Madonna
Photo: Dave Hogan/ Getty Images

All hail Madonna: the singer is the richest woman in music, according to Forbes.com. Madge reportedly earned a staggering $72 million between June 2006 and June of last year, with her Confessions tour raking in $260 million. Also earning big bucks were Shakira ($38 million), Beyoncé ($27 million), Gwen Stefani ($26 million), Christina Aguilera ($20 million), Mariah Carey ($13 million), Hilary Duff ($12 million), Avril Lavigne ($12 million), Britney Spears ($8 million), Carrie Underwood ($7 million), Nelly Furtado ($7 million), Fergie ($6 million), Jennifer Lopez ($6 million) and Norah Jones ($5.5 million). ... Brangelina better have a lifetime supply of Pampers — the couple are expecting more children, according to UsMagazine.com. Angelina Jolie, who already has four children with Brad Pitt, is reportedly pregnant with twins with her mate. ...

Kevin Federline's lawyer wants Britney Spears to pay up. Mark Vincent Kaplan filed a motion Tuesday asking the court to make Spears foot his client's attorney bill, according to TMZ. The Web site estimates the fees to be more than $500,000 since the custody battle began in July. A hearing on the request is set for March 10. ...

The 3-D flick "Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert" accounted for roughly 90 percent of ticket sales at Fandango.com and MovieTickets.com as of Wednesday morning (January 30), even though it will only open in 684 digital theaters on Thursday at midnight, Reuters reports. ...

The Academy Awards have a backup plan in the event that the ongoing writers' strike doesn't resolve itself by then, The Associated Press reports. The February 24 ceremony's contingency program would include "history and packages of film and concepts that are not normally ones that we would have for the show if we were moving straight ahead," Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis reportedly said Wednesday. The Academy is in talks with the Writers Guild of America, AP says. ... Death Cab for Cutie have slapped a title onto their next album, which is due in May. According to a post on the indie-rockers' Web site, they're calling it Narrow Stairs. ...

What would a year be like without the Snoop Bowl? Snoop Dogg announced on Wednesday that he will stage the event for a sixth time — and he's going to have to hustle, since he's planning for it to happen Saturday. The charity game will be held at Hamilton High School in Chandler, Arizona, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Matt Leinart Foundation, a group set up by the Arizona Cardinals quarterback that helps disadvantaged youth. Leinart will be in attendance at the Bowl. ... A day later is the Super Bowl, of course, and ESPN is planning to sport an odd musical combo on its "Sunday NFL Countdown" pregame show prior to Sunday's big game. Acoustic heavy-metal duo Rodrigo y Gabriela will perform and chat on the show. ...

Keep your eye out for unreleased freestyle and video footage from Eminem, Notorious B.I.G., Wu-Tang Clan and other hip-hop superstars that will surface on UrSession.com, a new social-networking site that launches Thursday in beta form. The site, hatched by System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian, along with King Tech and MTV News' own Sway, will also feature a music label and an area that allows artists to audition their music. The unreleased hip-hop footage is coming courtesy Sway and Tech's "Wake Up Show." ... Ruben Studdard just can't catch a break anymore. The former "Idol" champ, who was dropped by J Records last year after his 2006 LP, The Return, tanked, is suing a concert promoter for breach of contract. TMZ reports that Studdard is seeking $45,000 from Dallas company Peachez Inc. in a suit filed Monday in New York Supreme Court. ...

Organizers of the Melbourne leg of Australia's Big Day Out festival were defending themselves Tuesday against charges that they could have done a better job with security during a set Monday by bombastic reunited rockers Rage Against the Machine. According to the Herald-Sun, dozens of fans in the crowd of 46,000, the biggest ever for a Melbourne Big Day Out show, climbed to precarious spots on top of marquees, speaker stacks and trees, forcing headliners Rage to stop playing for a bit as security pulled them down. Two men were also seriously injured during the set after falling off a marquee — one dislocated his shoulder and the other suffered spinal shock — and one crowd-surfer was pulled over the barrier unconscious, according to the paper. Fans reportedly complained of overcrowding and a floor plan that made the crowd aggressive, though organizers said that considering it was the first year at a new venue, things went smoothly. "This is the first year at a brand-new venue and, generally, everything ran very well," said spokesperson Miranda Brown. In all, 11 people were transported to the hospital during or after the event and 413 were treated, mostly for minor injuries. ...

Mötley Crüe have written 10 songs for their forthcoming LP, according to bassist Nikki Sixx. "I'm very proud of the songs," he said in a post on his Web site. "I think we're onto some of the better songs we've had in years. Time will tell, of course." Some of the songs slated to appear on the record include "A Scar on Hollywood Blvd" and "The Saints of Los Angeles." Sixx said the record will be named The Dirt — calling to mind the band's autobiography, "The Dirt - Mötley Crüe: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band" — and the lyrics will follow the story in the book. "It's challenging and exciting to have to write the songs into time capsules spreading over years," Sixx said in his post. "I've written a lot of songs with [guitarist] Mick Mars ... and the chemistry in the studio as we're writing is unbelievable." ... Pink is not alone: Like the pop singer, Chrissie Hynde is joining People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' protest over horse-drawn carriages in New York. The Pretenders frontwoman, who was married years ago while sitting in a horse-drawn carriage in Manhattan, will lead a PETA protest and talk with tourists on Thursday. She's also backing a recently introduced bill that would ban horse-drawn carriages in NYC. ...

30 Seconds to Mars premiered their new short film, "A Beautiful Lie," Wednesday on MySpace. The band claims the video for the title track from its 2005 platinum album marks the first time a music clip has been shot 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Greenland. "Shooting in Greenland was a dream come true and one of the most exciting adventures we've ever had as a band," singer Jared Leto said in a statement. "Although incredibly challenging and at times it seemed just out of our reach, once we finally arrived, the beauty and magnificence of the terrain, the wonderful culture of the people, and the amazing journey itself were all inspiring beyond belief. Almost everyone has heard of global warming by now but for the people of Greenland it is a real and tangible problem of today, not an issue of tomorrow. This journey changed our lives." The band and the video's director worked with the National Resource Defense Council to find ways to offset the environmental impact of filming, including minimizing fuel consumption and buying certificates supporting renewable-energy generation that offset the environmental effects of burning coal, gas and other fossil fuels across North America. ...

Papa Roach are down a drummer following the departure of Dave Buckner, frontman Jacoby Shaddix confirmed in a post on the band's MySpace page. "It was one of the hardest things we have ever had to do," he wrote of the split. "He's taking this time to get his life together. We are still friends and still talk on a regular basis. The road is a hard place to live, and if you are falling apart, it will destroy you. He will be missed." There's no word yet on whether the band has found or is searching for Buckner's replacement. ... Chevelle and Finger Eleven — who opened for Evanescence last year — will hit the road together again starting February 19 in Flint, Michigan. Dates run through April 2 in Denver. ... Face to Face will reunite for some upcoming live shows after breaking up in 2003. There are no immediate plans for a full scale tour, but the punk outfit will play select festival dates in the U.S., including Bamboozle Left, which is set for April 5 in Irvine, California. ...

John Oates' mustache — yeah, the one you might've seen on your parents' old Hall & Oates records — is so famous that it's getting its own cartoon, according to Glenwood Springs, Colorado's Post Independent. "My mustache has superpowers," Oates, who has since shaved off the 'stache, told the paper. The 'toon is reportedly in development. ... While dating your tourmate would be pretty convenient, Miley Cyrus insists that she and Jonas Brothers heartthrob Nick Jonas are not an item. "We're just really good buds," the singer told USA Today. The "Hannah Montana" starlet was on the road with the band of brothers for the Best of Both Worlds Tour from October till December, before the Jonases were replaced by Aly & AJ. ... It's still unclear who, exactly, is in the re-formed New Kids on the Block, but after 14 years apart, the reunited boy band has a new song on its Web site. Portions of a new, untitled track have been posted on the NKOTB site over a montage of images highlighting their career. The piano ballad features the lines, "I know it's hard to see me go/ To see me standin' so close to the door/ And I know it's hard when I'm far away/ But I promise you when I get back, I'll stay." The clip ends with the words, "Are You Ready?" flashing on the screen.

1.29.08

The next time you see Missy Elliott, she's going to be in 3-D. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Walt Disney Studios is creating a stereoscopic 3-D video for Missy that combines the tunes "Ching-a-Ling" and "Shake Your Pom Pom." The songs will appear on the February 5 soundtrack to the dance sequel "Step Up 2 The Streets" and might resurface on the rapper's yet-untitled new LP, due in May. The video will premiere on "TRL" on Monday. ...

A New York judge denied Foxy Brown's request to get out of jail early so she can go to California for an ear examination and for a repair of her electronic ear implant. According to The Associated Press, the Manhattan district attorney's office reported on Monday that State Supreme Court Justice Melissa Jackson will not allow Brown, 29, to go to Los Angeles for the treatment, which prosecutors argued she could get just as easily in New York, where she is being held for violating her probation. ...

Styles P, Ray J and Large Professor have huddled together with AZ to help the hip-hop lyricist with his new album — it's Undeniable. The disc is due February 19. ...

Former "American Idol" finalist Clay Aiken, who has faced questions about his sexuality since entering the spotlight more than four years ago, recently told New York magazine that not only is he sick of answering questions about his preferences, he's tired of thinking about something that he simply doesn't have time for. Aiken told the magazine that his social life is "nonexistent, really I'm not a nighttime person." While he's in New York performing in the Broadway production of "Monty Python's Spamalot," he does not plan on dating anyone and is not involved with anyone. "Heck, no," he said, adding that his only companions are "my dogs." Not only that, but Aiken, 29, claims that he's never had a romantic relationship, unless you count the girls he took to dances in high school. "I just don't have an interest in ... any of that at all. I have got too much on my plate," he told the magazine. "I'd rather focus on one thing and do that when I can devote time to it, and right now, I just don't have any desire." ...

The Arctic Monkeys scored a record seven nominations for this year's NME Awards, including nods for Best Album, Best Live Band, Best Album Artwork, Best Video, Best Track and Best British Band, for which they'll be competing against Babyshambles, the Cribs, Klaxons and Muse. The news was more mixed for Amy Winehouse, who is up for Best Solo Artist, but also Worst Dressed and Villain of the Year, where she'll get stiff competition from U.S. President George Bush and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The awards will be handed out in London on February 28. Radiohead are in the running for Best Album, and the Arcade Fire, Foo Fighters, the Killers, Kings of Leon and My Chemical Romance are up for Best International Band. My Chem also picked up a nomination for Worst Band, where they will compete with Fall Out Boy, 30 Seconds to Mars and Panic at the Disco. ...

Peter Bjorn and John made a big splash in '07, but bandmember Peter Morén has actually been hammering away at an album of his own for many years, and it's finally good to go. The Last Tycoon, the Swede's first solo outing, is more low-key and acoustic than PB&J's Writer's Block release, and is due April 8. The album incorporates vibraphones, strings, synthesizers, a musical saw, drum machines and more. ... Andrew McMahon (Jack's Mannequin, Something Corporate) is the subject of a new documentary narrated by Tommy Lee. "Dear Jack," due later this year, revolves around the singer/pianist's recent battle with leukemia. "Andrew is such a hero, and I jumped at the opportunity to help tell this incredible story," Lee — who played drums for the first Jack's Mannequin album, Everything in Transit — said in a statement. Check out the trailer right here. ... Almost five years after the release of his major-label debut, Chariot, which featured the hit "I Don't Want to Be," Gavin DeGraw will finally release his more rock-leaning self-titled follow-up this spring, according to Billboard. The first single is "In Love With a Girl." ...

You know whose fault all this illegal music-file downloading is? Your Internet service provider, that's who! At least according to longtime U2 manager Paul McGuinness, who laid the blame on ISPs in a fiery speech Monday at the annual MIDEM international music conference in France. According to the Los Angeles Times, McGuinness' keynote address targeted ISPs as both the primary culprits and potential healers of the worldwide record industry's ongoing ills. "I think the failure of ISPs to engage in the fight against piracy, to date, has been the single biggest failure in the digital music market," he said. "They are the gatekeepers with the technical means to make a far greater impact on mass copyright violation than the tens of thousands of lawsuits taken out against individual file-sharers." McGuinness added that he thinks the prosecution of music fans for illegally downloading music is "counterintuitive," even if there is an "educational and propaganda" effect to them, then issued a challenge to ISPs to do the right thing, suggesting legislation might be required if they don't. McGuinness also had harsh words for record companies who don't treat artists fairly and said U2 have always been one of those bands who "understood that it would be pathetic to be good at the music and bad at the business and [has] always been prepared to invest in their own future. ... We were never interested in joining that long, humiliating list of miserable artists who made lousy deals, got exploited and ended up broke and with no control over how their life's work was used, and no say in how their names and likenesses were bought and sold."

• Madonna
• Kevin Federline
• Death Cab For Cutie
• Snoop Dogg
• Eminem

Meshuggah
Photo: Nuclear Blast Records

It's been three long years since we've heard anything new from Meshuggah, but on March 11, the Swedish experimental-metallers return with what's maybe the first metal album of 2008 that deserves a solid listen. The follow-up to 2005's Catch Thirty-Three, obZen is the product of a year's worth of writing and marks something of a regression for the band, according to guitarist Mårten Hagström.

"We had this vision to make a dense album that was going back to the old songwriting structure we'd been using, where it'd have songs that were linked to each other by a common thread but still had a different identity," he explained. "Now, listening back to the album, that's something I think is the best part of the album, that we pulled that off and managed to get the diversity in there — if you can call what we're doing 'diverse,' with the kind of aggression that's involved. But we aimed to make an album that had that severe, aggressive quality to it. We wanted to get back to the sheer intensity of what we do, but really, it was all a semiconscious thing for us.

"I think this album's a little more direct than the previous ones," he continued. "It's more back to the in-your-face brutality of our older records and has a lot of qualities of what we've done over our career."

obZen features just nine songs, including "Combustion," "This Spiteful Snake," "Dancers to a Discordant System" and the first single, "Bleed." Within the next month, Meshuggah plan to shoot a video for the track, with director Patric Ullaeus (Dimmu Borgir, In Flames) behind the lens. The band is still looking over treatments for the clip. According to Hagström, the band got off to a sluggish start when it came to writing and recording obZen, but eventually the guys hit their stride.

"We started out messing around with new material quite a long time ago, and at the beginning, it was slow-going — but then, it kind of snowballed, which it tends to do with us," he said. "The recording process was similar to what it's usually like for us, but this album was weird in a way. It took a bit longer to write this record, and working on it was pretty gruesome, because we had the usual adversities bands face going into the studio."

One thing Hagström didn't anticipate was how challenging it would be to play the songs live. "That rarely comes this much into play, but we really anticipated that it would be a lot easier to replicate these songs than it has been," he said, adding that obZen is one of the most highly technical offerings the band has ever put to tape.

Meshuggah opted to self-produce the album because they wanted to have more control over the entire process. And while Hagström says the band is more than thrilled with the final result, he has no idea how fans will react to it.

"It's always hard to tell what the reaction will be to our records," he said. "It always takes me a while, personally, to get perspective on an album — to know what I think of it. But we're really happy with it, and I guess that's all that counts. You can only do something that really satisfies you. Then, if people like it, that's an added bonus. You always love to see an album do well — it would be weird to make music and not want people to here it. But if the record doesn't sell a ton, it's not the be-all [and] end-all for us."

Meanwhile, Hagström said he's not at all impressed with the current state of metal and hopes obZen will inject some much-needed inspiration into a scene that he believes is turning bland.

"I could say there's a lot of sh-- out there I don't like, and that would be true," he said. "On the other hand, it's a situation where there's a lot of generic, formulaic music out there, and I'm hoping we can help create a countermovement, a strong one. The last two years, I haven't been listening to much metal at all — when you're recording and writing, you tend to block out what other bands are doing," so their work doesn't bleed into your own.

In late March, Meshuggah will hit the road with Ministry for that band's send-off run. Dubbed "C U LaTouR," the trek kicks off March 26 in Calgary, Alberta, and is set to wrap May 9 in Chicago. Hemlock are also on the bill. Hagström said Meshuggah signed on with no hesitation when they were approached about the tour.

"It made a lot of sense to us to make it happen," he said. "It's going to be fun, and it's going to be nice to be out on the road with Ministry. It's a weird setup, as far as the bill goes — but weird in a good way. It appeals to us. And it's Ministry's farewell tour, which will be something people will remember anyways. And the audiences will be huge."

As far as what the band is doing this summer, Hagström said it'll be hitting the European festival circuit. So far, Meshuggah have no additional U.S. touring plans. Would the band be open to playing the Ozzfest again, as they did in 2002?

"I'm not sure," he said. "We definitely wouldn't pay to do it — that's for sure."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Queensrÿche frontman Geoff Tate and Blackmore's Night singer Candice Night will star in the upcoming horror movie "House of Eternity," which is slated for a fall theatrical release. The film, by New York independent production company Fires at Midnight, is about a newly married NYC couple who move to a country home in North Carolina, unaware of its sullied history and the evil that lurks there. Tate will make his acting debut as Alder Grayson, the story's villain, and Night will play his wife, an innocent woman whose fate is determined by the superstitious minds of the 1700s. " 'House Of Eternity' contains something for everyone," Night said in a statement. "[There are] memorable characters struggling against powers far greater than they; desperate, heart-pounding action [scenes]; innovative approaches to classic horror; even humor and a forlorn love. Plus there's a villain who will become timeless." Jonathan Williams and Jarrod Feliciano are directing "House of Eternity," and J. Andrew Colletti is the writer and executive producer. ...

Droid, Ill Niño, Soil and Bobaflex will launch the Guerilla Carnival Tour on January 31 in Cleveland, with dates running through February 24 in Sayreville, New Jersey. "We are really excited to get back out on the road, and the Ill Nino guys are good friends of ours, so it will be great to see them rip it up every night," Droid singer James "Buddy" Eason said in a statement. "I really like the fact that all the bands on this tour are a little different than each other musically. Get ready. Here comes the pain." ... Papa Roach are in their rehearsal studio writing songs for the follow-up to 2006's The Paramour Sessions and will begin recording shortly. "I can't really comment on what it will be like because we still have so much time," guitarist Jerry Horton wrote on the band's MySpace page late last year. "Rest assured that it will have groove." ...

Arsonists Get All the Girls — whose bassist Patrick Mason died November 30 at age 21 — have replaced him with their old friend Adam Swan. "All of us have known Adam for years, and we couldn't think of anyone else better fit for the job," guitarist Arthur Alvarez said in a statement. "Patrick will never be replaced as our bass player, but we are forced to move forward as he would have wanted. He will always be in our hearts." The band has also hired guitarist Derek Yarra following Nick Cardinelli's decision to pursue a different career. "We have no hard feelings and wish him the best of luck," Alvarez said. "He will always remain a close friend, whether it is in the band or not." Arsonists Get All the Girls' first show with Swan and Yarra will be February 9 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They have additional gigs scheduled through February 28 in Denver. ...

Kingdom of Sorrow, the side project featuring Hatebreed frontman Jamey Jasta and Crowbar/Down guitarist Kirk Windstein, will launch their first tour February 27 in Worcester, Massachusetts. Thy Will Be Done will open shows on the trek, which will run until March 7 in Detroit. "This tour will be killer," Jasta said in a press release. "If you like it loud, we hope to see you there. We are all pumped to be playing small clubs and bars." Kingdom of Sorrow's self-titled debut, co-produced by Jasta and Zeuss (Hatebreed, Shadows Fall), comes out February 19. ... Static-X frontman Wayne Static married adult-film actress Tera Wray on January 10. The couple met at Ozzfest last summer. ...

Washington, D.C., metalcore band Darkest Hour will shoot a concert DVD at a show in Richmond, Virginia, on their tour with Cephalic Carnage, Emmure and Whitechapel. "The reason we choose Richmond is because, simply, motherf---ers in Virginia are crazy, and we wanted to document how Virginia parties for the world," the band wrote in a post on its MySpace page. ... What could be better than a March 25 re-release of legendary Swedish melodic death-metal band At the Gates' classic 1995 album, Slaughter of the Soul, featuring six extra songs? The same disc with a bonus live DVD. The previously unreleased set was shot in Krakow, Poland, on December 30, 1995, when the band was touring with Unleashed. The DVD will also include the documentary "The Making of Slaughter of the Soul." ...

Brazilian thrash band Chaosfear have started pre-production for their second, yet-untitled album, which is tentatively scheduled for release later this year. The follow-up to 2007's One Step Behind Anger will feature the return of original guitarist Edu Boccomino. "We are very excited," drummer Danilo de Freitas said in a post on the band's Web site. "The songs have the same energy as usual, and I believe that they are more aggressive. With the second guitar, everything is sounding heavier and there is more focus on solos." ... Keith Baxter, the original drummer for British folk-metal band Skyclad, died from liver failure in an English hospital on January 4. He was 36. Baxter played on five albums with Skyclad before joining the successful rock band 3 Colours Red and performing on two of their records. He also played with Elevation and Therapy?

• Meshuggah
• Queensryche
• Papa Roach

Papa Roach's Jacoby Shaddix
Photo: Greg Patterson

It's often said that a band is like a marriage — so perhaps it should come as no surprise that more and more bands are moving in together.

Yes, on top of living with one another in tour buses for months at a time, some musicians are now opting to sleep under the same roof while recording too. It's a trend that stems from modern technology. As recording equipment has become smaller and more portable, musicians are taking advantage by getting out of the often-stale environment of recording studios and saving rent money in the process.

While the Red Hot Chili Peppers famously recorded 1991's Blood Sugar Sex Magik while living together in a Hollywood mansion (nicknamed the Houdini Mansion after the magician who once lived there) owned by producer Rick Rubin (see "Peppers Say Return To Sex Scene Yielded Different Magik"), bands like Incubus and Papa Roach have popularized that type of recording in recent years.

(See pictures of Papa Roach recording in Hollywood's Paramour Mansion.)

"None of us had a place to live, and we had a recording budget, so [guitarist] Michael [Einziger] had the bright idea," Incubus singer Brandon Boyd said of making 2001's Morning View, named after the street they recorded on in Malibu, California. "He was like, 'Dude, we should rent a mansion and we'll all go live there. That way we don't have to pay rent.' Nobody in our camp — the record label, management — thought it was a good idea. They thought we were gonna, like, piss off and surf all day and play in the beach and stuff like that, which we did, but we happened to write a record too."

The experience brought the band closer together, and it also had an impact on the sound of the album. "I think it affected the songwriting too," Boyd said. "We had never rented a house on the beach the middle of nowhere, and in my opinion when you listen to Morning View you can hear that, you can pick up on this vibe. It sounds like a bunch of dudes squatting in a mansion."

As with Incubus, recording in a mansion left such an impression on Papa Roach that the band named their 2006 album The Paramour Sessions after the estate where it was recorded (see "Papa Roach Clip A Freak Show; LP Inspired By Oil Heiress' Ghost") — which TV viewers might recognize as the "Rock Star: Supernova" or "Rock Star: INXS" house.

"Back home, we'd go to our rehearsal studio from noon to 6, and we'd be trying to juggle our family lives and our rock and roll lifestyle," said P-Roach singer Jacoby Shaddix. "To move into this house and fully immerse ourselves in our music and our creativity and being artistic, we grew by leaps and bounds. We just disconnected ourselves from the world outside of us, and that was what really pushed things forward."

There are no private rooms in most recording studios, but in the Paramour, Shaddix found dozens of intimate places to write music and work songs out. And with engineers also living there, the band was never tied down to a schedule.

"Anytime you wanted to pick up a guitar you could just go for it," Shaddix said. "We were waking up and making music. And being so close in proximity to each other and seeing what was going on in each other's personal lives [definitely influenced the songwriting]."

Bands can spend thousands of dollars a day renting studio space, so mansions are often more cost-effective, especially when an out-of-town band like Papa Roach are also living there.

"It makes the writing easier when you can take your time and not be wasting tons of money in the studio," said Evanescence singer Amy Lee. "And it creates the vibe of just being able to be an artist. You wake up at 4 [p.m.], have a glass of wine and write some music if you feel like it that day and not worry that you just spent five-grand."

My Chemical Romance wrote most of 2006's The Black Parade at the Paramour but chose not to live there. "I like separation," singer Gerard Way said. "I like being able to leave the studio. We would have gone extra crazy if we would have lived there."

And My Chem are not alone in their thinking. Most of the bands that have used the Houdini Mansion in recent years, like Linkin Park and System of a Down (both from Los Angeles, where members already have homes), have not lived there at the same time.

"It's not that we wouldn't be able to live with each other, but we all have families," LP singer Chester Bennington said. "And we've been working on this since January [2006]! Also, there's six guys in our band. To move us all into one house would just be stupid."

"We already live in the same house — it's called a tour bus," added 30 Seconds to Mars singer Jared Leto. "So there's no need for that one."

Perhaps the best solution is to follow the typical recording method of British rockers Muse. "It's great to do a bit of an album that way," singer Matthew Bellamy said. "Every album we've done, we've done at least three or four weeks in a residential studio. It's great to write in, but with [studios] in New York or L.A. or whatever, you can call upon weird instruments when you need them or weird amps and all that kind of stuff."

Incubus recorded both Morning View follow-ups in a studio (see "Incubus Want Change Of Scenery For Morning View Follow-Up"), but the band is open to going back to living together in a mansion.

"We've talked about trying to get like an old, haunted castle somewhere," Boyd said. "We'll write our goth record there."

• MTV News RAW: Red Hot Chili Peppers

• Papa Roach Recording At Paramour Mansion

• Evanescence
• Incubus
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Papa Roach

Ruinedmusic.com founders Bryan Bruchman and Mary Phillips-Sandy.
Photo: Bryan Bruchman

Like a lot of dot-com success stories, the idea for Ruined Music came over a casual lunch. Only, this was not businessmen or even buddies, but a couple discussing their relationship.

"We were talking about all the songs that we would not be able to listen to anymore if we were to break up," co-founder Mary Phillips-Sandy recalled. "Bryan [Bruchman, boyfriend and co-founder] is a musician. I love music. We made mixtapes for each other in the beginning. So there's a lot of music that we share and have shared as our relationship grew. And the list of songs that would be ruined would be a very long one."

(See what Ruined Music is all about, and watch Bono and others sound off on the songs they can't listen to anymore, in this video.)

Phillips-Sandy left the lunch still mulling over the topic and eventually put her thoughts to paper, writing the story of an early boyfriend who had ruined Simon & Garfunkel's "Cecilia" for her forever. As a writer and editor by day, she then convinced a few friends to write similar essays, which she and Bruchman began posting May 1 on the Web under the address RuinedMusic.com.

Within weeks, the two were being bombarded with essays, and they now post three new pieces a week from ruined-music victims around the world.

"The word of mouth has been really incredible," Phillips-Sandy said. "People love to talk about it and I think that really proves to us that it is in fact something that we all have in common."

In just over six months, RuinedMusic.com has amassed a sizable audience and become a favorite link for popular music blogs like Stereogum.

"I think there's an element of voyeurism for sure," Phillips-Sandy said. "People like to read about other people's tragedies. But there's also an element that people can relate to it and feel compassion. And a lot of the stories we've gotten have just been really funny, especially the ones from high school, awkward teenage things. There's a cringe factor, but the stories that we post are well-written, funny and a good read."

Although a majority of the essays chronicle bad breakups, Ruined Music's founders encourage all stories about music being ruined.

"People have sent us brief stories about people being in car accidents, where like, 'This song was playing while I rolled my car three times,' " Bruchman said. "Others are about friends, a relationship but not necessarily lovers. And just general time periods. A lot of songs associated with high school, where some people don't have the best experience."

"We had a great story from a guy who was performing at a high school talent show and he and his friends tried to cover the song and failed miserably, got booed off the stage and nowadays that song just makes him feel really lousy when he hears it," Phillips-Sandy added. "I guess the idea is that forces beyond your control can take away your enjoyment of a song, and that's not fair, so tell us about it and maybe you'll feel better."

And that, along with some good entertainment, is Phillips-Sandy and Bruchman's motivation for keeping RuinedMusic.com going.

"People have told us it's been cathartic," Phillips-Sandy said. "We've definitely heard that somehow telling your story, getting it out in public, being able to laugh about it, knowing you're not alone, that that can make things better for people. And if the site works that way for people, that's great, because no one should lose a song they like because of something someone else does."

And that includes actual musicians themselves. So, in an attempt to make a few of our favorite stars feel better, we decided to publish their ruined-music stories ...

Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach "I'll tell you a ruined song, dude. It was 'Look What the Cat Dragged In' by Poison. And it was when I was 16, I was losing my virginity. My mother walked in the room while that song was playing. It wasn't a very good experience. So 'Look What the Cat Dragged In' just reminds me of lying on my bed butt-naked and my mom looking at me like, 'Oh my God!' And I'm like, 'Oh my God!' Embarrassing."

Bono of U2 "A good friend of mine, DJ Howie B, was playing with us when we played Nuremberg [Germany]. And we played in this place in Nuremberg where all the Nazis were buried. And Howie B was very angsty about playing there. And I said, 'Look, music will chase the demons out of this place.' And he wasn't sure he could do it. And I said, 'Well, it's up to you, you know.' And my idea is, let's make fun of the Nazis. So I heard him go on, and he played [the Three Degrees'] 'When Will I See You Again.' And now I can't listen to that song without thinking about Nazis."

Brandon Flowers of the Killers "My ex-girlfriend, two girlfriends back, really liked to listen to Suede a lot. And they're a good band, but I can't listen to Suede without thinking of her, and I really don't want to think of her. That kind of has ruined Suede for me."

Keith Nelson of Buckcherry "I have an ex-girlfriend and her ringtone on my cell phone was 'I Walk the Line' by Johnny Cash. And every time she would call me the song would start playing, and I can't listen to the song anymore. It's been ruined."

Carl Newman of the New Pornographers "There was an album from the mid-'90s by a band called the Scud Mountain Boys called Dance the Night Away, which is this really mellow kind of heartbreaking record. And I listened to it all through this breakup and it served its purpose. And I loved it during that breakup, but then it was like, 'I will never listen to that album ever again,' 'cause if I did I knew it would take me back to this hideous place. Thank God for that album, but I just want it to disappear now."

Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters "God bless the Rolling Stones, but did they really have to do the Microsoft ad? Did they really need the money? Because now whenever I hear 'Start Me Up,' I think of Microsoft. It's just sad."

• Ruined Music: Bono, Others Feel Your Pain

• U2
• Scissor Sisters
• Papa Roach
• The Killers
• Buckcherry

The Killers' Brandon Flowers
Photo: Evan Agostini/ Getty Images

Heidi Klum might be right: In fashion, you're either in or you're out. In rock and roll fashion, though, things aren't so cut and ... sewn. Just like the music itself, some styles never really go away, while others bounce in and out of cool faster than a faux-hawked drummer's double-bass-drum pedal.

Which brings us to the latest hot-or-not accessory: guyliner (i.e. eyeliner on guys).

Some may say it's been in vogue since Bowie went glam. Others might argue My Chemical Romance are leading a black parade of a different sort, reviving eyeliner along with other theatrical-minded bands like Panic! at the Disco and 30 Seconds to Mars. And then there are the hipsters who are already claiming it's so five minutes ago.

(Judge for yourself if rock dudes are wearing eyeliner thin in this video clip.)

Which is it? We asked a few rockers and one taste-making heiress for their thoughts:

The Red Hot Chili Peppers' Anthony Kiedis: "I actually dabbled with it in the much earlier '80s. I don't have any problem with eyeliner, but it's nice to have something to back it up with. Panic! at the Disco I've only ever seen in photographs, and they look like they travel with a large number of stylists. They look like they brought their girlfriends and their other friends and everyone had a dress-up party."

The Killers' Brandon Flowers: "It gives me a gypsy [feel]. I have four sisters, so it was always around."

Plus-44's Mark Hoppus: "When I was in high school back in the late '80s, I was really — and still am — into the Cure. So I used to wear eyeliner and stick my hair up, and I just remember guys walking past and going, 'What a f--!' I feel like it's a little overdone right now. Back in the day it was something that we did because you wanted to be different than everybody else. ... Now it just seems kinda commonplace. Feels a little watered down to me."

30 Seconds to Mars' Jared Leto: "What I find interesting is that in every society from the beginning of time, in every continent, whether in preparation of war, whether it was mating rituals, men have found that the use of costume, the use of makeup, the use of preparation for battle or for love, has been an important element within that society. So there's gotta be some primordial, subconscious reason that these things come up."

Avenged Sevenfold's M. Shadows: "I used to wear eyeliner. We used to do it because when you're a small band and you do stuff like that, people notice you and are like, 'Who do these guys think they are?' I kind of grew away from it, but the other guys still do it a lot. I'm totally cool with anyone that does it. I like our band because we have individual personalities. It's cool when a band does a uniform thing, but when it's just putting on eyeliner or having the same haircut or all wearing black, then it's just kind of lame. We were that band at one point, a lot of bands go through that, but you kind of have to evolve out of that."

The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne: "I think guys wearing makeup will become the new piercings. I think the appeal of it is not necessarily that it's androgynous, it's actually just kind of scary. There's something just sort of decadent about men putting on makeup and acting tough. However, if you look like you spend too much time in front of the mirror, people are just going to think of you as being the arrogant, self-obsessed fool that you really are. So, if anything, you should learn how to do it very quickly and in private so you just show up looking great."

Papa Roach's Jacoby Shaddix: "My wife digs it. It's just like a once-a-day application, and it smears and gets nasty, and then the next day when you wake up ... it almost looks cooler the night after, like down your face. It's weird, man, I almost feel naked without any of it on. You know, I'm in Alabama hanging out with my family down there and I'm like [He gestures applying eyeliner]."

Papa Roach's Tobin Esperance: "If you're gonna wear makeup, it's not about looking pretty. It's gotta look like you've been up all night doing drugs."

Army of Anyone's Richard Patrick: "The current escalation of eyeliner usage is a direct result of people being more open-minded about androgyny and its place in fashion again. Some people wear it well, while others do not."

Kasabian's Tom Meighan: "There's only two people that can get away with it, man: Keith Richards and David Bowie."

Scissor Sisters' Del Marquis: "I used to wear a lot more makeup early on, and then this Panic! at the Disco nonsense [happened and] I just wiped it all off. If you're wearing makeup, it should enhance the music. If it is totally incongruous to what the music is about, it just makes my eyes roll back."

And ... Paris Hilton: "I like when guys wear a little eyeliner. Sometimes it's cute."

• Are Rock Dudes Wearing Eyeliner Thin?

• Guys Who Rock Eyeliner

• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• The Killers
• (+44)
• 30 Seconds To Mars
• Avenged Sevenfold

Papa Roach
Photo: Geffen Records

Like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rick Rubin's Laurel Canyon estate or Incubus and Malibu's Morning View house, Papa Roach have a special relationship with the Paramour Mansion, located in another Southern California area: Silverlake.

"As soon as we stepped on the property we knew there was something bigger there waiting for us to show up," drummer Dave Buckner explained.

P-Roach lived on the grounds from October to May, writing and recording what they consider their finest work yet, an album aptly titled The Paramour Sessions (see "Papa Roach Singer Says New Album Is 'Like A Meat Locker' "). The LP dropped Tuesday (September 12).

"It was frickin' amazing," singer Jacoby Shaddix said of the house. "That was the catalyst for what pushed our music so far forward and so far sideways and so far just out there at times."

In recent years, the Paramour Mansion has been home to both "Rock Star: INXS" and "Rock Star: Supernova," and movies "Scream 3" and "Halloween H20: 20 Years Later." Gwen Stefani and Fiona Apple have also recently recorded at the place, which has a storied past.

The home, which Buckner said is at the highest point inside Los Angeles' city limits, was built in the early 1920s by silent film star Antonio Moreno and his wife, Daisy Canfield Danziger. The oil heiress died in a car accident the following decade and is buried on the grounds. Like Rubin's "Houdini mansion" (as it's commonly known), the Paramour is said to be haunted, most likely by Danziger's spirit.

"We were recording a song called 'Crash,' and every time I would sing the chorus, 'I'm going to crash,' the computer and PA would crash," Shaddix recalled. "We were just connected deeply to this house."

The connection, however, was mostly a positive one, and Shaddix found himself writing most of the lyrics while sitting at Danziger's grave. "It just flowed out of me," he explained.

That said, The Paramour Sessions is not necessarily a dark album. In fact, with some personal situations aside, the band had never been in a better place.

"With Getting Away With Murder, we were coming back from the dead," Shaddix said of P-Roach's last album. "That was definitely a trying time for a band, but we survived it. This time around, it's not going to be served up on a silver platter; it's still gonna be a fight, but at least we're above ground. We locked down a solid fanbase. And we regained some confidence and took that in with us and I think it shows on the songs."

"We were fortunate and also cursed by that 'next big thing' stigma, but we rode the ride and we made it to this other place," Buckner added. "Those minor ripples in the pond don't affect us anymore. I'm looking at all the other next big things and saying, 'Good luck, see you over here ... if you make it.' "

With their newfound confidence, Papa Roach set out to make a record that paid homage to the bands that got them into music: Guns N' Roses, Led Zeppelin and Poison, or as Buckner described them, "Hair bands, but the bands, not so much the hair."

"There's a saying in the band and it's, 'We're not trying to reinvent the wheel, we're bringing it back,' " Buckner added.

"It's not like it sounds like we're trying to rehash some retro sh--. It's current," Shaddix clarified.

It's also not exactly how it was meant to be.

"We wanted to make this four to the floor, nasty, savage rock and roll record, and we were writing that and then we discovered all these other sounds, these musical styles that we can explore," Shaddix added. " 'Forever,' 'The World Around You,' 'Roses on My Grave,' 'My Heart Is a Fist,' some of those songs are just so different from anything we've ever written. We had to explore them because that's what this band's always been about, always trying to evolve and push things forward."

The first single is the aggressive "... To Be Loved," and the band shot the circus-like video last month at a theater in downtown L.A.

"It's basically just a huge rock and roll freak show," Buckner said. "But it backs up the sentiment that everyone just wants to be loved. And Steve Perry's video for 'Oh Sherrie' was shot in the same place!"

• Papa Roach

Jessica Simpson
Photo: Evan Agostini/ Getty Images

Jessica Simpson, who posed recently in one of her red wigs for the cover of Maxim, is launching the next part of her hair-products line in more than 10,000 salons across the U.S. this week. HairDo, which Simpson's stylist Ken Paves created with the singer, is a series of clip-in hair extensions that combine human hair with fiber replication. She's already tested out the new product on red carpets and at other much-photographed events. "They've all pretty much got written up before," Simpson said of the many looks she's sported on her head. "It's good for an artist to try and change it up, but it's also good for an everyday person to walk in and have people turn their heads, too, like, 'Did you get a haircut?!' I love that, and this doesn't take long to do at all. It's within minutes, literally." ...

Nick Lachey is built like a football player, but it's basketball he's got his eye on. No, he's not following in Master P's footsteps and trying out for the NBA. He's teamed up with buddy A.J. DiScala as part of an investment group that is behind a new American Basketball Association team in Los Angeles called the Hollywood Fame. According to the ABA, the Fame will launch its inaugural season in November, playing at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. Among the other celebrity owners are actors Geoff Stults ("7th Heaven") and Stacy Keibler ("Dancing With the Stars"), former NBA player John Salley and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Kyle Boller. ...

Pink is tackling Joan Jett for football fans, redoing Jett's "I Hate Myself for Loving You" as the theme to "NBC Sunday Night Football." The reworked song — titled "Waiting All Day for Sunday Night" — begins, "All right Sunday night where are you?/ Just kicking back from the things that you do/ You want the big game, we want it too." Pink, a self-described "huge football fan," is excited to have a part in the NFL coverage. "This is something so different for me," she said in a statement. "It's like hearing yourself on the radio for the first time." The tune will debut September 10 during the show's first broadcast. An alternate version, "Waiting All Year for Opening Night," will air September 7 as the 2006 NFL season kicks off with the Pittsburgh Steelers hosting the Miami Dolphins. ...

AFI fans who would like to give their cell phones a goth makeover should head on over to the band's Web site, where they'll find a dozen ringtones — one for each track off Decemberunderground, the rockers' latest LP. ... Expect John Legend to bring the sexy back in the video for his new single, "Save Room." Director Bryan Barber — who helmed "Idlewild" and Christina Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man" — told MTV News that they shot the clip recently in New York. "It's very fun," Barber said. "John wanted to be sexier, so it's him and a few of his lady friends hanging out, and it's much more sexy than you'd think." Barber's also developing a new script with Outkast's Andre 3000 and Big Boi called "Fun Facts," but he's keeping that under wraps for now. "Andre made me promise not to tell," he said, "but it's kind of bizarre, a little bit of everything in there." Barber said he also recently shot a Pepsi commercial with Pharrell. ...

Mike Jones began shooting his debut movie, "American Dream," this week in Houston. The film, directed by Derrick Dixon ("The Dirty Third"), chronicles Jones' real-life rise to fame as an aspiring rapper from the streets. ... RZA announced the addition of a new member to the Wu-Tang Clan on Wednesday (August 30), a rapper named Cilvaringz. Wu-Tang watchers might know the newcomer from the Ghostface Killah single "Guerrilla Hood," which Cilvaringz produced; he also appeared on RZA's last two solo efforts, Digital Bullet and Birth of a Prince. RZA is helping produce Cilvaringz's debut, along with Method Man, GZA, Raekwon, Ghostface and Masta Killa. The album, titled I, is due in January. ... Kevin Federline started up his own record label to release his debut album, Playing With Fire, and now the new rapper has a distribution deal to help it along. K-Fed just signed on with Sony BMG for the North American release of the album, now due October 31. Federline is also set to perform on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" on September 6. ... Konvicted, Akon's follow-up to Trouble, is due December 12. The first single, "Smack That," features Eminem, while Snoop Dogg and Styles P also appear on the album. ...

N.O.R.E., whose reggaetón album N.O.R.E. y la Familia ... Ya Tú Sabe is due September 12, will hit the road beginning September 14 in San Francisco for a tour that wraps up September 30 in Atlanta. Fat Joe and Daddy Yankee are among the album's guests. ... Duran Duran and Daft Punk will co-headline the Bang! Music Festival, and Common is also joining the ranks of previously announced performers Gnarls Barkley, Modest Mouse and Tiësto. Thievery Corporation, Roger Sanchez and Kinky have also been added to the November 11 Miami fest lineup. ... Papa Roach are giving fans a chance to preview The Paramour Sessions before its September 12 release. The band has scheduled listening parties in 10 cities, and those who attend can enter a contest to win a trip to Los Angeles to see the Roach's Halloween gig. Listening parties will be held September 5 in Chicago; September 6 in Dallas; September 7 in Philadelphia and Seattle; September 8 in Morristown, New Jersey, and Allston, Massachusetts; September 9 in Orlando, Florida, and Mount Clemens, Michigan; and September 11 in West Hollywood, California, and San Francisco. ...

Dinosaur Jr.'s trailer was robbed Tuesday while parked outside a hotel in Long Island, New York. The band is asking anyone with information to call (303) 998-0001. In other Dinosaur Jr. news, Lou Barlow recently revealed the original lineup is recording its first new record in 18 years. ... The Polyphonic Spree are set to release their digital EP, Wait, on Tuesday. Tracks include two tunes from The Fragile Army, due in 2007, and covers of Nirvana's "Lithium," the Psychedelic Furs' "Love My Way" (both produced by Jon Brion) and Tripping Daisy's "Sonic Bloom." ... The revitalized Lemonheads will be supporting their comeback self-titled album, due September 26, with a tour kicking off November 18 in Santa Ana, California. The North American jaunt will carry them through December 16, when they land in their Boston hometown. ... Apparently O.A.R.'s summer-tour regiment isn't enough to satisfy the college-friendly band. Fourteen more dates have been added to their schedule, beginning with a Friday-Sunday stint supporting Dave Matthews Band at the Gorge in George, Washington. After that, O.A.R. will rest until October 12, when they play Grand Rapids, Michigan, kicking off a run that winds down October 27 in Minneapolis. The band is still touring in support of last year's Stories of a Stranger.

08.29.2006

Ne-Yo's publicist is flatly denying claims that the singer will announce that he's gay during a New York press conference this week and in an upcoming issue of Essence magazine. An e-mail purportedly including quotes from the interview and attributed to a woman named Barbra Stradoff at Essence has also been circulating. "It's completely false," a Def Jam representative said. "There's isn't a staff member by that name at Essence, nor is Ne-Yo going to be featured in the October issue of the magazine."...

After lining up a series of media appearances promoting her new album, A Public Affair, Jessica Simpson has canceled nearly all the scheduled stops — but she did appear on "TRL" Tuesday (August 29) after all. The singer has lost her voice and will not join "Today" on Tuesday or "The Late Show With David Letterman" on Wednesday, while what was set to be a performance on "TRL" was scaled back to just an appearance and autograph signing. "Her voice capabilities are at a minimum," her label rep said. Simpson won't be canceling all her plans while she's in New York — her roller-skating record-release party set for Tuesday night at the Roxy is still a go. ...

William Smith, the music producer Taylor Hicks filed suit against on August 22 after he made three of the singer's pre-"Idol" recordings available on iTunes, told MTV News Tuesday afternoon that the proceedings have been killed. Smith said the two sides reached a settlement before the matter made its way into the halls of Alabama's U.S. District Court, but he would not discuss the specifics of the agreement — a court order prevents him from detailing the terms. Still, Smith did say, "Taylor has thanked me for helping his career," and called the settlement "amiable." ...

Beyoncé will perform in New York's Times Square on September 8 as part of her appearance on "Good Morning America" that morning. The show airs at 7 a.m. ET on ABC. ... Even though his platinum tank has run out of steam, No Limit founder Master P continues to motor forward with business ventures. According to representatives for the rapper, the New Orleans native has launched a hip-hop inspired play based on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Written and produced by P, the touring drama is also set to feature his son Lil Romeo and brother Silkk the Shocker. Uncle Willy, which stars Terry Miles, revolves around a Vietnam veteran regrouping his family after his home, possessions and city are all destroyed by the catastrophe. The project will be the first in a series of upcoming gospel plays by Master P. Uncle Willy begins September 7 in Meridian, Mississippi. ...

Tanya Stephens, the woman suing Lil' Kim for copyright infringement over the song "Durty," has issued a statement defending the lawsuit — which Kim's lawyer characterized as a "money and media play" — as an attempt to get some credit. "If she had bothered to give props where due even once, I would have said, 'Let it go,' " Stephens said. "That isn't even one of my better works. Really, if she had linked me, I would've written her a much better song for free." ... "The Cheetah Girls 2" was the most watched program on TV all day Friday, with the Disney Channel original movie even scoring higher ratings than the wildly successful "High School Musical," according to The Hollywood Reporter. The original cable musical, which stars Raven-Symone and members of 3LW, attracted 7.8 million total viewers and a whopping 61 share in the girls 9-11 demo. ...

Linkin Park have finally made their catalog available on iTunes. All three of the band's albums will also feature two bonus tracks and an iTunes exclusive apiece. "We were really excited when iTunes told us that we were one of their most requested acts," Mike Shinoda said in a statement. "We will never ignore our fans and the timing seemed right to make our music available, with some special additions." ... Six-String Masterpieces: The Dimebag Darrell Art Tribute — featuring Dean ML guitars designed by the likes of Metallica's James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett, "Rock Star: Supernova" host Dave Navarro, Kiss' Ace Frehley, Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl, Marilyn Manson, Slayer's Kerry King, Rob Zombie, Korn and even Kelly Clarkson — will be traveling with the Family Values Tour beginning Friday with a stop in Holmdel, New Jersey, through the September 20 show in West Palm Beach, Florida. ...

Beck will curate this year's Wired Next Music series. Artists slated for the event, set for September 26 at New York's Irving Plaza, include Jamie Lidell and Of Montreal. Last year's bill was curated by Wilco's Jeff Tweedy and included Joanna Newsom and the Handsome Family. ... Speaking of Tweedy, the Wilco frontman will release "Sunken Treasure," a DVD documenting his 2006 solo tour. Due October 24, the disc will include 17 tracks from his stints in Wilco, Uncle Tupelo and Loose Fur. ... SpiralFrog announced Tuesday that it had signed a deal with the world's leading record label, the Universal Music Group, to make UMG's music and video catalogs available for legal download in the U.S. and Canada. The catch? The digital-rights-managed downloads are free and legal. The site, supported by ad revenue, said it aims to launch later this year. ...

Tom Cruise has made a deal with a group that will finance the overhead costs of his film-production company, the Los Angeles Times reports. Daniel M. Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins, is one of the investors behind the two-year deal, which amounts to less than $3 million. Cruise and his producing partner Paula Wagner had been receiving about $10 million annually from Paramount Pictures (owned by Viacom, which also owns MTV) to cover their overhead under the previous deal. ... The Black Crowes announced Monday that longtime keyboardist Eddie Hawrysch — who has played with the group since 1991 — has been "released from the band due to personal issues." The group did not specify what the issues were. Hawrysch will be replaced by Rob Clores on the group's fall tour. In other Crowes news, a manufacturing error is keeping the band's two-disc Lost Crowes collection, originally due Tuesday, off store shelves until September 26. ...

The typically private Bruce Springsteen took to his Web site this week to refute rumors that his marriage to E Street Band backup singer Patti Scialfa is on the rocks. "I hesitate to use this Web site for anything personal believing it should remain a place where fans of my music can come free of the distractions that occasionally arise with the rest of my job," Springsteen wrote. "However, due to the unfounded and ugly rumors that have appeared in the papers over the last few days, I felt they shouldn't pass without comment. Patti and I have been together for 18 years — the best 18 years of my life. We have built a beautiful family we love and want to protect and our commitment to one another remains as strong as the day we were married." The move was prompted by a tabloid report last week that claimed Springsteen's marriage was shaky due to an alleged relationship with a September 11 widow he'd met while organizing a charity event.

08.28.2006

Lil' Kim's legal problems aren't over yet — though the rapper is out of jail after serving 10 months on perjury charges, she's now facing a copyright-infringement lawsuit. The suit, which also names Kim's record label Atlantic and was filed last week in a New York federal court, claims that Kim stole her song "Durty" nearly word for word from a 1997 track by Jamaican reggae singer Tanya Stephens called "Mi and Mi God." In response, Kim's lawyer L. Londell McMillan claims the song wasn't stolen, but interpolated, "which happens all the time in hip-hop." Stephens claims in her suit that she was shocked to hear her words in Lil' Kim's song — even though Kim had flown her out to New York in 1999, asked her to sing on one of her albums, and sang "Mi and Mi God" to Stephens to demonstrate how much she liked her music. Kim counters, however, that Stephens never objected to the use of her song until after she failed to get more money for it being licensed. "This matter should have been resolved, but it appears to be another money and media play at Lil' Kim's expense," her lawyer said. Stephens claims she should receive all past and future royalties on the song. ...

Foxy Brown (real name Inga Marchand) pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault charges Monday (August 28), but then quickly tried to retract her plea, The Associated Press reports. The charges stemmed from her notorious nail-salon fight in 2004, and the plea deal will result in three years of probation and anger-management classes — but no jail time, according to a Manhattan, New York, district attorney spokesperson. She is due to be sentenced October 23. Brown's plea has wavered since the incident: In April 2005, she pleaded not guilty to the charges, but was then expected to make a deal in December. On Monday, after entering her guilty plea, she returned to the courtroom claiming she had been rushed into the decision. "The plea stands," the judge told her. ...

Protests have prompted concert promoters in Moscow to change the venue for Madonna's long-awaited concert there on September 12, AP reports. City officials feared police would not be able to monitor the originally scheduled venue in Vorobyovye Gory, and now it will be taking place at Luzhniki Stadium instead. ... The All-American Rejects have no intentions of returning home anytime soon. In late October, the band will launch its Tour-Nado run with openers the Gym Class Heroes, Starting Line and the Format on the first half of the tour, with the latter two bands plus Motion City Soundtrack warming up the audience on the second half. The trek kicks off in Poughkeepsie, New York, on October 27, with 26 dates scheduled through December 19 in Chicago. ...

When he's done working on new music with Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez, Swizz Beatz plans to move on to the next Usher album — which the singer can't really record until he finishes up his current Broadway stint in "Chicago" on October 1. "He's a music man, so he's probably studying his lines and coming up with hooks at the same time, multitasking," Swizz said. "I've been in the background working on the album, so when he spins the wheel and it stops on me, I deliver." Don't worry, Swizz — Usher promises he's thinking ahead: "You got to stay tuned," he teased. That's good news for label head Clive Davis, who Usher claimed disrupted his Broadway debut with his Cassie ringtone (Clive swears it wasn't him). "Get off your cell phone and make a great album 10 weeks from now," Davis teased. "That's an order!" ...

Now that he's showed off his rhyming skills, Kevin Federline is setting out for triple-threat territory. The singer/dancer is scheduled to appear on an episode of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" on CBS this fall. The 28-year-old — whose previous TV series experience came with the widely panned reality show "Britney & Kevin: Chaotic" — started shooting his part in Los Angeles on Thursday night. He plays a menacing, arrogant teen who harasses two investigators on the show. The episode is tentatively scheduled to air in October. ...

John Mayer will also appear on "CSI," but he's sticking with what he does best. Mayer will have a cameo on the series' two-part season premiere (airing September 21 and 28 on CBS) in a scene set in a Las Vegas club. He'll perform the tracks "Waiting on the World to Change" and "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" from his latest album, Continuum, due September 12. In other John Mayer news, the singer missed a concert in Hartford, Connecticut, on Saturday due to "sudden onset" of laryngitis, according to a press release. The show went on with co-headliner Sheryl Crow and opening act Mat Kearney. Ticket holders who did not enter the gates are eligible for a refund. ...

Teddy Geiger is playing a benefit show at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center in New York on Wednesday. The concert will help support the Stella Maris Regional School Music in Education program, which provides keyboards, guitars and music lessons to students. For more information on the show, visit WHBPAC.org. ... Guitarist Jesse Pintado, a founding member of grindcore/ death-metal specialists Terrorizer and the man who replaced Bill Steer in Napalm Death back in 1990, died over the weekend in a hospital in Holland, a spokesperson for his label has confirmed. The pioneering metal guitarist left Napalm Death in 2004 to revive Terrorizer. Century Media Records will be releasing further details on Pintado's passing later this week. ...

A Broadway-style musical based on Michael Jackson's biggest hits, "Thriller Live," made its debut in London's West End theater district on Sunday, according to BBC News. The show features more than 80 performers singing and dancing along to the '80s pop star's most memorable tunes — from the early Motown years as part of the Jackson Five, to his success with Thriller and other solo albums — alongside a gospel choir and a children's ballet troupe. While Jackson was not involved with the production, he has given it his blessing, according to the show's producer. ... And it may no longer be his home, but Jackson was likely watching intently on Friday as a wildfire came within a quarter-mile of his Neverland Ranch in California, scorching more than 40 acres but not harming any of his zoo animals or amusement park rides, The Associated Press reported. The cause of the blaze is being investigated. ...

"High School Musical" took two of the six Emmys it was nominated for — scoring Choreography and Children's Program honors at last week's presentation of Creative Arts awards — while "American Idol" was shut out after receiving seven nominations. The winners of the big prizes at Sunday night's 58th annual Primetime Emmy Awards were "24" and "The Office," while "The Daily Show" took two trophies. (Click to see red-carpet shots of Eva Longoria, Randy Jackson, Stephen Colbert and more.) ... When they're not using their MySpace page to post diatribes against Paris Hilton or Danger Mouse, long-idle British trip-hoppers Portishead are posting material from their much-anticipated third album on the site. They've just posted two selections that are really just beats — an ominous, jittery number called "Greek Jam," and a chiming piece called "Key Bored 299 03," reminiscent of a Boards of Canada tune. There is still no title or release date for the band's new album, their first since 1997's Portishead.

• Jessica Simpson
• Nick Lachey
• P!nk
• AFI
• John Legend

Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose
Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images

Los Angeles radio station KROQ has recruited some of rock's heaviest hitters to anchor its sixth annual Inland Invasion festival.

On Monday evening, the station revealed that Avenged Sevenfold — fresh from their mainstage stint on this summer's Ozzfest (which wrapped Sunday in West Palm Beach, Florida) — and Alice in Chains were among the artists opening for Guns N' Roses at the end-of-summer event.

The Inland Invasion is set to take over Devore, California's Hyundai Pavilion at Glen Helen on September 23. Tickets for the show, priced at $35-75, will be available starting Saturday at 10 a.m.

Invasion organizers have mined rockers Papa Roach, Muse, 30 Seconds to Mars, Rise Against, Atreyu and Buckcherry to round out the bill.

Axl Rose's Guns recently wrapped a run of European festival shows, following a string of sold-out gigs at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom in May (see "Guns N' Roses Live: No Reunion Of Classic Lineup, But Great Anyway") — the band's first American gigs in more than three years, after their 2002 comeback tour sputtered to a halt (see "It's Extra Official: Promoter Says GN'R Tour Totally Off").

The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas will play host to Guns N' Roses for two shows at the Joint, scheduled for September 16 and September 17. Tickets for those dates will also go on sale August 19. Earlier this month, via a press release, Rose said that he plans to return to the road this fall for another round of U.S. touring.

Alice in Chains, who've been touring with Comes With the Fall singer William DuVall filling in for late frontman Layne Staley, hit the road back in May for a successful run of five club dates (see "Alice In Chains Wrap Up String Of U.S. Club Dates In New York"). The band unveiled plans last week for a total of 40 gigs this fall throughout the U.S., with one date in Canada (see "Alice In Chains Unlock North American Fall Tour"). That trek gets underway September 22 in Las Vegas and runs through November 26 in San Francisco, with additional dates expected to be added over the next few weeks.

In addition to the Inland Invasion, Avenged Sevenfold have booked nine North American dates for September, with three gigs in the U.S. — September 7 in Anchorage, Alaska; September 13 in Fargo, North Dakota; and September 15 in Des Moines, Iowa — and the remainder scheduled for Canada.

• Guns N' Roses
• Alice in Chains
• Avenged Sevenfold
• Muse
• Papa Roach

"American Idol" finalists pose with President Bush in the Oval Office
Photo: Mark Wilson/ Getty Images

While it's probably better they didn't face off in a popularity contest, President Bush got his picture taken with the "American Idol" finalists on Friday (July 28), The Associated Press reports. Bush also gave the singers a brief tour of the Oval Office, in between meetings with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and top U.S. high school students. The Idols gave Bush an engraved harmonica, while victor Taylor Hicks also gifted Bush with a black T-shirt reading "Soul Patrol." ...

Lindsay Lohan collapsed on the set of "Georgia Rule" earlier this week, but the chief executive of the Los Angeles company producing the movie doesn't believe it was due to exhaustion, TheSmokingGun.com reports. In an angrily worded letter that was sent to the singer/actress and obtained by the site, James G. Robinson wrote to Lohan that he is "well aware that your ongoing all-night heavy partying is the real reason for your so-called 'exhaustion.' " Robinson alluded to possible legal action in the reprimand, saying her behavior has "resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage." "I urge you to take this letter seriously and conduct yourself professionally," the letter concluded. ...

Mel Gibson has been arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence, CNN reports. The actor/director was pulled over early Friday in Malibu, California, after sheriffs caught him speeding. Gibson was charged with a misdemeanor and posted a $5,000 bond. ...

Killers frontman Brandon Flowers can talk trash with the best of them and has done so consistently over the last year about emo bands like Fall Out Boy and, most recently, Panic! at the Disco. But on the verge of a new album, Sam's Town, it seems Flowers has had a change of heart. "I'd like to take it all back," Flowers recanted to AOL Music. "These people are just doing what they want to do, just like I am. I'm actually a nice person and I love people. I just am opinionated and sometimes jealous. It's not something I'm proud of." A devout Mormon, Flowers said he was particularly ashamed of his comments about Panic! at the Disco — a band he dissed without ever having heard them. "I don't even know what their music's like or if I would even like it," he said. "That made me feel even worse, to think they could have been fans of ours and I hurt their feelings. That's just stupid." ... On a related note, Panic! have been forced to cancel their show Friday night at the Premier in Seattle due to a death in the family. No other information was available, but a Panic! spokesperson said they promise to keep fans updated on the situation. ...

"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" was rated PG-13, but next year, Daniel Radcliffe will be engaged in some R-rated activities. The 17-year-old actor will appear in the nude as part of "Equus," a London production that will mark the actor's theatrical debut, AP reports. Radcliffe will play a "troubled stableboy" who, at one point in the play, "is required to simulate sexual ecstasy while riding a horse naked." Wand-erful. ... Owen Wilson has responded to Steely Dan's complaint that his new comedy "You, Me and Dupree" ripped off the band's "Cousin Dupree," a song about a depraved couch-surfer. "I have never heard the song 'Cousin Dupree' and I don't even know who this gentleman, Mr. Steely Dan, is," Wilson said in a statement released by his spokesperson, according to The New York Times. "I hope this helps to clear things up and I can get back to concentrating on my new movie, 'HEY 19,' " he added, referring to the band's song "Hey Nineteen." ...

Tool have added eight stops to their forthcoming North American run with Isis, which will kick off August 6 in Fresno, California. Those new dates are: September 9 (Phoenix); September 26 (Pittsburgh); September 30 (Washington, D.C.); October 2 (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania); October 3 (Manchester, Connecticut); October 5 (Hartford, Connecticut); October 6 (East Rutherford, New Jersey); and October 7 (Wantagh, New York). ... The head-butt seen 'round the world — French football superstar Zinedine Zidane being sent off for ramming Italian defender Marco Materazzi in the recent World Cup final — has spawned a chart-topping hit in France. According to the Associated Foreign Press, the song "Headbutt" — created in 30 minutes by three despondent French fans — has been the most downloaded track in France in the last two weeks with over 80,000 downloads. The track's lighthearted lyrics poke fun at French striker David Trezeguet, who missed a crucial penalty kick and Zidane's vicious head-butt, which earned him a red card and a career-ending exit from the game. ...

Former Guns N' Roses guitarist Buckethead will be out on the road starting September 13 in Lawrence, Kansas, for a 28-date U.S. trek. The guitarist will pass through Detroit, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, New Orleans and Houston before wrapping things up in Anaheim, California, October 29. ... More details have surfaced regarding Papa Roach's forthcoming LP, The Paramour Sessions. The disc will contain 13 fresh tracks, including "The World Around You," "I Devise My Own Demise," "Roses on My Grave" and "... To Be Loved," the album's first single. Look for it to land in stores September 12. ... Canadian singer/songwriter and sometimes producer Howie Beck will release his self-titled third album September 12. Guests on the 13-track disc include Nada Surf frontman Matthew Caws, Ed Harcourt and Broken Social Scene-er Feist. A tour of select U.S. dates is expected in the fall.

07.27.06

Christina Aguilera wants to open up a shelter for victims of domestic abuse, she told Seventeen for the magazine's September cover story. She said she's already working a lot with a domestic-violence and child-abuse shelter in Pittsburgh, mostly by donating her personal belongings. "Some of these women leave their homes without anything," she said. "They just grab the kids and get out of the situation. And so a lot of these women have nothing, and they have to start from scratch." But beyond helping provide necessities, the singer says, it's also important to help rebuild their self-esteem — "because it's really broken after they've been beaten down for so long." Aguilera addresses the theme of domestic abuse on several songs on her new album, but her next single is more of a feel-good number called "Candyman." ...

After collapsing on the set of "Georgia Rule" and going to the hospital for heat exhaustion on Tuesday, Lindsay Lohan reported back on the set on time on Thursday (July 27). "We're hoping she remains on schedule for the rest of production," a rep for the movie said. ...

Kid Rock and Pamela Anderson won't be getting married just once, but four times. Anderson told The Associated Press that she plans "to get married a few times this month to the same guy." The couple are expected to tie the knot on Saturday in St. Tropez, France. Then, Anderson said, they'll do it again in three additional ceremonies, in Malibu, California; Rock's hometown of Detroit; and again in Nashville. There's no word yet on when the three subsequent ceremonies will take place. ...

Jessica Simpson will help welcome new co-host Rosie O'Donnell to "The View" when the show resumes live taping on September 5. Simpson will be the first guest on the program. ... What do Madonna, Muhammad Ali and Zakk Wylde have in common? They're all participating in a Grammy charity auction on eBay. Madge and Wylde are putting up signed guitars and Ali is contributing signed sports memorabilia to the Gibson/ Baldwin Night at the Net auction, which ends Thursday. The benefit is raising money for MusiCares, which offers emergency financial assistance and addiction-recovery programs to musicians. ...

"American Idol" winner Taylor Hicks has obtained a temporary injunction preventing his former producer from releasing a song Hicks wrote and recorded nearly 10 years ago, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The order will delay the release of "The Fall" by William Smith Productions for at least 10 days. Hicks claims the song proposed for release is an unfinished version. ... Busta Rhymes will perform Thursday night on Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance." ... Outkast held a listening party for their long-delayed album Idlewild at the London Eye Tuesday night, according to the New Musical Express. The party was followed by an afterparty, held on a cruise liner called the Silver Sturgeon, that was attended by both Andre 3000 and Big Boi. The album, which features 25 tracks (including interludes), is slated for release on August 22, with the film of the same name coming three days later. ...

Looks like ex-Power 105 New York radio personality Star is off the hook. The New York DJ (real name Troi Torain) was fired for making racist and sexually threatening comments about DJ Envy's wife and daughter, but the criminal charges will be dropped in six months if he completes three days of community service and steers clear of the 4-year-old girl, Reuters reports. ... Ever since Haylie Duff joined the cast of "Hairspray" last week, ticket sales have gone through the roof, reps for the show say. Pre-Haylie, the show was at 88 percent capacity, and now, with the actress taking over the part of Amber Von Tussle, the show is at 98 percent capacity, with the gross up by $90,000 ...

Can't wait for the next Harry Potter movie or book? Worrying whether Harry won't find all the Horcruxes? Scared that Snape is only pretending to have gone over to Voldemort's side but Harry won't see through the double-agent bit? Need to hear what the experts think about all this? Then listen to Scholastic's "Think You Know Harry Potter?" podcast series, in which webmasters from the Leaky Cauldron and MuggleNet discuss the series with one of the Potter editors before live audiences across the country. Among other things, they'll discuss various theories about what they think will happen in book seven — including who lives and who dies. For information on subscribing to the podcast feed, go to Scholastic.com/HarryPotter/podcasttour/index.htm#listen. ...

The New York Post reported Thursday that Eddie Van Halen is teaming up with porn director Michael Ninn to write and perform two songs for a film called "Sacred Sin." Van Halen told the Post he's not concerned about the implications. "I'm working with a friend — very simple. I like his work. Michael Ninn is like Spielberg to me: the imagery, the way he makes things look just sensual," he said. Van Halen's publicist had no comment on the matter. ... Prince and his second wife, Manuela Testolini Nelson, are divorcing, according to People magazine, which said the sealed documents were filed on May 24 in Minnesota's Hennepin County District Court. Testolini Nelson, 29, is a former employee of Prince's charitable foundation who owns a company that makes a line of designer candles. The couple married in 2001. ...

The oft-delayed Alice in Chains retrospective collection The Essential Alice in Chains has been pushed back to a September 5 release. ... Rob Zombie is squeezing three headlining dates into his upcoming fall run with Godsmack and Shinedown. Zombie will hit New Haven, Connecticut, on September 5; Cincinnati on September 11; and Boise, Idaho, on September 26. ... Slipknot turntablist Sid Wilson plans to release his first-ever solo effort, The New Leader, August 29 under his alias, DJ Starscream. Several tracks from the LP can be found over at Wilson's MySpace page.

• Lindsay Lohan
• The Killers
• Panic at the Disco
• Tool
• Papa Roach

Papa Roach's Jacoby Shaddix
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

BEVERLY HILLS, California — Papa Roach singer Jacoby Shaddix might be the first artist ever to compare his music to a meat locker.

"It's like a meat locker 'cause there's just hooks everywhere," the frontman formerly known as Coby Dick said of the band's fourth major-label release, due in September or October. "I'm not lying."

P-Roach have yet to title the upcoming album, but the band is clearly thrilled with the results of the recording sessions.

"It's the best album we've recorded to date," Shaddix said of the material, which they recorded with Getting Away With Murder producer Howard Benson while living together in a Hollywood mansion for two months (see "Papa Roach Singer Gets Throat Slashed In Lou Diamond Phillips Movie").

"That was really the big difference between any of the other records that we've made, which is that we jammed together for hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and really just dug deep within ourselves and tried to push things forward artistically," Shaddix said. "We felt like we could do anything because nobody was listening at that point.

"We found sides of our band that are so different than anything we've done previously but that are so powerful," he added. "Definitely true to Papa Roach form, we always evolve. That's what keeps this band alive."

During the recording process, a normal day for the band involved waking up at 8:30 p.m. and writing and laying down tracks through mid-afternoon the next day.

"It really brought us outside of how we normally function," drummer Dave Buckner said. "Normally we'll head to a practice spot and then at the end of every day go home to our families. This basically forced us to live with each other with music flowing constantly. We lived, breathed, ate and slept music for 24 hours a day."

Papa Roach haven't picked their first single but have narrowed it down to "Crash," "What Do You Do" or "Forever."

" 'Forever' is one of the songs that really [found us] stepping out of the box. It's really stripped down, but then it's got this mega, super sing-along anthem in it," Shaddix said. "Usually it's obvious which song's the first single, but there's just so much good stuff for us to choose from. I'm excited. I think our fans are going to love this record."

• Papa Roach

MTV.com Exclusive: Papa Roach

• Papa Roach

AFI, MCR, Killers, Foo Fighters, More At KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas 2006

• My Chemical Romance
• AFI
• The Killers
• Gnarls Barkley
• Evanescence

2006: The Best of Studio Photos

• Lil Jon
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Kelis
• Beck
• Nelly Furtado

MTV.com Exclusive: Papa Roach Photos 11.09.2006

• Papa Roach

Guys Who Rock Eyeliner

• Papa Roach
• Panic at the Disco
• My Chemical Romance
• AFI
• Avenged Sevenfold

KROQ's Inland Invasion: Devore, CA, September 23, 2006

• 30 Seconds To Mars
• Guns N' Roses
• Alice in Chains
• Atreyu
• Buckcherry

Photos From Jacoby Shaddix's First Feature Film

• Papa Roach

MTV.com Exclusive: Papa Roach Photos 03.18.2005

• Papa Roach

Britney Spears, Ashlee Simpson And More On The 2004 Billboard Awards Red Carpet

• Britney Spears
• Maroon 5
• Ashlee Simpson
• Green Day
• Dave Navarro

• blink-182
• Box Car Racer
• Britney Spears
• Ozzy Osbourne
• Kelly Osbourne