Amy Winehouse
Photo: Vince Bucci/ Getty Images

When it comes to Amy Winehouse, never believe what you read. Despite reports that she would be appearing at the Grammys on Sunday, the singer's publicist told MTV News a decision hasn't been made either way. And no, Amy hasn't left rehab yet, although she did depart the Capio Nightingale clinic, where she's been staying the last few weeks, to make a pre-scheduled meeting at the United States Embassy. According to her rep, the meeting was arranged so that the singer could discuss renewing her visa. ...

It sounds like Snoop Dogg may be welcome in England again. The rapper, who has been banned from the U.K. since a melee at London's Heathrow Airport in 2006, told Larry King on Friday that he's been given the green light to travel to the country again. After writing to the British government recently in a bid to get his ban overturned, the rapper told King, "I was wrongfully accused, and now I've been accepted back in. The judge overturned it. He looked at the evidence and looked at what I've been doing, just checked my character out and found me to be innocent, and now I'm able to go back out there. So, everybody in the U.K., big Snoop Dogg will be back to come give you all what you want." British authorities have not yet confirmed the rapper's claims. ...

Raymundo Ortega, the man who is suing Lindsay Lohan for her collision with his van in October 2005, has dropped his claim against the Ivy — the restaurant in West Hollywood, California, where Lohan had dined before the crash — according to TMZ.com. Ortega has alleged that Lohan, who was 19 years old at the time, drank alcohol at the Ivy before the crash, but the restaurant insisted Lohan did not. The next court date is reportedly set for March 21. ...

The Spice Girls' triumphant world reunion tour has hit a roadblock. The group announced on Friday that dates in Australia, China, South Africa and Argentina have been scrapped due to "family and personal commitments." The last stop of the tour is now going to be in Toronto on February 26. "Sadly the tour needs to come to an end by the end of February due to family and personal commitments for Emma, Geri, Mel B, Melanie C and Victoria," the group announced on its Web site, explaining that the rest of the dates were canceled "due to the phenomenal demand for tickets in the U.K. and the U.S., along with the touring logistics for such a massive production [that] it was not possible to fit everything in." And though there is rumored tension once again in Spice World, the note ends with the good news that "as the girls return to normal family life and the kids go back to school, they are reviewing all the options, who knows what the future might bring!" ...

Muse will release a live DVD/CD on March 17 in the U.K., although it's yet unclear if the set will see a U.S. release. H.A.A.R.P. - Muse Live at Wembley Stadium shows the band onstage performing tracks like "Knights of Cydonia," "Hysteria," "Butterflies and Hurricanes" and "Starlight" during a two-night stretch at the venue last summer. ... P.O.D. founding guitarist Marcos Curiel — who split from the band in 2003 — is back in the fold, and the group has signed a new deal with INO/Columbia that includes its new LP, When Angels and Serpents Dance. "Things are exciting again," singer Sonny Sandoval said in a statement. "When the four of us are in a room making music it's definitely right, and Marcos brings that passion for music into the band." Helmet's Paige Hamilton, Suicidal Tendencies' Mike Muir, the Marley Sisters — and a gospel choir! — crop up on the April 8 release, the first single of which is "Addicted." ...

The Arcade Fire are considering suing Fox after one of their songs was used in a Super Bowl ad, allegedly without the group's permission, according to Pitchfork. The ad, which promoted Fox's NFL coverage and also appeared on the network during the regular football season, features the group's song "No Cars Go." It's reportedly unclear if Fox asked the Arcade Fire for permission to use the song, if the network owes the band any money, or if the move was illegal. ... Iron and Wine will tour the U.S. with Califone throughout April. The gigs start April 9 in New Orleans and end April 20 in Louisville, Kentucky. ... Grizzly Bear are hitting the big time. The New York indie-rockers will give their biggest performance yet with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the city's Walt Disney Music Hall on March 1. Following that, the Grizzlys will hook up with Paul Simon for a three-part series at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The veteran singer/songwriter handpicked the group for "Love in Hard Times: The Music of Paul Simon," which will take place April 23-27. ...

The green dress Keira Knightley wears during key romantic scenes with James McAvoy in "Atonement," which is up for seven Academy Awards, is being auctioned for charity on ClothesOffOurBack.org. Bidding was at $3,000 as of press time, and the auction will end March 1. Proceeds will go to Southern California children's charity Variety. ... Incubus' Make Yourself Foundation has ponied up $10,000 for Denver environmental-advocacy organization Rock the Earth — the largest single donation the group has ever received. RTE is aiming to boost its education, advocacy and outreach at concerts and other events by 50 percent within the next year. "One person working diligently alone can do wonders, but many people working harmoniously together can accomplish worlds," frontman Brandon Boyd said in a statement. ...

A TV station and a cameraman who had been accused of getting in the way of people as they fled Warwick, Rhode Island's Station night club during a 2003 fire that killed 100 people have reached a tentative $30 million settlement with survivors and victims' relatives, according to The Associated Press. It's believed to be the largest settlement of several reached so far with the dozens of people and companies who've sued over the blaze, which began when pyrotechnics used by the night's main attraction, Great White, ignited highly flammable soundproofing foam around the stage. Last month, Station co-owner Michael Derderian was granted early release from prison by a state parole board. He is set to be freed from prison in October 2009. ...

There's lots of news on the Vines front. Singer Craig Nicholls has been diagnosed and treated for Asperger syndrome — a developmental disorder that specialists say might be responsible for some of his bizarre episodes in the past — and now the group is hammering away at a new album produced by Rob Schnapf (Foo Fighters, Beck). The Aussies have lined up three dates to hype the release, which is due in the spring: They will play March 14 at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas; March 17 at New York's Bowery Ballroom; and two days later at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, California. But while the band is focused on the future, Capitol/EMI will take a look back on March 11 with The Best of the Vines, which culls tracks from the group's first three studio efforts. ...

Black Light Burns, the band featuring ex-Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland, are planning to release an album's worth of covers. According to a MySpace post from Borland, the band recorded several covers late last year, and "when we finished, we realized that it's super-fun and that we like a lot of songs, so we started to record more." The yet-untitled record will include the band's takes on PJ Harvey's "Rid of Me," the Jesus Lizard's "The Art of Self-Defense" and INXS' "Devil Inside." ... The recently reunited Mighty Mighty Bosstones have been added to the lineup for this year's Bamboozle festival. They'll share the stage with the likes of Paramore, Gym Class Heroes, and the Academy Is ... at the fest, which will take place May 3-4 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ... Seven Mary Three, the band that hit it big in 1996 with its song "Cumbersome," are back and will release their sixth album, Day&NightDriving, on February 19.

2.2.08

"American Idol" runner-up Katharine McPhee married actor Nick Cokas on Saturday in Beverly Hills, California, according to People.com. "[Nick] is the love of my life," McPhee told the site. "This is a once in a lifetime occasion and everything is just perfect." Fellow season-five "Idol" contestants Kellie Pickler and Mandisa were among the 305 guests in attendance, the site reported. McPhee and Cokas met in 2005 when they performed in a Los Angeles theater production of "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir." ...

Jay-Z will headline June's Glastonbury Festival in the U.K., BBC News reports. Jigga wanted to "break with tradition this time and put on something totally different" for the three-day shindig, organizer Michael Eavis reportedly said. The rest of the roster is yet unrevealed, save for Neil Diamond, who will play the closing night, June 29. ...

R. Kelly is being sued by a Nevada concert promoter who says the R&B star failed to show up for a performance in Minneapolis for which he was paid $120,000, according to TMZ.com. Kelly reportedly missed the gig so that he could appear in a Chicago court for a hearing. A suit filed in Atlanta District Court this week by Royalty Records reportedly claims Kelly agreed to perform December 6 with Ne-Yo and Keyshia Cole, but then rescheduled the show for December 20, the day he was set to appear in court. The promoters are seeking the return of the payment, TMZ.com says. ...

Amy Winehouse spent Wednesday night in a hospital ward after being rushed there from a rehab facility to be treated for dehydration. BBC News reports that the singer was put on an IV drip to rehydrate her after a bout of vomiting connected to her treatment for drug addiction. Her father, Mitch, said "everything is going according to plan, and she's perfectly OK," confirming that she has since been moved back to the rehab facility. He also reportedly told the Daily Mirror that he's not sure she's well enough yet to attend next week's Grammys, where she's up for six awards. ...

Madonna has pegged April 29 as the release date for her yet-untitled album, her rep confirmed to MTV News. ... Janet Jackson debuted her new single, "Rock With You," Friday (February 1) on Z100.com. The song is featured on the singer's new album, Discipline, which is due February 26. ... Michael Jackson's 25th anniversary Thriller celebration just got a bit more thrilling. Chris Brown, Akon, Nick Cannon, Quincy Jones, Imogen Heap, DJ Spooky, Will.I.Am and others have shared their thoughts about the iconic album for a related 40-episode podcast series that will run throughout the year. Grab the Thrillercast widget right here. ...

While Britney Spears is undergoing a mental-health evaluation at a Los Angeles hospital, one of Britain's leading modern-dance troupes, the Rambert Dance Company, will perform a piece called "Meltdown," described as a choreographic interpretation of the singer's recent problems. Agence France-Presse reported that the performance at the Southbank Center in London on Friday will feature music from Richard Thomas, who masterminded the tunes in "Jerry Springer: The Opera." An excerpt of the piece shown on BBC News featured a Spears character dancing in a skimpy pink top, black vinyl hot pants and a pink cowboy hat while being harassed by photographers dressed in black. She is later carried away by dancers dressed as doctors in white coats. ... Britney has some company in the psych ward, as various outlets are reporting that actor Justin Chambers, who plays Dr. Alex Karev on "Grey's Anatomy," checked himself into the same hospital as the singer to deal with exhaustion and a sleeping disorder on Monday. ...

There's some big Metallica news on the horizon, according to MetClub, their fan organization. The band, which will spend much of the summer touring Europe, is expected to reveal the dates for a North American trek next week. We'll keep you posted. ... The Roots recently got together with TV on the Radio's Kyp Malone and Tunde Adebimpe to record a new song for the soundtrack to a Danny Glover-produced documentary on the civil-rights movement. Anthony Hamilton, the Blind Boys of Alabama and others also lent their skills to the musical accompaniment to "Soundtrack for a Revolution." ...

The Beatles might not be around anymore, but they're going into outer space thanks to a new NASA effort, The Associated Press reports. The space agency will broadcast the group's song "Across the Universe" across the galaxy to the North Star on Monday. NASA's first-ever beaming of a radio tune into deep space marks the 40th anniversary of the song and the 50th anniversary of the space agency. "Send my love to the aliens," Paul McCartney reportedly said in response to the event. ... "Law & Order" stay Jesse L. Martin will play Marvin Gaye in the upcoming biopic "Sexual Healing," according to Playbill.com. ...

Justin Timberlake, Madonna and others have some blockbuster Super Bowl ads in store for Sunday, but Eels are taking a slightly different approach. The experimental group is in talks to bring the shortest-ever Super Bowl ad to the airwaves — a one-second spot hyping its recently released collection Useless Trinkets (B-sides, Soundtracks, Rarities and Unreleased. Eels made a five-second spot for the set but are trimming it down to just one second for the prospective Super Bowl TV spot. ...

Eva Mendes is in rehab for a substance-abuse problem, according to TMZ.com. The "We Own the Night" actress has reportedly been at the Cirque Lodge in Utah, where Lindsay Lohan was treated last year, for several weeks. According to FoxNews.com, Mendes' rep said, "Eva has been working hard for the past year and made a positive decision to take some much-needed time off to proactively attend to some personal issues that, while not critical, she felt deserved some outside professional support." ...

