Madonna
Photo: Dave Hogan/ Getty Images

Lots of people go nuts over H&M clothes, but Madonna is enough of a fan to make her own. The singer has signed on to design a line of clothes and accessories called the M by Madonna women's wear collection for the Swedish fashion giant. H&M has provided Madonna, her band and dancers with offstage clothing for her recent tour, and the singer has been the face of the chain's advertising campaign this year. "I've made no secret of my love of fashion over the years," Madonna said in a statement on her Web site. "Working with Margareta [van den Bosch, the company's head of design] and H&M was an exciting and new creative challenge for me. I'm really happy with the results and look forward to wearing M by Madonna along with the rest of the world." The line will launch in March. ...

Bow Wow is acting as principal for a day at Schurr High School in Montebello, California, on Thursday (December 7). The rapper is planning to have breakfast with students, read announcements over the loudspeaker, visit some classrooms, give a pep talk to the school's football team, meet with students participating in the pageant, stop by the blood drive and give a live performance. ...

Expect to hear Snoop barking a new tune on the "Arthur and the Invisibles" soundtrack, hitting stores January 9. The rapper contributes "Go Girl," while Jewel chalks up her "Quest for Love" and Elijah chip in "It's a Beautiful Day." The rest of the soundtrack is rounded out by contributions from the London Symphonic Orchestra & the Metro Voices. ... December is shaping up to be a busy month for songwriter/producer Sean Garrett. The man behind Beyoncé's "Check on It" and Chris Brown's "Gimme That" will hit the studio with R. Kelly on Friday in Chicago and plans to work with the R&B artist through Monday. Then Garrett is off to Atlanta, where he'll collaborate with Whitney Houston from Tuesday through December 14. The producer will also reteam with Chris Brown in a New York studio from December 15-19. ...

Former Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson is working on a new project: a baby. The singer/actor, who will next appear onstage in the Toronto production of "Chicago," told MTV News that he and his wife are planning to start a family soon. ... Aly & AJ are hard at work on their second album. "It's definitely still going to be Aly and I, it's just we've grown up and I think the music has grown up with us," AJ said. ... Sean Paul is also laying down new tracks: The dancehall star has been recording his next album in Jamaica since September. "I'll probably be finished by April next year, probably come out in June," he said. ... Clinic have set a January 23 Stateside release date for their fourth album, Visitations. The British band is touring North America beginning March 2 in Los Angeles and wrapping up March 12 in Toronto. ...

If you dug "My Block: The Bay," there's a new comp you should get dumb with: Hyphy Hits, due January 9. The 20-track collection calls on the Bay Area's hottest hip-hoppers to introduce hyphy, their own crunk-and-screw-like blend, to the masses. Expect to find E-40, Keak Da Sneak, Mistah F.A.B., Mac Dre and many others on the set. ... Singer/songwriter Jason Mraz has a digital-only release hitting JasonMraz.com on Tuesday. Selections for Friends was recorded in July during his Songs for Friends Tour and touches on new material, classics and more obscure tracks. "God Rests in Reason" includes spoken-word elements from Khalil Gibran, a reputed poet who has never appeared in a song before. ...

Godsmack frontman Sully Erna will release "The Paths We Choose," his personal memoir, on February 7. According to the book's Web site, the tome isn't just a tell-all about life as a touring frontman. "It's about his life growing up, and all the struggling, suffering and sinning along the way. It's about the good times, and the time he almost gave it all up. It's about the people he loves and the ones who betrayed him, the bands he lived for and the mistakes that seemed like good ideas at the time. But most of all, it's about his never-ending passion for music." ... Garbage will issue a greatest-hits collection titled Absolute Garbage on March 19. Look for the set to feature 17 tracks, including "Only Happy When It Rains," "Stupid Girl" and "Bleed Like Me." The band continues to be on indefinite hiatus. ...

Soon-to-be Fall Out Boy tourmates Permanent Me have aligned themselves with another big name: producer Matt Squire. The Panic! at the Disco and Cute Is What We Aim For collaborator helmed the New York newcomers' debut, After the Room Clears, which will drop January 23. Permanent Me are currently touring with Monty Are I, the Summer Obsession and the Outline. ... Bayside have completed work on their forthcoming album, The Walking Wounded. No official release date has been cemented yet, but the LP is expected to surface in February. ... Puddle of Mudd also recently wrapped recording a new album: their yet-untitled third effort, which is slated for release in the spring. The band expects to tour heavily in 2007 to support the LP. ...

New York hardcore legends Sick of It All are the subject of the upcoming tribute album Our Impact Will Be Felt, which will hit stores February 3 and feature contributions from Sepultura, Bouncing Souls, Bleeding Through, Rise Against and others. To celebrate the release, Sick of It All will hit the road later this month with Hatebreed for a brief five-gig stint that kicks off in Washington, D.C., on December 26 and runs through December 30 in New Haven, Connecticut. The band will also open for AFI for four shows next year: February 5 in New Orleans; February 9 in Columbus, Ohio; February 11 in Cincinnati; and February 15 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. ... Finger Eleven will follow up their 2003 self-titled effort — which went gold — with Them vs. You, due March 20. The album is said to blend rock with country and funk elements.

12.06.2006

Gwen Stefani wants to be a part of what you listen to and what you look like, and now she's stepping into the world of scent. "Creating a fragrance is one of the most prestigious things a designer can do," the singer said in a press release announcing her L.A.M.B. brand's entry into the fragrance field. "For me it's another thing you can wear and another thing I can creatively be a part of." Stefani will team up with Coty Inc. for the scent, which will debut in fall 2007. ...

The Good Charlotte documentary "Fast Future Generation" will be released December 26 on DVD. The film, which premiered in January at the Sundance Film Festival, follows the band on tour in Japan. ... Christina Aguilera has signed on to perform live in Times Square for "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2007," airing on ABC. Clark and Ryan Seacrest are co-hosting. ...

Katharine McPhee shows her sexy side on the cover of Shape, wearing a red cleavage-baring bathing suit that exposes her midriff. The "Idol" runner-up also talks about battling an eating disorder and developing a new workout regimen in the cover story — her first one. "At the time of the 'American Idol' tryouts [August 2005], I was out of control, binging and sometimes purging up to seven times a day," she said. The singer checked herself into Los Angeles' Eating Disorder Center of California, where she was encouraged to eat apples with peanut butter and Snickers bars every day. "I had to eat them every day to get over the excitement," she said. "Now I rarely crave them." The Shape issue hits stands this week, while McPhee's debut album — which she's still working on — is due January 30. ...

