent Alanis flowers after she saw the video, according to "a source close to" Fergie. This may quiet those "You Can't Do That on Television"/ "Kids Incorporated" beef rumors.

Game is keeping one of his own beefs rolling with a new dis for Vida Guerra. He'd questioned the video vixen's talents on "Wouldn't Get Far", and Vida recently responded with a questionable rap questioning Game's sexuality. The Game's latest response, which premiered on L.A.'s Power 106, isn't his finest lyrical hour — one highlight has him rhyming "... turn me down" with "... burn me, wow."

Avril totally ripped Britney in an interview with British paper The Sun. Except maybe she didn't. Avril said Thursday in an interview with L.A. radio station Star 98.7 — TMZ has an MP3 — that a quote slapping her fellow singer ("What happened to Britney is all down to who she is as a person.") never happened. "I haven't even been talking about her."

If starving could send Sanjaya home (it didn't), maybe non-stop eating will keep him around. That's the idea behind Binge Eating for Sanjaya. What is it about this kid that inspires bad relationships with food? Oh, and the theory that call centers in India are keeping him in the running is probably half-baked. The Associated Press reports that not only are personal calls virtually impossible at most of these operations, but "Idol" also airs a day late in India — to little interest.

"Idol" season five finalist Lisa Tucker has been cast in the Fox pilot "Born in the U.S.A." according to The Hollywood Reporter. No, she doesn't play Bruce Springsteen in the drama, but wouldn't that be something?

And a Chinese take on "American Idol" called "Happy Boys Voice" has been mandated by the country's broadcast regulator to avoid outlandish hairstyles, crying contestants and humiliating critiques, AP reports. "No weirdness," the notice to producers stated. So it really isn't like "Idol" at all.

• Exclusive Avril Lavigne Photos And Magazine Cover Shots
• Britney Spears' Nonstop Night Life

• Fergie
• Alanis Morissette
• Game
• Avril Lavigne
• Britney Spears

Shakira on the cover of <i>Teen People</i>
Photo: Time, inc.

Shakira might have said that she's lucky her breasts are "small and humble" in "Whenever, Wherever," but there was a time when she considered getting breast-augmentation surgery because she was unhappy with her body, the singer reveals in the next issue of Teen People. The magazine's latest cover star also said that wasn't the only plastic surgery she looked into. "I considered ... all kinds of things. 'Maybe my eyebrows should be higher. Maybe my lips should be bigger.' " Eventually Shakira came to accept herself, despite all the insecurities. "I'm actually shy; I've just learned to hide it." But her hips don't lie — and her dancing reveals more skin than she sometimes would like to show. "It's not my hobby to show my belly! The moves I do when I perform require it. People of America, I want you to know that I wear clothes once in a while!" ...

Diddy introduced a select few to the next phase of Bad Boy Records Tuesday night in New York. Sean Combs held a small party at his Daddy's House studio and previewed music by newcomers Cheri Dennis and Yung Joc and veterans 8Ball and MJG. ... Jack White is preparing to unleash his brand-new band, the Raconteurs, on America — for one night, at least. On April 7, the band — which also features Detroit songwriter Brendan Benson and two-thirds of Cincinnati garage-rockers the Greenhornes — will play its first-ever U.S. gig at Irving Plaza in New York. Tickets go on sale Thursday at noon via Ticketmaster.com. The Rac's debut album, Broken Boy Soldiers, is due in stores May 16. ...

Nick Lachey has decided on a title and release date for his second album: What's Left of Me, due May 9. The title is the same as the first single, which recently hit the airwaves. ... Paul Wall has titled his fall release Ain't No 401K for a Hustla. Wall is also set to appear alongside Lil' Keke on The Day Hell Broke Loose 3 compilation, due in August. ... Pimp-C will release a DVD documenting his experiences being incarcerated during the Houston boom in 2005 and what has happened after his recent release. "Pimpalation: Return of the Trill," hosted by MTV News' Sway, is due April 11 and will be followed by a CD called Pimpalation on June 13. ... Foo Fighters will be featured in a pair of episodes of "The West Wing." The shows will air Sunday and April 9 at 8 p.m. on NBC. ... Notorious B.I.G.'s family will receive $1.1 million from the city of Los Angeles after the City Council on Wednesday approved the amount U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper awarded in January. The money covers the family's legal expenses in a civil trial that was ruled a mistrial last year when it was discovered that the Los Angeles Police Department withheld statements that linked two rogue LAPD officers, David Mack and Rafael Perez, to the rapper's shooting. ...

Could it really be over so soon? That's what former Howard Stern listeners across the East Coast and Midwest might have been asking themselves Wednesday morning (March 29) when they turned on their radios to find Stern replacement David Lee Roth absent. Yes, preliminary numbers for Roth have not been promising, but a CBS Radio spokesperson denied reports that the former Van Halen singer had been canned just three months into his gig, saying the motor-mouthed morning man was simply taking a few days off to travel back to New York after broadcasting from Miami Beach Monday and Tuesday. Roth is expected to be back on the air Friday. ... Elsewhere on the dial, Mighty Mighty Bosstones singer Dicky Barrett has attacked Los Angeles' Indie 103.1 after he was recently fired as host of the station's morning show. In a statement released by his publicist, Barrett said he was fired for expressing his dislike on air for a Morrissey song the station was spinning and for an unauthorized pro-choice conversation he had with a caller. Indie General Manager Dawn Girocco responded by saying Dicky was not as committed to the show as he needed to be. ...