Wesley Snipes was acquitted of tax fraud but was convicted on three misdemeanor counts of failing to file a tax return in a Florida court on Friday, according to AP. Snipes had faced up to 16 years in prison if convicted on all charges but can now only get up to three years. The "Blade" star and two co-defendants had been indicted in 2006 after Snipes stopped paying, using tax-protest arguments long rejected by the courts. ...

With a song called "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow" on fellow "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson's new album under her belt, Paula Abdul has announced on her Web site that she's prepping a solo album for this summer. It would be her first album of new material in 13 years. She also promises that she and Randy will give fans a "surprise" during the Super Bowl on Sunday. ... Tom Petty may be playing halftime, but "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks will kick off the Super Bowl by performing the national anthem. Even before Sparks takes center stage, Alicia Keys will perform as part of the pregame show. ...

Fearless Records have assembled a compilation featuring punk bands' takes on crunk classics. Punk Goes Crunk is set to hit stores April 8 and will feature covers by All Time Low, the Devil Wears Prada, Hot Rod Circuit, New Found Glory and Say Anything, among others. ... Remember Lit, that guys with the music video in which they're climbing across Pamela Anderson like she's the Himalayas? Well, the "Miserable" band is back in writing mode, according to its Web site. "Lit is currently writing together, and I hope that there will be more news to give you this year," a post on the site claims. The band's last album, which was self-titled, hit stores back in 2004.

• Amy Winehouse
• Snoop Dogg
• Spice Girls
• P.O.D.
• Arcade Fire

Jennifer Lopez
Photo: Mark Mainz/ Getty Images

She's a film, fashion and music superstar now, but it wasn't so long ago that Jennifer Lopez was making her living as a dancer. The former "In Living Color" Fly Girl and backup dancer for New Kids on the Block told MTV Tres that with the MTV reality show "Dancelife," she's out to show the world how hard dancers work. "I really know what it is to be a dancer, and what those struggles are and what it is, day to day, to be auditioning and have your feet hurt and your legs aching," Lopez explained. "It's a real hard life, and it's really underappreciated as an art form. ... We're following different dancers and their struggles and their lives." "Dancelife" premieres January 15 on MTV. ...

She may have already ditched partying partner and best-pal-for-a-minute Paris Hilton, but despite vowing to clean up her act, Britney Spears began 2007 much as she left 2006: in a nightclub amid controversy. Spears was the host of New Year's festivities at Las Vegas' Pure club, and, according to reports on gossip sites, she collapsed shortly after midnight and was carried out by bodyguards. Spears' manager Larry Rudolph, however, told The Associated Press that the singer "was not drunk. She was just tired and falling asleep." He denied reports that she passed out or had to seek medical attention. ...

Having reached an agreement regarding how to split their assets, Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey have taken the final step in their divorce proceedings, People magazine reports. While the couple were legally free to marry other people as of June, this resolution brings the couple's marriage to an official end. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed. ... Will Ferrell's wife Viveca Paulin gave birth to the couple's second son, Mattias, early Saturday morning, AP reports. ...

Ashley Parker Angel is joining the Broadway cast of "Hairspray," a representative for the show confirmed. In a post on his MySpace page, the singer announced that he'll be playing heartthrob Link Larkin. "At a very young age I discovered my love of performing through the experience of live theater, so I am totally thrilled to be moving to New York and getting back to my roots!" the singer wrote. "This new direction has made me feel inspired in a way that I have not felt in a long time. ... This last year has brought me much success and I expect 2007 to be even better." Parker Angel will participate in the production from January 19 through April 15. ...

Don't send a wedding gift for Kate Moss and Pete Doherty just yet. A representative for the supermodel has denied reports that Moss married the troubled rocker on New Year's Day. Britain's Daily Mail had reported that the couple married in a Buddhist ceremony in the private garden of their $11,000-a-night luxury seaside villa in Phuket, Thailand, in front of a few family members and friends. "Contrary to various entirely false media reports today, there has not been any kind of marriage ceremony in Thailand," the model's representative said in a statement. "She is on holiday." British tabloid The Sun, which also reported about the Phuket ceremony, claimed the wedding was not legally binding and named January 18 as the couple's official wedding day. ...

Deftones frontman Chino Moreno and drummer Abe Cunningham will serve as guest DJs Tuesday night (January 2) on Sirius Satellite Radio's Octane channel, beginning at 6 p.m. ... Guitarist Jason Truby has left P.O.D., according to the band's MySpace page. Truby, who replaced Marcos Curiel back in 2003, said his "decision to depart as a member is personal" and preceded last month's announcement that Curiel would rejoin the band. "I believe in P.O.D. and will be a part of P.O.D. forever," he wrote. "They are lifelong friends. Sometimes you have to follow the wind even when you don't know where it's leading." P.O.D. performed with Curiel for the first time in four years on New Year's Eve in New York as part of a "Jimmy Kimmel Live" broadcast. ... Victory Records has confirmed that frontman Mat Bruso has indeed left Massachusetts metalcore act Bury Your Dead "for personal reasons." The label claims there are "no bad feelings" over the move, but the departure has forced the band to pull off a U.K. tour with Killswitch Engage and Shadows Fall. Bury Your Dead, who have had three singers within the last five years, plan to begin their search for a replacement soon. ...

George Michael will appear in a London court January 11 to answer charges that he was operating a vehicle while unfit to drive, AP reports. The singer was arrested October 2 after being found passed out inside his car, which was blocking an intersection in north London. The singer, who was released on bail for the unfit-to-drive charges and was also cited for possessing marijuana, had previously received a warning for marijuana possession in February, and hit three parked cars in an April driving incident. ... The sons of two music legends are going at it in court. In a complaint filed last week, Lou Rawls Jr. claims four large dogs owned by Marvin Gaye III attacked him when he visited Gaye's Hollywood home in 2005, according to AP. In the suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Rawls Jr. says the dogs "bit, clawed and physically and mentally injured." He is seeking unspecified damages. ...

Hinder are stretching out their early 2007 a little longer. The band, which sets out with a January 13 show in Ketchum, Idaho, will now be on the road through March 3 in New Orleans. ... The Queers have posted two new tracks — "Houston We Have a Problem" and "I Think She's Starting to Like Me" — on the band's MySpace page. The tunes will appear on the punk act's forthcoming album, Munki Brain, due next month. ... Florida hard-rock act Endo have split due to "drama" within the band, according to frontman Gil Bitton's MySpace page. Endo performed on the second stage during Ozzfest 2003, and released their last LP, Songs for the Restless, in 2003, before being dropped by Columbia Records.

12.29.2006

Britney Spears may have dumped K-Fed, but now it's her turn to get the boot. Ruben Garay, the founder of the six-year-old Spears fan site WorldofBritney.com, has announced that he's closing up shop because "as Britney keeps losing her identity and credibility within fans and industry people, so is [WorldofBritney.com]." A disappointed Garay wrote that Britney is "done" and "no matter what anyone thinks or how they may disagree, it's very hard to maintain the respect needed to keep things going." ...

Christina Aguilera and celebrity blogger Perez Hilton are teaming up to host a New Year's Eve bash at New York's Hudson Hotel. The Sunday night celebration kicks off at 9 p.m. ... Don't expect to see Nelly Furtado at any shindigs, though — not in this country, at least. The singer will be kicking it abroad with a headlining gig at Andheri Stadium in Mumbai, India. ...

Lily Allen needs your help. In a message posted on her MySpace page Thursday, the singer wrote: "I am beside myself with worry because someone has stolen my dog Maggie May this morning. I am in Jamaica, [and] while I am here Maggie has been looked after by a friend she was stolen out of his van." She's offering a reward, and photos of the dog can be seen on MySpace.com/LilyAllen. ...

For the second year in a row, the Rolling Stones were the top concert draw in North America, according to Pollstar magazine. The hard-touring British legends sold $138.5 million worth of tickets for 39 shows across the United States and Canada, giving them the third-biggest total in Pollstar history — behind their own 2005 tour and that year's U2 outing. Second on the list was Barbra Streisand, whose first tour in a dozen years hauled in $92.5 million for 20 shows, with an average ticket price of $298. Country couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill were #3 with $88.8 million for 73 shows, followed by Madonna with $85.9 million for 34 shows. Ticket sales for the top 100 shows rose about 13 percent to $2.3 billion, breaking last year's record of $2.1 billion, mostly thanks to an 8 percent jump in the average ticket price from $56.88 to $61.45. ...

Paul McCartney's split with Heather Mills is getting nastier. On Thursday night, Mills McCartney reported the theft of two prized paintings, after which police went to Paul McCartney's country estate, according to The Associated Press. But a police spokesperson later confirmed that, after speaking with Mills McCartney and checking the premises, the paintings had in fact not been stolen and that the issue was a civil matter. ... Mike Tyson was charged with possession of cocaine and driving under the influence of drugs in Arizona early Friday morning (December 29), Reuters reports. The former boxing champ, who is due in court Friday, almost struck a sheriff's vehicle as he drove out of a driveway. ...

Finger Eleven will release their forthcoming LP, Them Vs. You Vs. Me, March 6. Fans can catch the band next month on the road with Hinder and Black Stone Cherry; that tour kicks off January 14 in Spokane, Washington, with dates scheduled through March 3 in New Orleans. ... Aqualung has set a March 6 release date for his second Stateside album, Memory Man. The British singer (a.k.a. Matt Hales) has sold more than 250,000 copies of his debut in the United States, thanks to the single "Brighter Than Sunshine." ...

Jay Farrar, Dar Williams, the Klezmatics and others will hail the Grateful Dead as part of the American Beauty Project. The artists will perform selections from the band's American Beauty and Workingman's Dead albums, both of which turn 35 next year, at New York's Arts>World Financial Center on January 20-21. ... Dead guitarist Bob Weir will take his Ratdog project to Bridgeport, Connecticut, for the Gathering of the Vibes fest August 9-12. The 12th installment of the event will also feature Los Lobos, Buddy Guy and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. ... And in yet more Dead news, the band's January 23, 1976, performance at the Cow Palace in San Francisco will be available Sunday and Monday as a free stream to mark the 30th anniversary of the concert. Head to Dead.net for details. ...

Family Values Tour alums Dir en Gray have aligned dates for their first U.S. headlining tour, Inward Scream. The Japanese metal band will head out February 1 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and wind down the trek February 25 in San Francisco. Dir en Gray will issue an EP, Agitated Screams of Maggots, exclusively to For Your Entertainment stores in January, and their second U.S. LP will drop in the spring. ... Despite perceptions of a slump, box-office sales were actually stronger this year than last, according to Reuters. Thanks to the record-breaking opening of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" and the year-end blockbuster "Happy Feet," the year-end total is an estimated $9.42 billion. Last year's sum was $8.99 billion. ...

Radio broadcaster Entercom Communications has agreed to pay a $4.25 million fine to settle a payola lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, according to Bloomberg News. The suit claimed that the Pennsylvania owner of more than 100 stations paid kickbacks for playing certain songs on its stations. $3.5 million of the settlement will go to Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, which will distribute it to nonprofit New York state companies to help finance musical education and appreciation programs. Entercom did not admit any wrongdoing as part of the settlement.

• Jennifer Lopez
• Britney Spears
• Nick Lachey
• Jessica Simpson
• Pete Doherty

Jessica Simpson
Photo: Nancy Ostertag/ Getty Images

Don't expect to see Jessica Simpson saluting Dolly Parton when the "Kennedy Center Honors" program airs Tuesday on CBS. Simpson botched a cover of "9 to 5" the first time around, when it was taped on December 3, and even though the show's producers gave her another shot at singing it, a Simpson representative told The Associated Press that the singer wasn't happy with that performance either. ...

