Dave Navarro

Simon Cowell Advises Britney, Says Melinda's 'The Best'; Plus More 'Idol' News, Amy Winehouse, Madonna, Bono & More, In For The Record

24 May 2007 08:43:00 EDT

'Idol' finale numbers fall short; Winehouse, Madge nab songwriting honors; Bono gets Liberty Medal.
By MTV News staff

Simon Cowell (file)
Photo: Getty Images/ Michael Buckner

Melinda Doolittle should have won "American Idol" — and Britney Spears needs to ditch her "stupid friends" if she wants to save her career, Simon Cowell told "Good Morning America" on Thursday (May 24). The "Idol" judge summed up Wednesday night's results ("the singer won over the entertainer"), called Jordin Sparks the season's "most improved" contestant and said Melinda "tried the hardest, was consistently the best, and had the best voice." And as for Britney, Simon says he could have put her on the right path back in 2006. "My advice to her six months ago was to go home to your family, lock the door, don't go out with your stupid friends, have some home-cooked food. Get a sense of reality. ... And then say to yourself, 'There's more good in my life than bad. I'm still a rich, talented girl and now I want to get my career back on track.' End of story." ...

Jordin Sparks is no doubt celebrating her "American Idol" victory, but the show's organizers might not be so happy with the finale results. Reuters reports that 7 million fewer people tuned into the last episode of the show compared with last year. ... Paul McCartney is fed up with hearing rumors that he backed out of appearing on the Wednesday night show, which his ex Heather Mills attended. In a statement released to TMZ.com, a representative for McCartney said the former Beatle was never scheduled to appear on the show in the first place. ...

Write on: Amy Winehouse, Madonna and the Arctic Monkeys scooped up Ivor Novello songwriting awards on Thursday. Winehouse won Best Contemporary Song honors for "Rehab." ... Talk about scary: Marilyn Manson has recorded an acoustic cover of Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around ..." on the BBC, according to Stereogum.com. ... The karmic returns keep coming in for Bono. The U2 singer will be hailed with this year's Liberty Medal for helping to bring attention to Africa's medical and economic problems, The Associated Press reports. He and his Debts, AIDS, Trade, Africa organization will accept the award September 27, with a $100,000 donation going to DATA. ...

Get ready to strap on your axes: The songs that will be featured in "Guitar Hero III" have been revealed, according to GameSpot.com. The game will include a handful of original recordings, including Weezer's "My Name Is Jonas," Smashing Pumpkins' "Cherub Rock," Beastie Boys' "Sabotage," Tenacious D's "The Metal," Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black," Living Colour's "Cult of Personality" and Muse's "Knights of Cydonia." Covers of songs by Heart, Kiss, Alice Cooper and others will also appear in the game, which is due later this year. ...

Scott Stapp has issued a public apology following his domestic violence arrest over the weekend. "I am truly sorry and seek forgiveness from my wife, as she has done the same seeking forgiveness from me," the former Creed frontman said. "We both know we were wrong in how we handled the argument and in some of the allegations that were made. Now we are trying to move forward as a family." Stapp said in the statement that some things said to police in the heat of the moment weren't true. "As in most cases like this, the next day everyone is sorry and wishes they didn't get the police involved and said what they did about their partner. ... We would also like to apologize to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Department for calling them to our home and taking them away from the very serious and dangerous job of protecting our community." ...

Lady Sovereign offered an apology of her own to fans who waited until 3:30 a.m for her to take the stage at a show in Brooklyn, New York, last week — only to have the rapper walk off two songs later. "I know how stupid I must have looked on Friday," Sov said in a statement. "I was tired and not in the mood, having a bad day." How bad? According to her rep, the rapper's tour bus broke down on her way to New York from New Jersey's PNC Bank Arts Center, where she opened for Gwen Stefani, making her late for the four-song set she had scheduled at Brooklyn's Studio B. "But that's no excuse for letting fans down," the statement continued. "I"m sorry to those that were at Studio B to see me." ...

Aly & AJ have wrapped up their new LP Insomniac, which is due July 10. The video for the first single, "Potential Breakup Song," was shot by Chris Applebaum (Britney Spears, Hilary Duff). Also keep an eye out for boxes of Honeycomb cereal, which the girls will also be appearing on. ... Snoop Dogg and Chris Cornell have been added to the lineup of the Live Earth concerts set for July 7. Both will take the stage in Germany for Live Earth Hamburg, one of nine worldwide events to raise awareness of climate change. ...

AirWair Ltd., the company behind Dr. Martens footwear, has fired its advertising agency in the wake of controversy surrounding a British ad campaign that includes a photo of Kurt Cobain. In a press release obtained by TheDailySwarm.com, AirWair Ltd. CEO David Suddens said the poster campaign crafted by Saatchi & Saatchi wasn't supposed to go public. "Dr. Martens did not commission the work as it runs counter to our current marketing activities," Suddens said in a statement. Saatchi & Saatchi, in the meantime, is standing by the ad campaign. A representative for Courtney Love previously told People magazine she didn't give permission for Dr. Martens to use a photo of her late husband in the campaign. "She thinks it's outrageous that a company is allowed to commercially gain from such a despicable use of her husband's picture," her spokesperson said. "It does appear that in the U.K. what Dr. Martens has done is allowed. Courtney did not, and would not, approve of such a use of Kurt's name and likeness." ...

Jack Bruce, bassist for Cream, told AP Thursday that the iconic blues-rock power trio will get back together for a series of shows later this year, even though he recently told British newspaper The Scotsman that there was no way the group would re-form. His former bandmates Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker have not confirmed the reunion. ... Liars are saying goodbye to their conceptual material with a more accessible self-titled LP due August 28. The traditionally structured songs include such paradoxical titles as "The Dumb in the Rain," "Clear Island" and "Leather Prowler." ... Dave Navarro said his band, the Panic Channel, plan on recording and releasing their next album without the help of a record label; the band recently parted ways with Capitol Records. In a post on his 6767.com blog, the former Jane's Addiction guitarist said he's eager to break free from record company "slavery." "Our plan is to write, record, mix and make the music available online, DIY-style," he wrote. There's no word yet on when the album might surface.

05.23.2007

A Philadelphia author has filed a lawsuit against Jay-Z, Damon Dash and Lionsgate Films, claiming his book, "The Family: A Philadelphia Mob Story," was used without rights as the inspiration for the 2002 Roc-A-Fella film "State Property" starring Beanie Sigel. In the suit, filed May 8 in Manhattan, New York, Antonne Jones claims he pitched Jay-Z and Dash his script years earlier but didn't hear back from them after later rejecting a $50,000 offer for the rights to the plot. Representatives for Jay-Z and Dash did not respond to inquiries made by MTV News as of press time. ...

Jay-Z may be in even more hot water, as a former waitress at his 40/40 sports bar in New York filed a lawsuit against the mogul and his business partners, according to TMZ.com. Celeste Williams claims she was paid below minimum wage and shares of her tips and overtime pay were withheld. A spokesperson for the bar told TMZ that Williams was only employed at the establishment for four days and was paid accordingly. In the compliant, Williams' lawyers allege that more than 100 other employees will also join the lawsuit. ...

Lindsay Lohan says it's a little strange being #1 on Maxim's "Hot 100." "It's really flattering," she told MTV News last week, "but it does get kind of awkward." Lohan also revealed that she plans to begin work on a new album soon. "We'll start in probably June or July and take four months," she explained. Lohan said she's collaborating with Maverick Records CEO Guy Oseary on the disc, which will have an "urban pop" sound. ...

Want to read the first pages of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" right at midnight on its release date ... in London ... with J.K. Rowling? Seven U.S. fans of the Potter series will win a trip to the midnight launch event at London's Natural History Museum on July 21, when they can meet the author, have their book signed and take part in a special Rowling reading. To enter the contest, visit Scholastic.com. ... In other literary news, Borat has become an author too — Sacha Baron Cohen's fictional Kazakh "journalist" is penning two books: "Borat: Touristic Guidings to Minor Nation of U.S. and A." and "Borat: Touristic Guidings to Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," AP reports. They're due in the fall. ...

The White Stripes' Icky Thump tour has just gotten a little ickier. The band, which will be on the road in the U.S. for much of July, will kick off another leg of the trek with September 4-5 shows at Chicago's Aragon Ballroom. The 15-date tour will also hit cities including Fargo, North Dakota (September 7); Salt Lake City (September 12); Berkeley, California (September 21); and Anchorage, Alaska (September 24), as well as two performances at the Austin City Limits Festival (September 15-16). The tour wraps up with September 26-27 shows in Seattle. ... Rihanna debuted "Shut Up and Drive," the second single from her forthcoming album Good Girl Gone Bad on her Web site Tuesday. The LP, which also includes the single "Umbrella" (featuring Jay-Z), is due June 5. ...