After complaints and a lawsuit earlier this year from a Louisiana man, Apple Computer released a software update Wednesday that allows iPod owners to set a maximum volume on their players. The free download works with Nanos and fifth-generation models that play video, and it also allows parents to set a volume limit on their child's iPod and lock it with a special code. The free update is available at apple.com/ipod/download. ... On Monday a judge ordered Michael Jackson and his ex-wife Debbie Rowe to submit copies of legal papers missing from their divorce file, The Associated Press reports. The documents, concerning the custody of the pair's two children, include Rowe's 2001 motion to terminate parental rights and an emergency motion filed two years later seeking temporary custody as well as Jackson's filing opposing his ex-wife's custody motion. Attorneys for Jackson and Rowe have 30 days to turn over the paperwork. A hearing has been set for May 24. ...

As he awaits his murder trial, troubles keep mounting for famed "wall of sound" record producer Phil Spector. A former personal assistant has sued Spector for more than $5 million in Los Angeles, claming sexual harassment, according to an Associated Press report. Spector sued former assistant Michelle Blaine in September, alleging that she skimmed hundreds of thousands of dollars from his accounts. Blaine hit back on Friday, saying that Spector authorized the payments to her, including those for a $700,000 house and that he sexually harassed her, sometimes appeared naked in front of her and once asked Blaine to find a prostitute for him. Blaine also claims that after Spector was charged with the murder of actress Lana Clarkson in 2003, the producer repeatedly proposed marriage to her as a way to block her from testifying against him. Spector's murder trial is slated to begin in September. ...

Eugene Landy, the show-business psychologist famous for his controversial relationship with troubled Beach Boys star Brian Wilson, died March 22 in Honolulu of complications from lung cancer, the Los Angeles Times reports. He was 71. Landy, who also worked with original shock rocker Alice Cooper and actor Rod Steiger, pioneered the concept of "24 hour therapy" when he began treating Wilson in the mid 1970s. Hired to work on Wilson's intense phobias and drug addictions, Landy took control of every aspect of the singer's life, monitoring him 24 hours a day and eventually acting as his manager and artistic collaborator, crossing an ethical line and eventually giving up his license to practice in California after admitting to a charge of unlawfully prescribing drugs in 1989. ...

Prolific songwriter Cindy Walker, known as the "dean of Texas songwriters," died of natural causes Thursday at the age of 87, according to The Los Angeles Times. Walker was known for the more than 500 sentimental, Western-flavored songs she wrote, performed by everyone from Roy Orbison ("Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)"), to Ray Charles ("You Don't Know Me"), with the latter covered by more than 75 artists, including Elvis Presley. Willie Nelson released an album-length tribute to Walker this month called You Don't Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker. Walker, often called the greatest living country music songwriter, was a charter member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1997.

03.28.2006

Mariah Carey's been dreaming of a Broadway Christmas since late 2004, when she originally announced plans for a holiday musical, and now she's finally making progress with her plan. "I don't want to mention anything definitive until things are signed," she told MTV Radio, "but there's a very big company that just signed on to develop the project with me." Carey said the musical — which she'll create, produce and star in — will incorporate music from her 1994 album, Merry Christmas, as well as new material. "It's probably going to be a movie first," she said. "I don't want to say a television movie, because it's not like a cheesy network movie, but then it's going to be made for the Broadway production. So the [TV movie] will set the stage for the stage." ...

It was nothing but royalty Monday night in New York as a king, queen and prince came together for the premiere of "ATL." T.I. (the King of the South), Queen Latifah and former Prince of Bel Air Will Smith (with Jada Pinkett) joined Jay-Z, Usher, DJ Drama, Tisha Campbell and Duane Martin at the Tribeca Theater. Latifah's longtime friends and business partners Shakim Compere and Lance "Un" Rivera were also on hand. ...

Jessica Simpson is moving up in the world — at least as far as FHM's annual list of 100 Sexiest Women is concerned. While Scarlett Johansson nabbed the top spot, Simpson catapulted from #16 on last year's list to #4 this year. Other singers making the top half of the chart include Paris Hilton (#11), Lindsay Lohan (#14), Beyoncé (#18), Shakira (#20), Jennifer Lopez (#26; she was #1 in 2000 and 2001), Mariah Carey (#28), Mandy Moore (#31), Christina Aguilera (#37), Gwen Stefani (#40) and Kelly Clarkson (#50). Hilary Duff, the Black Eyed Peas' Fergie and Stefani were new entries this year, but Britney Spears, who was #1 in 2004, was nowhere to be found (Check out photos of FHM's Sexiest Women.). ... Since Lindsay Lohan's upcoming movie "A Prairie Home Companion" (in theaters June 9) focuses on a radio show, it's only natural that the soundtrack would include some of the songs performed on said show. Out May 23, the soundtrack will feature performances from castmembers Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Woody Harrelson, John C. Reilly and Lohan herself, who contributes "Frankie & Johnny." ...