Jump ball! The Pussycat Dolls have teamed up with the National Basketball Association and ABC to record the opening number for all regular-season games broadcast on the network from Christmas through the end of the season. The sexy quintet will use an adaptation of its track "Right Now" for the musical segment, which will also be previewed going into and out of commercial breaks during telecasts. ...

Dying to know the title of the seventh — and final — Harry Potter book? You can find out by playing a game of hangman on author J.K. Rowling's Web site. Surf to JKRowling.com and click the eraser on the desk to enter a hallway. Click the first doorknob in the mirror to make a Christmas tree appear. Hit the top panel of the large door and a wreath will materialize. Click the top of the mirror and enjoy the garland. Now click one spider web to make both disappear. Click and drag the fourth wind chime, which will act as a key, to the door. Unlock it and find yourself in a room with a desk. On the desk is a package. Click the package to launch a game of hangman. Keep playing until you guess correctly (a check mark will appear to confirm your win). Or — spoiler alert — skip all that fun and just read on. ... It's called Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Scholastic confirms. ...

Talk of Jadakiss joining the Cash Money team can be laid to rest, Styles P tells MTV News. Kiss' partner in the LOX said this week that he doesn't know where those rumors are coming from. "I been in the studio with Kiss all week, and he hasn't said anything to me about going to Cash Money." Styles said he fulfilled his solo obligation to Interscope Records and Ruff Ryders with his long-awaited Time Is Money LP, and doesn't know whether his next album — which he is working on now and expects to drop in the spring — will be on a major or independent label. Styles and Jada haven't been going it alone in the studio — Sheek Louch has joined the pair to record a new LOX album. While Styles P the solo artist is a free agent, the LOX are still under contract with Ruff Ryders and Interscope. ...

When it comes to etiquette, "American Idol" champs are winners, and Britney Spears is a loser — according to the National League of Junior Cotillions, which recently issued its 10 Best-Mannered People of 2006 list. Taylor Hicks tops the 10, noted for "his example of humility and politeness," while Carrie Underwood comes in at #9 — behind honorees including Senator Barack Obama and "Dancing With the Stars" finalist/ football star Emmitt Smith — with the league praising "the graciousness she shows to her fans." Spears was singled out as the Most Ill-Mannered Person of 2006, charged with "lowering the standards of morality and her negative influence on the behavior of young people." ... Hicks' manners may come in handy in a couple of months when he serves as grand marshal of New Orleans' Krewe of Endymion Mardi Gras parade. The event will take over the city's historic St. Charles Avenue on February 17. Al Green, Journey and Styx will also take part in the parade. ...

Switchfoot will promote their upcoming Oh! Gravity, due Tuesday, with a North American tour kicking off February 13 in Anaheim, California. The trek ends March 31 in San Diego. ... Robert Randolph and O.A.R.'s Marc Roberge became the latest musicians to enter the virtual world of video game "Second Life" on Wednesday. The artists jammed together, christening the Peacock Room at NBC's Universal Headquarters. ... The Cure will headline the ninth annual Ultra Music Festival at the Winter Music Conference in Miami on March 23 and 24. Tiësto (who rarely performs live), Deep Dish, Shiny Toy Guns, Miss Kittin, Paul van Dyk, Carl Cox, Erick Morillo, Danny Tenaglia and Ferry Corsten are also on the bill. ... Dilana, runner-up on "Rock Star: Supernova," will open for the band of the same name on its upcoming tour. The jaunt begins January 16 in Hollywood, Florida, and ends February 27 in Long Beach, California. Dilana's debut album, featuring No Doubt's Adrian Young on drums, is due in the summer, although two songs ("Supersoul" and a cover of the Police's "Roxanne") are currently available online. ...

P.O.D. have welcomed guitarist Marcos Curiel back into the fold. Curiel was fired from the group in 2003 and replaced by Jason Truby, a former member of Living Sacrifice. P.O.D. will make their first appearance with Curiel in nearly four years on New Year's Eve in New York's Times Square, as part of "Jimmy Kimmel Live." ... Although Fred Durst's film directorial debut, "The Education of Charlie Banks," has yet to hit theaters, he's moving forward with his movie career. The Limp Bizkit frontman will be featured in the black comedy "Play Dead," according to The Hollywood Reporter. Durst will star as the henchman of a drug dealer (played by Jake Busey) in the film, which centers on a fallen TV star (Chris Klein) stranded in a remote Nevada town. ... A group of major record labels, including Sony BMG and Warner Music, filed a lawsuit against AllOfMP3.com on Wednesday, claiming that the Russian Web site sells music without permission. AP reports that the site, which typically charges about $1 per album, maintains that it pays royalties to a Russian licensing group and is operating legally — but the labels contend that the licensing group doesn't have the authority to collect royalties.

12.20.2006

Contrary to earlier reports — and her own MySpace page — Avril Lavigne's new album will not be called The Best Dam Thing, but rather The Best Damn Thing. According to her spokesperson, Lavigne intentionally misspelled the title, "but she decided to change it. Kind of like 'Sk8er Boi.' " ...

A Mobb Deep performance in Belgium was marred by violence Friday when a rowdy club patron threw around bottles of alcohol in the VIP section after security booted him from the area for unruly behavior. G-Unit affiliate 40 Glocc suffered a cut hand, but Mobb Deep will continue with their remaining overseas tour dates: Wednesday night (December 20) in Athens, Thursday in Dublin and Friday in Munich. ... Fresh Azimiz. Bow Wow celebrated the release of his latest set, Price of Fame, Tuesday night at New York's Dirty Disco as Jermaine Durpi, Omarion, Chris Brown, Busta Rhymes, and Tommy Hilfiger all toasted the former hip-hop tike. ...

Sure, her album flopped, but Paris Hilton still manages to top charts. The professional party girl's name was among the top Internet search items in 2006, according to Google. Joining Hilton were Borat and the militant Islamic group Hezbollah. Google searchers were apparently more interested in Nicole Kidman's wedding to country star Keith Urban than Tom Cruise's blowout marriage to Katie Holmes. And perhaps even more shocking, more searches were done on ex-Beatle Paul McCartney's divorce than Britney's split from K-Fed. ... Australian officials are hitting back at Pink following the singer's call for a boycott of the country's wool exports, Reuters reports. "Sadly, like any other industry that uses animals, the wool trade uses methods so sadistic that it makes you consider clearing your closet of any animal products," Pink said in a statement released by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, citing a practice known as "mulesing," in which sections of skin are cut from a sheep's rear quarters to prevent flies from nesting on the animal. "Pink is entitled to her views," said Peter Costello, treasurer of the Commonwealth of Australia. "But at the end of the day would Australia's farmers take advice from Pink?" Australia plans to phase out the mulesing process, which does not employ pain-relief medication, by 2010. ...

Postponed Lady Sovereign tour dates have been rescheduled for early January. Shows in Las Vegas (January 4) and San Diego (January 9) will honor originally purchased tickets, while San Francisco (January 8) and Los Angeles (January 10) stops will require ticketholders to R.S.V.P. via Sov's Web site by Monday to receive a new ticket. Some additional tickets are still available for the makeup shows. ... Rancid fans witnessed what may well be the closest thing to a reunion of legendary East Bay, California, punk outfit Operation Ivy during a concert in San Francisco on Sunday night. According to The Mercury News, Op Ivy frontman Jesse Michaels joined former bandmates Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman during the Rancid gig for a rendition of "Unity" — marking the first time the three have played together since the band split back in 1989. Former Operation Ivy drummer Dave Mello did not perform. ... The Silversun Pickups, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, El-P and Deerhoof will descend on New York's Irving Plaza for the Plug Independent Music Awards February 10. The performers — who will play sets ranging from 20 to 40 minutes — will join host David Cross ("Arrested Development," "Mr. Show"), and Malkmus will receive the Plug Impact Award. ...

George Clinton needs your help. The flamboyant king of interplanetary funk is hoping the public will help him track down the crook who pilfered a video camera and other unspecified valuables from the Los Angeles set of his forthcoming music video. According to The Associated Press, the camera contains footage captured for Clinton's "Bounce 2 This" video, which was shot last week. The theft was caught by surveillance cameras, but the culprit blended in with others working the shoot. Those with any information about the crime are asked to contact police. ... Sony BMG will pay the price for embedding secret anti-piracy software in some of its CDs. The company agreed on Tuesday to stop manufacturing CDs with digital-rights-management software that limits the number of copies music fans can make of the music — and which also damaged some user's computers. According to Variety, the company also agreed to pay $750,000 judgments to the states of California and Texas, which filed consumer protection complaints against the company over the use of the so-called "rootkit" software. Under the settlement, Sony BMG will provide refunds of up to $175 to California consumers, who will have 180 days to file a refund claim through a form available on Sony BMG's Web site. ...

The FBI agreed Tuesday to release 10 documents from the surveillance of John Lennon that had been withheld for 25 years, The Los Angeles Times reports. University of California, Irvine, historian Jon Wiener said the now-public documents — which the FBI said were kept secret to avoid "military retaliation against the United States" — contained details of Lennon's ties to London antiwar groups, but no sign that the U.S. government considered the musician a serious threat. ... The driver for Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, was indicted in New York on Tuesday, charged with four counts of first-degree attempted grand larceny. According to a Reuters report, chauffeur Koral Karsan, 50, pleaded not guilty in Manhattan State Supreme Court to charges that he threatened to release personal photos and audiotapes of Ono and kill her and son Sean Lennon if she did not pay him. The judge in the case ordered Karsan held without bail, fearing that immigration authorities might seize the native of Turkey as they investigate whether he is in the country legally. Karsan's lawyer accused Ono of violating tax laws for paying his client as an independent contractor when he was a full-time employee.

• "Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix"

• Jessica Simpson
• Pussycat Dolls
• Jadakiss
• Britney Spears
• Taylor Hicks

Axl Rose and Rosario Dawson at the Plumm in New York, 05.18.06
Photo: Kevin Mazur

Guns N' Roses will headline KROQ's Inland Invasion 2006 on September 23 at the Hyundai Pavilion at Glen Helen in Devore, California. GN'R frontman Axl Rose revealed the news Friday (May 19) during an on-air segment with KROQ hosts Kevin and Bean. It will be the band's first Los Angeles gig in more than 15 years, Rose said. And who would have imagined even a few days ago that the long-dormant yet suddenly ubiquitous GN'R would be back playing an acoustic set for actress Rosario Dawson on her birthday? The band did just that Thursday night at the Plumm in New York, showing up to play 11 cuts, including "Used to Love Her," "Mr. Brownstone" and "Sweet Child O' Mine."...

Promoters had been threatening to sue Jennifer Lopez after the singer canceled her international tour without providing a reason. But Bulgarian promoter Ivaila Bakalova told MTV News Friday that those plans have been put on hold, as Lopez has just informed them that she'll reimburse the promoters for all expenses, including advertising and supplies that had to be imported to fulfill her contract rider. "She told us everything would be OK," Bakalova said. But if she doesn't make good on this commitment, Bakalova said, the lawsuit is back on. Meanwhile, Indian show sponsor Kingfisher Airlines told MTV News it's still holding out hope that Lopez might change her mind and reschedule the shows. ...