Plotting Ashlee Simpson's next musical move is going to be "very tricky," producer/ Geffen Records chairman Ron Fair told MTV News. "She is a really great singer, and I think she proved that on her last record," he said. "She's in a very tight spot. She's got an extremely famous sister. Everything they do is magnified by the press. ... It's very hard to do anything if you're under that kind of scrutiny." But don't count the younger Simpson — who Fair called "a real star" — out just yet. "Our company is going to work with her and we're going to figure out how to overcome those prejudices ... because she deserves to be heard and she deserves a shot." ...

Nelly Furtado will perform a private all-ages concert Friday in Los Angeles. Want in? Take a photo of yourself with a copy of Furtado's Loose and e-mail the pic to loosenup@geffen.com along with your name, age and location. Winners will be selected at random throughout the week. And if you're willing to pay your way in — for charity — a two-ticket package featuring meet-and-greet passes and an autographed copy of Loose is up for bid Wednesday (December 6) at Universal Music's eBay store. Proceeds benefit the Land Conservancy of British Columbia. ... Tuesday was a busy breakup day in the world of Hollywood couples. People reported that Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn are calling it quits after more than a year together. The magazine also announced the end of "O.C." stars Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson's offscreen romance. ...

You don't have to win "America's Next Top Model" to rep for Cover Girl. Rihanna has joined Queen Latifah and Molly Sims as one of the faces of the makeup line. The singer, whose mother was once a makeup artist, will shoot her first ad this month. The campaign will launch in the summer. ... Aimee Mann commenced her Christmas Variety Show in San Francisco Tuesday night. The tour — which also features Grant-Lee Phillips, comedian Paul F. Tompkins ("Best Week Ever," "Mr. Show") and "SNL" castmember Fred Armisen on select dates — winds down December 20 in Alexandria, Virginia. ...

Thursday, Fear Before the March of Flames, Murder by Death and Heavy Heavy Low Low will hit the road together next month for a 15-date East Coast run. The tour gets underway in Hartford, Connecticut, on January 18, with dates scheduled through February 3 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. ... Taking Back Sunday will head out with Underoath and Armor for Sleep on a 38-date North American tour that kicks off February 22 in State College, Pennsylvania. The trek is scheduled to run through April 7, but the location of the final show has yet to be determined. ...

Frontman Ben Perri has left Long Island, New York, hardcore outfit From Autumn to Ashes, forcing drummer Francis Mark to take over that role. According to a Mark-penned post on the band's MySpace, Perri seemed to lose interest in the group during the recording of 2005's "appropriately titled" GGGarth Richardson-produced Abandon Your Friends. Mark says Perri didn't write any lyrics for the effort after assuring the rest of the band that he would, was a no-show at practice and ditched FATA before they took off to play Baltimore. "In the middle of recording the best album of our career, and just two weeks before our tour of Australia, Ben quite literally abandoned his friends," the post read. ...

Dog Fashion Disco are calling it quits and have booked a farewell show for January 13 in Baltimore. "It was a hard decision to make," the band said in a statement, "but after 10 years of constant dedication and touring, it is time to pursue other interests." Frontman Todd Smith added, "I always told myself if it stopped being worth the effort, I would gracefully bow out and that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm not going to get into details exactly why everything is ending because it really doesn't matter." ...

MySpace announced Tuesday that it is partnering with Sentinel Tech Holding Corporation to deploy a database with the names and descriptions of convicted U.S. sex offenders within the next 30 days. The move, which comes in response to repeated reports about solicitations from predators on the social-networking site, is an attempt to block sex offenders from the site by using an automated system to search for matches between the database and MySpace user profiles and delete those profiles. The database will be updated every month and include details such as names, age, hair color, height, scars and tattoos.

• Madonna
• Bow Wow
• Snoop Dogg
• R. Kelly
• Aly & AJ

Britney Spears (file)
Photo: Jive

Britney Spears has written a poem about her honeymoon and has posted it on her fan club's Web site. In the nearly blow-by-blow account of her trip to Fiji's Turtle Island, Spears describes her time alone with her new husband, Kevin Federline, as "magical nights" and a "little piece of heaven" but cuts short the details when it gets to the bedroom: "A meal, a shower and some ice cream/ Then I threw my man down, you know what I mean!" ... Lindsay Lohan is giving fans a sneak peek of her upcoming debut album, Speak — the actress/singer has posted four audio clips of songs on her Web site and is taking a poll to see which tracks people prefer. The songs are "Nobody 'Til You," "Symptoms of You," "Over" and the title track. ...

A pretrial hearing was held on Wednesday in Los Angeles for the case in which a photographer is alleging that Christina Aguilera's bodyguard beat him up outside a club last year. "He was punched in the mouth, his mouth was bloodied, he had lacerations inside his mouth," the photographer's lawyer said in court. Aguilera has countersued photographer David Keeler, claiming she had nothing to do with what happened, and her lawyer said a self-defense argument would be explored. The judge encouraged both parties to reach an agreement. ... Aguilera's former tourmate isn't having much luck with paparazzi, either. Two photographers are suing Justin Timberlake and his girlfriend, Cameron Diaz, for assault and battery, claiming the couple attacked them when they tried to photograph the pair on November 6. Saul Lazo and Jose Gonzalez claim in a lawsuit filed Friday that they did nothing to harass the couple and stood more than 10 feet away when Diaz ran at Lazo, hit him, tripped him and took his camera. They say Timberlake screamed at the photographer, who was bleeding and on the ground. In a previous statement, the couple claimed they had been ambushed and acted in self-defense, and that Diaz only took the camera to later identify the photographers. ...

Timberlake's 'NSYNC groupmate Lance Bass makes a cameo appearance on the new show "$25 Million Hoax." For the show's second episode, the singer's job is to help a woman, who is trying to record a Britney Spears song at a recording studio, convince her friends and family that she has won the lottery and has become a spendaholic. The episode airs Monday (November 15) at 10 p.m. on NBC. ... Puddle of Mudd will play a show for some lucky fans at an undisclosed Los Angeles location Tuesday. On its Web site, the band extended an invitation to the first 150 of its "biggest fans" to attend a concert that will be recorded for release on DVD. Winners were supposed to be notified by no later than Monday, so if you haven't heard back yet, you're probably out of luck. ...