But where are the Canucks? Justin Timberlake, Hilary Duff, My Chemical Romance, Gwen Stefani, Akon, Fergie and Fall Out Boy will compete for MuchMusic Video Awards, it was announced Wednesday (May 23). Nickelback and K-os, who landed five and four nods respectively, will represent the music channel's Canada homeland; Red Hot Chili Peppers, Evanescence, Killers, AFI, Feist and Nelly Furtado are also up for awards. The ceremony will be held June 17 in Toronto. ... Miri Ben-Ari was involved in a car accident Wednesday afternoon in Jersey City, New Jersey, her manager told MTV News. According to her manager, the hip-hop violinist was stopped at a red light in her Mercedes-Benz when a UPS truck rammed her from behind. Ben-Ari, who has worked with everyone from Kanye West to Twista to Scarface, hit her head on the steering wheel and was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was treated and released soon thereafter. Although her injuries are said not to be serious, she will be laid up at home for a couple of days, following doctor's orders to rest. ...

Sanjaya Malakar is already getting his acting career started. In a crudely edited one-minute online short released this week, the hair-raising "American Idol" sensation stars as a 25-year-old student at the Rhode Island School of Design named Bill Vendall, who claims to have invented Sanjaya as an "elaborate art project" that was part of his thesis program. "To the fans of Sanjaya, maybe you are actually fans of Bill Vendall, the artist. ... I am art. I am sure many of you subconsciously knew what I was doing," a snooty, black-clad, white-shades-wearing Vendall/Malakar says in the clip. Over a lazy blues instrumental and blurry camera close-ups, the "artist" points to a montage of Sanjaya "Idol" highlights and mockingly says, "How could you look at this, this, this and not see it as a symbol for the self-referencing nature of progressive evolution?" ...

Phil Spector wasn't the only one in the hot seat in the music producer's murder trial on Wednesday, according to AP. Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler said Dr. Henry Lee removed an object from the scene where actress Lana Clarkson was killed and that he must "produce it forthwith." Attorney Sara Caplan testified that she saw the renowned forensic expert place a white object into a vial during the defense's search of Spector's mansion, and the prosecution claims it was a piece of Clarkson's fingernail. Prosecutors also contend that the fingernail has a trace of the passing bullet and will show that the actress resisted having a gun placed in her mouth. Lee has denied taking the object from the crime scene and, despite Fidler's request, will not be held in contempt because of conflicting accounts regarding the object. The judge said jurors will have to determine for themselves whether Lee is a credible witness. "Dr. Lee has a lot to lose here," Fidler said in a hearing, although the jury was not present. ...

More details have emerged about the alleged domestic dispute at the Florida home of former Creed frontman Scott Stapp over the weekend. In a 911 transcript released Tuesday, Stapp's wife, former Miss New York Jaclyn Nesheiwat, called authorities on Sunday pleading with them to come to the couple's home. She told a dispatcher, "He just threw a glass bottle at me. ... He just came home, he's wasted ... he's been out partying all night," according to AP. Nesheiwat told the dispatcher that Stapp — who went to rehab in 2004 — was "on drugs and pot. There's a lot of pot in the house," adding that there were also "a lot" of guns in the home. Before police arrived, Nesheiwat called 911 again to report that Stapp was "hiding all the drugs." Nesheiwat was not injured in the incident, in which Stapp was arrested and initially charged with aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony, although the count was later reduced to a misdemeanor. Stapp was released from custody on Monday and will be subject to random drug and alcohol testing. ...

Brother Ali, Cage, Sage Francis, Mr. Lif and Felt (featuring Murs, Slug and Ant) are opening up their pockets again for another Paid Dues tour. The third installment of the underground-hip-hop trek sets sail July 25 in Chicago and docks August 12 in San Diego. ... Former Queens of the Stone Age bassist Nick Oliveri has inked a deal with Suburban Noize for the release of the new album from his current group, Nick Oliveri and the Mondo Generator. The LP, Dead Planet: SonicSlowMotionTrails, lands in stores July 17 — just in time for the band's appearance on this summer's Ozzfest. ... After years of relative silence, Portishead have been tapped to curate and perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties' Nightmare Before Christmas Festival, to be held December 7-9 at Butlins Holiday Camp in Minehead, England. The band will unveil fresh material during the gig, but there are no plans yet for the group to release an LP — which would be its first studio outing since 1997's self-titled effort.

05.23.2007

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Why Is Chester Bennington Rocking A Home Depot Parking Lot? A Cover Band

29 Dec 2006 06:00:00 EST

Dave Navarro, Taylor Hawkins reclaim roots playing hits of '70s, '80s for fun.
By Corey Moss

Chester Bennington (file)
Photo: Chad Buchanan/Getty Images

In the career path of a rock star, playing in a cover band typically comes near the beginning, somewhere between discovering your parents' vinyl and winning a battle of the bands at the county fair.

Lately, however, some rock stars have been forming ironically named cover bands after making it big. In fact, what used to be considered somewhat lame has suddenly become chic, with Dave Navarro's Camp Freddy leading the way.

"Everyone's jumpin' that train, man," said Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, whose cover band Chevy Metal has been playing around Los Angeles for five years.

So why the step back?

"Because we have a really killer time doing it," Navarro answered. "It's kind of a celebration of that time where there's no publishing, there's no management, there's no label that's attached to it. It's really just a group of guys getting together and doing what they love doing, which is playing music."

In many ways, playing in a cover band helps musicians balance the stresses that accompany playing in an original band. "Anything that's no pressure, musically, is a lot of fun," Hawkins explained. "There's a lot of pressure to get up and play drums in front of 30,000 people. So I like those low-pressure things and I think everybody who does what I do enjoys that too."

"None of us are out here trying to prove anything," added Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington, who also fronts the cover band Bucket of Weenies. "We're just out here having a good time and hopefully people show up and listen. And if they don't like it, then they can at least go buy a beer and it sounds like they're in any other bar."

For Bennington, doing a cover band was also a way to play music far different from his main gig, as well as to pay homage to his variety of influences, from the Cure to Oasis. "These are songs you play when you pick up your acoustic guitar and you're sitting there with your friends figuring it out and you're like, 'God, that is good,' " said Orgy's Ryan Shuck, who plays guitar in Bucket of Weenies. "Except all our friends happen to be really talented musicians."

"It's just stuff that we grew up loving and playing in garages with each other when we were kids," added Navarro, whose Camp Freddy focuses on classic-rock hits like Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" and Sweet's "Ballroom Blitz."

Music journalist Lorraine Ali credits rock stars' early fandom as their main inspiration for forming cover bands later on. "Most musicians were influenced by someone, they want to be somebody else — or they did when they were kids," she said, citing John Lennon's love of Elvis Presley. "And doing a cover band is kinda the way to be like, 'I actually can slip into the shoes of, you know, Prince.' And there's something about it that's kind of tongue-in-cheek, so nobody can really ridicule you for doing a cover band after you get famous."

Since Camp Freddy formed in 2002, the band has become a major draw, mostly reserving their shows for special events and posh private parties. There's also been talk of a star-studded album in the works.

For Hawkins and Bennington, though, the occasional gig is enough. "We're the worst band in the world. I mean, it really is a joke," said Hawkins, whose Chevy Metal draw from the catalogs of Deep Purple, Queen and the James Gang. "It's not a joke, but it's not serious, it really isn't. I mean, we don't do corporate gigs or any of that kind of thing. Everybody makes 150 bucks here and there and we have fun."

"It's really something that wasn't planned," Bennington said of the Weenies. "It was really spontaneous and I think it will continue to be spontaneous as far as the songs we play and the venues we play. You know, we played the other day in a parking lot in front of Home Depot. And it was really a fantastic show."

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Why Is 'Guitar Hero' Dave Navarro Relearning Jane's Addiction Songs?

10 Nov 2006 06:01:00 EST

Musician says 'Guitar Hero II' game 'is kind of another way of thinking.'
By Corey Moss

Dave Navarro
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

WEST LOS ANGELES — Dave Navarro recently had to relearn Jane's Addiction songs. Not because the band is reuniting, but because he wants to excel at the "Guitar Hero II" video game.

"Being a guitar player, I tried to put that school of thought into the playing and it kind of screwed me up a little bit," Navarro said Monday at a release event for the new game, which comes with a mock electric guitar like its predecessor. ("Guitar Hero II" was developed by Harmonix Music Systems, which is owned by MTV.) "['Guitar Hero'] is kind of another way of thinking. It's a hand-eye coordination thing. So I had to relearn my own music — it was very weird."