Alicia Keys, John Mayer, Denzel Washington, Matthew McConaughey, Elijah Wood, John Travolta, Ryan Cabrera and the Bravery are among those who've kicked in items for an online charity auction organized by a group of Utah junior high school students. Olympus Junior High Schoolers have mobilized in an effort to help their hearing-impaired janitor, Terry Birch, afford cochlear implants to aid his hearing (Birch and his wife, who is deaf, already face mounting medical bills from her ongoing battle with breast cancer). Also on the block are tickets to the upcoming premiere of Jack Black's "Nacho Libre" and autographed items from sports legends including Magic Johnson, Wayne Gretzky, Steve Young and members of the world champion Pittsburgh Steelers. You can find out more about the auction and the effort behind it at www.help-terry.org. ...

A few days after Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" at a Chicago Cubs game, Korn singer Jonathan Davis threw the first pitch on Thursday at Wrigley Field. Davis also enthused Cub fans by throwing $10 bills to thousands of people to promote this summer's Family Values Tour, which will have a $9.99 lawn ticket price. Co-headliners Deftones also promoted the festival on Thursday with a free show in their home city of Sacramento, California, and Stone Sour did the same in Kansas City, Missouri. ... Brandy has signed on to judge "America's Got Talent," a televised contest created by "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell, The Associated Press reports. David Hasselhoff and British newspaper editor/TV personality Piers Morgan will also be on the panel that decides the fates of aspiring entertainers vying for a $1 million prize. The series, set to debut June 21 on NBC, will be hosted by Regis Philbin. ... Staind will perform at the 90th running of the Indianapolis 500 as part of ABC's pre-race telecast, beginning at noon EST on May 28. A day earlier, the band will headline Indianapolis' annual X-103 May Day concert, which also features Three Days Grace and Flyleaf. ...

Stephen King has posted an angry rant aimed at ABC on his Web site. "Those of you who are familiar with the wonderful world of television may have noticed that 'Desperation' — probably the best TV movie to be made from my work — has been scheduled by ABC to run, not just against 'American Idol,' but against the 'American Idol' finals!" the author wrote. "Am I bitter? Hell, yes, I am bitter!" ... The name Nevaeh (pronounced "neh-VAY-ah") is proliferating faster than any baby name in more than 100 years — and, according to The New York Times, it all stems from Sonny Sandoval of P.O.D., who appeared on MTV in 2000 with his baby daughter, whose name is "heaven spelled backwards," he explained. According to the paper, there were just eight newborn American girls named Nevaeh in 1999, and last year there were 4,457 — the fastest climb among all names in more than a century, the entire period for which the Social Security Administration has such records. ... The Dillinger Escape Plan will issue an iTunes-exclusive EP on June 13. The release will feature new versions of "Unretrofied" and "The Perfect Design," along with four covers: Nine Inch Nails' "Wish," Massive Attack's "Angel," Soundgarden's "Jesus Christ Pose" and Justin Timberlake's "Like I Love You." ...

William Hung will be crowned this year's Artichoke King at the Castroville Artichoke Festival this weekend in Castroville, California. Marilyn Monroe was the first "Artichoke Queen" in 1947. ... They Might Be Giants are going to help creep up "Coraline," the stop-motion animation adaptation of "Sandman" writer Neil Gaiman's award-winning book. The band will provide songs to the film, while Dakota Fanning will lend her voice to the young girl who walks through a secret door in her new home and discovers an eerie alternate version of her life, complete with counterfeit parents and children sucked dry. Henry Selick ("James and the Giant Peach," "The Nightmare Before Christmas") will direct the film, which is due in 2007. ...

Warped Tour stalwarts and self-described "gypsy punks" Gogol Bordello will host a concert to benefit the Romani Jag Organization, a group that raises awareness about the struggle of Roma gypsies in Ukraine and, most recently, an increasing trend of anti-Roma police brutality. The event will be held June 9 at New York's Irving Plaza. ... Montreal stoner rockers Priestess haven't even released an album in the U.S., but that's not stopping them from heading out on tour this summer. Their debut, Hello Master, drops on June 13 and two days later the power rock quartet will hit Los Angeles' Spaceland for their tour opener. The trek wraps up July 12 in Philadelphia and will see the band on the road with the Bronx, Riverboat Gamblers and the Electric Six. ...

The Senate voted Thursday to approve a drastic hike in fines for television and radio stations that violate indecency rules. According to Reuters, the tenfold increase in fines per violation from $32,000 to $325,000 for airing profanity or sexually explicit material still pales in comparison to the bill passed by the House last year, which would push fines up to $500,000 per violation and require the Federal Communications Commission to consider revoking a station's license after three indecency violations. House and Senate leaders will now have to hash out a compromise before an increase becomes law.

05.18.2006

Fresh from beefing with Colonel Sanders over how he treats his chickens, Pink is turning her activist energies to the Queen of England. During her visit to the U.K. this week, Pink fired off a letter to Her Majesty requesting that Buckingham Palace guards no longer wear their distinctive hats, which are made of bear fur. Though she praised the queen for being a "modern monarch," Pink suggested that she get with the program and use faux fur instead. "Sorry to be a royal pain ... [but] apparently it takes the entire hide of one bear to make a single ceremonial hat," Pink wrote on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which provided samples of synthetic bear fur to the Ministry of Defence. Buckingham Palace said any correspondence to the queen is treated as private and is never commented upon. On Saturday Pink plays at a benefit dinner/concert for Prince's Trust, a nonprofit group aimed at helping young people who are struggling. And on July 22 she'll be joined by Train, Nickel Creek, Aqualung and Mat Kearney for Star 94's Star Fest, an outdoor concert at Atlantic Station in midtown Atlanta. Advance tickets go on sale June 3. Head to Star94.com for more information on the show. ...

Wu-Tang Clan, Mos Def, Talib Kweli and Redman will headline the 2006 edition of Rock the Bells. The festival — scheduled for August 5 at NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, California — will also include De La Soul, Aesop Rock, Living Legends, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien and Supernatural, who will attempt to break the eight-hour, 45-minute Longest Freestyle Rap documented in the "Guinness Book of World Records." Wu-Tang will pay special tribute to Ol' Dirty Bastard, whose last show was at Rock the Bells in 2004. An additional festival in Northern California is also confirmed for August 6, although details are not yet available. ...

Alleged drunken encounters with oil heir Brandon Davis and the paparazzi notwithstanding, Paris Hilton's been hard at work finishing her forthcoming debut. Although the heiress recorded an album's worth of material with Scott Storch, Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald and Three 6 Mafia, she went back in the studio last week to do one more song, "I Want You," with producer J.R. Rotem (Rihanna, Dr. Dre). "It's an uptempo dance-club song," Rotem said. "It's very high-energy in a retro, late-disco sort of way." Though skeptics constantly disparage Paris for being, well, Paris, Rotem said she was very professional and focused in the vocal booth and had a "warm, round, soft tone" to her voice, which he also described as "very sexy and sassy." ...

Mandy Moore — who's had nothing but nice things to say about Wilmer Valderrama until now — is upset that the actor went on Howard Stern's radio show in March to brag about his long list of supposed sexual conquests — which allegedly included taking her virginity. The singer/actress tells Elle for the magazine's June cover story that the claims are "utterly tacky" and "not even true." "It hurt my feelings because I like him," Moore tells the mag. She also tackles the rumor mill on her Web site. "I am so overwhelmed by the absurdity of rumors and how on earth they could get started," Moore writes. "It's unbelievable! Earlier this week, I was apprised of a wonderful piece of gossip that I was in rehab ... nice! ... I am so saddened that people stretch as far as they do in attempting to spread gossip that, at the end of the day, is just downright hurtful." Jennifer Love Hewitt, one of Valderrama's other alleged conquests, previously told reporters that his claims were exaggerated: "I was told that we had all these very steamy encounters and I was like, 'Really! Well, I would have loved to have been there!' " ...

Chris Brown fans can take an inside look at the singer's climb with "Chris Brown's Journey," a DVD featuring footage of Brown rehearsing for a tour, hitting the 2006 Grammys and promoting his record in Japan and the U.K. The disc, in stores June 6, also includes a behind-the-scenes look at the making of his videos for "Gimme That," "Run It!" and "Yo" as well as a bonus CD with two previously unreleased tracks: "So Glad" and a new remix of "Run It!" ... Cam'ron, who is offering 15 exclusive Killa Season ring tones including "He Tried to Play Me" and "Love My Life" to Virgin Mobile users, will keep one lucky winner on the phone for an entire year. The top prize in the "Cam'ron Tops You Up for a Year" contest is $600 in Virgin Mobile Top-Up cards ($50 per month for 12 months, beginning July 1, 2006.) Virgin Mobile users who purchase Cam'ron ring tones or wallpaper are automatically entered in the contest and anyone can get in the game by filling out an online form at AsylumRecords.com/virgin. ...

Ghostface Killah and sizzling art-punks Art Brut will help Blender commemorate its fifth-anniversary issue by performing at a Studio 450 party in Manhattan, New York, Tuesday. ... The Ricky Martin Foundation has teamed up with the International Organization for Migration to combat the sexual exploitation of children. Martin's foundation and the IOM signed an agreement in Madrid, Spain, on Tuesday to develop the organizations' partnership, The Associated Press reports. "We are committed to ending child exploitation," said Martin, whose People for Children project has been active in anti-trafficking programs. The IOM is working on over 150 projects to raise awareness, lend support and train law enforcement worldwide. ...

Old-school Spoon fans are about to save themselves some serious eBay bucks. The Austin, Texas, indie rockers will re-release their long-out-of-print first LP, 1996's Telephono, and the 1997 Soft Effects EP on July 25. The releases will be packaged together for the price of one disc and will be available through the band's label, Merge. A video for Spoon's new single, "The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine," will debut Friday on the band's Web site. ... Easy Star All-Stars, who brought you 2003's reggae version of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon (renamed Dub Side of the Moon), have done it again. On August 22 they'll roll out Radiodread: A Complete Reggae Version of Radiohead's OK Computer, featuring guest vocals from Toots and the Maytals, Citizen Cope, Horace Andy, Morgan Heritage, the Meditations, Israel Vibration and Sugar Minott. The band will perform the dub-ified work in its entirety at the All Good Music Festival on July 13. ...

Twenty years after their debut, Please, British dance-pop pioneers the Pet Shop Boys are releasing their latest album, Fundamental. Due June 27, the LP reunites them with their legendary '80s producer Trevor Horn. A bonus eight-song disc, Fundamentalism, will be available with a limited-edition version of Fundamental. ... Creative Technology Ltd. filed a patent complaint against Apple Computer in federal court this week claiming that the iPod's navigational menu infringes on a patent on its Zen MP3 player. According to Reuters, the suit seeks a cease-and-desist order on the sale of iPods and damages for what it calls Apple's "willful infringement of the Zen patent." Creative Technology applied for the Zen patent in 2001 — the same year the iPod was launched — and it was granted in August 2005. Apple has 72 percent of the portable MP3 player market in the U.S. to Creative's 10 percent.

• Guns N' Roses
• Jennifer Lopez
• Korn
• Alicia Keys
• John Mayer

Flyleaf
Photo: J Records

One year ago, Flyleaf lead singer Lacey Mosley was sharing a hot tub with a group of overworked child actors, living in Los Angeles party headquarters/ apartment complex the Oakwoods and trying very, very hard not to crack up.

For Mosley — who, along with the rest of Flyleaf, hails from the tiny town of Belton, Texas — it wasn't just the hectic L.A. lifestyle that was beating her down. It was the songs she was writing: self-lacerating tales of addiction, abuse and dysfunction that had little to do with the sunny Cali climes she found herself in.

"We were staying at Oakwoods, working on the new album, and we would be in the hot tub, and there would be all these little 5- and 6-year-olds in there, just talking about how they blew auditions and how stressed out they were. It was brutal," Mosley said. "And here I was with all these really dark songs. It was just a bad place. We didn't see a lot of drugs, but we heard a lot about them. The whole thing was a struggle."

Working with noted producer Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance's Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge), Mosley and Flyleaf worked their feelings of alienation and angst into an album's worth of chugging, spiky riffs and razor-sharp self-dissection. They released the self-titled disc in late September (on tiny Octone Records) and then did what they'd been doing since they formed in Belton in 2001: They hit the road. Hard.

"Touring is all we've ever known. I mean, we started out in an Expedition and two Ford Explorers, cramming all our friends into the car, just to have an audience to play to," Mosley said. "One time, we had all the equipment piled in a van, and we're driving through a blizzard in Colorado, and we had a mattress on top of the equipment so we could sleep on top of all that. And it's really dangerous up there, because if the van flips over, you would've been crushed. And we're all asleep at 4 a.m. and we hear our tour manager be like, 'Somebody pray!' because we were sliding off this mountain into this void, and we floated over into oncoming traffic, but luckily we missed all the other cars and just sort of pinballed into the guardrail."

Aside from nearly dying, something else happened while Flyleaf — which also includes guitarists Sameer Bhattacharya and Jared Hartmann, bassist Pat Seals and drummer James Culpepper — were out on tour. The tune "I'm So Sick" began to pick up steam on modern-rock radio. And before Flyleaf knew it, they saw sales of their album begin to soar. (It sits at #90 on the Billboard albums chart and has sold more than 100,000 copies with little-to-no promotion.)

The song would normally be considered typical alt-rock fare — what with Bhattacharya's spiky lead guitar and Seals' thundering bottom end — but "So Sick" manages to separate itself from the pack thanks to Mosley's lyrical tightrope act, in which she carefully balances between brutal self evisceration and wide-eyed, unabashed spirituality.

It's a common theme throughout Flyleaf's debut album, because like Mewithoutyou (see "Mewithoutyou: Not Your Average Christian, Vegetable-Oil-Fueled, Flower-Flinging Rockers") and Relient K (see "Relient K Kind Of Like Getting Flipped The Bird") before them, Flyleaf are a tattooed, loud, deceptively Christian rock band. But they're not ashamed to admit it.

"We all share the same faith. And so when we deal with the whole 'Christian band thing,' we kind of think about something P.O.D. says, like, 'If you're a Christian, it affects everything in your life. So if you're a plumber, does that make you a Christian plumber?' " Mosley said. "I don't know the answer. We're a band, it's part of who we are, so it comes out in our music, and it's the fuel for what we do. And finding faith saved my life. So I'm not ashamed of it at all. And most of our album reflects that.

"Like 'I'm So Sick,' it's about how we live in a messed-up world and how we're a product of our surroundings to some extent, and you grow up and you feel messed up," she continued. "There are parts of me that I hate so much, that I wish would just die, but that's just me as a person. And despite all that, and despite how I grew up, I can still look at who I want to be and get strength from that. And despite everything that's going on around me, I can still choose to be the person that I want to be."

And with a summertime slot on the newly resurrected Family Values tour (alongside Korn and Deftones) on the horizon, there's plenty for Flyleaf to be excited about. Just don't expect them to change their thoroughly unsunny dispositions anytime soon. Well, not totally, at least.

"We're excited beyond words for the future. But we're going to keep working hard, keep writing new songs, not stopping," Mosley said. "Of course we're also going to try and enjoy the things in between. Like on the ['I'm So Sick'] video set. They had a chef there, and you'd be like, 'I would like some shrimp, and some scallops and a steak. With some frosted flakes on the side.' And he would make it for you. Which is sort of amazing."

• Family Values: A Look Ahead

• Flyleaf
• P.O.D.

Britney Spears
Photo: Jive

Britney Spears plans to visit Mardi Gras in New Orleans on February 28, and "Good Morning America" will be there to broadcast her appearance as part of its coverage of the city's celebrations. "It is so important for this amazing city to continue its annual traditions, and I am really looking forward to being involved," Spears said in a statement. The singer will bring "surprises" for a group of "very deserving young residents." ...

The autopsy and toxicology test results for "Reservoir Dogs" actor Chris Penn were released Monday (February 13), with the Los Angeles county coroner's office concluding that the 40-year-old's January 24 death was an accident. Although Penn had several prescription medications in his system, including the highly addictive Promethazine, it was an oversized heart that has been ruled as the primary cause of death. A full coroner's report, containing additional details, is expected to be released in a few weeks. ...

Jennifer Lopez is appealing to Hispanics to donate bone marrow during a February 24-25 drive in New York for 29-year-old Janet Ovalles, who is suffering from blood cancer. Doctors say Ovalles' only chance for survival is a marrow transplant, and most matches come from people with the same ethnic background. In a statement released by DKMS, the German bone-marrow-donor center organizing the drive, Lopez said, "I am a young Hispanic woman, so is Janet. I could empathize with her situation so much." ... Snoop Dogg is also using his free time for a good cause. He's hosting the Rapper's Challenge Texas Hold 'Em Tournament, a one-day event in which poker players and celebs alike will bluff their way toward $25,000 and $50,000 prizes. The no-limit game will take place May 5 in the Port of Miami aboard a casino ship; Snoop's Uncle Reo will cook BBQ on the top deck. ... Christina Milian has set an April 25 release date for her third album, So Amazin', produced by the team behind "Lean Back," Cool and Dre. Christina shot the video for the first single, "Say I" featuring Young Jeezy, in Los Angeles over the weekend with Ray Kay (Destiny's Child's "Soldier"). In July Milian will return to theaters with "Pulse," a horror thriller based on the Japanese film "Kairo." ...

Hilary Duff will serve as honorary starter and Fantasia will sing the national anthem for the California Speedway Auto Club 500 on February 26. Hilary will be joined at the Fontana, California, track and on the starter's stand by sister Haylie Duff, and together they'll tour the track during driver introductions. One week after the Daytona 500, Auto Club 500 is the second race of the season for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. ... After finishing the current Wu-Tang Clan reunion tour, Ghostface Killah will hit the road on a 32-date North American headlining trek, kicking off March 5 in Pittsburgh and wrapping up April 23 in Buffalo. Ghost is promoting Fishscale, due March 28 and featuring the single "Back Like That" featuring Ne-Yo. ... 3 Doors Down frontman Brad Arnold was injured in a car crash earlier this month, according to the band's Web site. The one-car accident occurred February 1 on a rainy road in Mississippi, and Arnold required stitches for his injuries. He is expected to make a full recovery. His wife, who was driving the vehicle, was not injured. 3 Doors Down canceled their February 4 performance at Bud Bowl, a pre-Super Bowl event in Detroit, due to the crash. ...

Drummer Christopher Emery has left American Head Charge, although it's unclear whether he quit or was fired. The band's bassist Mr. H.C. Banks III and singer Martin Cock said they axed Emery for "major irresponsibility, decreased drumming ability and an inflated sense of entitlement," according to a joint statement. "It turns out Chris was thinking of leaving anyway, although we only just found out by his posting on our Web site," the statement read. Emery had said he quit the band in a post that hit the site over the weekend, in which he stated, "I'm tired of watching drugs and alcohol destroy everyone around me, including myself." ... P.O.D. will hit the road this spring with Pillar, the Chariot and Maylene and the Sons of Disaster as part of the Warriors Tour 2: Guilty by Association run. No word yet on when the tour starts or how many cities the trek will encompass. ... Papa Roach, who've been working on their forthcoming sixth album, have posted on their Web site a video shot during the band's latest studio sessions. A series of videos is set to appear on the site as the Roach get further along in the process. The disc should be in stores before the end of the year. ... The Offspring have started work on their next studio LP, the follow-up to 2003's Splinter. In a post on the band's Web site, lead singer Dexter Holland said he and guitarist Noodles hit the studio to begin recording demo material. There's no word yet on when the Offspring plan to release the effort or when its official recording will begin. "[It's been] a blast," Holland wrote. "It feels good to get back in the studio and do some recording and just be a band, you know? I'm sure you do if you're in a band." ...

The Sounds — whose Dying to Say This to You is due March 21 — are teaming with Morningwood for a 40-date North American tour beginning March 22 in Los Angeles. Action Action are also on the bill. ... Stereolab will release Fab Four Suture — a collection of six singles previously available only as 7-inches, as well as six never-before-heard tracks — March 7. Look for the album to include "Get a Shot of the Refrigerator," "Whisper Pitch" and "I Was a Sunny Rainphase." ... She's only 19 years old (in about a week she'll be 20), but Charlotte Church is already writing her memoirs (again). The singer's just inked a deal with Orion to write her life story, which she's calling rather straightforwardly "Charlotte Church: The Autobiography." This would, of course, be her second such autobio, since she released "Voice of an Angel: My Life (So Far)" in 2001. ... Bassist Jimmy MacDonough has quit Megadeth, but no explanation has been offered for his unexpected departure. In his place, Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine has hired James LoMenzo, who has done time with Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society, White Lion and David Lee Roth. ... Former Sunny Day Real Estate frontman Jeremy Enigk will release his second solo album and follow-up to 1996's Return of the Frog Queen this summer. The singer/guitarist, also of the Fire Theft, will tour Europe in July and the U.S. in August.

02.10.2006

Beyoncé estimates that she's lost 15 pounds on a diet of protein shakes and fish for her role in "Dreamgirls" — which hasn't been easy for her. "I love to eat," she said. But since she wanted to truly transform into her character, she's happy with the results. "Between the black wigs and the '60s makeup and me losing the weight, when I'm dressed up, I don't look like myself at all," she explained. "That was the point." ...

R. Kelly appeared in a Chicago court Friday (February 10) to ask permission to travel to New York next week to attend to his civil case against Jay-Z. Kelly's child-pornography case was continued until February 17, when his lawyers will ask permission for him to travel for an upcoming tour. Kelly also added some dates to his trek: April 4 in Waterbury, Connecticut; April 10 in Baltimore; May 4 in Las Vegas; and May 5 in San Diego. ... Autographed Sundance photographs of Justin Timberlake, the Beastie Boys and Joel Madden are being auctioned on eBay to benefit Habitat for Humanity International's Operation Home Delivery, a program providing assistance and rebuilding opportunities in New Orleans. Terrence Howard, Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Smith are also participating. ... Britney Spears has called driving with her baby on her lap a "mistake." The singer told "Access Hollywood": "I made a mistake and so it is what it is, I guess." Spears was snapped on Monday driving with Sean Preston on her lap instead of in a car seat, and had blamed it on a too-aggressive photographer. "Being put in the situation that I was in, it was kind of bad with the paparazzi," she said. "Last week my mom and I went out and they were on us really bad, so you do instinctively what you need to do." ...

Pink has been married nearly a month now, and she's already confident that she and husband Carey Hart will "never get divorced," she told MTV Radio. "We're never together. We're not together long enough to fight," she laughed. "I'll see him in March, maybe, if he comes home for my brother's wedding, but that's unlikely." Still, she's happy in love, posting on her Web site that "Carey is a piece of pumpkin pie. I like pumpkin pie." ... John Legend will perform during halftime at the 2006 NBA All-Star Game on February 19 in Houston. Legend will sing "So High" on the show, televised on TNT. ... Jack Black will host Nickelodeon's 19th Kids' Choice Awards. The show is scheduled for April 1 at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion. ... Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas is singing the national anthem at the Daytona 500. The race will take place February 19 in Daytona Beach, Florida, and will be broadcast on NBC at 12 p.m. ... Kid Rock has changed the title of his concert album to Live Trucker and bumped it a couple of weeks to February 28. The 13-track set captures the Detroit rocker and his Twisted Brown Trucker Band and was recorded in Michigan in 2000 and 2004. Look for the disc to feature "Bawitdaba," "Cowboy," "American Bad Ass" and "Only God Knows Why." ...

