Photo: Calvin

After two weeks, rapper T.I. has been knocked out of the top spot on the Billboard albums chart — but not by a single, big-name artist. Actually, it took the combined might of 20 hitmakers to get the job done, and now, thanks to sales of more than 222,500 in just one week, there's a new LP sitting in the #1 slot.

With track contributions from heavyweights like Fall Out Boy, Avril Lavigne, Gwen Stefani, Fergie, Justin Timberlake, Ne-Yo, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Daughtry and others, the 25th installment in the Now That's What I Call Music! compilation franchise managed to outsell T.I.'s T.I. vs. T.I.P. by more than 125,000 scans, dropping the rapper's latest — which, during its third week in stores, generated 93,500 in sales — to #3. According to the latest SoundScan tallies, interest in the disc waned by 47 percent.

Now 25 even trounced Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus — the latest release from the star of the Disney Channel original series — which finished at #2 with 113,000 copies sold. So, really, Now 25 faced little competition on its way to the finish line — although, one album picked up a significant amount of ground coming down the home stretch.

After entering last week's chart at #20, sales of the soundtrack to the film "Hairspray" — which features the vocal talents of the movie's stars: John Travolta, Zac Efron, Queen Latifah, Nikki Blonsky, Michelle Pfeiffer and others — swelled by 95 percent, and the release itself surged ahead 16 chart positions to finish at #4. Following at #6 is Fergie's The Dutchess, which scanned close to 50,000 units, while Linkin Park's Minutes to Midnight holds steady at #7, with 46,900 sold. Coming in at #8 on next week's chart is Amy Winehouse's Back to Black, which netted another 45,400 in sales during its 19th week of release, and returning to the top 10 at #9 is Nickelback's All the Right Reasons, with a reported 42,500 scans. Rounding things out at #10 is Bon Jovi's latest, Lost Highway, with sales coming in at just under 42,000.

Now 25 was among 16 new releases to open on next week's chart, and one of only two discs to penetrate the top 10: American acoustic-folk singer/songwriter Colbie Caillat's Coco bows at #5, having sold 50,900 copies during week one. The third-highest-charting debut belongs to Yellowcard and their new one, Paper Walls, which sold 40,400 copies during its first week on record store shelves and landed at #13.

Meanwhile, Rooney's Calling the World sold more than 15,200 units to claim the chart's #42 spot, followed at #44 by the Rocket Summer's Do You Feel with 15,000 copies scanned. Rapper Tech N9ne's Tech N9ne Collabos: Misery Loves Kompany opens at #49, with sales reported at 13,500, and finishing at #65 with 10,500 copies snatched up is the latest studio offering from the Chemical Brothers, We Are the Night. Christian punks MxPx's Secret Weapon surfaces at #76, after selling 9,500, and 10 spots down, debuting at #86, is Legally Blonde: The Original Broadway Cast Recording, with sales coming in at little more than 8,300.

Editors' An End Has a Start bows at #117, thanks to sales of more than 6,200, while Suzanne Vega's newest, Beauty & Crime, finished at #129, with 5,700 sold. (hed) p.e.'s Insomnia generated close to 5,500 scans during its first week in stores, which lands the LP at #138 on next week's chart. Meanwhile, Behemoth's The Apostasy opens at #149 with 5,000 scans, followed at #150 by One Cell in the Sea, the debut album from A Fine Frenzy, also known as 22-year-old singer/songwriter Alison Sudol, which sold just under 5,000 units. Finally, with 4,600 copies grabbed up, is the latest from Nile, Ithyphallic, which claims the chart's #162 spot.