Ben Lee has finished his new album, Awake Is the New Sleep. Lee worked with producer Brad Wood (Liz Phair, Smashing Pumpkins) on the album, due out in February. ... Morrissey has announced plans to reissue his latest album, You Are the Quarry, in a special CD/DVD deluxe edition. The CD half of the package now features nine B-sides. The DVD collects all three of the Mozzer's appearances on "The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn" from earlier this year along with his videos for "Irish Blood, English Heart" and "First of the Gang to Die." The combo is scheduled to hit shelves in December. ... Experimental U.K. group Stereolab are working on a three-disc retrospective of the EPs they've issued in their dozen years together. The as-yet-untitled set is due in April. Meanwhile, the band continues to work on a new series of EPs to follow up Margerine Eclipse, which dropped in January. ...

11.12.2004

Fantasia has selected "Truth Is," produced by Soulshock & Karlin (Tupac, Usher), as the first single from her debut album, Free Yourself, due November 23. The album will also feature Fantasia's "American Idol" show-stopping cover of George Gershwin's "Summertime," a version of "You Were Always on My Mind" (made famous by Willie Nelson) and three collaborations with Missy Elliott. ...

Nelly, Kanye West and Hoobastank are among the artists who will be on hand to read the nominations for the 47th annual Grammy Awards on December 7 at Hollywood's Music Box. ... Though they just starred together this week on "That '70s Show," Lindsay Lohan and Wilmer Valderrama have called it quits, according to People magazine. The couple had only recently made their relationship public, once Lohan turned 18 this July, and had also exchanged promise rings, according to Lohan's mother. They're said to still be friends. ...

Britney Spears is upsetting art critics in London, who've taken issue with an exhibition of pictures of the singer taken by David LaChapelle and Herb Ritts called "I Heart Britney" at the Institute of Contemporary Arts. In response to the criticism, the singer's record label reps have countered that the museum is the "most fitting place in London for a Britney Spears exhibition," since it's known for being "up-to-date, edgy and cool." ... After returning to the game a few months ago on the mixtape circuit, Shaquille O'Neal now has his own court to play in. Shaq is bankrolling the new imprint Deja34 Records, which will be distributed by Koch. The label's inaugural release will be a new album by DJ Kay Slay in April. Kay Slay also serves as the label's head of A&R. ...

Despite their #2 debut on the albums chart with eMOTIVe, Maynard James Keenan has put A Perfect Circle on the shelf for the time being. He's currently in the studio with his Tool bandmates working on the band's fourth album, the follow-up to 2001's Lateralus. The LP is expected to drop next year. ... "The O.C." is now more than just a TV show — it's also a game. "Skate the O.C." starts when the Cohens have left for Santa Barbara but have left their backyard gate unlocked. The show's familiar backyard — with its pool emptied and ramps in place — then becomes a skater's paradise at www.fox.com/oc/skatetheoc/. ...

Redman is eyeing a March release for his next album, Red Gone Wild. Around that time the rapper is scheduled to shoot a movie with Method Man where the two play undercover drug-enforcement agents. ... Ruben Studdard's has titled his upcoming gospel album I Need an Angel. Due November 23, it will feature the title track first single, produced by R. Kelly and Warryn Campbell. ...

On December 8, London's Royal Albert Hall will play host to the Refugee Voices for Darfur, a concert to benefit the 1.8 million displaced survivors of the bloody civil war in the African nation of Sudan. Musicians taking part in the concert include Franz Ferdinand (who have recorded a message to be played during the event), Chrissie Hynde and Mick Hucknall. The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra will serve as the evening's backup band. ... Mary J. Blige, JC Chasez and Kelis are among the artists bringing holiday cheer to the Gap's winter TV campaign, called "How Do You Share It?" in which Sarah Jessica Parker runs into different musicians on the holiday party circuit. The ads debut next week. ... Mario's next album, Turning Point, is slated for a December 7 release. Besides Scott Storch's touch on first single "Let Me Love You," the R&B singer's second album features production from Lil Jon. ...

Want to spend quality time with Metallica? Or laze around on Nick Hexum's private Key West island? Those and other opportunities are being auctioned off to raise money for the T.J. Martell Foundation, which donates money for disease research. Artists such as Linkin Park, Simple Plan, Good Charlotte and Hilary Duff are each donating their time and memorabilia to be auctioned off beginning November 22 at www.fan2fan.com/ebayauction. ... Despite rumors to the contrary, Madonna told MTV Europe that she isn't planning to do a cameo in her husband Guy Ritchie's film "Revolver," currently shooting in London. Madge, however, does have other movie plans in the works — for her book "The English Roses." She said it would hopefully go into production this year. "It takes forever to get a movie made," she said. "So fingers crossed." As for her tour documentary that's supposed to hit theaters next year, she doesn't have a name for the project yet, but she hopes it'll be out by May. ...

• Britney Spears
• Lindsay Lohan
• Justin Timberlake
• Morrissey
• Puddle Of Mudd

Puddle of Mudd's Wes Scantlin in Iraq (file)
Photo: MTV News

Pretty much everything about the concert — from the head-banging guys to the screaming girls begging to be lifted onstage — resembled a routine Puddle of Mudd show. Except that the stage was four flatbeds pushed together, and the venue was a soccer stadium in Tikrit, Iraq.

On September 12, in front of 1,500 U.S. troops, the band played the ruins of what was once a symbol of Saddam Hussein's dictatorial rule. "It was kind of weird that this person was holding people down ... at this stadium," said guitarist Paul Phillips, "and we go back and have this show and it's all about freedom."

Months prior to Puddle of Mudd's performance, the U.S. military polled its troops in Iraq to find out which band they most wanted to see perform there. They chose Puddle of Mudd, and the band immediately accepted the offer.

	Puddle of Mudd Perform for the Troops in Iraq: MTV News Video Report

"[Our managers] were like, 'Do you want to go to Iraq?' " bassist Douglas Ardito remembered. "And me and [singer] Wes [Scantlin] look at each other and were like, 'Yeah!' We didn't even think twice about it."

Though the soldiers were told about the show three weeks in advance, most were skeptical right up until showtime.

"They said half the soldiers on the bases didn't believe them when they said we were coming," Ardito said. "They were like, 'They're not going to come here,' because so many people have backed out after saying the right thing."

"I think a lot of it has to do with a lot of these artists and bands living pretty high on the hog," offered Scantlin. "It's not luxurious when you're over there. You're breathing sand through the air. It's like 130 degrees, and it's not for artists that chill in, you know, super-super-nice houses."

Puddle of Mudd were up for the challenge, heading first to Germany, where they played two shows for troops stationed there. During that stop they met a soldier who'd just been wounded in Iraq by a roadside bomb, and it drove home the reality of the situation they were headed into.

The soldier, who'd lost his eyes and most of his left arm, was awarded the Bronze Star, which he gave to the band at a meet-and-greet in Friedberg. "I just cried," said drummer Greg Upchurch.

After flying into Kuwait City, Kuwait, and having a particularly disconcerting conversation with a security guard in the airport ("Don't let your guard down," he warned Ardito) the band traveled to Tikrit.

Before a crowd featuring a throng of female soldiers dancing and tossing their hair, Puddle of Mudd played a set that ended with the hit single "She Hates Me." During the final song, Scantlin invited three women wearing "We Want Up" shirts to come onstage. Before he knew it, he said, 25 to 30 people were behind him. "At the end of the song, all of the girls, everybody, just stage-dived into the crowd."

Before leaving Tikrit, Puddle of Mudd accepted an invitation to come back and perform again. "War is scary," said Upchurch, "but when you're with these people, it's like you're a part of their family, so they make you feel very comfortable."

"I'm not scared anymore," said Scantlin. "We met a lot of amazing people, and we all learned a lot about things we didn't know about, so at the end of the day, I think we'd all go back."

— Alyssa Rashbaum, with additional reporting by Gideon Yago

• Puddle Of Mudd

Besides her famous sister and brother-in-law, Ashlee Simpson is expecting a whole host of famous faces on future episodes of her reality show. Among them will be Frankie Muniz and Jadakiss, though scenes with Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas have ended up on the cutting-room floor — at least for now. ...

The music industry has struck fear in the hearts of another 482 suspected online pirates by filing another round of copyright-infringement lawsuits. The majority of the offenders live in St. Louis (213) and Washington, D.C. (206). ... If you count lugging heavy boxes of crap around for Puddle of Mudd lucky, then 22-year-old Gabrielle Askin of Melrose Park, Pennsylvania, is the lucky winner of the band's golden-ticket contest, as she found a winning ticket in her copy of the band's Life on Display. Askin will start her duties as a roadie on July 16. ...

Metal matriarch Sharon Osbourne has not only become a household name, she's now even beaten Beelzebub at his own game. According to a readers poll in U.K. metal mag Kerrang!, Osbourne is the most important person to the spirit of rock, above Satan (#2), the Darkness' Justin Hawkins (#4) and Kurt Cobain (#7). Hubby Ozzy didn't even make the top 10. ... Last July, Justin Timberlake, the Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Rush and the Flaming Lips headlined the Toronto Rocks concert to benefit the city at a time when the SARS health scare was high, and now you can watch the concert DVD in the comfort and safety of your own home when it drops Tuesday. ...

Bam! Emeril Lagasse will "kick it up a notch" with Aerosmith's Joe Perry Sunday on the Food Network's "Emeril Live," when they cook with the guitarist's hot sauce, called "Joe Perry's Rock Your World Boneyard Brew." ... Jason Mraz has set an August 24 release date for Tonight, Not Again: Jason Mraz Live at the Eagles Ballroom, a CD/DVD recorded last October in Milwaukee. The set features five previously unreleased songs, including a solo acoustic rendition of Elton John's "Rocket Man." Blues Traveler's John Popper and the Ohio Players horn section make appearances. ...

Need more hair metal in your life? Photographer David Yellen hung out backstage with Kiss, Poison, Iron Maiden, Slaughter, Ted Nugent, Dokken and Cinderella and has compiled a historical and hilarious collection of the fans that make up their heavy metal parking lots in "Too Fast for Love: Heavy Metal Portraits." The book will be out in September, with an exhibition in New York running September 10 through October 15 at the Powerhouse Gallery. ... Scottish rockers Travis recorded their December 20 show at London's Alexandra Palace for a DVD due August 24. "Travis at the Palace" features the band performing "Sing," "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?" and "The Beautiful Occupation," as well as footage captured backstage and during soundcheck. ...

Stan Ridgway has a new album on the way. The former Wall of Voodoo frontman is continuing his solo career with Snakebite: Blacktop Ballads and Fugitive Songs, out August 20, an album that starts as a desert road trip with fringe characters but eventually becomes autobiographical. ... New Zealand band the Datsuns will release their second album, Outta Sight/Outta Mind, on September 14. The LP, which follows their self-titled 2003 debut, was produced by former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones. ...

06.22.04

Nas was due in court Monday in New York to face charges of assault, but the case was adjourned until September 21. No explanation was given by the district attorney's office. The case stems from an incident in December in which the rapper allegedly threw a bottle at a man at a New York nightclub. ...

Rapper Cam'ron is the fifth celebrity to design a baseball cap for New Era's 59Fifty Capture the Flag limited-edition hat series. Cam's cap features the Diplomats logo on the front, accented in his favorite color, pink, against a mainly purple background — keeping true to the theme of his upcoming album, Purple Haze. Roger Clemens, Fabolous and Bobbito are other celebs who have designed hats for the series. ... The photographer run over by Britney Spears' mother on Sunday turned out to have only minor injuries from the accident. Though he was taken to the hospital with a suspected broken ankle, X-rays determined that there were no broken bones. The paparazzo has some swelling and is said to be at home resting. Police who arrived at the scene did not ticket Lynne Spears. ...

Yellowcard want to know: Does your band have what it takes to open for them on their 2005 tour? Takeover Records is looking to release an album by one talented unsigned band. Interested artists should visit the tent that the label will be sharing with Yellowcard on every date of the upcoming Vans Warped Tour, and drop their demo CD off in the "Demo Submission Van" that will be parked next to the tent. At the end of the tour, Takeover will select 10 of the best demos, post one song from each on the front page of PureVolume.com, and give the public a week to pick the winner. Check out yellowcardrock.com for more details. ... "The Wu-Tang Manual," a book about the Staten Island, New York, rap crew, will be released on October 5. The project is being put together by RZA, who promises the book will tell the Wu-Tang Clan's history, decipher the members' varying alter egos and explain the numerology and Eastern philosophies that inform the group's identity. ...

Scott Weiland has until the end of the month before he'll have to stand trial for driving under the influence of drugs in Los Angeles. His court date, which has already been pushed back several times, was postponed once again on Tuesday, to June 30. ... Velvet Revolver/ex-Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan will appear on the Saturday episode of "America's Most Wanted" to talk about the unsolved murder of Lorella Lepper, who oversaw the Web site of McKagan's former band Loaded. In November 2002, Lepper was stabbed to death in her apartment in Los Angeles. ...

Make that two Roc-A-Fella honchos with their own kicks. Dame Dash has purchased Pro-Keds sneakers but says he'll still wait a few more months before he thinks about retiring his Nikes. ... The lineup for next month's fundraiser to benefit Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry has grown to include Dave Grohl. The event, to be held July 6 at Hollywood's Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre, also includes Liz Phair and Tenacious D. ...