Not every singer on "American Idol" is a pop-star hopeful or graduate of the performance competition, as recent appearances by Stevie Wonder and Barry Manilow have proven. This week the show hopes to shake things up even further with belly-dancing Shakira, who will perform "Hips Don't Lie" with Wyclef Jean on Wednesday night's elimination episode. ... And forgive us if this one sounds familiar, but Simon Cowell is at it again. After expanding his stranglehold on U.S. viewers with his "American Inventor" show earlier this month, the acerbic "Idol" judge is adding a third show to his empire: "America's Got Talent." Open auditions will begin next month for the NBC show, which will be open to performers of all ages and talents — from singers and dancers to jugglers and magicians, according to Reuters. The show will have a celebrity three-judge panel (it will not include Cowell) and the winner will take home a $1 million prize. ...

Live singer Ed Kowalczyk has released a statement in support of "American Idol" contestant Chris Daughtry, who sang a cover of Johnny Cash's "I Walk the Line" last week with an arrangement similar to the version recorded by Live — but without giving the band credit. "We wish Chris the best of luck in the competition," Kowalczyk said. "I thought he did a great job with the song. There's no doubt he's a talented performer and I hope he goes far." Live, meanwhile, will hit the road beginning April 22 in Providence, Rhode Island, in support of their seventh studio album, Songs From Black Mountain, due May 9. ... Travis Barker and DJ AM will take their experimental show to San Francisco April 7 and New York April 13 and 14. VIP packages for the shows are available at StubHub.com and will benefit the Race to Erase MS. ... Chamillionaire and Lil' Flip are teaming for the Texas Boyz Tour, which kicks off March 30 in San Diego and wraps up early this summer. Chamillionaire has recorded several remixes of his new single, "Ridin'," featuring rappers ranging from the Game to Bun B to Fabolous. ...

In a post on Evanescence's official message board Sunday, singer Amy Lee wrote that she and new guitarist Terry Balsamo were in the studio finishing mixes on the group's upcoming album. "We'll be done mixing [the new album] next week! I can hardly believe it, we've been working on this album for so long," Lee wrote. "The stuff sounds so good. ... Wow, what a trip this has been." The singer said Balsamo is "doing really well" after the stroke he suffered in November and that she's busy trying to figure out the order of the songs on the still-untitled album. "It's going to be hard to hold this music in all summer," Lee said. "I really want to thank you guys again for being so patient — I know it's gonna be worth it." A spokesperson for the group confirmed the post and added that the album is slated for release in the fall, with a tour to follow. ...

The Offspring's Dexter Holland is turning into some sort of bionic man or something. In late 2004 he completed a 10-day solo flight around the globe, subsisting only on Doritos and beef jerky. And for an encore — and for charity — he decided to take on the Los Angeles Marathon. Running on behalf of the Innocence Project, a nonprofit legal organization aimed at using DNA testing to free the unjustly convicted, Holland finished in a little more than five hours, good enough for 7,900th place — but not better than Oprah Winfrey's 1994 Washington, D.C., marathon time of 4 hours, 29 minutes and 30 seconds, which was Holland's stated goal. Still, he raised money for a good cause and is happy with his efforts. "I hit a wall at about 16 miles," Holland wrote on Offspring.com, "but I'm glad I was able to finish. I shouldn't have eaten those tacos for breakfast! I didn't beat Oprah's time, but I challenge her to a rematch." ...

If you asked Alanis Morissette, she might say, "Isn't it ironic ... a little too ironic?" Victor Willis, 54, the singer who dressed as the policeman in '70s disco juggernaut the Village People, faces up to five years in prison after his arrest Sunday. He was booked for bailing on a plea deal he cut last year following an arrest on charges of possessing cocaine and a gun. Willis — who left the group in 1980 — had agreed to a maximum of 16 months in jail on the original charge, but when he goes to court Tuesday (March 28) he's looking at four years and four months on the original charges and a possible eight additional months on new drug charges, according to a Reuters report.

[This story was originally published at 12:47 pm E.T. on 03.29.2006]

• Shakira
• Diddy
• Eightball & MJG
• Michael Jackson
• Brian Wilson

Alanis Morissette
Photo: Getty Images

Alanis Morissette is putting her past behind her. Once the quintessential angst-ridden '90s female rocker, the Jagged Little Pill singer says she is eager to cast off her former demons and dive headfirst into a new, happier era of her life.

For Alanis, a big step in moving forward was wrapping up her life's previous chapters in the form of a greatest-hits album, The Collection, which hit stores Tuesday. Whittling down a decade's worth of songs wasn't easy for the singer, who called the process both torturous and intuitive. Morissette handpicked 18 tracks, which include material from four of her studio albums (Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, Under Rug Swept, So-Called Chaos and the Grammy-winning Pill), tracks from her MTV "Unplugged" session, and her contributions to the "Dogma," "City of Angels" and "De-Lovely" soundtracks.