• T.I.
• Colbie Caillat
• Fergie
• Linkin Park
• Amy Winehouse

Method Man (file)
Photo: MTV News

Method Man's documentary "The Strip Game," in which the rapper tracks the lives of five strippers, will hit shelves on March 8. Accompanying Meth on his trek are his pals Redman, Scarface, Ghostface, Blink-182's Travis Barker and Warren G. The DVD will be released through Lions Gate and will include special features, including never-before-seen pole tricks, extended dances and auditions. ... The Boot Camp Clik are stomping back to action this spring with three new albums. Heltah Skeltah's Sean Price will make his solo debut in April with Monkey Barz. Then in May, Black Moon frontman Buckshot and Little Brother DJ/producer 9th Wonder will team for Chemistry. Finally, Smif N Wessun return — with their original name intact — for Reloaded in June. For fans who can't wait until spring, the Clik will showcase their new material on January 28 at New York's Knitting Factory. ...

Matchbox Twenty singer Rob Thomas is slated to release his solo debut, Something to Be, in early May. The album will feature likely first single "Lonely No More" as well as an unnamed track featuring John Mayer on guitar. ... Because donating to charity is always in fashion, the clothing line option-g has created a line called Army With Harmony that will feature T-shirts designed by musicians, with a percentage of the proceeds from their sale going to a charity of the artists' choice. The premiere collection, set to launch in mid-February, will feature shirts with artwork by Ben Lee, Ned Brower from Rooney and Aaron Burtch from Grandaddy. ...

The second U.K. edition of All Tomorrow's Parties 2005 will be curated by actor/musician/director Vincent Gallo. Scheduled for April 22-24 in Camber Sands, the three-day festival will feature the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Prefuse 73, Lydia Lunch, Buck 65 and the reunion of indie rockers from two generations: '70s no-wavers James Chance and the Contortions and '90s orchestral collective Olivia Tremor Control. The first installment of ATP 2005 is set for Feb 25-27 and is being assembled by re-formed rockers Slint; Spoon and Mogwai are among the acts on that bill. ... Former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr has joined forces with Stan Lee's POW! Entertainment to develop a multimedia franchise in which Starr will star as a superpowered, animated version of himself, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The project will initially be launched as a 60- or 90-minute DVD but may branch into a TV show or feature film. ...

R&B songbird Vivian Green is back in the studio. Green is working with a host of producers, including Scott Storch, James Poyser, June Burvine and Che Pop, on her second album, Vivian, the follow-up to her 2002 debut, A Love Story. ... New York electro-clashers Fischerspooner will release their sophomore album, Odyssey, on April 5. Guests on the 11-track record include Linda Perry, Madonna producer Mirwais and late author/activist Susan Sontag. The lead single from the LP will be "Just Let Go." ...

01.24.2005

JoJo has picked "Not That Kinda Girl" to be her next single. She's shooting the video in Los Angeles with Fat Cats at the helm on February 1 and 2, before flying off to Australia the following week to film her movie debut, "Aquamarine." JoJo's slated to shoot Down Under through May. ...

As part of mtvU's "Stand In" series, Nas and his father, jazz musician Olu Dara, surprised students at Morehouse College in Atlanta when they subbed as guest professors for the day for a class on improvisational jazz. The Nas class — in which father and son composed a new piece of music with the students — will air on February 1 at 1 p.m. on mtvU. The segment will also premiere online at www.mtvu.com the same day. ... The newest incarnation of Nine Inch Nails is shaping up to hit the road. On NIN.com, Trent Reznor confirmed that the touring version of Nails has been assembled, featuring A Perfect Circle's Jeordie White on bass, former Icarus Line member Aaron North on guitar, Jerome Dillon on drums and Allessandro Cortini on keyboards. Reznor also said that Nine Inch Nails' new album, With Teeth, will hit stores on May 3. ...

The Strokes have begun work on the follow-up to 2003's Room on Fire. Squirreled away in its Hell's Kitchen recording studio, the New York quintet has recorded five new songs with producer David Kahne (Sugar Ray, Sublime). The band has no release date set, but maintains the record will come out later in 2005. ... West Coast music fans keen on melting in the sun can rejoice. The sixth Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival is set for April 30-May 1 at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, California. Confirmed acts so far for the two-day fest include Rilo Kiley, Bloc Party, the Bravery, