Pennywise

Patrick Stump Named One Of 2007's Un-Sexiest Men; Plus Prodigy, R.E.M., Lindsay Lohan, Eddie Murphy & More, In For The Record

02 Jan 2008 17:39:00 EST

Mobb Deep rapper to issue solo LP while in jail; R.E.M. settle on album title; Lohan tops worst-movie-performance poll.
By MTV News staff

Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump has been named one of the un-sexiest men of 2007 by Boston alt-weekly The Phoenix. He lands at #95 on the list, right next to Larry King and Jon Heder. ...

Prodigy, who will start serving a three-and-a-half-year jail sentence on a charge of gun possession for which he was indicted in October, plans to issue his second solo album while behind bars. H.N.I.C. Part 2 will drop in March, feature production from Mobb Deep group mate Havoc and Alchemist, and be integrated with Voxonic technology, which converts a voice into hundreds of languages with near-perfect accuracy. Prodigy also released a statement regarding his upcoming sentence, saying, "Throughout my life, I have always lived through adversity. I'm a survivor. You don't understand the mental power that I have. While I'm locked up, I'm going to be writing lyrics, working on the script for my second feature film, 'Dope,' and finish writing an autobiography of my life, which will be finished by the time I'm released. My mind is going to be focused, and I'll have time to think and map out my entire plan. The experience will make me a tougher, stronger person. I'm gonna work on getting out faster, so I can get back to doing what I do best. When I get home, it's gonna be on!" ...

R.E.M. have christened their forthcoming album Accelerate and set an April 1 release date for the effort. The album was produced by Jacknife Lee (Bloc Party, Snow Patrol) and will feature "Until the Day Is Done," "Living Well Is the Best Revenge" and "Staring Down the Barrel of Middle Distance." Expect the band to tour in the spring. ... It's not like she was expecting an Oscar nomination, but a nod for the worst? In a poll conducted by AOL's Moviefone Web site, 58 percent of respondents gave Lindsay Lohan the dubious distinction of turning in the worst performance by an actress in 2007 for her role in "I Know Who Killed Me." Another one of Lohan's box-office bombs, "Georgia Rule," finished second among the more than 3.8 million voters, just behind the Eddie Murphy comedy "Norbit," as the biggest waste of $10. "Norbit" also earned the comedian the title of worst performance by an actor. ... Eddie Murphy and "Good Luck Chuck" producer Tracey Edmonds got hitched during an intimate New Year's Day ceremony on a private island in French Polynesia, according to People.com. Johnny Gill was reportedly Murphy's best man. ...

Radiohead singer Thom Yorke has hit back at the boss of his former label, EMI Music, after claims that the band had rejected a nearly $6 million advance for their new album while demanding the copyrights to older titles. In a December 29 post on the group's official Web site under the heading "FYI — if you care — for your information," Yorke wrote, "We did not ask for a load of cash from our old record label EMI to re-sign. That is a L I E. The Times in the U.K. should check its facts before it prints such dirt. What we wanted was some control over our work and how it was used in the future by them — that seemed reasonable to us, as we cared about it a great deal. [EMI boss Guy] Hands was not interested. So neither were we. We made the sign of the cross and walked away. Sadly." Yorke said the group was upset about the airing of "dirty laundry" in public. Separately, Yorke told BBC Radio 4 that releasing In Rainbows solely as a digital download — the physical album hit stores this week — would have been "stark raving mad" because 80 percent of fans still buy physical releases. "We didn't want it to be a big announcement about 'everything's over except the Internet, the Internet's the future,' 'cause that's utter rubbish," Yorke said. "And it's really important to have an artifact as well, as they call it, an object." Yorke, in one of his first public comments about the decision to release In Rainbows under a pay-what-you-wish scheme, explained that Radiohead had a "moral justification in what we did in the sense that the majors and the big infrastructure of the music business has not addressed the way artists communicate directly with their fans. ... In fact, they seem to basically get in the way. Not only do they get in the way, but they take all the cash." He also denied reports that In Rainbows was downloaded more than 1.2 million times in its first week, but, in keeping with the band's silence on sales, would not confirm how many times it was actually downloaded. "It's total nonsense. ... We're the only people who know, and it feels wrong to say exactly what happened," he said. "But it's been a really nice surprise and we've done really well out of it." ...

The presidential race will bleed over into late-night TV on Wednesday night (January 2) when David Letterman chats up Democratic contender Senator Hillary Clinton and Jay Leno welcomes Republican candidate Mike Huckabee on the respective comeback episodes of their shows. Chingy will perform on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," while Lupe Fiasco will play on the "Late Show With David Letterman," with Robin Williams also appearing. Letterman struck a deal with the Writers Guild of America that will allow him to return to air with writers, but Huckabee and Chingy will be crossing the picket line with their appearances on Leno's show, as the writers' strike continues. ... "L.A." Reid, Denzel Washington, Steven Spielberg, Brett Ratner, Billy Joel and others partied Sunday on a private yacht owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, and Jon Bon Jovi and Robbie Robertson performed at the shindig, according to Fox News. ...

Staind's Aaron Lewis, along with members of Boston, Tesla, Stryper and other bands, will join host Dee Snider of Twisted Sister at the fifth anniversary Relief Fund Charity Concert, to be staged February 25 at Providence, Rhode Island's Dunkin' Donut Center. The event is being put on by the Station Family Fund, a group founded by survivors, family members and community members affected by the Station fire, the February 2003 nightclub tragedy that claimed 100 lives. Proceeds from the show will go to the survivors of the fire, many of whom did not qualify for Social Security benefits. ...

The lineup for Dave Mustaine's Gigantour 2008 has been revealed. The trek, to launch in mid-April and run through late May, will feature his band Megadeth, as well as In Flames, Children of Bodom, Job for a Cowboy and High on Fire. ... P.O.D. have set an April 8 release date for When Angels & Serpents Dance, the band's forthcoming LP. The record will feature a guest appearance by Suicidal Tendencies mainman Mike Muir. ... Former Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland's band, Black Light Burns, have begun work on material for their second album, which is set for release in early 2009. Borland said in a statement that the new stuff is "a lot more guitar-heavy than it is synth-heavy. The feeling/tone is a little more fun and weird compared to the darkness of the first album." The effort follows the band's debut disc, last year's Cruel Melody. ... Hatebreed were forced to postpone the final concert in their Stillborn Fest series after guitarist Frank Novinec broke his ankle. No word yet on when they'll make up the gig, which was supposed to happen Sunday in Rochester, New York. ...

A lawyer who previously represented Death Row Records boss Marion "Suge" Knight in a $130 million lawsuit over ownership of the onetime gangsta-rap powerhouse is asking a judge to set that judgment aside. According to the Los Angeles Times, in a hearing set for Wednesday attorney Dermot Givens is asking that the judgment be voided because of what he claims is new evidence that the plaintiff, singer Lydia Harris, and her imprisoned drug-dealing husband, Michael, allegedly duped a Los Angeles judge into ruling against Knight. The motion contends that Harris hid from the court that she had filed for bankruptcy five years before suing Knight and that she never claimed an ownership stake in Death Row during that legal proceeding. The motion also alleges that recent sworn testimony by the couple shows that Michael Harris, an alleged crack kingpin, was the real party of interest in her lawsuit against Knight; Michael Harris sued Knight in 1996 claiming he helped finance Death Row, and was awarded a $300,000 out-of-court settlement. Lydia Harris filed a separate suit in 2002 claiming that she and Knight started the label together and that he cheated her out of millions in profits. ...

James Brown's final recordings have been caught up in the legal feud over the late rock legend's estate, according to The Associated Press. Brown recorded an album in Los Angeles in summer 2006, but courtroom disputes over who should get his music royalties are preventing the release of the tracks. More than 50-60 additional unreleased songs recorded by Brown are also reportedly in the archives. ... The Jersey Boys have a bit of a problem on their hands. Tommy DeVito, ex-bassist of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons — on which the "Jersey Boys" story is based — is being sued by the widow of a man who also wrote a story about the group, according to TMZ. Donna Corbello says her late husband Rex Conrad Woodard's yet-unpublished book was the basis of the Broadway smash, and she is reportedly seeking a declaration that he is the volume's "joint owner" so she can get some of the future profits from the production. The suit was recentl

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Pennywise Would Like To Unplug From The World

11 Sep 2005 14:48:00 EDT

Band still mulling over video for 'Disconnect.'
By Natalie K. Pariano

CATALINA ISLAND, California — Finally, a cell phone that rings at an opportune moment.

Just as guitarist Fletcher Dragge was explaining Pennywise's new single, "Disconnect," a ring began to resonate in his pocket, perfectly exemplifying what the song is about.

"It's a pretty cut-and-dry song," Dragge said. "It's about wanting to unplug yourself from the world. We totally got by without cell phones and without computers forever and now that we have them, it's like we think we can't live without them."

By the end of the interview backstage at a promotional concert on the famous island off the Southern California coast, Dragge will have received five calls. "[Cell phones and technology] have made society like totally faster and more on edge," Dragge said.

"Disconnect," the first single from Pennywise's just-released eighth album, The Fuse, is currently one of the most requested songs on KROQ-FM in Los Angeles and is picking up steam across the country. Eventually, the band hopes to see some video play — once there is a video, that is.

"We're trying to come up with something cool," Dragge said. "We'll figure out something. You know how we are: We're disorganized. Most bands would have their video done two weeks before the album is out; we'll have it done two months after the album's out."

Following the old adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," Pennywise didn't stray too far from their traditional punk sound on the new album.

"It's not a whole lot [different] than its predecessors," Dragge said. "I mean, the songwriting process was the same. We just tried to write Pennywise songs and have fun."

The only difference in The Fuse is the more laid-back approach the band took. Pennywise decided to spend a minimal amount of time recording and just "let it rock," Dragge said.

"The last couple of albums we got really into the recording process and tried to get really technical and make everything super, super tight, almost to the point where we may have overdone it a little bit," he said. "When we went in [the studio to record The Fuse], we just started going for it. We stopped going back and saying, 'I can get this part better' and playing it [or singing it] 10 times."

Aside from "Disconnect," another song attracting some attention is one called "Fox TV," which points the finger at Fox News for what Dragge calls "one-sided reporting."

"We travel the world and see the news in other countries where it's just really accurate," Dragge said. "They give you the news. They don't slant it one way or another. So the song kind of goes out to [Fox News], just basically telling them to f--- off for not being fair and unbiased."

Both "Disconnect" and "Fox TV" are testimonies to Pennywise's commitment to speaking out about issues that concern them. Tracks from their last album, From the Ashes, dealt with the war in Iraq and life post-9/11, something Dragge says alienated some of their Republican fans.

"We never really care about being popular," he said. "We just do it because we love it. We're just going to keep making music until someone goes, 'You're way too f---ing old and ugly to be up on that stage and you can't walk anymore. Please stop.' "

Related Photos

Pennywise "Great Escape" Show at Avalon Bay in Catalina

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Pennywise

New Releases: ODB, Staind, Tommy Lee, Pennywise, Proof, Chimaira, Hootie & The Blowfish

08 Aug 2005 20:43:00 EDT

Chopped-and-screwed versions of albums by Lil Jon, Ying Yang Twins also due.
By Kurt Orzeck

Ol' Glory: Ol' Dirty Bastard may be gone, but in this post-Tupac world, that doesn't mean he can't still make some moves. A Son Unique is not only his first release on Def Jam, it's also the first to attribute the music to "ODB," not "Ol' Dirty Bastard," on the album art. Songs include a cover of "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" with Macy Gray, "Intoxicated" and "Skrilla."

Five — And Still Alive: Bewildered by the title of Staind's Chapter V? Time to hit the bins. While many thought 2001's Break the Cycle was their debut, and those who looked a little deeper unearthed 1999's Dysfunction, Tormented, an independent album from 1996, actually began the band's cycle. Chapter V might sound like a turning of the page, but Aaron Lewis seems as tormented as ever with "Cross to Bear," "Runaway" and "King of All Excuses."

A Motley Crew: Tommy Lee's invited some major — and majorly bizarre — guests to his TommyLand: The Ride, including Nick Carter, Good Charlotte and Slash, but by releasing the record through a tiny Michigan-based distributor, sales could be a challenge. Then again, Lee has drawn plenty of attention in the past by slipping out his stuff through, uh, less traditional means. Songs include "Makin' Me Crazy" with Dirty Harry, "Sister Mary" and "The Butler."

The Search Is Over: More than three years after it was first announced, D12's Proof is finally dishing up Searching for Jerry Garcia, a follow-up to 2002's Electric Cool Aid: Acid Testing EP. He's tweaked the original concept, which was for each song to be named after a musician or icon ("Janis Joplin," "Billie Holiday," etc.), although he did retain "Kurt Kobain." He's also padded the LP with some red-hot guests: 50 Cent ("Forgive Me"), D12 ("Pimplikeness"), Obie Trice ("72nd & Central") and Nate Dogg ("Sammy Da Bull").

Chopped & Served: Swishahouse Records owner Mike "5000" Watts is fine-tuning his chopped-and-screwed skills for retouched versions of Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz's Crunk Juice and the Ying Yang Twins' U.S.A. (United State of Atlanta).

Stones Galore: Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ron Wood roll onto Tim Ries' The Rolling Stones Project and contribute to the album design; Wood also surfaces on the Jones Gang's Any Day Now, a record he also did the cover art for; and a reissue of the Blasters' 4-11-44 includes a bonus video of "Daddy Rollin' Stone."

Around the World in Six Albums: We Will Take You With Us (Epica), Made in China (Juliana Hatfield), East/West (Bill Frisell), Underneath a Brooklyn Moon (JC Hopkins Biggish Band), Let Me Come Home (Limbeck).

Song Titles Of The Week:

"There's a Coldest Day in Every Year" (Cursive's The Difference Between Houses and Homes: Lost Songs and Loose Ends 1995-2001)

"Twelve Years on Tour and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt" (Suicide Machines' War Profiteering Is Killing Us All)

"Women Turn on Your TV" (Kool Keith's Lost Masters: Volume 2)

Other Notables:

Backandtotheleft - Obsolete (Metropolis): The Seattle band's moniker is a tip to the famous "magic bullet" line quoted by JFK conspiracy theorists, hence joining the ranks of Dead Kennedys, Texas Is the Reason (whose own "Back and to the Left" came out in 1996), Kennedy, Bay of Pigs and Jackie O Mother------.

Chimaira - Chimaira (Roadrunner): Hardcore heroes Chimaira pay tribute to a fallen comrade, Dimebag Darrell, on "Nothing Remains," one of 10 tracks featured on their self-titled fourth record. "Lazarus" is another tribute, this time to a friend who committed suicide, while "Left for Dead" and "Comatose" deepen the somber mood.

Tremolo - Love Is the Greatest Revenge (Flagship): The Bay Area band is putting its money where its mouth is — literally. The benevolent bunch — which has been heard on numerous MTV shows — is donating 50 percent of the proceeds from its debut to the Love>Revenge Fund, a site that, through online voting, allows fans to decide where the trust fund money should go to.

Various Artists - Def Jazz (Verve): Yup, you guessed it: a collection of smooth-jazz versions of rap faves commemorating the 20th anniversary of Russell's baby. Unlike the ever-present Pickin' On tributes, however, this endeavor brings in veritable talent like Roy Hargrove and Gerald Albright — and tosses in a version of "Bring the Pain" with flute and Moog to boot.

Out Tuesday, August 9:

Backandtotheleft - Obsolete (Metropolis)
Big Blue Hearts - Here Come Those Dreams Again (Adrenaline)
Bottom of the Hudson - Holiday Machine EP (Absolutely Kosher)
Kaci Brown - Instigator (Interscope)
Chimaira - Chimaira (Roadrunner)
Buy Now: Chimaira (Roadrunner)
Day of Contempt - The Will to Live (EP, Epitaph)
Epica - We Will Take You With Us (The End)
Fleshtones - Beachhead (Yep Roc)
Bill Frisell - East/West (live, 2 CDs) (Nonesuch)
Eliza Gilkyson - Paradise Hotel (Red House)
Gogol Bordello - Gypsy Punks Underdog World Strike (SideOneDummy)
Groovie Ghoulies - Berry'd Alive (EP, Green Door)
Hail Social - Hail Social (Polyvinyl)
Juliana Hatfield - Made in China (Ye Olde)
Holopaw - Quit +/or Fight (Sub Pop)
Ellis Hoojeks - Godson of Soul (Evidence)
JC Hopkins Biggish Band - Underneath a Brooklyn Moon (featuring Queen Esther) (Evidence)
Hootie & the Blowfish - Looking for Lucky (Sneaky Long Records)
J-Henry - Another Long Day (Rockview)
The Jones Gang - Any Day Now (Reality/AAO)
The Juan MacLean - Less Than Human (Astralwerks)
Kill Your Idols - Live at CBGB's July 30th 2000 (Blackout)
Earl Klugh - Naked Guitar (Koch)
Koufax - Hard Times Are in Fashion (Doghouse)
Tommy Lee - Tommy Lee Presents: TommyLand the Ride (Rocket Science)
Read: "Tommy Lee Parties With Good Charlotte, Slash And, Er, Nick Carter on Tommyland"
Buy Now: Tommyland: The Ride (Rocket Science)
Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz - Crunk Juice - Chopped & Screwed by Michael (TVT)
The Life and Times - Suburban Hymns (DeSoto)
Limbeck - Let Me Come Home (Doghouse)
Lunascape - Reminiscence (Noir)
Mad Ro - The Foul Stench of Something Good (Noc on Wood)
Pat Metheny - Song X (Nonesuch)
Minotaur Shock - Maritime (4AD/Beggars)
Mobius Band - The Loving Sounds of Static (Ghostly International)
Moggs - The White Belt Is Not Enough (Absolutely Kosher)
Carrie Newcomer - Regulars and Refugees (Philo/Rounder)
Nickel Creek - Why Should the Fire Die? (Sugar Hill)
ODB - A Son Unique (Def Jam)
Read: "ODB Album Preview: Star-Studded A Son Unique Is Radio Ready"
Buy Now: A Son Unique (Def Jam)
David Pack - The Secret of Movin' On (Peak/Concord)
Pennywise - The Fuse (Epitaph)
Buy Now: The Fuse (Epitaph)
Proclaimers - Restless Soul (Persevere)
Proof - Searching for Jerry Garcia (Iron Fist)
Read: "D12's Proof Readying Solo LP With 'Kurt Cobain' On It"
Tim Ries - The Rolling Stones Project (Concord)
Poncho Sanchez - Do It! (Concord)
Scars of Life - What We Reflect (Sixthman)
Shelby - The Luxury of Time (Gigantic)
Sons and Daughters - The Repulsion Box (Domino)
Staind - Chapter V (Elektra)
Read: "Staind Pushing Hard To Put Grey Days Behind Them"
Buy Now: Chapter V (Flip/Atlantic)
Suicide Machines - War Profiteering Is Killing Us All (SideOneDummy)
Swarmy, Astro & Glide - Le Souk Sunday Sessions (Aurora Music Group)
Richard Thompson - Front Parlour Ballads (Cooking Vinyl)
Tremolo - Love Is the Greatest Revenge (Flagship)
Ying Yang Twins - U.S.A. (United State of Atlanta) - Chopped & Screwed by Michael (TVT)
Buy Now: USA (United State of Atlanta) [Chopped & Screwed] (TVT)
Various artists - American Folk (Putumayo)
Various artists - Dance 2 This Volume 2 (Thump)
Various artists - Def Jazz (Verve)
Various artists - "Heights"

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- Ol' Dirty Bastard
- Staind
- Tommy Lee
- Proof
- Pennywise

For The Record: Quick News On Kid Rock, Jimmy Jam And Terry Lewis, Consequence, Damien Rice, Pennywise, Our Lady Peace & More

17 Jun 2005 18:20:00 EDT

Detroit badass to sing at NBA finals; producers to be honored; Kanye signee dropping mixtape.
By

No $575,000 lawsuit is going to keep Detroit badass Kid Rock down. The rocker is set to perform "America the Beautiful" at the Palace of Auburn Hills Sunday night, before Game 5 of this year's NBA Finals between the Detroit Pistons and the San Antonio Spurs. Naturally, Rock is a hardcore Pistons fan. ... Alicia Keys, Jermaine Dupri, Ice Cube, India.Arie, Ciara, Chingy and Twista are among those scheduled to attend the ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Awards on June 27 in Beverly Hills. Producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis will be presented with the Heritage Award at the event. ...

In anticipation of Don't Quit Your Day Job, his first album on Kanye West's new label, Consequence is releasing a retrospective mixtape called A Tribe Called Quence 1995-2004. Consequence, a protégé of A Tribe Called Quest, will also be heard in the coming weeks alongside Andre 3000 on the Q-Tip single "Sexy," with Cam'ron on West's "Gone" and on his own single, "Clockin' My Style." ... Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan have recorded a new song called "Unplayed Piano" that will be available exclusively through iTunes beginning Tuesday with all proceeds going to the U.S. Campaign for Burma and Burma Campaign U.K.'s crusade to free Aung San Suu Kyi on her 60th birthday, June 19. The only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient led an international movement to end over 40 years of brutal military rule in the Southeast Asian country of Burma. ...

Pennywise have set an August 9 release date for their eighth album, The Fuse. The first single, "Disconnect," which lambastes a media-obsessed culture, will arrive at radio stations next week. ... Canadian rockers Our Lady Peace, who'll be appearing at the Live 8 show in Toronto, will release Healthy in Paranoid Times on August 30. The album is the group's first new studio release since 2002's Gravity. In additional to the conventional CD release, a DualDisc edition will also hit stores, featuring an in-depth look at the making of the LP. ... Stellastarr* are putting the finishing touches on their sophomore album, Harmonies for the Haunted. The New Yorkers are planning a September release. ...

Less than a month after they announced they'd be going on indefinite hiatus, three members of Floridian beard-core pioneers Hot Water Music have forged a new group called the Draft. According to Hot Water Music's Web site, the band features guitarist and singer Chris Wollard, bassist Jason Black and drummer George Rebelo. They've lined up their first gig, which goes down July 4 at Common Grounds in Gainesville. Hot Water Music's other member, singer/guitarist Chuck Ragan, has "decided to concentrate on life off of the road." ... Cee-Lo and Sean Lennon are among the guests on Esthero's new album, Wikked Lil' Grrrls, due June 28. The Canadian singer will promote the album with a tour kicking July off 2 in Seattle and wrapping up July 31 in Detroit. ...

Taking a break from recording their fifth studio album, Ganging Up on the Sun, in Nashville, Tennessee, Guster will return to their hometown of Boston to perform two shows with the Boston Pops. The orchestra will play classical pieces that have influenced the band, including "G Major" and "Dear Valentine," before joining the group on Guster tunes. The shows are scheduled for June 22 and 23, while the album is due in early 2006. ... O.A.R. have enlisted former Talking Heads member Jerry Harrison (who has produced No Doubt and Live) to oversee their second major-label album. Parliament's Bernie Worrell will guest on the material, which the band will debut on tour this summer. ...

Boston's Irish punkers the Dropkick Murphys will release The Warrior's Code on June 21 before heading out on the road as the co-headliners on this summer's Vans Warped Tour. The record will include the songs "Wicked Sensitive Crew," "Your Spirit's Alive" and "Last Letter Home." ... Brothers Dean and Gene Ween are prepping Shinola, a collection of "scraps, throwaways and outtakes," according to the band's Web site. No release date has been set. ...

06.16.2005

Destiny's Child will make one of their last television appearances at the 15th annual ESPY Awards, The Associated Press reports. The sports awards show, hosted by Matthew Perry, will tape at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on July 13 and air on ESPN July 17. The multiplatinum group stunned fans earlier this week when it announced it would disband at the end of its Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It world tour, which wraps in September. ...

More dates have been released for this summer's System of a Down/ Mars Volta tour. The 'fro-heavy trek, which kicks off August 4 in Long Beach, California, will now also hit Atlanta on August 19; Hampton, Virginia, on August 21; Baltimore on August 22; East Rutherford, New Jersey, on August 23; Philadelphia on August 26; and Toronto on September 1. ... Want to listen to what's on P. Diddy's playlist? Here's your chance — the rap mogul, along with Katie Holmes, Mary J. Blige, Renée Zellweger, Cyndi Lauper, Mischa Barton, Jessica Alba, Brittany Murphy and Hype Williams, have created playlists for custom-designed iPods to be auctioned off for charity. Style & Sounds: A Case for a Cause, which runs through Wednesday and benefits breast-cancer research, features cases decked out in fur, jewels, beads, belts and brass, designed by the likes of Betsey Johnson, Cynthia Rowley, Vivienne Tam, Max Azria of BCBG, Judith Leiber and Donna Karan, among others. The auction is live at ebay.com. ...

The judge who presided over Michael Jackson's child-molestation trial ruled on Thursday (June 16) that he's going to release almost every sealed court document in the case, since he had kept much of the material highly edited, even secret, in the interests of providing a fair trial. Since the amount of documents — from search warrants at the onset of the case to questions asked by the jury during deliberations — is so great, Judge Rodney Melville said, it will probably take a month. He told lawyers that he would consider their requests, if submitted by June 23, to keep any specific material unreleased. Melville is still considering whether to extend his decision to include releasing videos shown during the trial, and said he would issue a ruling later. ... JC Chasez is in the final few weeks of recording his second solo album. "In my heart it's the best stuff I've ever written," the 'NSYNC singer said. "This record is more focused, more about my heart. The last one was more sex, sex, sex; this one is more love, love, love." When asked if former flame Eva Longoria inspired any of the lyrics, Chasez tensed up and answered, "No ... maybe ... I don't know. They come from wherever they come from." ...

Producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are overseeing a Luther Vandross tribute album that will include Mary J. Blige, Celine Dion, Fantasia, Ruben Studdard and others. "We got a call from Clive Davis, who thought it would be appropriate to put together his great music with a lot of great artists from today," Jam said. "Mary J. does 'Never Too Much' and really makes it her own. Celine does 'Dance With My Father,' and she lost her father earlier in the year, so she sings it with a lot of passion." ... Jam and Lewis are also working on the next record by longtime collaborator Janet Jackson. The producers recently left their Minneapolis studio to join Jackson in Jermaine Dupri's Atlanta studio. "Us and Janet always are busy with a ton of projects, and the chance to go to Atlanta was a chance to go back to the way we did the Control record 20 years ago, where we all sat in a room and vibed and came up with stuff," Jam said. ...

Mya is taking two months off from recording this summer to teach inner-city kids through a charity she founded in Washington, D.C. "My background is dance, so we're gonna have a ball," she said. Mya is still looking at a late summer release for her next album, Control Freak, featuring Dr. Dre, Lil Jon and "just about every damn body." For the first single, Mya is leaning toward a dance track called "Let It Go." ... Ex-Korn guitarist Brian "Head" Welch is founding what he's calling a Head Home in India, where he will house leper children. "My eyes have been opened to children on the street and I feel like that is who I want and need to help," he said in a statement. Footage of his efforts can be viewed at headtochrist.com before it is turned into a documentary on his life. ...

The lives of 1960s folk-rocker Tim Buckley and his son, '90s not-quite-folk rocker Jeff Buckley, may soon be playing out on the big screen. A script about the famous father and son has been making its way around Hollywood, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The screenplay is based on music critic David Browne's 2001 book, "Dream Brother: The Lives and Music of Jeff and Tim Buckley." Both musicians made a mark on the musical landscape before their untimely deaths: Tim died of a heroin overdose in 1975 at 28, while Jeff accidentally drowned in the Mississippi River during a late-night swim in Memphis in 1997, at age 30. ... The Pixies, Bright Eyes and Elvis Costello have all been confirmed for the Newport

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For The Record: Quick News On 50 Cent And Game, Ashanti, Kelly Clarkson, Shakira, Paris Hilton, Pennywise & More

08 Apr 2005 17:04:00 EDT

50 and Game team up again, Kelly's bottle up for auction, Shakira readies two new albums.
By MTV News staff report

50 Cent and the Game will team up Thursday to donate $200,000 to the Compton Unified School District's Education Foundation, to bring back music- and arts-education programs. 50's share comes from his G-Unity Foundation, while the Game procured his donation through Aftermath Entertainment, Interscope Records and his own Black Wall Street organization. "This is what Black Wall Street is all about," Game said in a statement. "Building an empowerment within our community. I've seen firsthand what music can do, so I'm hoping this can make a difference in people's lives." 50 seconded the thought, and noted, "G-Unity's goal is to lend a hand to the people who need it most. This donation is just the beginning of what we're hoping to do." ...

Ashanti is not only acting in "The Muppets' Wizard of Oz," she's singing in it, too. The Inc. princess recorded three songs for the soundtrack, which comes out May 17: two solo songs, "Gotta Get Out of Kansas" and "It's a Good Life"; and a collaboration with Kermit the Frog, Gonzo and Fozzie called "When I'm With You." The movie airs May 20 on ABC. ... Shakira is putting out not one, but two albums to follow up her first English-language album, Laundry Service — one in Spanish, one in English. The Spanish-language album Fijación Oral 1 is due June 7, setting up its sequel, the English-language Oral Fixation 2, in November. The first single (in Spanish) is called "La Tortura," and features Alejandro Sanz. "I did not set out to make two albums," Shakira said in a statement, "but suddenly I realized I had written 60 songs, some in English and some in Spanish. Many times I let the melody suggest which language the song should be." Both albums were executive-produced by Rick Rubin. ...

Kelly Clarkson fans thirsting for that special keepsake from her April 2 concert in Omaha, Nebraska, may want to check out the water bottle that one eBay seller is hawking online. The seller claims the first-season "American Idol" champ drank out of the plastic "Dasani" bottle; a front-row ticket stub from that evening is also included for those who require convincing. Bidding will end on Sunday, and as of press time, the price was already up to $36.50. ... Paris Hilton is going high-tech to promote her new flick, "House of Wax." Starting on April 29, you'll be able to eavesdrop on the heiress as she "shops, parties, poses and publicizes" the movie via podcast in advance of its May 6 opening. "The Paris Hilton Podcast - Countdown to 'House of Wax' " works on any portable media player and can be downloaded at http://houseofwaxpodcast.com/rss.xml. If you don't already have podcasting software, you can download a custom version at http://houseofwaxmovie.warnerbros.com/. ...

Talib Kweli spent his Friday morning at the Gibson Studios in New York collaborating with about 100 elementary school students from P.S. 34 and P.S. 188. The Brooklyn-born MC was there to launch the eighth season of "Harman: How to Listen," a music-education program designed to expose children to a variety of musical genres. One bunch of kids even re-did the chorus to "Get By" and performed it for Kweli, according to a rep for the event. Roots affiliate Martin Luther also made an appearance and performed his new single, "Daily Bread," for the kids before letting them onstage to give his computerized drum pad a try. The program will ultimately reach 21 schools in five cities: New York, Detroit, Phoenix, Miami and Baltimore. ... ?uestlove from the Roots is joining the lineup for the Jammys — along with Buddy Guy, Travis Tritt and the Disco Biscuits. Ryan Adams, Les Claypool, Bruce Hornsby, Burning Spear and Medeski, Martin and Wood are already on the bill for the fifth annual awards ceremony, which will take place April 26 at New York's Madison Square Garden. ...

Pennywise will rev it up in Cali at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on Saturday. "We always love playing extreme sporting events, and as long as Sylvester Stallone isn't driving this year, this should be pretty extreme," guitarist Fletcher Dragge said in a statement. "We're also big racing fans so it will be an awesome weekend." The SoCal punk band is currently in the studio in Redondo Beach, California, working on its eighth album, The Fuse, due out in July. The group has demoed more than 30 new songs, and is focusing on the 16-18 strongest tracks to record, including "Lies," "Disconnect," "Closer" and "Eighteen Soldiers." ... P. Diddy's ex-girlfriend — and mother of his 11-year-old son, Justin — won a child-support award of $21,782 a month in court on Thursday. Misa Hylton-Brim was originally awarded $35,000 a month, as well as $398,451 in back support and $60,000 for legal expenses, but an appellate court on Thursday slashed two of those numbers, but kept the ruling that the music mogul has to pay her legal expenses. ...

Following weeks of breakup rumors, Portland, Maine, rockers 6Gig have made it official: They're done. In a posting on its Web site, the band simply stated, "It was time to do some other things," adding that the split was amicable. While the members of the band are said to already have new projects lined up, they haven't ruled out "getting together again in the future." ... The Queers have booted bassist J.J. Nobody from the band, for what was characterized as "gross negligence." They have already filled that hole in their lineup with Phillip Hall, most recently of Even in Blackouts. ...

04.07.2005

On April 19, the final 12 "American Idol" finalists will release a cover of Diana Ross' "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" to benefit the American Red Cross. Desmond Child produced the song as well as the B-sides, covers of Ray Stevens' "Everything Is Beautiful" and "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," made famous by Cher, Neil Diamond and the Hollies. ...

The Osbournes have been hit with yet another health scare. Aimee, the eldest child of the Osbourne clan, is currently being treated at an undisclosed hospital in Los Angeles after a lump was removed from her breast, The Associated Press reports. Sharon, who battled colon cancer in 2002, released a statement on Wednesday saying the operation went well and she expects her daughter to make a full recovery. ... Officials at Duke University announced on Wednesday that the school will continue with its iPod initiative, the goal of which is to integrate the device into the university's courses. A few important changes will be taking effect in the coming school year, though — the iPods will now only be given out to students who are enrolled in a course integrating it specifically into the curriculum, rather than handing out iPods to the entire freshmen class, which the school did last fall. ...

Michael Jackson's inner circle continues to collapse, as one of his former publicists and another family friend have teamed up to write a tell-all book. Former PR rep Bob Jones and Stacy Brown have written "The Man Behind the Mask," to be published in May by Select Books, which will detail Jackson's alleged relationships with young boys such as Macaulay Culkin and Kieran Culkin. The older Culkin has previously denied that anything inappropriate happened. ... Jackson's sister Janet, meanwhile, is slated to be one of the presenters at the fourth annual Atlanta Heroes Awards, along with Big Boi, Jon Bon Jovi, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The ceremony, which will take place April 21, will honor Usher and the B-52's, among others. ...

Andre 3000 will be honored at the 2005 General Motors International Style Awards in Atlanta on May 6. The Style Atlanta award, as it is known, will also be bestowed upon another high-profile Andre at the black-tie event: Andre Leon Talley, editor-at-large at Vogue magazine. ... Toni Braxton is back recording and her new, still-untitled album should be out by September. Braxton, who has a recurring role on "Kevin Hill," has the first single ready; the song is produced by Scott Storch and titled "Please." ...

Riding high on the rock-radio success of their new single, "The Clincher," Chevelle are heading back out on the road for another round of tour dates. Having just wrapped their headlining stint on the 2005 SnoCore Tour, they'll start all over again on April 8 in Louisville, Kentucky. Their new jaunt runs across most of the South before finishing up on May 21 in Urbana, Illinois. ... Travis Meeks from Days of the New (best known for their 1997 hit "Touch, Peel and Stand") may not have made the cut to be the singer for Velvet Revolver, but he's got something on Scott Weiland — a reality show chronicling his recovery from drug addiction. Meeks will be featured on an upcoming episode of "Intervention," A&E's new documentary series, where he reveals that he's addicted to crystal meth while his girlfriend and family try to get him into treatment. Meeks gets out of rehab in about two weeks; the show airs shortly before then, on April 17 at 10 p.m. ET. ...

Fall Out Boy's lyricist and bassist Peter Wentz wants to be the next Emily Strange — he's got a dark and twisted clothing line inspired by his book called "The Boy With the Thorn in His Side" that features bats, monsters and other figures from his childhood nightmares and slogans like "We Are All Gods and Monsters" and "Girls Love Monsters Too." The clothing line includes men's and women's wear, jewelry, belt buckles, hats, patches, buttons, stickers and wristbands, and is available via mall chain Hot Topic

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Vans Warped Tour Turns 10 — So What's Its Secret?

24 Jun 2004 19:41:00 EDT

Veterans of the punk-rock summer camp try to explain.
By Corey Moss

Who knew punks were so persistent?

When New Found Glory, Yellowcard and several dozen other bands take the stage Friday at Houston's Reliant Park, it'll mark the start of the Vans Warped Tour's 10th year (see "New Found Glory, Bad Religion Get Warped; Itinerary Set"). That's longer than any other touring festival, including Ozzfest.

Back in 1995, it seemed traveling musical circuses were the wave of the future, with something for everyone in Lollapalooza, Lilith Fair, H.O.R.D.E. and Smokin' Grooves. Over the next decade, however, each called it quits (see "Lollapalooza Canceled; Organizers Cite Poor Ticket Sales"), and other upstarts met the same fate. Ozzfest, which launched in 1996, and Warped have been the exceptions, though there are reports that ticket sales for the former are down.

Kevin Lyman, who launched the Vans Warped Tour after seeing the impact live music had at skateboarding exhibitions, has hit upon a formula for attracting both fans and bands year in and year out.

"First and foremost, the reason why Warped Tour has lasted longer than any of the other tours is the ticket price," said Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory, one of this year's unofficial headliners.

"It's like $25 for 100 bands," said Tre Cool of Warped veterans Green Day. "That's less than a buck a band."

Actually, this year's Warped Tour features 125 bands, though many, such as Good Charlotte, are staggered throughout the summer, so it works out to about 50 bands per show. Cool was correct about the ticket prices, though, which are $25, and if you buy them on through Internet pre-sales, that includes a Warped CD.

What makes the tickets such a bargain, of course, is the lineup.

"They've got a lot of variety," said Randy Bradbury of Pennywise, who will return for Warped's official 10th anniversary reunion show August 20 in Boston. "Kevin tries to keep his ear to the ground and get what the kids want to see."

Even if the kids want to see a little bit of everything.

"They'll always have the few new bands, they'll always have three maybe artsy kind of different bands, and then they'll have the five bands that have been around forever," Gilbert said. "I think, too, the bands that are on the Warped Tour are the kind of bands that draw fans, bands like NOFX and Bad Religion. They might not be on MTV and be on the radio, but when they go on tour, they always draw a couple thousand people, no matter if they have a new album or not.

"I think a lot of the summer tours, they revolve around more of the bands that have big singles." Gilbert continued. "Warped Tour will exist with or without [radio]."

Another draw is that the big names on Warped each year more often than not have played the smaller stages in past years, said Story of the Year guitarist Ryan Phillips, who knows from experience. This year's Briggs could be next year's Simple Plan, which adds an element of excitement to the event.

"A band like the Sounds that'll be on this summer, they've toured tons in the U.S., but the fans of Warped Tour have probably never seen them and they probably would love them, which is cool," Gilbert said.

"I like the fact, too, that they add some hip-hop bands to it," said New Found Glory's other guitarist, Steve Klein. "Eminem did it one year. Ice-T did it one year. Atmosphere's on it this year."

A testament to the Warped Tour's appeal to bands is how many return each summer even without new albums to promote, like Good Charlotte are doing this year.

"It's the best tour to do by far," said Rancid's Lars Frederiksen, who's playing this year with his Bastards side project. "You get to see all these people that you haven't seen in a while and you get to make a lot of new friends too. It's like punk-rock summer camp."

Bands have referred to Warped as "punk-rock summer camp" for years, probably because of the nightly barbeques and bonfires, along with other backstage activities.

"A lot of gambling goes on," Green Day's Mike Dirnt said.

"I remember massive games of C-Low, tons of cash," his bandmate Billie Joe Armstrong added. "For a bunch of poor punk rockers, they still have a lot of freaking cash. But I came out ahead many times, I must say."

Armstrong has also been known to crash golf carts and mopeds, which is just the beginning of the dangerous games going on.

"In Florida, we saw a dude swim with alligators," Story of the Year's Dan Marsala said. "It was one of Pennywise's road guys or something, and he was wasted and everyone was like, 'Do it! Jump in! It's gonna be cool!' "

Gator-baiting aside, the tour's vibe is famously friendly.

"It's such a, like, family outing," Yellowcard's Ryan Key said.

"There's just such an appreciation of that go-out-and-do-it-yourself, work hard [attitude], especially all the bands that have been touring that sort of underground circuit," added Key's bandmate Sean Mackin. "That brings so many people together."

With all the musical bonding at Warped, it's easy to forget the tour also features skateboarding and other extreme sports shows. And then there's that other selling point.

"Let's not forget that Vans makes a very nice shoe," Bad Religion's Brett Gurewitz joked.

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Pennywise's Troubles Seem So Far Away On 'Yesterdays'

26 Jan 2004 21:11:00 EST

Guttermouth, Bleed the Dream, Stretch Arm Strong join SoCal punks on club tour.
By Corey Moss

UNIVERSAL CITY, California — On Pennywise's self-titled debut, singer Jim Lindberg screamed about "Living for Today." Thirteen years later, the Southern California punks still live for those days, as demonstrated by their latest single, "Yesterdays."

"As you get a little older, you get a lot more responsibilities, so it's kinda like a retrospect of when things were easy," bassist Randy Bradbury said of the song, a favorite of tastemakers KROQ-FM. "All you had to worry about was getting home on time, getting something to eat, not making your parents mad and getting good grades."

"Actually, all that stuff he said was a lie, because he never got home on time and he never got good grades," guitarist Fletcher Dragge added. "It's about the good ol' days. With age comes responsibility and turmoil, and we liked it better when we were 14."

With age also came political awareness for Pennywise. Their latest release, September's From the Ashes, is their most political to date.

"We were more into social and personal politics when we were younger. But now that we see our tax dollars going for things we're not into, we're madder and sing about it," Dragge explained. "It's the way we feel. It's not really popular for us to say we hate a lot of things about the government, because everyone's all patriotic now. Of course we love America; we just hate the problems our government is creating for us. People who don't travel to places like Europe, Japan and Australia don't see how people feel about America and our overseas policies. They just kind of sit here and eat McDonald's, drive BMWs and wait for the dirty bomb."

Pennywise express their opinions on tracks such as "Judgment Day" (with the lyrics "It seems like the news is getting worse every day"), "Punch Drunk" ("There are jackals in power who feed on frustration") and "God Save the U.S.A." ("Apathy's the national disease, and there is no end in sight").

The latter song will be featured on Fat Mike's upcoming Rock Against Bush compilation (see "Good Charlotte, Green Day, NOFX To Rock Against President Bush").

" 'Cause it kinda says it all," Dragge said with a smile.

"[Bush] is obviously doing a lot of damage, and we need to get someone else in there," he continued. "It's not looking too good right now, so every little bit anyone can do to get someone better in office is needed."

As downbeat as From the Ashes may sound, Pennywise point to peppier moments aside from "Yesterdays." "A lot of the songs try to talk more about hope and moving forward," Bradbury said. "We're like the phoenix," he said, explaining the album title. "We rise again."

Pennywise will perform at a Rock Against Bush concert later in the year. But for now the band has scheduled a headlining club tour with Guttermouth, Bleed the Dream and Stretch Arm Strong.

"It's gonna be fun," Dragge said. "We haven't been in clubs for a while. We keep doing these bigger shows, like the Warped Tour, and we really want to get back to the intimacy of 1,500 people getting sweaty and stinky and beating the hell out of each other."

Pennywise tour dates, according the band's publicist:

1/21 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
1/22 - Jacksonville, FL @ Plush
1/23 - Boynton Beach, FL @ Club Ovation
1/24 - St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Landing
1/25 - Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
1/28 - Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa
1/29 - Hartford, CT @ Webster Theatre
1/30 - Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
1/31 - Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
2/18 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
2/19 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero
2/20 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero
2/21 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Laga
2/22 - Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
2/25 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's
2/26 - Pontiac, MI @ Clutch Cargo's
2/27 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
2/28 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
2/29 - Minneapolis, MN @ The Quest

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Pennywise

The Cypress Hill Smokeout in San Bernardino, CA November 15, 2003

17 Nov 2003 16:58:12 EST

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The Cypress Hill Smokeout in San Bernardino, CA November 15, 2003

17 Nov 2003 16:08:48 EST

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Good Charlotte, Green Day, NOFX To Rock Against President Bush

22 Sep 2003 12:02:00 EDT

Anti-Bush compilation album due next spring, along with tour.
By Jon Wiederhorn

Good Charlotte, Pennywise and Sum 41 have always been known more for their practical jokes than their practical advice. That may soon change.

Next year these bands, Green Day, NOFX, Alkaline Trio and others will unite to raise political awareness and encourage pop-punk fans to vote in the next presidential election — against George Bush. The groups will each contribute a track to the compilation Rock Against Bush and take part in at least one show on a tour organized and funded by NOFX singer/bassist Fat Mike, who also owns the label Fat Wreck Chords.

"About a year ago I decided to use my influence to get bands together to speak out about the president," Fat Mike said. "I think it's our responsibility as citizens and musicians to do so. He's wrecking the country and the world. He's starting wars for no reason, our economy is in the toilet, he's ruining the environment, and he does things like cut taxes when we need money."

Green Day, NOFX and Alkaline Trio will record new songs for the album. The other groups haven't yet announced whether their tracks will be new cuts, remixes or previously released tunes. The album should be in stores by April or May.

There will be two legs of the Rock Against Bush Tour. The first will take place around the release of the album, and the second will occur closer to the election. At the shows, Fat Mike's Punkvoter.com political organization will set up voter registration booths, and the bands that play will encourage kids to take part in the voting process.

"We're trying to build a coalition of kids 18 to 25," Fat Mike said. "We want punks and other disenfranchised young people to vote as a block, which no one has ever done before. Kids are the biggest group of people that don't vote. We want to change that."

Fat Mike applauds Rock the Vote, which has long been urging youths to show up at the voting booth on election day, but he feels their nonpartisan methods are flawed. "They don't tell kids why to vote or who to vote for," he said. "The punk scene is very united. We're gonna get every punk-rock band together, and I think we can take over the country and change the world."

Plans call for the shows to be free and staged mostly at college campuses. Since there may be some logistical problems with calling the jaunt Rock Against Bush, Fat Mike admits he may have to change the name. "Certain colleges won't advertise it as Rock Against Bush, and a lot of radio stations won't mention the name either. So we may just call it the Punkvoter tour or something, but to us it will always be Rock Against Bush."

All proceeds from the Rock Against Bush album will go toward print and television ads that will encourage punks to oust Bush from office. "We're just going to put true facts on TV," he said, "and one or two famous punk rockers will be reading them."

With profits from the disc being funneled into advertising, funds for the tour will be limited, but Fat Mike said he's prepared to pick up most of the cost. "I'm planning on losing a lot of money, but I don't care. This is something I really believe in."

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