As a child, Morissette said, it was her dream to write enough hit songs to put out a best-of collection, and although she'd been approached many times to do so, it wasn't until this year that she felt ready.

"[This past year] wound up turning into a year of acknowledgement and reflection for me, which was also a real challenge because I typically don't stop and look back in that way," the singer said. "But it felt like the perfect year to have all these songs in one place; songs that were recognizable and songs that were personal favorites, these back-pocket secret songs that were never formally released."

Early hits like "Ironic," "Head Over Feet," "You Oughta Know" and "You Learn" all made the cut, as did lesser-known tunes like "Sister Blister" from her Feast on Scraps DVD/EP, "Princes Familiar" from 1999's Unplugged, and "Crazy," a remake of Seal's classic song, which Alanis covered for a Gap commercial.

"I've been a fan of Seal since I was a teenager. I actually met him around Jagged Little Pill time, but I hadn't spoken to him in years, so when I decided to cover his song, I sent him an e-mail letting him know I was honored to do it," she recalled. "It was a song I was obsessed with when I was younger and the main line that says 'You're never going to survive/ Unless you get a little crazy' is one of the simplest, yet most profound statements."

Creating The Collection also allowed the singer/songwriter to reflect on her own growth, not just as a writer, singer and performer. "I feel really proud and charmed by this album," she added. "It's inspired me to move on into this new chapter, while honoring prior ones, and I think the retrospective of looking back has given me a lot of objectivity, not just on songs I did 10 years ago, but on the whole evolution of the last 10 years itself."

Morissette has no doubt encountered her fair share of struggles in the public eye, including a battle with eating disorders during her teen years (see "Alanis Says She's Still Grappling With Self-Image Issues"), and it's those topics that she has unabashedly written about and shared with her fans over the years.

"It's become clear that the only reason I'd continue doing this is because it has become a social act, even an act of service for me," she said. "I can share my personal experience and thereby support people in their personal journey, wherever they may be."

In January, the singer is going to start writing and recording a follow-up to 2004's So-Called Chaos. "I'm going to hit the ground running," she said. "I've been so eager to write the last couple of years, and typically when I write an album, I take it from two journals' worth of material, and I have about five full now, so I'm definitely bursting at the seams."

For now, Morissette is lending her writing and vocal chops to feature films, recently recording the track "Wonderkind" for the soundtrack to "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and filming a cameo alongside soon-to-be-hubby Ryan Reynolds (see "Alanis Isn't Angry Anymore — She's In Love") in his upcoming comedy "Just Friends." Unfortunately (or fortunately, according to Alanis), the scene ended up on the cutting-room floor.

"His character was going through something at the time that was not working with my being in it," she laughed. "But acting is something I'm definitely sniffing out, and I think over a year or two, it's something I'm up for really committing to."

Track listing for The Collection, according to Maverick Records:

• "Thank U"
• "Head Over Feet"
• "Eight Easy Steps"
• "Everything"
• "Crazy"
• "Ironic"
• "Princes Familiar"
• "You Learn"
• "Simple Together"
• "You Oughta Know"
• "That I Would Be Good"
• "Sister Blister"
• "Hands Clean"
• "Mercy"
• "Still"
• "Uninvited"
• "Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)"
• "Hand in My Pocket"

• Alanis Morissette

Jason Mraz's <i>Mr. A-Z</i>
Photo: Atlantic Records

Johnny Knoxville's cousin Roger Alan Wade has penned songs for country greats like Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings, but on his debut solo album, Wade borrows some of his cousin's crass humor on songs like "Butt Ugly Slut" and "Fryin' Bacon Nekkid." The "Dukes of Hazzard" star, who helped Wade get national attention when he sent some of his raunchy tracks to Howard Stern, produced Wade's All Likkered Up, due on Oglio Records.

Before starting his career as a singer/songwriter, Wade dabbled in forklift and milk truck driving. After almost two decades behind the scenes, Wade got a push into the mainstream in 2001 when his "If You're Gonna Be Dumb" appeared on "Jackass: The Music, Vol. 1."

Out Tuesday, July 26:

• Jason Aldean - Jason Aldean (Broken Bow)
• Babyface - Grown & Sexy (Arista)
  Buy Now: Grown & Sexy (Arista)
• Barcode - Showdown (Nuclear Blast)
• Jeff Black - Tin Lily (DualTone)
• Blessing the Hogs - The Twelve Gauge Solution (Goodfellow)
• Boondogs - Fever Dreams (Max)
• Boys Night Out - Trainwreck (Ferret)
• Brad - Brad vs. Satchel (Establishment Store)
• Bratz - Rock Angelz (Hip-O)
• Tom Braxton - Bounce (Rendezvous)
• Kai Brown - Better Now (How Now Brown Cow)
• Andy Caldwell - Late Night With Andy Caldwell (Swank)
• Eddie Cane - Presents (PR Records)
• The Cherry Valence - TCV3 (Bifocal Media)
• Chiodos - All's Well That Ends Well (Equal Vision)
• The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra - Live at MCG (MCG Jazz)
• The Commercials vs. Shadow Agency - The Split EP (Blackout!)
• The Concretes - Layourbattleaxedown (Astralwerks)
• Copperpot - Chapter Seven Instrumentals (EV Productions)
• Cru Jones - A Roadside View EP (Undecided)
• Brian Culbertson - It's On Tonight (Verve)
• Daphne Loves Derby - On the Strength of All Convinced (Outlook)
• The Dayton Family - Family Feud (Koch)
• Robert Deeble - This Bar Has No One Left EP (Fractured Discs)
• DJ Williams Projekt - Projekt Management (Harmonized)
• Dope - American Apathy (Artemis)
• The Dying Light - The Killing Plan (Willowtip)
• Danny Federici - Out of a Dream (V2)
• Fight Paris - Paradise, Found (Trustkill)
• Fruit Bats - Spelled in Bones (Sub Pop)
• Gary Higgins - Red Hash (Drag City)
• The High Dials - War of the Wakening Phantoms (Rainbow Quartz)
• Kids Like Us - Outta Control (Eulogy)
• King Elementary - Kudzu (Sweet Tea/Terminus)
• Ani Kyd - Evil Needs Candy Too (Alternative Tentacles)
• Latin Pimps - Me Voy (Basement Front)
• Emily Lord - Brand New Day (Jungle Queen)
• The Love Hall Tryst - Songs of Misfortune (Appleseed)
• Yngwie Malmsteen - Unleash the Fury (Eagle Rock)
• Mazarin - We're Already There (I and Ear)
• Mecca Bodega - Skin (Harmonized)
• Thee Minks - Are You Ready Now? (Steel Cage)
• Mon Frere - Real Vampires EP (Cake)
• Moonbabies - War on Sound (Hidden Agenda)
• Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill Acoustic (Maverick)
  Read: "Alanis Morissette Plots Jagged Little Pill Acoustic Tour"
  Buy Now: Jagged Little Pill Acoustic (Maverick)
• Bob Mould - Body of Song (Yep Roc)
• Jason Mraz - Mr. A-Z (Atlantic)
  Read: "Jason Mraz Turns His Tongue-Tripping Surname Into An Asset For Next LP"
  Buy Now: Mr. A-Z (Atlantic)
• Milton Nascimento - Pieta (Savoy Jazz)
• Nations by the River - Holes in the Valley (Astralwerks)
• Odiorne - Heavy Wish (File 13)
• Outspoken - Spotlight (Indecision)
• A Perfect Murder - Strength Through Vengeance (Victory)
  Read: "A Perfect Murder Survive Mutiny, Return With A Vengeance"
• Mike Phillips - Uncommon Denominator (Red Urban)
• Psalm One - Bio: Chemistry II: Esters and Essays (EV Productions)
• Brian Setzer - Rockabilly Riot! Volume One: A Tribute to Sun Records (Surfdog)
• Kevin Sharp - Make a Wish (Cupit)
• Brian Simpson - It's All Good (Rendezvous)
• Trey Songz - I Gotta Make It (Atlantic)
• Summer Lawns - First We Waited ... Then It Started (Stunning Models on Display)
• Third World - Black Gold Green (Shanachie)
• This Moment - Finding a Voice in the Dark (Uprising)
• Twiztid - Mutant (Vol. 2) (Psychopathic)
• The Unusual Suspects - The Unusual Suspects (Teflon Muzik)
• Yoko Utsumi - Yoko Utsumi (Asian Man)
• Gerald Veasley - At the Jazz Base! (Telarc Jazz)
• Veda - The Weight of an Empty Room (Second Nature)
• Roger Alan Wade - All Likkered Up (Oglio)
• Chris Whitley - Soft Dangerous Shores (Messenger)
• Denison Witmer - Are You a Dreamer? (The Militia Group)
• Jim Yoshii Pile-Up - Picks Us Apart (Absolutely Kosher)
• Young Jeezy - Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 (Def Jam)
  Read: "You Hear It First: Young Jeezy"
• Young Sicc - The Statement (PR Records)
• Various artists - Honey Love: Smooth Jazz Plays R. Kelly (Shanachie)
• Various artists - Last Tango in Buenos Aires (Milan)
• Various artists - reBOOT: Notes for the Next Generation (Om)
• Ruff Ryders - Redemption, Volume 4 (Artemis)
• Various artists -- "Marilyn's Man" soundtrack (Empire)
• Various artists -- "Sky High" soundtrack (Hollywood)
• Various artists - "The Island" soundtrack (Milan)
• DVD: "Maestro" (Sanctuary)
• DVD: Death Cab for Cutie -- "Drive Well, Sleep Carefully: On the Road With Death Cab for Cutie" (Plexiflim)
• DVD: Bruce Hornsby -- "Three Nights on the Town" (Columbia)
• DVD: S.O.D. - "20 Years of Dysfunction" (Megaforce)

August 2:

• Faith Hill - Fireflies (Warner Bros.)
  Buy Now: Fireflies (Warner Bros.)
• Michael Penn - Mr. Hollywood, Jr. 1947 (spinART)
  Read: "Free At Last, Michael Penn Attempts A Comeback With Mr. Hollywood Jr."