Still, like any alpha male with a PlayStation 2 controller in his hand, Navarro insisted on mastering the game. And now he's officially challenging any other real-life guitar heroes: "Bring 'em on, dude."

Navarro joked that because "Guitar Hero II" "has the hottest chick on the cover of any game, I had to be a part of this thing" — for the record, she's virtual. But in reality he got involved in promoting the game after publisher Activision called for permission to use Jane's Addiction's "Stop" in the sequel.

"I think what's awesome about this game is that a lot of people love guitar, and they love the sound of guitar and they want to be able to play it," he explained. "And with this game, you don't have to know how to [play] to feel like you are playing some of the greatest rock and roll songs out there."

The sequel comes with a Pro Face-Off mode, where two players compete simultaneously, as well as more than 60 songs, including "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns N' Roses and the Police's "Message in a Bottle."

"The idea is that if you master one [song], you move on to the next one," Navarro said. "There are so many different levels and ways to play this. You can play with somebody else, you can form a band with somebody and two of you can go at the same time. You can go against somebody and there are different levels of difficulty, so I don't think there's ever a point at which you've mastered the game."

Along with all the virtual jamming, Navarro's been busy with a real guitar as well. He recently played on "Rock Star: Supernova" finalist Storm Large's new single, "Ladylike," recorded a Christmas single with his all-star cover band, Camp Freddy, and is preparing to hit the road with the Panic Channel in January (see "Dave Navarro Juggles TV And Guitar, Shrugs Off Panic Channel Sales").

"I'm looking forward to that because we're doing an arena tour and, hey, what's better than being on tour with Tommy Lee?" Navarro asked, then answered his own question with "Nothing!" The outing will also feature Rock Star Supernova.

As on the "Rock Star" show, expect Navarro to join Lee's band on occasion. "For me, that's one of the great things about rock music — you can go and interact with other artists at any moment," Navarro said. "And I plan to do that with Supernova for sure."

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For The Record: Quick News On Travis Barker, Paris Hilton, Hilary Duff, Beck, Dave Matthews, White Stripes & More

5 Oct 2006 06:00:00 EDT

Injury takes Barker off drums; Hilton files assault claim; Duff appearing in 'Sims 2: Pets.'
By MTV News staff report

Travis Barker
Photo: Andrew H. Walker/ Getty Images

It's going to be a rough two months for high-energy Plus-44 drummer Travis Barker. The human drum machine has been ordered to rest his right arm for eight weeks after breaking it while shooting the video for the title track from Plus-44's upcoming debut, When Your Heart Stops Beating, and exacerbating the injury during a recent seven-show European promo tour, according to a statement from Barker's spokesperson. "I had the worst pain in my arm the day after we filmed our video, and I really thought nothing of it," Barker wrote on his MySpace page. He had it checked out by doctors in London and L.A. and said tests showed "I'd been playing with a broken arm for three weeks and/or [had a] possible tumor in my arm." Barker says he's attempting to learn how to drum with one arm for Plus-44 shows, "so don't count me out yet." In other Barker news, he plays drums on the first single from hip-hop newcomers LAX. Jazze Pha produced the track, "Ride Like This," which is due on the youngsters' self-titled debut, in stores in January. ...

Barker's estranged wife, Shanna Moakler, and Paris Hilton each filed police reports charging battery Wednesday morning after an incident at the Hollywood nightclub Hyde, The Associated Press reports. Moakler claims that Hilton's ex, Stavros Niarchos, shoved her down some stairs, while Hilton — who has been romantically linked to Barker in tabloid reports — charges that Moakler punched her. Police photographed both women and will interview club patrons who witnessed the incident, an officer told the AP. ...

Hilary Duff and her beloved Chihuahua Lola will appear in the new video game "The Sims 2: Pets," due October 17. "I've logged hundreds of hours playing the 'Sims' games, so I jumped at the chance," Duff said in statement. ... The album cover for The Information isn't the only make-it-yourself item Beck has planned: He's also letting fans customize their own T-shirts at his upcoming shows. Fans will be able to choose from four different colors of blank tees, along with iron-on decals, and the shirts can be pressed at the respective venues. ... Dave Matthews has signed on to set aside his nice-guy image to play a villain on the big screen, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Matthews — who will be credited as David Matthews — will be featured in the drama "Lake City" alongside Sissy Spacek and Troy Garity. The film begins shooting Monday in Virginia. ...

Camp Freddy — the cover band featuring ex-Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro and Velvet Revolver's Scott Weiland and Matt Sorum — will appear on NBC's "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" Thursday (October 5), with Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash and Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen in tow. The band will perform its rendition of the Cheap Trick hit "Surrender," which appears on the forthcoming soundtrack to the Jessica Simpson comedy "Employee of the Month." ... Mastodon have been booked as musical guests for "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" next month. Look for the band to make its U.S. network television debut November 1. Mastodon is on tour through Saturday in Atlanta, and will then head to Europe on a run opening for Tool. ...

P.O.D. are marking the end of their relationship with Atlantic Records with the November 21 release of Greatest Hits (The Atlantic Years). The compilation will feature the previously unreleased "Here We Go" as well as the new song "Going in Blind," inspired by a true story of a child murder. "Man, if something like that happened to one my kids, I don't know if my faith is strong enough," singer Sonny Sandoval said of the single, for which P.O.D. will shoot a video. "It sparked this whole idea of walking that line of faith." While P.O.D. contemplate their next move, Sandoval and his cousin Wuv have formed a reggae side project called Southtown Generals. "That's just the vibe around here when you get a bunch of musicians hanging around," Sandoval said. ...

RealNetworks previewed its revamped Rhapsody 4.0 download service to the press on Thursday, along with the first line of Rhapsody MP3 players, the Sansa e200R. Those players come in 2 GB and 8 GB sizes and will be preloaded with 30 hours of music from a host of major-label artists. The company also announced a 10-year deal with the Best Buy Digital Music Store, which will offer both subscription and pay-as-you-go downloads. The new RealNetworks service and players will be available starting October 15. ...

While he's cheated death numerous times in the past, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards admits to being embarrassed about the bizarre tree-sitting incident that almost did him in last April. According to Reuters, Richards said he was simply on vacation in Fiji, sitting on a tree stump — not climbing a tall palm tree, as previously reported — when he fell and hit his head. The incident led to emergency head surgery in New Zealand that postponed the Stones' summer European tour and spurred rumors that Richards might never play guitar again. "It's embarrassing, really," Richards, 62, says in the upcoming issue of Rolling Stone. "I was sitting on this gnarled shrub about 6 feet off the ground. I was wet — I'd been swimming. I hit the ground the wrong way, my head hit the trunk and that was that. ... It's not the first brush with death I've had. I guess what I learned is, don't sit in trees anymore." ...

Aluminium, an album of avant-garde orchestral covers of songs originally recorded by the White Stripes and Jack White, will be available beginning November 6 exclusively through Alumiiinium.com. (The album is not a Jack White side project, as had been previously reported, but was co-produced by composer/arranger Joby Talbot and XL Records founder Richard Russell and features British classical musicians.) Only 3,333 numbered CDs and 999 numbered LPs are being released, although the album will also be available in download form. Choreographer Wayne McGregor is using tracks from Aluminium in a new composition that he is putting together for the Royal Ballet in London. A toy is also being released with the album. ...

Jeffrey Borer, the former owner of a private jet company who admitted to secretly taping Michael Jackson as the singer flew to surrender in a child-molestation investigation in 2003, was sentenced Wednesday to six months of home detention, three years of probation, 150 hours of community service and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine, according to the AP. Borer and co-defendant Avrel Jett Reeves admitted that they installed cameras on one of Borer's jets in order to tape a "professional entertainer" with the intention of selling the recordings; Reeves was sentenced in July to eight months in prison and ordered to spend six additional months in a halfway house and pay a $1,000 fine.

10.4.2006

She missed New York's Fashion Week, but now Jennifer Lopez is eyeing a different week to show off her new clothes. The singer/actress/designer will premiere her latest JLo and Sweetface gear during Fashion Week Miami Beach, which runs October 11-15 in Florida. Lopez's JLo line will be on the runway at Tents at the Fifth on October 12 — with an afterparty to follow at the Funkshion Lounge. The Sweetface collection will debut October 14 at the Hotel Nash. ...