The second annual World Peace Music Awards, originally scheduled to take place Tuesday in Hanoi, Vietnam, has been postponed until September. The event, which would have featured performances from artists including the Black Eyed Peas, Hootie and the Blowfish, Lionel Richie and Gloria Gaynor, would have been the biggest international music show ever in Vietnam. The concert's executive producer, Matt Taylor, told reporters on Monday that the postponement is due to "completely unforeseen and insurmountable circumstances," stemming from a "glitch" in communications between the concert's organizers and sponsors. Taylor added that he hopes to reschedule the event — which would have honored musicians including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and others for their protest songs during the Vietnam War — as a more scaled-down affair. ... Bob Dylan has done some fairly un-Dylan things of late, including lending one of his songs to a Victoria's Secret commercial. Now, the rock and roll icon is joining forces with Willie Nelson for the Bob Dylan Show, a 22-date concert tour of U.S. minor league baseball parks. The trek will kick off on August 6 in Cooperstown, New York, the home of Baseball's Hall of Fame, and end on September 4 in Kansas City, Kansas. This is the first time Dylan and Nelson will be touring together. "What we aim to do with this tour," Dylan said in a recent statement, "is hit the ball out of the park, touch all the bases and get home safely." ...

Ben Shabalala, a former member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, was killed in unknown circumstances on Wednesday in a suburb of Durban, South Africa. Shabalala first joined the South African group in 1979 and was with it when it worked with Paul Simon on his Grammy-winning album Graceland. ... Audiovent, the band that featured the brothers of Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd and guitarist Mike Einziger, have broken up. "After 12 years of playing music together, we've now decided to part ways, guitarist Benjamin Einziger said. "We've kept all our friendships intact, which I think is the most important thing, and are now interested in pursuing other creative endeavors." ...

Eels are the latest artists caught in the constrictive net cast by major-label mergers. After an eight-year, six-album career on the DreamWorks label, the band is leaving parent company Universal, whose Interscope Records imprint inherited most of the artists on the now-defunct DreamWorks. Frontman E plans to issue a new Eels album next year on another label. ... Southern rockers Kings of Leon have finished their second album, A-Ha Shake Heartbreak, and hope to release it before the end of the year. Song titles on the follow-up to last year's Youth & Young Manhood include "Taper Jean Girl," "King of the Radio" and "Pistol of Fire." ...

Zo Vizza, the singer for Pulse Ultra, has left the band. No reason was given for his departure and no replacement has been named. In a post on the band's Web site, Vizza wrote, "I would like to thank all the fans that supported us during the past four years. I wish nothing but the best for this band and I hope you will all keep on supporting them through their struggles." ... Swedish prog-metal band Meshuggah are planning to release the EP I on July 13. The effort will be the band's first to feature new bassist Dick Lövgren, who replaced Gustaf Hielm in March. ...

• Ashlee Simpson
• Jadakiss
• Justin Timberlake
• Puddle Of Mudd
• Ozzy Osbourne

Puddle of Mudd's Wes Scatnlin (file)
Photo: Geffen

Wes Scantlin is sitting on a curb in front of a Mexican restaurant, quietly chatting on his cell phone. If you didn't know him, you wouldn't expect that he'd be commanding the spotlight in front of thousands that night when Puddle of Mudd opened for Kid Rock.

But two girls who do recognize him spot the singer and nervously shuffle over. "Aren't you Wes from Puddle of Mudd?" asks one.

"Yes, I am," he replies, flattered by the attention and agreeing to pose for a photo.

The name of Puddle of Mudd's most recent album, Life on Display, may suggest that Scantlin resents being under a microscope, but he's sure happy to be a rock star. "This is the best job in the world," he gloats. "I'm having a great time."

Less than a month after being asked to play dates with the Kid, Puddle of Mudd are in high demand. Their new single, "Heel Over Head," is charting well, and the band has shows lined up through June. Even so, Scantlin wants to make sure he continues to be recognized on street corners. A B-side called "Bleed" will be featured on the soundtrack of "The Punisher," due March 23, and the singer has a variety of other projects up his sleeve, including an acoustic album (see "Puddle Of Mudd To Spin Out Acoustic, Live Albums").

Scantlin is also starting to write material for the next electric Puddle of Mudd album. He recently penned a rocking song called "Galvanic," which he recorded during a soundcheck. "The emotion of the song is amazing," he said. "I cried when I heard it on the playback because I've been going through a little struggling time in my life right now. When I get off the road I'm just sitting in a house trying to figure out how to be normal again, and then when I get back on the road I'm trying to figure out how it is to live on the road again."

When in similarly turbulent situations in the past, Scantlin wrote songs to help him cope. Now he's doing the same, which is a relief because after Life on Display the creative well seemed to dry up. "I really went to the edge on that album, and I might have gone insane for a second," he said. "It's kind of weird being a songwriter. The little inspirational songbird that lands on your shoulder kind of flies away for a while, and you miss it, and you don't know when it's gonna come back, and it actually just did come back. So I'm writing again, and it's great."

As much as Puddle of Mudd are looking forward to their new rock songs and acoustic record, there are more timely things to attend to right now — like finishing up the video for "Heel Over Head."

The clip was shot in Chicago early this month and directed by rock photographer Chris Cuffaro. "There's not really a story line," Scantlin said, "it's more like performance art that captures the essence of emotion. We were all filmed on the surface of a rotating table, and the images make it look really rock and roll. I really put a lot of emotion into it, and we had a girl who put every pained out thing she could put into it."

"Heel Over Head" is scheduled to go to video outlets at the end of the month. And while Puddle of Mudd's label wants to focus on the song at radio for a while, Scantlin is already planning ahead. He wants to release at least two more singles from Life on Display. The first will likely be "Spin You Around," one of the band's more positive tunes.

"I wrote it on a mountain in L.A. three years ago," Scantlin said. "My girl had just left to get some food, and I was sitting there playing the song. She came back in and started dancing around. So I just kind of wrote the song about this girl that was dancing around in front of me. It's a different kind of thing for us."

The other potential single, "Freak of the World," is more typical Puddle: "When I was growing up, I was the little freak of the school," Scantlin said. "I knew a lot of other kids that were jocks and stuff and they played sports, and I discovered that they were freakier than I was. So I think there's a little freak in everybody, you know?"

• Puddle Of Mudd

Puddle of Mudd's Wes Scantlin (file)
Photo: Chapman Baehler

If you're in Springfield, Illinois, on March 2, 2005, don't be surprised to find townsfolk reflecting on Puddle of Mudd. After all, according to a proclamation delivered at Tuesday's show by Springfield Mayor Timothy Davlin, from here on out that day will be known as Puddle of Mudd Day.