August 9:

• Hootie & the Blowfish - Looking for Lucky (Vanguard)
• Staind - Chapter V (Elektra)
  Read: "Staind Guitarist Has That Old Familiar Feeling About Chapter V"

August 16:

• The Click Five - Greetings From Imrie House (Lava)
  Read: "You Hear It First: Click Five"
• Cowboy Junkies - Early 21st Century Blues (Zoe Records)

• Jason Mraz
• Alanis Morissette
• Roger Alan Wade
• Young Jeezy
• Babyface

Jason Mewes as Jay and Kevin Smith as Silent Bob in "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back"
Photo: Getty Images

Bluntman and Chronic are firing themselves up for another adventure, and this time they're bringing God along.

Director/writer/actor Kevin Smith, loyal accomplice Jason Mewes and singer/occasional actress Alanis Morissette will guest star on U.S. airwaves next month in a special three-episode arc of the cable TV program "Degrassi: The Next Generation." Smith and Mewes will appear as themselves portraying their cult-classic creations Jay and Silent Bob (as seen in "Clerks," "Mallrats" and the other films in the so-called "New Jersey" series), while Morissette will step down off the heavenly cloud she inhabited in "Dogma" to play the only high school principal willing to give diplomas to the infamous Quick Stop loiterers.

For years, Smith has made no secret of his love of "Degrassi," an unapologetic teenage Canadian cheese-fest that the future Hollywood player first caught in reruns while working the graveyard shift at a New Jersey convenience store. After naming a "Clerks" character for a "Degrassi" personality and referring to the show throughout his films (Jason Lee's character in "Chasing Amy" considered the perfect evening to include pizza and the teenage soap), Smith and series producer Linda Schuyler hatched the plan to bring their two worlds together.

Although the original "Degrassi Junior High" was canceled in the early '90s, the program's loyal following led to the 2001 revival "Next Generation," which will feature the special guests in the three-part season finale of the show's fourth season. The plot has Smith and Mewes traveling to the Great White North to film a fictional sequel to "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," entitled "Jay and Silent Bob Go Canadian, Eh!" In the film, the fast-talking drug dealer and his mute friend make a pilgrimage to their neighboring country when they discover that it contains the only high school that will allow them to go back and get their diplomas. With Smith selecting Degrassi as the ideal location for the film shoot, the school's residents take jobs on both sides of the camera and interact with Smith, Mewes and Morissette (winkingly appearing as herself playing a character in the fictional movie).

"The plot of the movie within the show is so funny," Smith said in a statement, "it almost makes me want to shoot the flick for real."

The episodes will air on cable channel the N at 8 p.m. ET on August 12, 19 and 26.

As American fans of the series are all too aware, each program airs one season behind its Canadian debut, so Smith and friends have already rolled out on "Degrassi" for our tuque-wearing friends to the North. According to the show's production company, plans are currently under way to have Smith return for a very special episode of season five, in which he may premiere "Jay and Silent Bob Go Canadian, Eh!" at the high school. Because as his fans recall, Smith and his characters hate people — but they love gatherings.

Visit Movies on MTV.com for more from Hollywood, including news, interviews, trailers and more.

• Alanis Morissette

Alanis Morissette (file)
Photo: Getty Images

She's already been naked in a video, but this summer Alanis Morissette will hit the stage musically exposed for her first-ever acoustic tour. The six-week outing will promote the June 13 release of Jagged Little Pill Acoustic, for which the singer re-recorded her classic 1995 album acoustically.

The 27-date tour is slated to kick off on June 7 in Toronto and wrap up on July 17 in Costa Mesa, California. Jagged Little Pill Acoustic will be sold only at Starbucks for the first six weeks.

The singer will be backed by her current touring band, and she is having a blast performing fresh versions of her hits. "I am having so much fun playing these newly interpreted songs," Morissette said in a statement from her current European tour. "I notice that different layers of emotions emerge with these songs being broken down and revisited. I can't wait to tip my hat to this record in a way that also references the present and the future."

Morissette re-teamed with Jagged producer Glen Ballard to record the acoustic versions, marking the first time the two have worked together since 1998's Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie. The acoustic album features interpretations of such signature hits as "Hand in My Pocket," "You Oughta Know" and "Ironic," as well as the hidden track "Your House." The anniversary edition will also feature footage from 1995 and additional bonus material.

Live @ Vh1.com Presents Jagged Little Pill Acoustic, according to a spokesperson:

• 6/7 - Toronto, ON @ Hummingbird Centre for Performing Arts
• 6/8 - Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple Theatre
• 6/10 - Minneapolis, MN @ Orpheum Theatre
• 6/11 - Chicago, IL @ Auditorium Theatre
• 6/14 - Philadelphia, PA @ venue TBA
• 6/15 - New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
• 6/17 - Boston, MA @ Wang Center for the Performing Arts
• 6/18 - Baltimore, MD @ Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
• 6/20 - Cincinnati, OH @ Aronoff Center for the Arts
• 6/21 - Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
• 6/22 - Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre
• 6/24 - Miami, FL @ Jackie Gleason Theater
• 6/25 - Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
• 6/26 - Orlando, FL @ Bob Carr Performing Arts Center
• 6/28 - New Orleans, LA @ Saenger Theatre
• 6/29 - Houston, TX @ Jones Hall for the Performing Arts
• 6/30 - Fort Worth, TX @ Bass Performance Hall
• 7/2 - St. Louis, MO @ Fox Theatre
• 7/3 - Kansas City, MO @ Midland Theatre
• 7/5 - Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
• 7/8 - Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Hall
• 7/9 - Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum Theatre
• 7/10 - Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
• 7/12 - Oakland, CA @ Paramount Theatre
• 7/13 - Los Angeles, CA @ Walt Disney Concert Hall
• 7/15 - San Diego, CA @ Copley Symphony Hall
• 7/16 - Phoenix, AZ @ Dodge Theatre
• 7/17 - Costa Mesa, CA @ Orange County Performing Arts Center

• Alanis Morissette

Despite tabloid reports that Nick Lachey attended a wild bachelor party and allegedly cavorted with a porn star, he and wife Jessica Simpson told People magazine that news of their relationship's demise has been greatly exaggerated. "Our relationship is better than it's ever been," Simpson said. "We are absolutely not breaking up." The couple celebrated their two-year wedding anniversary on October 26. ... Instead of "Just Lose It," Eminem is now saying "just move it." The Detroit rapper has pushed the release of his Encore LP up four days to November 12. ...

Ashlee Simpson, Snoop Dogg and Alicia Keys are among the acts slated for Los Angeles radio station KIIS-FM's annual Jingle Ball. Maroon 5 (with an acoustic performance), Avril Lavigne, Christina Milian, JoJo and an unannounced special guest are also on the lineup for the December 3 festival at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California. ... Classic rocker Rod Stewart is the latest performer added to the 32nd annual American Music Awards, set to air November 14 on ABC. Ashanti, Linkin Park's Chester Bennington and Joseph Hahn, JoJo, Outkast's Big Boi, Nick Lachey, Mandy Moore, Anna Nicole Smith and Lance Armstrong are among the celebrities set to dole out the statuettes. ...

Simple Plan fans without a credit card who still want to hear Pierre Bouvier croon every time their cell phone rings can simply go to Target to have their prayers answered with a Simple Plan Mobile Mix card. The card lets fans use AT&T Pre-paid Web Cents to download ring tones, graphics and other content into their phones. ... Nobody beats the Biz ... unless it's 7 a.m. and he's blaring in your ear. The Biz Markie talking alarm clock, which features a 12" version of the rapper seated on a crate behind turntables and has him reciting phrases like "turn the party out" and "you caught the vapors," is due in stores November 15. ...

Alanis Morissette has some fun at Ashlee Simpson's expense during her stint on "Mad TV," when she pretends to be her own younger sister, the fake blonde "Delicious Morissette," who's trying to launch a career as a pop tart, despite being tone deaf. As if it were an episode of MTV's "Diary," Delicious shoots a video while getting a bath from the high school basketball team, singing, "I'm a real bad teen/ I always get in trouble/ Got pushed down in some mud/ Now I need a bubble/ Hey you, scrub me in the tub/ Hey you, I could use a rub!" The episode airs Saturday at 11 p.m. on FOX. Meanwhile, Morissette will perform her song "Offer" on NBC's "American Dreams" on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET. ... After a show in Rome in mid-November, the Raveonettes are likely to be absent from the concert circuit until their new album, the as-yet-untitled follow-up to last year's Chain Gang of Love, drops in the spring. The band has finished recording the album and is now in the process of determining which tunes will make the final cut. ...

After four albums in seven years for the Kill Rock Stars imprint, Sleater-Kinney have moved to the bigger indie label Sub Pop. The band plans to begin recording its follow-up to 2002's One Beat with producer Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev) in December, and hopes to release the result in the spring. ... Grand Funk Railroad's former manager and producer Terry Knight was killed while defending his daughter at his home in Killeen, Texas, on Monday. His daughter's boyfriend, Donald Fair, was arraigned on murder charges Tuesday. Knight, who was also part of the Detroit-area garage-rock group Terry Knight and the Pack with original Grand Funk members Don Brewer and Mark Farner, was found with several stab wounds. ...

More tracks from Brian Wilson's finally released Smile album are available on the forthcoming vinyl version, due out November 23. The 21-track, two-LP set will feature four songs unavailable on CD: instrumental versions of "Heroes and Villains," "Cabin Essence," "On a Holiday" and "Wind Chimes." ... The String Cheese Incident have blocked off a rare month from touring to record their fifth album. Producer Malcolm Burns (Bob Dylan) and the jam band will hole up in a Boulder, Colorado, studio in December. ...