Jay-Z will star in a series of promotional spots for the NBA on TNT. The commercials will give "an introspective look into the mind of the entertainment mogul," according to TNT. ... After landing the Billboard #1 spot for the third time in his career with Release Therapy, Ludacris is set to host and perform on "Saturday Night Live" next. The rapper/actor will appear on the November 18 episode. ...

Australia and New Zealand's Big Day Out music festival will celebrate its 15th year with a lineup topped by Tool and including homegrown heroes Jet, as well as My Chemical Romance, the Killers and Muse. The 2007 tour kicks off January 19 in Auckland, New Zealand, and is slated to run through a February 4 show in Perth, Australia. Also on the roster are the Violent Femmes, Peaches, Spank Rock and the Sleepy Jackson. ...

On November 2, Gorillaz — already the world's most famous animated band — will look to get even more famous with the release of their official autobiography, "Gorillaz: Rise of the Ogre." Published by Riverhead Books and featuring illustrations by band co-creator Jamie Hewlett, "Ogre" follows the band from its earliest days to its world-uniting weeklong stint at Harlem's famed Apollo Theater. Among the nuggets of childhood info: As a child, bassist Murdoc attended Sodsworth Comprehensive School and was in a band called Burning Sensations, and a young 2D found solace in George A. Romero's "Dawn of the Dead." For more information, fans can check out the band's official site, Gorillaz.com. ...

AFI will return to the East Coast later this month for five club gigs. The band invades Rochester, New York, on October 28, followed by shows in Sayreville, New Jersey (October 30); Washington, D.C. (November 1); Providence, Rhode Island (November 2); and Albany, New York (November 4). The Explosion will join the band for all five dates, while A Static Age and the Loved Ones will also handle opening-act duties for select shows. AFI are currently working on their first full-length DVD, which will boast live footage captured last week in Long Beach, California, as well as behind-the-scenes clips, all the band's videos and interviews with members of AFI's Despair Faction fan club. The band is seeking photo submissions from fans for inclusion on the DVD. Visit AFireInside.net to learn how to take part. ...

The final few shows at New York's CBGB are being detailed this week. On Thursday, the Pietasters, Big D and the Kids Table and the Lost City Angels will take the punk club's fabled stage for an evening of ska tunes. Agnostic Front, Murphy's Law and Sick of It All have been booked for Sunday. Bad Brains are playing three nights, with Avail and the Dub Trio joining them on Monday, the Bouncing Souls opening for them Tuesday and another gig slated for October 11. The Dictators, the Sic F---s and the Bullys play CBGB one last time on October 13. And on October 15, the venue's final night in business, Patti Smith will take the stage for a sold-out evening of tunes. ...

Meat Loaf was the clear choice to play Jack Black's dad in the upcoming Tenacious D film "The Pick of Destiny," the singer/funnyman tells Playboy in its November issue, out Friday. "We look alike, obviously. ... But it was mostly his energy that inspired us to cast him. Just watching him sing is an education in rock." Black revealed that getting the Meat man to show off his pipes onscreen was easier than one might think. "We basically said, 'Will you sing in the movie, yes or no?' He said, 'For you guys, yes, because I like your stuff.' " "Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny" hits theaters November 17. ... Princeton University will host a hip-hop symposium Friday featuring noted professor Cornel West, rapper Talib Kweli, California Representative Maxine Waters and former Source editor Bakari Kitwana. The Center for American Progress-sponsored panel discussion is open to the public and will address the role of hip-hop in post-9/11 America. BET host Jeff "Cousin Jeff" Johnson will serve as moderator. For more information on the event, visit Princeton.edu. ...

Atreyu, who spent this summer on Ozzfest, have signed with Hollywood Records. The band's previous outing, A Death-Grip on Yesterday, was released on Victory Records in March and has sold more than 210,000 copies. "As a group of friends playing music, our main goal is to grow and spread our brand of metallic rock around the world," frontman Alex Varkatzas said. "We try to progress and grow on each album we record. We feel that Hollywood Records is the perfect place to continue to grow, while maintaining our freedom to do whatever the hell we want with our songs." ... Pete Yorn and the Brand New Heavies have been added to the Voodoo Music Experience lineup and will join already-announced artists including Red Hot Chili Peppers, My Chemical Romance and Wu-Tang Clan at New Orleans' City Park for the October 28-29 event. Yorn and the Heavies are each scheduled to perform on the Experience's second day, which will be headlined by Duran Duran. ...

The reopening of Cincinnati's historic downtown Fountain Square will be celebrated on October 14 with a night of music from Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek, Los Lobos and OK Go. The city's favorite funky son, former Parliament-Funkadelic bass master Bootsy Collins, will host the festivities. ... Meeting Teddy Geiger on his latest tour may be as easy as bringing some reading material along to the concert. The November issue of Seventeen — with Geiger on the cover — will serve as a meet-and-greet pass to the first 50 fans who show up to the venue. Carry a copy of the magazine, show up at least two hours before the gig starts and you could chat with the singer/songwriter before he takes the stage. Geiger's tour hits West Hollywood, California's Troubadour on Thursday.

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Dave Navarro Juggles TV And Guitar, Shrugs Off Panic Channel Sales

12 Sep 2006 01:24:00 EDT

Guitarist's new band to tour with reality-show-formed Supernova this winter.
By Chris Harris

The Panic Channel
Photo: Marsaili McGrath/ Getty Images

Former Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro is currently wearing many hats.

In addition to co-hosting CBS' "Rock Star: Supernova" — which concludes Wednesday with the assignment of a lead vocalist to the rock outfit featuring Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, ex-Metallica bassist Jason Newsted and former Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke — Navarro is co-creator of "The Product," an hour-long drama that will center around a fictional rock band. The show, which has been picked up by FX, was co-created by "Entourage" wordsmith Cliff Dorfman and journalist Neil Strauss, who co-wrote Navarro's book "Don't Try This at Home: A Year in the Life of Dave Navarro."

And music is still much more than just a hobby for Navarro. His new band, the Panic Channel — rounded out by vocalist Steve Issacs, ex-Jane's kitman Stephen Perkins and former Jane's bassist Chris Chaney — released its debut album, (ONe), last month. Navarro is also working with Camp Freddy, a cover band to shame all cover bands, featuring Chaney, the Cult's Billy Morrison, Donovan Leitch and Velvet Revolver's Matt Sorum and Scott Weiland.

"I have my hands full right now," Navarro observed, adding that, on top of all this, the Panic Channel will be heading out this winter with Supernova for a U.S. tour that launches December 31 in Las Vegas, with dates scheduled through February 27 in Long Beach, California (see "Dave Navarro's New Addiction: The Panic Channel").

"We did like a month of touring in June, and we just had a blast," explained Navarro, who hasn't been able to tour with Panic since, due to his "Rock Star: Supernova" gig. "We did little clubs and got our feet wet with the touring thing, and I remembered just how much I love playing in the smaller venues" — something Navarro didn't experience much during Jane's Addiction's heyday and subsequent reunion tours, or his stint with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

"The audience didn't know any [Panic Channel] music because there was no material available," he continued. "So it was pretty much rooms full of diehard fans that had been following us online — we took our time recording the album, and documented every step of the recording process and the band's formation on our Web sites. There were a lot of online followers, and I guess people who were curious came out for those shows. The response was great and we had a really positive experience out there."

The response to (ONe) was less than great. To date, the LP has sold just over 13,000 copies. But Navarro is not going to let that ruin his day.

"If I'm playing somewhere with these guys, I'll be happy," he said. "Music has to be something you love, because it's such a f---ed up business right now that, if you don't love it, you're just going to spin your wheels and make yourself crazy. Fortunately, I love it to the point where I care less about outcomes."

Recording the album took Navarro back to his Jane's Addiction roots, when he and the rest of the band were struggling just to get noticed, playing the Los Angeles club circuit.

"Every record has its own unique experience," he said. "We took our time writing the music, and we went into the studio knowing exactly what we wanted to accomplish and knowing how the songs went. It was very little experimentation in terms of songwriting in the studio, which saves a lot of time. It came out in some ways sonically grander than we had anticipated. This band really did start because we just sort of got together with nothing to do, and wanted to play music. The next step was we found ourselves with a body of work, and then we went out and played it live. We recorded some stuff DIY in Stephen Perkins' garage for an EP, and we decided to make a full album. Before we knew it, we had a name and a band and an album.

"When we started out, it was more or less going to be a real simple DIY collection of songs from four guys who like jamming together," Navarro continued. "We had no anticipation of becoming a working, touring entity. The fact that we've done a tour and made a video and had a record come out, already we're far and away beyond where we thought we would be."

Navarro is also hammering away on Camp Freddy's forthcoming album, which is taking much longer to complete than the guitarist had expected (see "Yet Again, Dave Navarro Surveys Life After Jane's Addiction"). The music for a dozen tracks — all covers — has been recorded with producer Mike Clink. But Navarro said the LP has been held up because of a laundry list of guest vocalists signed up to sing on the disc.

"Camp Freddy is a lot of fun because there's no emotional connection to the music, because it's not our own creation," Navarro said. "It's literally five guys who get together because we like to jam and play songs we love and its nothing but fun. There's no room for egos in a situation like that, even though you're dealing with well-known musicians. Everybody comes to it on an even playing field, because nobody wrote the music."

There is at least one Camp Freddy track available for digital download: a cover of Cheap Trick's "Surrender." The song will also be included on the soundtrack to "Employee of the Month," which opens nationwide October 6. Weiland handled lead vocals for the tune.

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For The Record: Quick News On Jessica Simpson, Nick Lachey, Good Charlotte, Christina Milian, Dave Navarro & More

1 Sep 2006 06:06:00 EDT

Simpson admits lip enhancement; Good Charlotte onboard for Greenpeace tribute; Milian unloads on eBay.
By MTV News staff report

Jessica Simpson
Photo: Evan Agostini/Getty Images

Ashlee may be keeping mum, but Jessica Simpson has 'fessed up to having some work done. In the October issue of Glamour, the singer admitted that, as speculated in some tabloids, she plumped up her lips. "I had that Restylane stuff," she told the magazine, referring to the protein-based, collagen-like gel. "But it fades — it went away in like four months. My lips are back to what they were. Thank God! It looked fake to me. I didn't like that." Asked about whether she has had any cosmetic surgery, Simpson quipped, "The only thing I've ever wanted is a boob reduction! I have to wear two sport bras when I jog. I create a 'uniboob.' " ...

Simpson also opened up about her loneliness. "There are moments when I would love to fall asleep with my head on somebody's shoulder," she said, "just because I was so used to that for so long. I miss that." Unlike ex Nick Lachey, though, Simpson said she'd rather not talk about her divorce, calling it a "sacred" subject that she discusses only with her friends, family and God. Asked for her reaction to Lachey's candid interview with Rolling Stone magazine earlier this year, Simpson said, "people kept that away from me." The singer also vowed to never invite cameras into her private life again. ...

In yet more Jessica news, she finally sang again on Friday (September 1) after injuring her throat a week ago — even if she could barely make it through one song. Simpson sang "I Belong to Me" on the "Today" show, although toward the end, she admitted, "All right, I tried that one," according to The Associated Press. She said she had "busted a blood vessel in my vocal cord" and was nursing a remedy that co-host Matt Lauer called "gnarly looking." ...

Good Charlotte, Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics and producer Glen Ballard (P.O.D., Alanis Morissette) are collaborating on a song to celebrate the 35th anniversary of environmental organization Greenpeace. The song, which will feature additional yet-unannounced singers, will be recorded September 9 at SIR in Hollywood. ... Some choose Christie's. Others go with Sotheby's. Self-described "Internet junkie" Christina Milian, however, knew exactly where to go when it came time to get rid of some of her clothes — she went to eBay. Going by the Internet handle "beatdownprincess," Milian put 13 items up for sale on the online auction house, including a tight black dress worn on "TRL" and a pair of boots from Lil' Romeo's "It's All Gravy" music video. According to Milian, money from the sale of the items will go to various charities. ...

J Records honcho Clive Davis promises that a new album from Whitney Houston is in the works, explaining that they're currently working on songs together and have already picked out six that she'll record. But don't expect Whitney to change the way she works or her creative style for her comeback album — she won't be writing, and she won't be doing anything that her producers say could be musically groundbreaking. "Whitney doesn't write," Davis said. "It's a gift — you either got it or you don't. I've seen more artists lose a career over trying to do that. Ella Fitzgerald didn't write. Lena Horne didn't write. Whitney is Whitney, and there ain't nobody like her. It'll be Whitney. It won't be somebody reaching for a current trend, that's for sure." Davis said they'll be heading to the studio in a few weeks. ...

He's done reality TV, so now "Rock Star" host Dave Navarro is going the fictional route. The Panic Channel guitarist has teamed with "Entourage" writer Cliff Dorfman and writer Neil Strauss — who co-wrote Navarro's biography, "Don't Try This at Home" — to write the pilot for a one-hour drama for FX called "The Product," which chronicles the backstage life of the dysfunctional rock band Load, according to Variety magazine. The show will follow the band as it records its new album, following a three-year hiatus in which the members haven't spoken to one another. ... Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler is getting in a little TV time of his own. He'll guest on the September 25 episode of "Two and a Half Men," playing a rock-star neighbor who clashes with Charlie Sheen's character. Tyler previously did a voiceover on the show in 2003. ...

New York rockers Revelation Theory will be touring this fall with Evanescence. The group will be the support act on the Amy Lee-led band's North American tour, which kicks off in Toronto on October 5. Revelation Theory's debut LP, Truth Is Currency, is in stores now. ... Le Tigre's Johanna Fateman, a devout feminist, is the new co-owner of Seagull, a salon in New York's West Village that became the city's first unisex barbershop when it opened in 1971. Fateman and longtime friend/ hair stylist Shaun Cottle have remodeled shop as a beauty parlor and recruited in-demand stylists, with Fateman occasionally playing the role of receptionist. ... Rapper Jin has created the first webcam-based battle rap Web site, dubbed Spitcam. Jin moderates the competition and hosts Web chats. ...

A beach party honoring late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury planned for Saturday in Zanzibar, Tanzania, has been criticized by a local Muslim leader. Azan Kalid of Zanzibar's Association for Islamic Mobilation and Propagation said the singer, who died of AIDS in 1991, violated Islam and that the party should be canceled. Simai Mohammed, manager of the Mercury restaurant hosting the party — and named for the singer — said the event will go on as planned. "Our main idea is to promote tourism, and Freddie Mercury was from Zanzibar," Mohammed said. "It's part of our history. We are all Muslims and it's not our intention to offend any religion." Mercury would have been 60 on September 5.

08.31.2006

Mariah Carey, Babyface, L.A. Reid and Kanye West were all winners at the sixth annual Urban Awards held Wednesday at New York's Roseland Ballroom. The awards show, hosted by performing-rights organization BMI, honored Carey with its two top awards, Song of the Year ("We Belong Together") and Songwriter of the Year, which she shared with Miami producers Bigg D and Jim Jonsin (Trick Daddy, Pretty Ricky). L.A. Reid and writing partner Babyface were given a lifetime achievement BMI Icons award, while Kanye scooped up Producer of the Year honors for the second year in a row and Jazze Pha's "1, 2 Step" for Ciara took the BMI Urban Ringtone Award. ...

(Check out photos from the 2006 BMI Urban Music Awards red carpet.)

The surviving members of the Beatles have sued EMI and Capitol Records claiming the record companies cheated them out of millions of dollars. According to BBC News, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr and the families of John Lennon and George Harrison are seeking $25 million in damages against the companies, which they claimed had falsely listed Beatles albums as destroyed or damaged but then secretly sold them. A judge in New York's State Supreme Court denied EMI's request last week for the claim — filed in December — to be thrown out over lack of evidence. The group is also looking to reclaim rights to all its master tapes. ...

Lawyers for Great White tour manager Daniel Biechele filed a motion in Superior Court this week seeking a reduction in his four-year prison sentence in connection with the Station nightclub fire that killed 100 people in February 2003. According to The Providence Journal, Biechele's lawyer said his client is not seeking a hearing on his motion at this time, but that the request was filed to beat a deadline to preserve Biechele's right to seek a reduced sentence if circumstances in the case change. The club's co-owners are awaiting trial and if they receive shorter sentences or are acquitted, that could prompt Biechele to seek a reduction. In February, Biechele, 29, pleaded guilty to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter, one for each of the people who died in the fire set off by stage pyrotechnics Biechele lit inside the club. ...

Gibson Guitar has hooked up with Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong to create the Gibson Billie Joe Armstrong Signature model guitar, which will be available beginning in September for around $2,100. The design is based on Armstrong's beloved 1950s model Gibson Les Paul Jr. guitar. It will come in three colors (vintage sunburst, classic white and ebony) with a custom hard-shell case with leopard-print interior and Green Day's signature "Shock Guy" logo on the exterior. ... Audioslave's Tom Morello will be throwing out the first pitch at Chicago's Wrigley Field on Sunday as his favorite team, the Chicago Cubs, take on the San Francisco Giants. ...

Frances Bean Cobain comes from serious rock stock, but is the daughter of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love considering a music career of her own? "Not really," she told the U.K. edition of Elle in its September issue. "I'd much rather act and I really like photography." Cobain said she'd love to be a film director, explaining that she'd rather be in control than be in front of a camera — "I'm a bit of a bossy-boots." On the subject of footwear, the 14-year-old admits a passion for shoes, explaining that she's already collected 137 pairs. "I counted them, which is pathetic. ... And I've got over 200 pairs of jeans and at least 50 designer handbags." ...

Rancid's Tim Armstrong has been working on material that he'll be releasing in the form of a solo album titled A Poet's Life. He's even shot a video for the disc's first single, "Hold On." There's no firm release date yet for the LP, but Armstrong said in an online post that it should surface before year's end — but not in the conventional manner. He wants to release the songs one track at a time, online, free of charge. He also wrote that Rancid's seventh studio offering will be released next year, and that the band will begin writing songs for it in December. "In the upcoming years, I hope to make another Transplants album," he wrote. "I love recording with those guys." ... TV on the Radio are including three new tracks to their upcoming album, Return To Cookie Mountain, including "Snakes and Martyrs," "Things You Can Do" and an El-P remix of Cookie's "Hours." You'll have to fast-forward through 14 tracks of silence and one "ambient audio" track to hear the songs. Cookie Mountain is due September 12. ...

This year's Farm Aid concert just got way eclectic. In addition to previously announced sets from founders Neil Young, Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and board member Dave Matthews, the September 30 concert at the Tweeter Center will feature reggae legends Steel Pulse, polka star Jimmy Sturr, pedal-steel guitarist Robert Randolph and rock pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis, as well as Los Lonely Boys, Arlo Guthrie, Gov't Mule, Steve Earle and Allison Moorer, Shelby Lynne and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, according to the event's Web site. ... Actor Glenn Ford, who racked up screen credits in nearly 100 films over his 50-year career — but is perhaps best known to younger audiences as Clark Kent's Earth father in 1978's "Superman" — died Wednesday at age 90.

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For The Record: Quick News On Lil' Kim, Carmen Electra, Dave Navarro, Dave Chappelle, Method Man & More

10 Aug 2006 09:06:00 EDT

Rapper's attorney wants Atlantic to 'free Kim'; Electra files for divorce from Navarro; Chappelle quietly launches tour.
By MTV News staff report

Lil' Kim
Photo: Evan Agostini/Getty Images

Lil' Kim's entertainment attorney has responded to rumors that the rapper has been dropped from Atlantic Records following her early release from prison last month. "We are having discussions which I cannot confirm the details [of] at this time. However, we do wish Atlantic would release and simply free Kim," L. Londell McMillan said in a statement. ...

Carmen Electra filed for divorce from Dave Navarro on Thursday (August 10), The Associated Press reports. She cited "irreconcilable differences." The couple announced their split in mid-July. ...

Dave Chappelle, coming off a sold-out 15-show residency at San Francisco's Punch Line comedy club, has quietly booked a tour that will keep him in theaters across the country through August. The outing begins Friday in Norfolk, Virginia, and ends in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with a pair of gigs on the 25th and 26th. ...

Method Man has set August 29 as the new release date for his upcoming album 4:21 ... The Day After. The LP, which will feature "Say" featuring Lauryn Hill as its first single, was originally due July 18. ...

Gwyneth Paltrow thinks Nicole Richie is "super cute" — so she told Bazaar magazine for its latest cover story. (See pics from the piece right here.) The seemingly mild-mannered actress also revealed that she's not so demure behind the wheel: "I curse when I drive," she said. "I'm like a horribly aggressive New York driver. I'm always yelling, 'F--- you!' at truck drivers and honking my horn!" ...

Poor Sean Preston — he isn't even a year old and he's already made a worst-dressed list. The September issue of Esquire puts Britney Spears and Kevin Federline's toddler son — who's a bit young to have much of a say in his wardrobe — in the fashion-disaster ranks alongside Axl Rose and Marc Anthony. The new face of James Bond, Daniel Craig, sits at the other end of the style spectrum with a best-dressed nod, followed by runner-up John Legend. Actors Terrence Howard and Jake Gyllenhaal and Australian rocker Nick Cave round out the men's magazine's top-five fashion stars. ...

Kelly Clarkson is heading back into the recording booth — with Congress, on Capitol Hill. The singer is headlining the Recording Academy's Grammys on the Hill advocacy events, set for September 6 in Washington, D.C. Clarkson will lead a group of musicians, songwriters, producers and engineers who will join the Congressional Grammy Band — featuring members of Congress who are also musicians — for a recording session. That night, Clarkson, Senator Dianne Feinstein and Representative Mark Foley will be honored by the Academy at a gala dinner. ...

Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts are getting a fresh boost. Matthew McConaughey just auctioned his 1971 Corvette Stingray convertible on eBay, and he'll be forking over the $61,600 winning bid to Oprah Winfrey's Angel Network for Katrina and Rita recovery efforts, AP reports. Mississippi rockers Three Doors Down visited the Gulf Coast earlier this week to dole out money raised from a benefit auction held last year, while Dr. Phil just taped episodes of his TV show in New Orleans that will air at a later date. ...

No Doubt have donated an autographed guitar to benefit Orange, California's Providence Speech and Hearing Center. A chance to win the black Slammer Special by Hamer, signed by Gwen Stefani, Tom Dumont, Tony Kanal and Adrian Young, costs $100. To enter the charity raffle, visit PSHC.org. ... Song titles like "Promiscuous" and "Maneater" don't sound like the work of a quilter, but Nelly Furtado is getting crafty to create the center square of a custom quilt to be auctioned off to benefit environmental charity the Land Conservancy. Furtado is counting on fans to fill out the quilt with their own 12-inch square creations. Participants whose panels make the cut will earn an autographed photo of the singer. Head to NellyFurtado.com for more information on the project. ...

Alicia Keys, Bow Wow, Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, Hoobastank and Sara Evans all agreed that Arcata, California, high school student Laurel Dammann knows how to express unity through music. The 16-year-old's "Through the Fall" was unanimously chosen by the panel of judges as the winner of the "come together" themed 2006 Songwriting Contest for Teens, sponsored by USA Today and Billboard. "It's about prejudices and differences," Dammann explained to Billboard. "The problem is, some don't look past the differences to see the person." ... Have you considered trying out for "American Idol" but fear that Simon Cowell would say you're better suited for Broadway? Do you dream of being the next John Travolta or Olivia Newton-John? There's finally a televised talent search that fits the bill. "You're the One That We Want," set to air as a midseason addition to NBC's 2006-07 season, is seeking Danny and Sandy wannabes to lead the cast of a Broadway revival of "Grease" set to bow in June. ...

Tommy Lee, Papa Roach and Tiesto are among the artists participating at the second Bacardi Global Gathering, a three-day concert taking place at Las Vegas' Palms Casino September 1-3. The first Global Gathering was staged in Miami in March and featured Nine Inch Nails, Rob Zombie and Sasha and Digweed. More performers for the second one will be announced in the coming weeks. ... Portishead fans who have been waiting nine years for the band's third studio album are going to be left hanging even longer. According to a post on drummer Geoff Barrow's MySpace page, the eight-years-in-the-making LP isn't coming along as planned. "Work ain't good at the moment," he wrote. "We've got stuck. Just a few more months and we can really go at it. ... It's really hard not to sound like you're doing a bad impression of yourself." ...

DJ Shadow will tour this fall in support of The Outsider, his forthcoming album slated for September 12 release. After a tour of Europe and Japan, DJ Shadow will kick his U.S. run off September 20 in Seattle, and hit Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Dallas, New Orleans and Chicago before wrapping things up in New York on October 18. ... Kaki King will be headlining the fourth annual Yellow Umbrella Tour, which will make 33 stops across North America to raise awareness of cervical cancer and the virus that causes it, HPV. Best known for her acoustic-guitar instrumentals, King has enlisted a band for the tour, which will feature music from her recently released third album, Until We Felt Red — which takes her sound in a new direction with electric guitar and vocals. The Yellow Umbrella Tour kicks off September 7 in New York and wraps up October 23 in Boston. Cervical cancer survivor and tour founder Christine Baze will open for King on the road trip.