Davlin hopped onstage after the band's regular set and in addition to making the declaration, presented frontman Wes Scantlin with the key to the city.

"I didn't know it was gonna happen, man," Scantlin said. "I just walked offstage and wiped myself off. And then I walked back up, and slam. The mayor is standing onstage with a big scroll, and he gives us the key and says, 'You guys rock. Thanks a lot for coming.' "

Scantlin said the band was awarded the key because its concert sold out in an unprecedented five minutes and was considered an important cultural event for the city's youth. For Scantlin, the presentation marked a welcome shift from the abuse that's been flung his way since he was arrested in Toledo, Ohio, on February 22 for disorderly conduct (see "Puddle Of Mudd's Wes Scantlin Arrested After Drunken Performance").

During that show, Scantlin's bandmates left the stage in disgust after four songs, but the singer remained and slurred his way through another half-hour of virtually unrecognizable material. When he finally walked off, Scantlin was arrested by police.

"I guess they wanted to make an example out of somebody, so they picked me," he said. "But I didn't do anything violent. I wasn't possessing any type of substances. I just got a little too buzzed to play my guitar and sing at the same time. And I apologized to the crowd 10 times before I walked offstage."

Scantlin said police arrested him because they thought he threw a glass beer bottle at the crowd. When they realized they were mistaken, they dropped the charges. "I dumped a plastic bottle of water on my head, and then I just tossed it into the crowd," the singer said. "You could hit yourself in the kneecap 100 times with that bottle and it wouldn't do anything."

After the arrest, a Toledo newspaper reported that Scantlin received additional charges of criminal mischief and misconduct involving a public transportation system for allegedly spitting in a patrol car on the way to his booking, claims Scantlin said are completely inaccurate. "I just can't believe they said I spit on people, man. They're just looking for a story. They want to make the story interesting or demented, so they have to make up something and put it out there. And the next thing you know, I'm the scapegoat and I'm the guy that they blame."

In the wake of the Toledo incident, the University in Minnesota canceled a Puddle of Mudd concert and fans were left wondering if Scantlin is battling personal demons or turning into a loose cannon. The singer insists such theories are absurd and claims he's happier than he's been in a while. "Out of playing over 400 shows in the last four years of my life, one of them kind of didn't go very well and I had a bad day," he said. "And I feel really bad for all the fans who had to come to the show to see the bad day happen."

To make amends, Puddle of Mudd plan to play a benefit show in Toledo for the police and fire department. "I've got nothing against the police, and I will redeem myself at the show," Scantlin said. "I just want to tell everybody that we're coming back and the next time we'll be 650 percent better."

• Puddle Of Mudd

Metallica have launched a new Web site that will allow fans to download their shows within four days after they occur. The site, www.livemetallica.com, will provide unedited soundboard recordings of all shows on the Madly in Anger Tour, which kicks off Wednesday night (March 3) in Tucson, Arizona. The full concerts will be available in standard MP3 ($9.95) and CD-quality FLAC files ($12.95), and can be burned to disc, transferred to portable players or played through a computer. Printable booklets, tray inlays, and CD labels are also available with purchase. ...

C-Murder appeared in a Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, court on Tuesday for the final hearing in his effort to gain a new murder trial. Judge Martha Sassone said she would rule later on the request to overturn the rapper's conviction of second-degree murder in the shooting death of 16-year-old Steve Thomas during an MC battle. His defense argued that he should be given a new trial because prosecutors failed to inform them that some key witnesses had criminal records. Prosecutors countered that they were not aware of one witness' record because it had been expunged, and that the defense knew during the trial about the trouble the other witnesses had with the law but had chosen not to cross-examine them. C-Murder, whose real name is Corey Miller, is looking at a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole. Meanwhile, his deposition in the wrongful-death suit brought by Thomas' parents is scheduled for April 13. ...

To mark the 10th anniversary of Nas' classic Illmatic, the LP will be reissued March 30 as a double-disc set comprising a remastered version of the original album and a disc featuring four new remixes, including one of "The World Is Yours," and two new songs, "Star Wars" and "On the Real," which was produced by rap pioneer Marley Marl. A DVD, Video Anthology Vol. 1, will be released separately to coincide with the reissue. ...

Puddle of Mudd's March 29 show at Minnesota State University was canceled by the school after it found out about frontman Wes Scantlin's February 22 arrest for disorderly conduct and criminal mischief after a concert in Toledo, Ohio. Scantlin reportedly spat at the audience and threw a bottle at the crowd, acts that the university felt might jeopardize the safety of its students should they happen again. ...

Before they hook-up with No Doubt for a monthlong summer tour in June, Blink-182 will play nine shows with Cypress Hill, beginning April 29 in Nampa, Idaho. Cypress Hill's seventh album, Till Death Do Us Part, drops March 23. ... Sparta's second album, Porcelain, will come out in June. The disc, produced by Mike Major and mixed by Andy Wallace, will include the songs "Guns of Memorial Park," "Breaking the Broken," "Hiss the Villain" and "While Oceana Sleeps." Before their May 1 appearance at Coachella, Sparta will play six shows, beginning March 11 in Hollywood and concluding April 18 in Asbury Park, New Jersey. ...

Chimaira are the latest addition to the work-in-progress Within the Mind, a tribute LP honoring late Death frontman Chuck Schuldiner. Those already onboard for the album, due in June, include CKY, King Diamond, Slipknot and Six Feet Under. ... Dio will release a DVD of their 1985 Sacred Heart tour on March 23. In addition to a complete concert, the disc includes bonus interviews with the bandmembers. ...

Staind's Aaron Lewis makes a guest appearance on and co-wrote "Fallin' Out," the first single from Jimmie's Chicken Shack's upcoming album, re.present. Marcy Playground singer John Wozniak also makes an appearance, and Everclear's Art Alexakis, Marvelous 3's Butch Walker and Creed's Mark Tremonti have co-written songs for the LP, due April 27. ... Two new Who songs are featured in the upcoming hits collection Then and Now!, due March 30. "Old Red Wine" and "Real Good Looking Boy," which was recorded with drummer Zak Starkey in November, appear alongside favorites like "The Kids Are Alright," "Magic Bus" and "I Can't Explain." ...

03.02.2004

Just a couple of weeks after his debut album blasted its way to #2 on the albums chart, about 15 unreleased Kanye West songs have leaked onto the Internet. Included in the set is a song called "Hey Mama," which finds Kanye writing a thank-you love song to his mom over a Donovan-like '60s folk vocal loop. In previous interviews, Kanye said the song would appear on his third album. Also amongst the tracks are original versions of "All Falls Down" and "Family Business" and various instrumentals. ... Meanwhile, Kanye and the Young Gunz will headline the first benefit for the Heart & Voices concert series March 11 at New York's Show club. The bi-monthly performances will raise awareness for HIV prevention in the black community and funds for LIFEbeat: The Music Industry Fights AIDS. ...

Claymates are flocking to the North Carolina Museum of History. On Tuesday (March 2), the museum debuted a new exhibit featuring a white shirt, black pinstriped pants and shoes Clay Aiken wore on "American Idol" last March. "Today's popular culture often becomes tomorrow's history," curator Elizabeth F. Buford told reporters. ... Forget about the Artist or other monikers, Prince is happy being called Prince. "There's a new song on the new CD called 'Call My Name' and the song basically talks about the fact that no one had really said my name for a long time because I changed it," the singer said recently. "My friends respected my wishes and they didn't use the name Prince. They just called me 'friend' or 'sir' or something like that. It was interesting being called 'sir' for so long. So anyway, look for that track 'cause I think it's one of the best ones I've done." ...

The Ying Yang Twins are trying to keep the ladies shaking through the spring with two remixes of their hit single "Salt Shaker." The first one features Lil Jon, Murphy Lee, Juvenile and Fat Joe. The second boasts appearances by all the same players, in addition to B.G., Fat Man Scoop and newcomers Pitbull and Jacki-O. ... Snoop Dogg has a couple of songs recorded for his next solo album, Snoopafly, but admits to being a long way from completion. "It's like a movie," he said recently. "You can shoot a whole bunch of scenes but you don't know how you're gonna cut the movie up until you really get it all done." ...

DJ Vlad will follow up his award winning Rap Phenomenon mixtape series with the first Rock Phenomenon mixtape, due later in the month on www.djvlad.com. Ex-Rage Against the Machine frontman Zack de la Rocha, Everlast, M.O.P. and Cypress Hill are some of the collaborators who worked on the project with Vlad in DJ Muggs' studio during NBA All-Star weekend. ... Danger Mouse will be the keynote speaker at the M3 (Miami Music Multimedia) Summit Sunday in Miami. The hip-hop producer behind the now infamous Grey Album will also be headlining the M3 Sunset Sessions that night at the Surfcomber Hotel, where he will be spinning sections of his Jay-Z vs. the Beatles experiment for the first time, along with tunes from Ghetto Pop Life, his new album with rapper Jemini. ...

Story of the Year, Sugarcult, Reel Big Fish, Atreyu and My Chemical Romance are among the bands slated for the 9th annual Extreme Thing sports and music festival, set for March 27 at the Desert Breeze Skate Park in Las Vegas. ... Something Corporate and Yellowcard are teaming up for a co-headlining tour beginning March 18 in San Francisco and wrapping April 30 in Kingston, Rhode Island. Afterwards, Yellowcard will hit the road again, with the Vans Warped Tour. ...

The sequel to Rob Zombie's directorial debut, "House of 1000 Corpses," will be called "The Devil's Rejects," according to a post on his Web site. The film, which features all of the original cast members, is expected later this year. ... Mathew Knowles, a.k.a. Beyoncé's father, has signed old-school soul crooners the O'Jays to a new multi-record deal. The group's new music is to be released on Sony via Knowles' own Music World Music label before the end of the year. ...

British rapper Mike Skinner, better known as the Streets, has set a May 18 release date for his second LP, A Grand Don't Come for Free. The concept album tells a story from song to song (with two different endings). ... Melancholic New York quartet Interpol are looking to begin working on their second album at the end of the month. A late 2004 due date is expected. ...

While Kittie work on their third album, Until the End, due this summer, lawyers for the female-fronted metal band have settled a lawsuit with former label Artemis Records. The terms of the suit, filed in April and alleging the withholding of royalties, were undisclosed. ... With a new single, "Sister Savior," hitting the airwaves, the Rapture will launch a North American tour Friday at the Winter Music Conference in Miami. The outing wraps up May 4 at Coachella in Indio, California. ...

• Metallica
• Nas
• blink-182
• C-Murder
• Puddle Of Mudd

Puddle of Mudd's Wes Scantlin (file)
Photo: Amy Cooper

Fans at a Puddle of Mudd show in Toledo, Ohio, got a lot less than they bargained for Sunday night when frontman Wes Scantlin cut the band's set short, announced he was too wasted to play and eventually found himself in police custody facing a disorderly conduct charge.

Those in attendance said that a scant four songs into the band's performance at Headliners club Scantlin's bandmates walked off the stage, leaving a stumbling, hostile Scantlin alone. According to concertgoers, Scantlin was, by his own admission to the crowd, "too f---ed up" to perform. Still, he remained onstage for half an hour after the band's departure, shouting insults and profanity at the audience and singing songs that he seemed to make up as he went along.

Toledo's The Blade newspaper added that Scantlin was holding his guitar above his head and, because of his alcohol-induced unsteadiness, dropped it on the ground.

After incurring the wrath of the crowd, which hurled flotsam and profanity toward the stage, Scantlin headed back to his dressing room, where he was arrested by Toledo police for disorderly conduct-intoxication, according to The Blade. Charges of criminal mischief and misconduct involving a public transportation system were reportedly added when Scantlin spit in the Toledo police cruiser en route to his booking.

All three charges are misdemeanors. Scantlin was released on a cash bond of $150 and is scheduled to be arraigned in Toledo Municipal Court on Tuesday.

This marks the second very public run-in with the law for Scantlin, who was arrested with his fiancée in March 2002 for the investigation of domestic violence (see "Puddle Of Mudd Frontman Arrested After Fight With Fiancee"). In the end he was not charged.

Spokespeople for the band and its record label, Geffen Records, could not be reached for comment.

• Puddle Of Mudd

Puddle of Mudd (file)
Photo: Keith Leman

Puddle of Mudd had already lined up their headlining tour with Smile Empty Soul when they got the phone call — Kid Rock wanted the group to open for him at select shows. So Puddle did what any band that has an already busy itinerary would do — they said yes.

The first of nine shows with the Kid will take place February 19 in Fort Worth, Texas, almost a month after the beginning of Puddle of Mudd's headlining tour. All of the band's dates with Kid Rock were scheduled in two- and three-day stretches so the band didn't have to reconfigure too many of its own shows. Cities include Little Rock, Arkansas; Louisville, Kentucky; Grand Rapids, Michigan; New Orleans and Memphis. The final show with Kid Rock is March 25 in Detroit. The last of 35 performances with Smile Empty Soul will be March 22 in Washington, D.C.