Fuel's founding frontman Brett Scallions has quit the band, according to an official statement posted on the group's Web site. No explanation for Scallions' departure has been offered, but guitarist Carl Bell described the split as "amicable." The remaining members of Fuel are holding auditions for his replacement and will soon begin recording their next LP. Material for the follow-up to 2003's Natural Selection has been written for months. ... Citing financial pressures, the Juliana Theory are disbanding after almost 10 years together. In an extensive posting on their MySpace page, the bandmembers detailed how poor business decisions and a series of unfortunate events led them to this decision. "Financially, we would have to take regular jobs now to keep this thing going," the statement read. "We've always given 100 percent to this thing and it would be an insult to our fans and to ourselves to do it less than 100 percent because we would be spending most of our time making a living elsewhere." ... Two more names have been added to the cast of "Control," the forthcoming biographical film about late Joy Division singer Ian Curtis. Curtis will be played by newcomer Sam Riley while German actress Alexandra Maria Lara has been cast as Curtis' lover, Annik Honoré. They join Oscar-nominated actress Samantha Morton, cast as Curtis' widow, in the Anton Corbijn film that's expected to begin shooting this spring. ...

According to The Associated Press, a band fronted by actor Kevin Costner will make its debut April 29 at the close of the BMW Charity Pro-Am at the Cliffs in Greenville, South Carolina. The group does not have a name yet but features five members, including the singing actor/director. Costner participates in the celebrity-loaded event every year. ... Exene Cervenka may be playing with X this month, but she's got her new band to promote as well. The Original Sinners will release their second album, Sev7en, on March 7. Song titles include "Last Dance," "Tavern" and a cover of the Gun Club's "Ghost on the Highway." X's tour starts Wednesday in San Diego and concludes February 25 in San Francisco. The Original Sinners then kick into gear with their own jaunt on March 3 in Corona, California, and wrap March 11 in Denver. ... "Miss Seventeen" winner Jen Steele appeared Thursday with White House drug czar John P. Walters at a press conference in New York held by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Steele — whose parents are currently incarcerated for drug and alcohol crimes — talked about her personal experience and discussed new findings that girls are catching up to boys in the use of illicit substances and alcohol. ... The Fiery Furnaces just released their third full-length, Rehearsing My Choir, in late October, but they've already got a release date set for album number four. Called Bitter Tea, the album will hit stores April 18 and will be released — rather inexplicably — on iconic Mississippi blues label Fat Possum. The band recorded Tea and Choir simultaneously, and both albums were actually supposed to be released around the same time last year, but for reasons only known to the Furnaces, Tea was shelved. The band kick off a tour in support of, well, both albums Friday night in New Haven, Connecticut. ... The Flaming Lips have been added to the Noise Pop festival in the Bay Area. The group will play March 27 at Bimbo's.

• Britney Spears
• Jennifer Lopez
• Hilary Duff
• P.O.D.

Il Divo
Photo: Getty Images

For more than a month, only two names have appeared at the top of Billboard's weekly albums sales chart: Jamie Foxx and Mary J. Blige. It was merely a matter of time before an LP emerged to challenge Foxx and Blige's back-and-forth handoff of the chart's #1 spot — but who would've guessed it'd be from Il Divo?

The Simon Cowell-concocted, Oprah Winfrey-endorsed classical crossover quartet's third album in less than a year, Ancora, put an end to the reigning champs' battle, debuting at #1 with sales of more than 156,000, according to the latest SoundScan figures. Il Divo's triumph must taste even sweeter considering Ancora's sales outshined the opening-week totals generated by the group's self-titled debut, which reached #4 with 147,000 scans in April — and is in at #74 on the latest chart, climbing 66 spots thanks to a 111 percent sales boost.

But Il Divo weren't the only act that rained on Foxx and Blige's parade. Your Man, the latest from country star Josh Turner, also sucked some of the wind from their sails, taking the chart's #2 spot with a first-week total of nearly 102,000. Foxx's Unpredictable — last week's #1 — slips to third place with close to 100,000 copies sold. Blige's The Breakthrough scores #4 after selling 98,000 plus.

For the first time this year, Billboard's top 200 welcomes a fresh batch of chart newcomers. In addition to new LPs from Il Divo and Turner, Yellowcard's Lights and Sounds opens in the top 10, capturing #5 with more than 90,000 scans. Sales of the band's 1.7 million-selling 2003 release Ocean Avenue were clocked at 11,000 plus, earning the band an additional spot at #99. In at #6 is the latest entrant in the Now That's What I Call Music! compilation franchise. Now #1's — which features tracks from Gwen Stefani, Nelly, Britney Spears, Nickelback and Ashlee Simpson — sold nearly 90,000 copies. Testify, the latest from rockers P.O.D., opens at #9 with more than 58,000 scans. The band's 2003 release, Payable on Death, also took #9 (with 106,000 copies sold) when it opened, while 2001's Satellite debuted at #5 with 133,000 copies sold.

Carrie Underwood and Eminem stay in the top 10 despite the influx of debuts. Underwood's Some Hearts falls three spots to #7 with 74,000 copies sold, and Em's Curtain Call: The Hits follows at #8, racking up 73,000 in sales. One of the chart's fastest climbers rounds out the top 10: the soundtrack to the Disney Channel original movie "High School Musical." In just three weeks, the album has jumped from #143 to #58, and now reaches #10. Sales of the disc, which features a track from B5, were reported at nearly 53,000, an increase of 232 percent. James Blunt's Back to Bedlam continues to pick up its sales pace, surging 19 percent this week for an #11 finish. The disc, which spent last week at #9, sold close to 49,000.

There were several other notable debuts this week that didn't crack the top 10. The Grammy Nominees 2006 collection — featuring contributions from Mariah Carey, Green Day, Gorillaz, John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, U2, Coldplay and Beck — opened at #14 with 43,000 copies sold. Cat Power's latest, The Greatest, checks in at #34 with 23,000 copies sold, while Marty Casey & Lovehammers, the self-titled second LP from the "Rock Star: INXS" runner-up and his band, claims the #67 slot with more than 14,000 copies sold. Rosanne Cash's Black Cadillac finishes at #84 with 12,000 sales, and Rabbit Fur Coat from Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins follows at #88 with more than 10,000 scans.

See "The Metamorphosis Of Jamie Foxx" for a feature on the actor's move to music. Check out "What's the 411, Mary" for Blige's answers to star questions. And read "Yellowcard: Split Decision" for more on the band's new beginning.

• Il Divo
• Yellowcard
• Jamie Foxx
• Mary J. Blige
• P.O.D.

P.O.D.
Photo: MTV News

P.O.D. emerged in the late '90s out of the then-red-hot rap-rock scene, but their true style spreads far beyond that. Now they finally have a record to prove it.

"We go from hip-hop to reggae to rock to metal to everything that you can think of on this album," bassist Traa said of the just-released Testify. "This album defines who we are musically as a foursome more than any other album that we've ever done."

"We have one of the heaviest songs we ever wrote and one of the softest songs we ever wrote," singer Sonny Sandoval added. "And you have a rock song and then you have a hip-hop track and every song doesn't sound the same."

Maturity certainly plays a part, but some of the credit also belongs to producer Glen Ballard, best known for his work with No Doubt and Alanis Morissette.

"He had worked with rock and roll bands before, but never as heavy as a P.O.D., so he had the elements that we were looking to grab hold to," drummer Wuv said. "We had worked with Howard Benson for the last three records and it was one of them things where we just wanted to make a little change stylewise."

P.O.D. had been writing and demoing songs for six months before the band even met with Ballard, but the producer helped pick which songs to record and shaped them with additional elements, including his own piano work.

"We pretty much just brought him the sketch and he showed us how to color it in," Sandoval said. "We didn't even expect him to work on the heavy stuff, just more of the laid-back stuff, but once he heard everything, he wanted to be a part of it."

"What we tried to do on this album — what we try to do on every album but what we really hit on this one — was to take people on a journey musically," Traa said of Ballard's influence on the final product. "I think we have a lot of different elements."

For one of those elements, the band brought in reggae rapper Matisyahu to lend his unique flavor to "Roots in Stereo" and "Strength of My Life."

"If anybody knows P.O.D., they know that we are huge reggae fans," Wuv said. "And he was someone that we were listening to, and not only that but we thought that it would be cool, more on a personal level. He is a Hasidic Jew, and everybody knows that we are a spiritual band, and we just thought that collaborating with him and the way that he believed and the way that he conducted himself would be something special. And so Sonny reached out to him ... [Matisyahu] was actually in Israel at the time and he said, 'Fly me out when I get home.' "

Perhaps it was the influence of Matisyahu, but Testify finds P.O.D. as spiritual as ever before with their lyrics.

"We've always been open about our faith ... we've never denied it," Sandoval said. "If anything, in 14 years [as a band] we've learned so much, we've matured in so many ways. We're not the same gangsta kids who will die and fight, I mean we will still die for the things that we believe in, we're not going to battle or fight and we don't need to battle anyone down if they don't believe in the things that we do. But we have learned and that's why the album is called Testify."

One of the album's central themes is finding encouragement and inspiration in dark times, a topic the first single, "Goodbye for Now," tackles head-on.

"It's more of a laid-back track, it's more of a vibe track, it's definitely not the heavy side of P.O.D., but lyrically it's a hopeful song," Sandoval said. "We know with just dealing with the people around us and just coming across so many people that there are a lot of people struggling out there. And being that positive influence that we like to have in our music, we are just trying to encourage people. No matter how bad today is, tomorrow has a bright promise and a bright future. There's a lyric that says, 'If joy really comes in the morning time/ Then I'm going to sit back and wait until the next sunrise.' And in our faith, we believe that joy does come in the morning time, so just hold on and hang out and tomorrow is a whole different day."

Although details have yet to be announced, P.O.D. said to expect a Testify tour this spring. "We're trying to put together a stripped-down, cool little package, trying to keep the tickets down as much as possible," Sandoval said.

• P.O.D.

Yellowcard's <i>Lights and Sounds</i>
Photo: Capitol

Lights, Camera, Action: Looking for even more Lights and Sounds? A special edition of Yellowcard's much-ballyhooed, harder-rockin' release is upped with an hour-long DVD featuring the requisite making-of material, commentary, photo gallery and video (for the title track). Don't miss the Judeo-Christian hoedown on "Roots in Stereo," featuring Matisyahu, or "Rough Landing, Holly," "Martin Sheen or JFK" and "Holly Wood Died."

C.O.D.: After priming fans with their second Warriors EP in November, Payable on Death are cashing in with Testify. Those who pre-ordered the disc on the band's Web site were gifted with a T-shirt; everyone else will have to settle for the frills-free package, which houses 13 songs. Among them are "Sounds Like War," "Mistakes & Glories" and "Mark My Words."

The Power That Be: Consummate trickster Chan Marshall (a.k.a. Cat Power) has dubbed her latest The Greatest, even though it's actually a batch of fresh recordings, not a recap. Marshall went back to Memphis, Tennessee, where she recorded 1996's What Would the Community Think, holing up in a Stax-affiliated studio with Al Green's guitarist to track tunes for Cat Power's first album in three years. Keep your eye out for "The Moon," "Willie" and "Islands."

DV(elvet)D: Digital video discs have been around for oh, a little while now, but believe it or not, experimental masters Velvet Underground haven't experimented yet with the format. Until this week, that is! For the Roman-numerically impaired, "Velvet Redux: Live MCMXCIII" is a snapshot of the band's 1993 reunion tour; these performances (by the original lineup, mind you) were filmed at the Paris Olympia on June 15-17. The disc runs 85 minutes and offers both the expected ("Heroin," "Femme Fatale," etc.) and the unexpected (a then-new track, "Coyote").

Purple Pandemonium: Back in 1974, when dinosaur-rock was the dominant species, Deep Purple were a tyrannosaurus rex, stalking the earth in billowing bell-bottoms, platform heels and their own jet. "Deep Purple Live in California 74" captures the band's co-headlining set at the California Jam festival, which drew 200,000 people and was broadcast on network TV. Amid ridiculously long solos — somehow, the band sprawled seven songs over nearly two hours — you see an extremely young and nervous future Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale and some of the greatest rock destruction ever captured on film. Annoyed by an intrusive cameraman, Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore goes completely ballistic, hurling two Marshall stacks into the crowd, setting off an alarmingly large explosion and smashing four guitars — one directly into the lens of the camera that irritated him. While we would never endorse such behavior, it does make for great TV.

Diva Envy: Indie-rock usually doesn't have much in common with the top 40 countdown, but this is no ordinary week. Jose Gonzalez covers Kylie Minogue's "Hand on Your Heart" on his Stay in the Shade EP, while Action Action recorded their new one, An Army of Shapes Between Wars, with Cyndi Lauper producer William Wittman. Not to be overlooked is the National Trust, who also go the bubblegum route by collaborating with producer Abel Garibaldi (Britney Spears, Ciara) for Kings & Queens.

Graphic Artists: What is this, Genitalia Celebration Week? We've got Test Icicles' For Screening Purposes Only and Buzzcocks' "Live at Shepherds Bush Empire 2003" DVD and, on a somewhat related note, soul singer Darondo — whose Let My People Go is reissued this week — used to be a pimp; Some Girls are busy with Heaven's Pregnant Teens; and Hayseed Dixie get a Hot Piece of Grass.

Song Title of the Week:

"Oh Sh--, My Phaser's Jammed" (The Beatings' Holding on to Hand Grenades)

Other Notables:

Jenny Lewis With the Watson Twins' Rabbit Fur Coat Vs. Elected's Sun, Sun, Sun: Rilo Kiley's leading representatives duke it out this week with opposing releases. Lewis finally takes a stab at the solo thing, although she finds good company with Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard, Maroon 5's James Valentine, M. Ward and Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst, whose boutique label Team Love is issuing the album. Her Kiley cohort Blake Sennett has a bit of a head start, having released the Elected's debut in 2004. The follow-up was recorded in analog, which, to studio-philes, is kind of a big deal. Sun, Sun, Sun hammers home the overarching theme with tracks like "Clouds Parting (8:14 a.m.)," "Beautiful Rainbow" and "Biggest Star."

The Advantage's Elf-Titled Vs. Town and Country's Up Above: What's more bizarre, a band devoting an entire album to eight-bit Nintendo songs and toying with convention by calling it Elf-Titled, or a band recording an album after being inspired by a lecture on hypnotherapy? If you're feeling extra adventurous, you might want to give the Advantage and Town and Country's respective releases a spin.

UB40's Who You Fighting For?, Various artists' Future Retro and Marty Casey & Lovehammers' Marty Casey & Lovehammers: UB40 have already fought their way into the U.K. top 40 with their new single "Reasons," but their LP's main attraction might be the bushel of songs they reinterpret: Lennon/McCartney's "I'll Be on My Way," the Jamaicans' lilting "The Things You Say You Love" and the Manhattans' "Kiss and Say Goodbye," which has also cracked the chart. Rhino has another covers-laden disc out this week: Future Retro, a disc that compiles the Crystal Method's version of New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle," Jaded Alliance's take on Erasure's "A Little Respect" and Static Revenger's rendition of INXS' "Need You Tonight." And speaking of INXS, Marty Casey, who made a name for himself on "Rock Star: INXS," sets forth his major-label debut, containing his heavily downloaded "Trees," "Rain on the Brain" and "Casualty" — a title that's very apropos, given his dismissal from the TV show.

New Releases:

• 10 Second Drop - 10 Second Drop (Rock Ridge Music)
• Action Action - An Army Of Shapes Between Wars (Victory)
• The Advantage - Elf-Titled (5 Rue Christine)
• Akimbo - Forging Steel and Laying Stone (Alternative Tentacles)
• Audio Bullys - Generation (Astralwerks)
• Avalon - Stand (Sparrow)
• The Beatings - Holding on to Hand Grenades (Midriff)
• Karl Blau - Beneath Waves (K)
• Calling All Monsters - The Traps That Work Best (Turn)
• Marty Casey & Lovehammers - Marty Casey & Lovehammers (Epic)
• Rosanne Cash - Black Cadillac (enhanced; Capitol)
• Cat Power - The Greatest (Matador)
  Buy Now: The Greatest (Matador)
• Catfish Haven - Please Come Back (EP; Secretly Canadian)
• Andre Ceccarelli and Bireli Lagrene - Avenue Des Diables Blues (Dreyfus)
• The Class of 98 - Touch This and Die (The Militia Group)
• Clearlake - Amber (Domino)
• Tony Conrad - Fantastic Glissando (Table of Elements)
• Demiricous - One (Hellbound) (Metal Blade)
• Dozer - Through the Eyes of Heathens (Small Stone)
• T. Duggins - Undone (Thick)
• Liz Durrett - The Mezzanine (Warm)
• East River Pipe - What Are You On? (Merge)
• East West Blast Test - Popular Music for Unpopular People (Ipecac)
• The Elected - Sun, Sun, Sun (Sub Pop)
• Ester Drang - Rocinate (Jade Tree)
• Excepter - Sunbomber (EP; Touch and Go)
• Film School - Film School (Beggars Banquet)
• Fivespeed - Morning Over Midnight (enhanced; Virgin)
• The Gibson Brothers - Red Letter Day (Sugar Hill)
• Golden Dogs - Everything in 3 Parts (Funzalo)
• Jose Gonzalez - Stay in the Shade (EP; Hidden Agenda)
• Good Clean Fun - Between Christian Rock and a Hard Place (Equal Vision)
• The Gossip - Standing in the Way of Control (Kill Rock Stars)
• The Gourds - Heavy Ornamentals (Eleven Thirty)
• Green Carnation - The Acoustic Verses (The End)
• Hayseed Dixie - Hot Piece of Grass (Cooking Vinyl)
• The Hellacopters - Rock & Roll Is Dead (with bonus CD; Liquor and Poker)
• His Name Is Alive - Detrola (Reincarnate Music)
• Taylor Hollingsworth - Tragic City (Brash Music)
• William Hooker and Lee Ranaldo - The Celestial Answer (Table of Elements)
• Il Divo - Ancora (Columbia)
• Incognito - Eleven (Narada)
• Richard Julian - Slow New York (Manhattan)
• Jennifer Knapp - Jennifer Knapp Live (Gotee)
• Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Long Walk to Freedom (enhanced hybrid SACD; Heads Up)
• Lareau - Changes (Rust)
• Jenny Lewis With the Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat (Team Love)
  Read: "Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis Gets Her Wilburys On With Death Cab Frontman"
• Miwon - Pale Glitter (City Centre Offices)
• Paul Motian Band - Garden of Eden (ECM)
• Natas - N of Tha World (Warlock)
• The National Trust - Kings & Queens (Thrill Jockey)
• Nocturnal Rites - Grand Illusion (Century Media)
• Pearls & Brass - Indian Tower (Drag City)
• Plastic Constellations - Crusades (French Kiss)
• P.O.D. - Testify (Atlantic)
  Buy Now: Testify (Atlantic)
• Robert Pollard - From a Compound Eye (Merge)
• Railroad Earth - Elko (two CDs; Sci Fidelity)
• Scott Reeder - TunnelVision Brilliance (Liquor and Poker)
• Steve Reynolds - Exile (Savoy Jazz)
• Tony Rich - Pictures (I.M.)
• Saint Etienne - Tales From Turnpike House (Savoy Jazz)
• Scarlet - This Was Always Meant to Fall Apart (Ferret)
• Seven Witches - Amped (Candlelight)
• Duncan Sheik - White Limousine (Zöe/Rounder)
• Patty Hurst Shifter Too Crowded on the Losing End (Evo/Fontana)
• Slow Runner - No Disassemble (Red Ink)
• Some Girls - Heaven's Pregnant Teens (enhanced; Epitaph)
• Sound the Alarm - Sound the Alarm (EP; Rock Ridge Music)
• Streetwize - Does Dre (Shanachie)
• The Subdudes - Behind the Levee (Back Porch)
• Sullivan - Hey, I'm a Ghost (enhanced; Tooth & Nail)
• KT Sullivan & Mark Nadler - A Fine Romance: A Dorothy Fields Songbook (DRG)
• Sworn Enemy - Beginning of the End (Abacus)
• Tarkio - Omnibus (two CDs; Kill Rock Stars)
• Livingston Taylor - There You Are Again (Chesky)
• Test Icicles - For Screening Purposes Only (Domino)
• Tortoise and Bonnie "Prince" Billy - The Brave and the Bold (Overcoat)
  Buy Now: The Brave and the Bold (Overcoat)
• Town and Country - Up Above (Thrill Jockey)
• Josh Turner - Your Man (MCA Nashville)
• UB40 - Who You Fighting For? (Rhino)
  Buy Now: Who You Fighting For? (Rhino)
• Rocky Votolato - Makers (Barsuk)
• Waterdown - All Riot (Victory)
• Wintergreen - The Extended Play (EP; Mt. Fuji)
• Jah Wobble - Mu (Sanctuary)
• Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3 - ... Tick ... Tick ... Tick (Down There)
• Yellowcard - Lights and Sounds (with DVD; Capitol)
  Read: "Yellowcard Move To New York, Write LP About Hating Los Angeles"
  Buy Now: Lights and Sounds (Capitol)
• Various artists - The Best of Taste of Chaos (Warcon)
• Various artists - Future Retro (Rhino)
• Various artists - Grammy 2006 Nominees (BMG Strategic Marketing)
• Various artists - Love Sucks (Rhino)
• Various artists - No. 1 Smooth Jazz Hits! (Shanachie)
• Various artists - Now That's What I Call Music! #1's (UTV)
• Various artists - Otis' Opuses (Kill Rock Stars)
• Various artists - UltraDance.07 (Ultra)
• Various artists - "Breakfast on Pluto" soundtrack (Milan)
• Various artists - "The Color Purple" original cast recording (Angel)
• Various artists - "Fun With Dick & Jane" soundtrack (Varèse)
• Various artists - "London" soundtrack (Reincarnate Music)
• Various artists - "The World's Fastest Indian" soundtrack (Milan)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