11.02.2004

Though Ashlee Simpson had originally planned for the title track from Autobiography to be her next single, the singer has changed her mind. She is now opting to have "La La" be the third offering from her album, according to her Web site. ... Meanwhile, Chris Fox, Ashlee's drummer, posted a message on Simpson's site, taking blame for her infamous "Saturday Night Live" performance. "I am in charge of starting the songs and cueing their backing tracks, [which are] miscellaneous percussion, random sound effects, etc.," he wrote. "Plain and simple, I cued the wrong song." ...

Lil' Kim has been called a lot of names, but "literary figure" was likely not one of them — until now. On Wednesday, the rapper will head to Syracuse University to address an upper-division undergraduate English class that focuses on the cultural significance of her lyrics. "Introduction to Race and Discourse: Hip-Hop Eshu: Queen B@#$H 101" centers on hip-hop and "black life in Africa's Diaspora" as well as gender and sexuality issues, with a focus on Lil' Kim, according to the university's Web description. During her visit, Kim will also hold a press conference and meet with faculty and students of the African-American Students Union. "I am honored and quite proud that a class is being taught on my sensationalist lyrics, unique style and fashion and leadership role within the hip-hop community," Kim said in a statement. ... LL Cool J and Tyra Banks will serve as hosts for the second annual Vibe Awards. During the show, slated to air November 16 on UPN, Dr. Dre will be honored with the Vibe Legend Award for his lifetime contributions to the world of hip-hop music. As part of the tribute, Game will perform. ...

Wyclef Jean is doing his part to give Haiti a chance at peace. During a trip to his home country, Jean made a surprise visit to Bel Air on Sunday where he met with leaders of the community and of groups who remain loyal to former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, according to Reuters. He also met with two leaders of the rebels who helped oust Aristide in February, and plans to meet with other gangs before departing in an effort to encourage dialogue and promote peace in the country, which has been wracked by uprisings and violent outbreaks since Aristide was removed. Wyclef was also in Haiti to work on plans for his December 5 benefit concert there. ... Hoobastank are releasing tracks at Sbarro via Lidrock, CD-ROMs encased in the lids of soft drinks sold at the restaurant chain. Hoobastank's Lidrock will include three songs ("Remember Me," "Same Directions," "Let It Out"), a video for "Out of Control," mobile ring tones, and previews of Konami video games "Dance Dance Revolution" and "Karaoke Revolution." ...

Tori Amos is currently putting the finishing touches on her new album, The Beekeeper, which she's recording and self-producing in her U.K. studio, incorporating vintage organs, Afro-Cuban drums and gospel choirs in the process. Song titles include "Sweet the Sting," "Sleeps With Butterflies" and "Ribbons Undone." The album will hit shelves February 22 to coincide with the release of her first book, "Tori Amos: Piece by Piece." ... Sarah McLachlan is releasing a live CD/DVD, Afterglow Live, which chronicles the singer's summer tour (her first outing since the 1999 Lilith Fair) in which she played her greatest hits as well as music from her 2003 album, Afterglow. The set, due out November 23, also includes behind-the-scenes footage of the tour and her family life, as well as her stark but touching video for "World on Fire," which juxtaposes the standard cost of making a video with what that money could do for those who are less fortunate. ...

Isaac Hayes will be inducted into Hollywood's Rockwalk on Sunset Boulevard. Thursday at noon. The singer's handprints and signature will reside alongside those of other music legends such as the Ramones, Lou Reed, Brian Wilson, Carole King and Johnny Cash. ... San Francisco Bay Area rapper Mac Dre (born Andre Hicks) died on Monday morning when he was gunned down during a freeway shooting in Kansas City, Missouri, according to The Associated Press. Hicks, 34, recorded more than a dozen albums in his lifetime, many with politically charged lyrics. ...

Erasure have just finished their new studio album, Nightbird, the first single from which will be a song called "Breathe." Other track titles include "No Doubt," "Here I Got Impossible Again" and "All This Time Still Falling Out of Love." "The last couple of albums were a bit moody and down," singer Andy Bell said in a statement. "I'm so much happier with everything now, and so is [keyboardist] Vince [Clarke]. You can hear it in the music." Nightbird is due out January 25, and Erasure plan to tour North America in April. ... Mark Sandman, the late frontman of Morphine, never released much of his solo music, but a posthumous retrospective will do that for him. Sandbox: Mark Sandman Original Music, out November 16, collects rarities, unreleased tracks and previously unseen footage in a two-CD/DVD box set. ...

• Nick Lachey
• Jessica Simpson
• Eminem
• Avril Lavigne
• Christina Milian

Diary of Ryan Reynolds

• Alanis Morissette

'De-Lovely' Shows At Cannes & Beverly Hills

• Alanis Morissette
• Sheryl Crow

Alanis, Vanessa Carlton, Robbie Williams, More Rock The Vote

• Alanis Morissette
• Peter Gabriel
• Robbie Williams
• Vanessa Carlton
• Chuck D

• Alanis Morissette

• Alanis Morissette

Alanis Morissette Photos

• Alanis Morissette

• Alanis Morissette