Playing seesaw with major tours hasn't been the only recent conundrum in the Puddle camp. After leaning toward releasing "Spin You Around" as their new single (see "Puddle Of Mudd To Spin Out Acoustic, Live Albums"), the guys have decided to go with "Heel Over Head" instead. The song will be sent to radio in mid to late February, and the band plans to shoot a video in the next two weeks.

Puddle of Mudd tour dates, according to Geffen Records:

• 1/23 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theatre
• 1/24 - Lubbock, TX @ The Pavillion
• 1/26 - McAllen, TX @ Villa Real Conv. Ctr.
• 1/27 - Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa
• 1/28 - Corpus Christi, TX @ Concrete Street Amphitheatre
• 1/30 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Bricktown Event Center
• 1/31 - Columbia, MO @ Blue Note
• 2/2 - Atlanta, GA @ Roxy Theatre
• 2/3 - Jacksonville, FL @ Plush
• 2/4 - Raleigh, NC @ Disco Rodeo
• 2/6 - North Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
• 2/7 - Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Music Hall
• 2/8 - Knoxville, TN @ Blue Cats
• 2/10 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
• 2/11 - Springfield, MO @ Remington's Niteclub
• 2/12 - Tulsa, OK @ Cain's Ballroom
• 2/14 - Galveston, TX @ Mardi Gras
• 2/16 - El Paso, TX @ Club XCape
• 2/17 - Amarillo, TX @ Aztec Music Hall
• 2/19 - Fort Worth, TX @ Tarrant County Coliseum (with Kid Rock)
• 2/20 - Little Rock, AR @ The Alltel Arena (with Kid Rock)
• 2/22 - Toledo, OH @ Headliners
• 2/23 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's
• 2/24 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
• 2/26 - Johnson City, TN @ Freedom Hall Civic Center (with Kid Rock)
• 2/27 - Louisville, KY @ Freedom Hall (with Kid Rock)
• 2/28 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Adel Arena (with Kid Rock)
• 3/1 - Madison, WI @ Barrymore
• 3/2 - Springfield, IL @ State Fairgrounds
• 3/4 - Bossier City, LA @ Century Tel Arena (with Kid Rock)
• 3/5 - New Orleans, LA @ Lakefront Arena (with Kid Rock)
• 3/6 - Memphis, TN @ Pyramid (with Kid Rock)
• 3/8 - Urbana, IL @ Canopy
• 3/9 - Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Ballroom
• 3/10 - Fort Wayne, IN @ Piere's
• 3/12 - Niagara Falls, NY @ Dome Theatre
• 3/13 - Rochester, NY @ Water Street
• 3/14 - Albany, NY @ Saratoga Winners
• 3/16 - Providence, RI @ Lupo's at the Strand
• 3/17 - Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance
• 3/19 - Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
• 3/20 - Portland, ME @ State Theatre
• 3/22 - Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
• 3/25 - Detroit, MI @ The Palace (with Kid Rock)

• Puddle Of Mudd
• Kid Rock

Puddle of Mudd
Photo: MTV News

UNIVERSAL CITY, California — During Puddle of Mudd's club tour last fall, the band regularly dropped into rock stations along the way to perform a live acoustic song or two.

The downside: "If it's before 4 o'clock, it's gonna be sketchy," drummer Greg Upchurch admitted. "You can't just wake up and start going."

The upside: Puddle of Mudd liked what they heard. So much so that an acoustic album is in the works for later this year.

"Most of our songs were written on acoustic guitars, so you're inevitably gonna have to record 'em [that way]," singer Wes Scantlin said backstage during KROQ-FM's recent Almost Acoustic Christmas show. "And it's a cool, raw way to record your music."

The acoustic album is one of several projects Puddle of Mudd want to release as fan treats prior to their third studio record. It's also a way, as guitarist Paul Phillips put it, "to buy ourselves some time, so we can actually take a break." A live album and DVD are in the works as well.

"It's what the fans want to see," Scantlin said. "Actually, a lot of times fans want to see backstage stuff more than [performances]. But you've gotta have some guts to release that stuff."

Before concentrating on other albums, though, Puddle of Mudd will continue to promote Life on Display, released in November (see "Puddle Of Mudd Benefit From Parental Guidance").

The band is close to choosing "Spin You Around" over "Heel Over Head" as its next single, but is hesitant to call it final.

"This is how this happened," Phillips joked, holding up the hand he broke during a stage fall in December. "I wanted one song and [bassist] Doug [Ardito] wanted another. And you may think I lost, but I actually won."

"Personally, I think we should let the fans decide," Scantlin said, more seriously. "We should just do a poll on the Internet. Because we have no clue what song to release next. They're like your little babies and you don't want to send any of them to the corner. They might stare at you, like you're their father and they're mad."

One reason Puddle of Mudd are leaning toward "Spin You Around" is the positive reaction it got on tour. And it happens to be especially close to Scantlin's heart.

"I was with this person and I would have done anything for her," he explained. But I knew that when I went on the road, it was all going to end, just like it always has. And it just did. I felt desperate. But it's a good love song, and there's nothing wrong with that."

Scantlin joked that video ideas were being "spun around," and Upchurch shared one of his own. "I still want to do animation stuff," he said. "I just want to sit at home and say, 'Send me the reel!' "

Along with "Spin You Around," Phillips said "Think" has been a fan favorite during recent shows.

"It's weird, 'cause 'Think' is a mellower song. It's the type of song you kind of have to hear the lyrics and feel to understand," he said. "But every night it happened, like, instantly. By the last chorus, everybody was feeling the vibe. It was really weird, man, but it was cool."

And speaking of touring, Puddle of Mudd have booked another couple of months of club and theater dates beginning January 23 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and ending March 19 in Sayreville, New Jersey.

"We're going back out to do some markets we didn't hit before," Phillips said. "Same style show, bringing out Smile Empty Soul again, kind of finishing up where we left off."

• Puddle Of Mudd

Spankin' New Fall 2003

• Britney Spears
• blink-182
• G-Unit
• Enrique Iglesias
• P.O.D.

• Puddle Of Mudd

Puddle of Mudd live at the House of Blues in Chicago, IL October 23, 2003

• Puddle Of Mudd

• Metallica
• Avril Lavigne
• Sum 41
• Snoop Dogg
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2002 KROQ Weenie Roast

• Puddle Of Mudd
• Papa Roach
• Rob Zombie
• Jimmy Eat World
• System of a Down

• Puddle Of Mudd

• Puddle Of Mudd