• Ariel Pink - House Arrest (Paw Tracks)
• Louis Armstrong - The Definitive Collection (Hip-O/Chronicles)
• Chet Baker - Everyday Is Valentine's Day (Blue Note)
• Shirley Bassey - Live at Carnegie Hall (DRG)
• Jim Croce - Have You Heard Jim Croce Live (Shout! Factory)
• Bing Crosby - The Definitive Collection (Geffen/Chronicles)
• Crosby, Stills & Nash - Crosby, Stills & Nash and Daylight Again (with bonus tracks; Rhino)
• Darondo - Let My People Go (Luv 'N Haight)
• Ray Davies - Let My People Go (Luv 'N Haight)
• Delta 5 - Singles & Sessions 1979-81 (Kill Rock Stars)
• DJ Quik - Trauma: Instrumentals (Mad Science)
• Herb Ellis - Ellis in Wonderland (Verve)
• Ace Frehley - Greatest Hits Live (Megaforce)
• Kenny G - The Essential Kenny G (two CDs; Arista/Legacy)
• Stan Getz - Music for Lovers (Blue Note)
• Dexter Gordon - Music for Lovers (Blue Note)
• Al Green - Full of Fire, Al Green Is Love, Have a Good Time, Livin' for You and Truth N' Time (The Right Stuff/EMI)
• Elton John - Legendary Covers as Sung by Elton John (DBK Works)
• Richard Julian - Slow New York (Manhattan)
• Earl Klugh - Music for Lovers (Blue Note)
• Lisa Loeb - The Very Best of Lisa Loeb (Geffen/Chronicles)
  Buy Now: The Very Best of Lisa Loeb (Geffen/Chronicles)
• MF Doom - Special Herbs Box Set: Vols 0-9 (Nature Sounds)
• Lee Morgan - Music for Lovers (Blue Note)
• Hank Mobley - Music for Lovers (Blue Note)
• Nausea - Punk Terrorist Anthology 1 (Alternative Tentacles)
• Pansy Division - The Essential Pansy Division (with DVD; Alternative Tentacles)
• Elvis Presley - #1 Singles (20-CD box set; BMG Strategic Marketing)
• Kenny Rogers - 21 Number Ones (Capitol)
• Henry Rollins - Talk Is Cheap, Volume 2 (2.13.61)
• Linda Ronstadt - The Best of Linda Ronstadt: The Capitol Years (two CDs; Capitol)
• Savage Garden - Truly, Madly, Completely - The Best of Savage Garden (Columbia)
• Horace Silver - Music for Lovers (Blue Note)
• Jimmy Smith - Music for Lovers (Blue Note)
• T. Rex - Bolan's Zip Gun, Futuristic Dragon, Tanx and Work in Progress (with bonus tracks; Rhino)
• Thievery Corporation - Sounds From the Thievery Hi-Fi (Eighteenth Street)
• Stanley Turrentine - Music for Lovers (Blue Note)
• Bill Wyman - Stoned Alone: The Solo Anthology 1974-2001 (Sanctuary)
• Various artists - Love Songs: Gold (Hip-O/Chronicles)
• Various artists - Music for Lovers (Blue Note)

DVDs:

• Roy Ayers - "In Concert: Ohne Filter" (Music Video Distributors)
• Buzzcocks - "Live at Shepherds Bush Empire 2003" (Music Video Distributors)
• Can - "Can Live" (two DVDs; Mute)
• Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - "Road to God Knows Where/ Live at the Paradiso" (Mute)
• Deep Purple - "Live in California 74" (Eagle Vision)
• Gordon Haskell - "The Road to Harry's Bar" (Music Video Distributors)
• Ludacris - "Southern Smoke" (Music Video Distributors)
• Pain - "Life Is Overrated" (Music Video Distributors)
• Procol Harum - "Live at the Union Chapel" (two DVDs; Eagle Vision)
• Sacriversum - "Saevitia Draconis: Live in Krakow 2005" (Music Video Distributors)
• The Small Faces - "Under Review" (Music Video Distributors)
• Starter Set - "Starter Set" (Kill Rock Stars)
• Starz - "Back in Action: Live 2003" (Music Video Distributors)
• Glenn Tilbrook - "One for the Road" (Image)
• The Velvet Underground - "Velvet Redux: Live MCMXCIII" (Rhino)
• Various artists - "The '60s Rock Experience Live" (Shout! Factory)
• Various artists - "Culturama666, Vol. 2" (Music Video Distributors)
• Various artists - "God Save the Queen: A Punk Rock Anthology" (Cleopatra/Music Video Distributors)
• Various artists - "Love Songs, Volume 1" and "Volume 2" (Hip-O/Chronicles)
• Various artists - "The Tomorrow Show With Tom Snyder: Punk & New Wave" (Shout! Factory)
• Various artists - "Triple Crown Video, Vol. 1" (Triple Crown)

Coming Attractions:

January 31:
• Heather Headley - In My Mind (RCA)
• She Wants Revenge - She Wants Revenge (Geffen)
• Warren Zevon - Reconsider Me: The Love Songs (Artemis)

February 7:

• Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit (Matador)
• Beth Orton - Comfort of Strangers (Astralwerks)
• Dem Franchize Boyz - On Top of Our Game (Virgin)

February 14:

• Jaheim - Ghetto Classics (Warner Bros.)
• Sergio Mendes - Timeless (Concord)
  Read: "Will.I.Am Wants To Pull A Rick Rubin With Sergio Mendes, Macy Gray"
• The Sword - Age of Winters (Kemado)
Related Artists
• Yellowcard
• P.O.D.
• Cat Power
• The Velvet Underground
• The Elected
]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1521320/20060120/yellowcard.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1521320/20060120/yellowcard.jhtml 23 Jan 2006 08:11:00 EST Trek kicks off November 11 in San Jose, California.
By Corey Moss


P.O.D.
Photo: Atlantic Records

Staind and P.O.D. are getting together and having a brawl.

The hard-rock titans will co-headline the inaugural Fall Brawl tour, with Taproot and Texas rockers Flyleaf opening, a spokesperson for the tour announced Thursday (September 22).

Fall Brawl kicks off November 11 in San Jose, California, and wraps up in mid-December after crossing the South and then heading north.

Staind will also be headlining a few off-dates, including November 29 in Nashville, November 30 in Chicago and December 14 in Sayreville, New Jersey. And before the outing begins, Staind will cross Canada October 29 through November 6, as well as hit Seattle and Spokane, Washington, with Taproot and Flyleaf.

Aaron Lewis and crew are promoting Chapter V (see "Staind Pushing Hard To Put Grey Days Behind Them"), which just debuted atop the Billboard albums chart.

Taproot also just released a new record, Blue-Sky Research, which features three collaborations with Billy Corgan (see "Taproot Tap Billy Corgan To Help Them Craft New LP").

P.O.D.'s new album, Testify, is due in January and marks the band's first time working with producer Glen Ballard, known for his work with Alanis Morissette (see "P.O.D. Secure Jonathan Davis, Want Gwen For Next LP").

Fall Brawl tour dates, according to a spokesperson for the tour (all venues TBA):

• 11/11 - San Jose, CA
• 11/12 - San Bernardino, CA
• 11/14 - Bakersfield, CA
• 11/15 - San Diego, CA
• 11/17 - Tucson, AZ
• 11/18 - Phoenix, AZ
• 11/21 - Denver, CO
• 11/22 - Amarillo, TX
• 11/23 - Dallas, TX
• 11/25 - San Antonio, TX
• 11/26 - Corpus Christi, TX
• 11/27 - Houston, TX
• 12/6 - Orlando, FL
• 12/7 - North Myrtle Beach, SC
• 12/9 - Baltimore, MD
• 12/10 - Atlantic City, NJ
• 12/11 - Poughkeepsie, NY
• 12/13 - Springfield, MA
Related Artists
• P.O.D.
• Staind
]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1510205/20050922/pod.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1510205/20050922/pod.jhtml 22 Sep 2005 09:29:00 EDT P.O.D. - Addicted

Addicted

• Artist: P.O.D.
• Label: INO/Columbia
• Director: Michael Maxxis
• Album: When Angels and Serpents Dance
]]> Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=610141&vid=224471 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=610141&vid=224471 14 Apr 2008 12:00:00 EDT P.O.D. - Rock the Party (Off the Hook)

Rock the Party (Off the Hook)

• Artist: P.O.D.
• Label: Atlantic
• Director: Marcos Siega
• Album: The Fundamental Elements of Southtown
]]> Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=610141&vid=32549 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=610141&vid=32549 10 Apr 2007 12:00:00 EDT P.O.D. - Going in Blind

Going in Blind

• Artist: P.O.D.
• Label: Rhino Records
• Director: Ryan Smith
• Album: Greatest Hits: The Atlantic Years
]]> Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=610141&vid=122906 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=610141&vid=122906 5 Dec 2006 12:00:00 EST P.O.D. - Lights Out

Lights Out

• Artist: P.O.D.
• Label: Atlantic
• Director: Esteban Oriol
• Album: Testify
]]> Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=610141&vid=83418 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=610141&vid=83418 25 Apr 2006 12:00:00 EDT P.O.D. - Goodbye for Now

Goodbye for Now

• Artist: P.O.D.
• Label: Atlantic Records
• Director: Meiert Avis
• Album: Testify
]]> Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=610141&vid=72454 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=610141&vid=72454 19 Jan 2006 12:00:00 EST P.O.D. - Southtown

Southtown

• Artist: P.O.D.
• Label: Atlantic
• Director: Marcos Siega
• Album: The Fundamental Elements of Southtown
]]> Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=610141&vid=32552 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=610141&vid=32552 30 Jun 2004 12:00:00 EDT P.O.D. - Change The World

Change The World

• Artist: P.O.D.
• Label: Atlantic Records
• Director: marcwebb
• Album: Payable on Death [W/Sony Playstation CD]
]]> Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=610141&vid=28309 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=610141&vid=28309 26 Jan 2004 12:00:00 EST P.O.D. - Satellite

Satellite

• Artist: P.O.D.
• Director: Marcos Siega
• Album: Satellite
]]> Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=610141&vid=18454 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=610141&vid=18454 25 Sep 2002 12:00:00 EDT P.O.D. - Boom

Boom

• Artist: P.O.D.
• Label: Atlantic Recording Corp.
• Director: Gavin Bowden
• Album: Satellite
]]> Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=610141&vid=15496 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=610141&vid=15496 2 May 2002 12:00:00 EDT

New Year's Eve 2007 Performances

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• Ciara
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• My Chemical Romance
]]> Photos http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1549258 http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1549258 4 Jan 2007 12:00:00 EST

2006: The Best of Studio Photos

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• Kelis
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• Nelly Furtado
]]> Photos http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1547007 http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1547007 1 Dec 2006 12:00:00 EST

MTV.com Exclusive: P.O.D. Photos 01.20.2006

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]]> Photos http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1521396 http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1521396 23 Jan 2006 12:00:00 EST

Spankin' New Rock Week Photos: Live from TRL

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• The Academy Is...
• Panic at the Disco
• Yellowcard
• The All-American Rejects
]]> Photos http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1520922 http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1520922 17 Jan 2006 12:00:00 EST

The Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans, LA October 31- November 2, 2003

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]]> Photos http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1480225 http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1480225 5 May 2004 12:00:00 EDT

Spankin' New Fall 2003

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• P.O.D.
]]> Photos http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1481064 http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1481064 18 Feb 2004 12:00:00 EST

P.O.D. And Hoobastank Rock New York

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• Hoobastank
]]> Photos http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1484437 http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1484437 20 Jan 2004 12:00:00 EST

MTV Exclusive: P.O.D. Photos

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]]> Photos http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1479456 http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1479456 1 Oct 2003 05:08:05 EDT

MTV Exclusive: P.O.D Photos

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]]> Photos http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1471913 http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1471913 16 May 2003 12:42:55 EDT

45th Annual Grammy Award Nominees, Presenters, And Performers

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• John Mayer
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]]> Photos http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1459405 http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1459405 7 Jan 2003 11:42:26 EST