08.09.2006

"Stop writing about me and start writing about how people are dying overseas for our country," Lindsay Lohan advised in Elle's September issue. The actress/singer — who reveals that she's always aspired to be a pinup — said she wants to follow Marilyn Monroe's example and perform for troops. She also explained that she's not afraid to go to Iraq, though the trip she's planned with Hillary Clinton has been held up. Lohan, who insisted that media scrutiny won't derail her career — "I'm never not going to be in the movies. I'm not going anywhere" — detailed some of her nightclub exploits but offered little sister Ali a Hollywood warning: "Stay away from the boys. And watch who you associate with publicly, especially if someone has a certain rep. ... I guess people would say she'd have to stay away from me, but that's not true. Because I'll nurture someone if they're out with me and take care of them." (Check out photos from Lohan's Elle shoot here.) ...

The Killers, the Raconteurs, the Roots, Fiona Apple the Mars Volta, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Jurassic 5 and Widespread Panic are among the artists set to perform at this year's Vegoose music festival, set for October 28-29 at Las Vegas' Sam Boyd Stadium and Star Nursery Field. The lineup for Vegoose at Night, an after-dark series of Sin City club shows set for October 27-31, will be announced in the coming weeks. ... Organizers of a concert in Malaysia featuring the Pussycat Dolls were fined the equivalent of $2,714 for the group's "sexually suggestive routines" onstage at the July event, local newspaper Malay Mail reported. "I believe the way the Pussycat Dolls behaved onstage amounted to gross indecency," Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Rais Yatim said, according to the paper. "The Pussycat Dolls reportedly put on a show which not only featured scantily dressed performers but also included sensuous elements." ...

Paris Hilton will be promoting her debut album Paris — due August 22 — with a string of in-store appearances and record-release parties. Hilton will visit the Miami area August 15, appearing at Specs in South Beach and hosting a party at Suite in Miami Beach. On August 16, she'll be in New York for an in-store at FYE and a release party at Marquee. And Hilton hits Los Angeles on August 18 for a Best Buy appearance and a party at Privilege. ... The soundtrack to the forthcoming video game "NHL 2K7" will feature music from a dozen bands, including Hot Hot Heat, the Postal Service, the Constantines, Band of Horses, Mudhoney, Nebula and Sleater-Kinney. "NHL 2K7" will arrive in stores next month for Xbox 360, Xbox and PlayStation 2. ...

Parade magazine asked 10,000 Americans to share their pop-culture opinions and — surprise! — those polled had plenty to say about Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Jessica Simpson. Britney's darker hair is a hit — 6 percent call her blond-to-brown move their favorite big change — but her apparent parenting goofs scored 22 percent of the "stupidest celebrity stunt" vote. And 7 percent of those polled said they'd be happy if Britney disappeared from the public eye altogether — though Paris was the big "winner" in that category, with nearly one-third of respondents wishing they never hear her name again. Jessica and Nick Lachey's divorce broke 18 percent of hearts (only the Hilary Swank/ Chad Lowe split was deemed a bigger bummer, with 22 percent of the vote), while Ashlee Simpson's "new nose" was the third-favorite transformation, coming in behind Clay Aiken's updated 'do (33 percent) and Janet Jackson's major weight loss (25 percent). ... Former Da Band member Young City is being held in a Gwinnett County, Georgia, jail following a July 31 arrest. The rapper, whose real name is Rodney Hill and who went by Chopper on MTV's "Making the Band 2," was pulled over for speeding and detained when authorities noted that he had an outstanding warrant in Baltimore on an armed robbery charge. According to his spokesperson, Barnes is being held without bond while he awaits extradition to Maryland. ...

Dirty Pretty Things singer/guitarist Carl Barat recently broke his collarbone, but the band's U.S. tour — which kicked off Tuesday in Los Angeles — is carrying on as scheduled, with the Paddingtons' Josh Hubbard filling in for Barat on guitar. Dirty Pretty Things have an in-store appearance at San Francisco's Amoeba Music set for Wednesday (August 9) at 6 p.m. ... Every Time I Die will release the DVD "Sh-- Happens" on October 31. The band will tour with Atreyu, From First to Last and Chiodos beginning October 7 in Phoenix. Dates are scheduled through a November 19 show in Las Vegas. ... Rock Kills Kid frontman Jeff Tucker was victimized by a burglar who entered his Honolulu hotel room on Sunday at approximately 5:30 a.m. "At first I thought I was dreaming," explained the singer, who awoke to find the intruder standing over him. "Second, I thought it was a hotel worker putting towels in the room. I looked at him and said 'Hello,' and he bolted." The man managed to swipe Tucker's wallet, cell phone, credit card and room key. Tucker and the band's manager, Rodney Afshari, chased down the burglar and held him until police arrived. Brandon Riester, who police say is in the U.S. Navy, was arrested and charged with one count of burglary. ...

A federal judge has ruled that a lawsuit filed by Rush members Geddy Lee and Neal Peart against three Collier County sheriff's deputies is without merit. The bandmembers filed the suit against the deputies who'd been involved in a 2003 altercation with Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel restaurant in Naples, Florida, claiming the band lost business due to the injuries Lifeson sustained during the skirmish. The judge decided that Lee and Peart have no legal standing as they were not involved in the fracas. Lifeson's suit against the officers, which seeks millions of dollars in damages, should not be affected by the judge's decision. ... The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is keeping the video and audio tapes of Mel Gibson's drunken-driving arrest out of the hands of the media, saying they are part of an "investigatory file," The Associated Press reports. The tapes, which capture Gibson's anti-Semitic tirade, "are records of the investigation and part of the investigatory file in this matter," said Gary P. Gross, principal deputy for the county counsel's office. They will remain sealed for the time being. ... Bassist Mario Cipollina, a founding member of Huey Lewis & the News, pleaded guilty Monday to felony counts of heroin and methamphetamine possession, AP reports. Cipollina, who left the band in 1994, is being held without bail on the charges — which violate the terms of his probation for burglary and theft convictions. He is due back in court August 21 and could be sentenced to more than four years in prison if convicted.

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Carmen Electra, Dave Navarro Separate After Three Years Of Marriage

17 Jul 2006 08:15:00 EDT

Couple documented wedding on MTV's 'Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen + Dave.'
By Jennifer Vineyard

Dave Navarro and Carmen Electra
Photo: Vince Bucci/ Getty Images

Dave Navarro and Carmen Electra are separating, Electra's rep confirmed Monday.

The couple, who got married November 22, 2003, documented their courtship on "Carmen & Dave: An MTV Love Story" and then their wedding on "Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen + Dave," which aired for seven episodes in early 2004.

"Thanks to MTV, we can give our kids a DVD package about how their parents met and wed," Navarro joked in January 2004 to MTV News (see "Dave Navarro Reveals Reality TV's Little Secret"). "And maybe MTV can document our childbirth. I got some making-of home footage, then I think we're gonna do some kind of C-section delivery, so perhaps MTV can come in and shoot that."

The couple, however, didn't have any children before deciding to call it quits. Electra's rep described the split as "amicable."

Navarro addressed the split on his Web site early Tuesday morning (July 18).

"I just want to say thanx for all of your love and support," he wrote. "I'm sure that you can understand that I wish to keep all personal matters private."

Navarro and Electra spent long periods of time apart, as she shot movies and performed occasionally with the Pussycat Dolls and he played with the Panic Channel and Camp Freddy and hosted "Rock Star." Their time apart often sparked rumors that a split was imminent, but Navarro disputed those rumors on his Web site, writing April 16, "So regarding all the gossip ... Are we getting a divorce? Are we having a baby? Are we doing sex aerobatics? Well, none of these things are true. However, I wouldn't mind trying the sex aerobatics thing!"

As for Electra, she seemed happy with the union during a recent interview in the August issue of Self magazine, which hits newsstands next week. She discusses jamming with Navarro to Led Zeppelin songs and taking a trip to the paint store, where they bought canvases, paints and brushes so they could create art together.

"Sometimes you get so caught up in stuff that you're not really living," she told the magazine. "I'm the most secure in myself now, so that makes me feel happy. I've felt bad long enough, and I'm over it. Now I always like everything to be fun."

Navarro and Electra started dating after being set up on a blind date through a mutual friend. For their wedding invitations, David LaChapelle shot them naked as if they were dead in the morgue.

Both Electra and Navarro were married previously. Navarro wed his first wife, Tanja, in a pagan ceremony in 1990 and married his second wife, Rhian, in a civil ceremony in 1994. The second marriage was annulled after a month. Electra married former Chicago Bulls forward Dennis Rodman in a Las Vegas ceremony after briefly dating in November 1998, but the union was annulled after nine days, with Rodman claiming he had been too drunk at the time for the marriage to be valid.

Electra attributes her impulsive marriage to the deaths of her sister and mother just three months prior.

"I just tried to keep big things constantly happening, so I didn't have to focus on what was really going on," she told Self magazine. "I surrounded myself with people — I didn't really care what kind, so long as they distracted me. I couldn't be by myself for one second."

After a year of trying to avoid the grief, she was "sick of being sad," she told Self. "I did a complete life change. I had friends to let go of, a marriage [to Rodman] I needed to get strong enough to walk away from. I moved. I changed my number. I really tried to get my focus back, do some healing and let myself cry. I needed to be alone and I needed to feel."

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It's HIV Testing Day: Eve, Furtado, Navarro, Pamela Anderson Urge All To Get Tested

27 Jun 2006 06:00:00 EDT

Health centers holding extended hours, special testing events.
By Jennifer Vineyard

Eve poses in support of HIV Testing Day
Photo: Lester Cohen/WireImage

Nelly Furtado might be a "Promiscuous" girl, but that doesn't mean she can't be safe, too.

Furtado, along with several other entertainers who play with risqué imagery and lyrics, hopes sexy subject matter can also be educational — especially this week, since National HIV Testing Day is Tuesday (June 27).

"When I was a little kid, Salt-N-Pepa's 'Let's Talk About Sex' came on the radio, and my mom was like, 'What's this?' " Furtado recalled. "And with my song, 'Promiscuous,' certain moms and dads are going to hear it and ask, 'What's this?' And kids are going to ask questions about sex. It can only encourage the conversation."

Eve hopes that the conversation goes even further — that talking about sex and its possible repercussions will lead people to protect and test themselves. "In my perfect world, people would hear about this and go out and get tested," Eve said. "People would start talking about it and stop being scared."

Granted, HIV can be a very scary topic: Over 39 million people worldwide are living with the deadly virus, and an estimated four million more became infected last year, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. "What I find the most alarming is that every 15 seconds, someone is infected with HIV," Avril Lavigne said.

An estimated 250,000 Americans are unaware of their own HIV infections. But knowing whether you're one of the infected helps you get treatment and helps stop the spread of the disease.

The process of getting an HIV test is as easy as asking your doctor for one, going to a clinic, or using an at-home kit. Rapid HIV antibody tests can generate results in five to 60 minutes with a simple finger-stick blood sample. And if you're nervous about needles, you can even get tested by swabbing the inside of your gums.

"It's quick and easy and it can make a difference," said Pamela Anderson. "I have Hepatitis C, and there's no cure for Hepatitis C or AIDS, so it's really important to stop the spread of the disease since there is no cure."

"The reality is that people get sick," Furtado added. "But Magic Johnson showed that it's not the end of your life, but the beginning of awareness. When Magic contracted HIV, that was a pivotal point in AIDS awareness. It showed that anybody could get this disease."

"Somebody close to me was infected with AIDS, and I actually watched them die," Kelly Rowland revealed. "That was painful to watch, and I think that once you see something like that, it definitely becomes real — it definitely becomes something that you want people to know about."

Today, thousands of HIV-counseling and testing sites, state and local health departments and community-based HIV/ AIDS service providers are holding health fairs, hosting special testing-related events and operating extended hours. At some clinics, the tests are free or can be paid for on a sliding scale, based on income.

"You know, I've been through a lot of situations in my life where my behavior put me at risk by intravenous drug use and unprotected sex," Dave Navarro said. "Especially starting out back in the late '80s when awareness wasn't so great about this disease. But it was there, and we didn't know a lot about it. I've been saved by the grace of God, and for whatever reason, I'm still here. And if we're going to survive as a people, we need to share information. The coolest thing that you can do is get educated, get protected, get tested."

"I waited a while before I had sex," Furtado said, "because sex is serious. There are serious consequences. But at the same time, you can't expect people not to have sex. Love happens, and experimentation happens. And the more we talk about sex, the more awareness there will be. It doesn't have to be a mystery."

To get an HIV test in your area, check out think.mtv.com or call (888) BE SAFE 1.

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Jason Newsted Says Frantic Pace Of 'Rock Star: Supernova' Is 'Asking For Miracles'

14 Jun 2006 06:00:00 EDT

Bands have just 45 days to write, complete album.
By Jon Wiederhorn

Supernova bassist Jason Newsted
Photo: Scott Gries/ Getty Images

They've admired each other's music for years but had never played a note together until last month. Now, Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, Voivod/ ex-Metallica bassist Jason Newsted and former Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke are rocking out in front of the cameras in their made-for-TV supergroup, Supernova, taping the second season of the Mark Burnett reality show "Rock Star." And they're under the gun to find a new singer and create some killer songs.

"We only had nine days to jam before the red light went on in the studio," said Newsted, who considers the whole process a trial by fire. "Now we have a total of 45 days to form the band, write the songs, develop the songs, record the songs and mix the album. That's called asking for miracles."

Sure, but that's part of what'll make "Rock Star: Supernova," which debuts July 5 on CBS, so entertaining. Deadlines are looming, and everyone's under immense pressure. Not only do Supernova have to choose the right vocalist — as INXS did in the first season — they also have to establish their own musical chemistry in order for the band to click.

"I'm looking forward to watching the band evolve and seeing how that process comes about," said ex-Jane's Addiction member Dave Navarro, who will return to co-host the show with Brooke Burke. "INXS were already well-known, and they were already a solid unit. Watching Tommy, Gilby and Jason learning to work together is going to be very compelling."

Fortunately, the bandmembers did some homework. Before getting together at Clarke's home studio to rehearse for the show, Lee and Newsted recorded some musical ideas, then traded tapes to get a sense of what their collaboration might sound like. Both were excited by the results and jammed on some of the ideas at Supernova's rehearsals.

"It's quite futuristic-sounding, and there are some cool styles," Newsted said. "Tommy is coming from a very hip place with a lot of electronica and crazy, heavy beats covered with his real drums. And my slabs of [bass-playing in the styles of] Kyuss and [Black] Sabbath are in there. Then you've got Gilby's rock and roll guitar over it all. So the balance of elements is really f---ing cool."

Sadly, many of the singers around the world who have auditioned for the show aren't aware of the members' pasts and probably never even heard of Kyuss. In a recent DVD interview for TV Guide, the band talked about some of the singers who have showed up with inappropriate material, including folk songs and Janis Joplin covers. "What about [the singer who did Elton John's] 'I'm Still Standing'?" Clarke asked his bandmates. "That was just wrong."

So what are Supernova searching for? "We're looking for that person that's gonna stand in front of the three of us and just be mean," Clarke told TV Guide. "Someone who's just loud" (see "Tommy Lee Hopes 'Rock Star' Finds Dangerous, Scary Singer").

Once a singer is chosen, Supernova will enter the studio with producer Butch Walker to record an album. Walker previously worked with Lee on his 2005 solo album, Tommyland: The Ride, and has also produced and written for Pink, Avril Lavigne, Sevendust and Lindsay Lohan. Newsted said Walker will likely help shape the songs, but he stressed that there are no musical guidelines.

"We don't have to fill any shoes — we're building the shoes," he said. "No one really knows what it's going to sound like, and we could do anything. We have a very unique opportunity here. A lot of new bands are starting supergroups, but none of them are being created on national network television, so this is going to be huge."

A full North American tour will follow the release of the record. But while Supernova will function in the studio and on the road as an actual band, Lee and Newsted are keeping their day jobs. Lee is still an active member of Mötley Crüe, and Newsted plans to enter the studio with Voivod in early 2007 to record the last batch of tunes by their late guitarist, Denis "Piggy" D'Amour (see "Voivod Guitarist Denis 'Piggy' D'Amour Dies Of Cancer At 45"). Actually, one reason Newsted accepted the offer to be in Supernova was to plug his other ventures.

"It's a good chance to really pimp some serious Voivod and also my studio, Chophouse," he said. "The first show airs July 5, and Voivod's new album, Katorz, comes out July 25. So I'll certainly be wearing some Voivod clothing during the weeks leading up to the release of the record and following its release, and I'll be mentioning the band in various appearances."

Things could always change, but at this point Newsted doesn't seem to be thinking that much about the long-term potential for Supernova — he's more interested in how the TV show can promote Voivod.

"Really, you can't buy this kind of publicity," he concluded. "Somewhere between 20 and 40 million people around the globe will watch this show every week. If I got together with the guys in Metallica and we put all our money together to advertise, it still wouldn't come close to what they're spending to plug this show, which is backed by Verizon, Microsoft and Honda.

"We got invited to play a private party for Bill Gates a couple days ago: That's how crazy this world is," he laughed. "And that's a chance for me to wear a Voivod shirt in front of these mother----ers. So, I'm liking this. I'm liking this a lot."

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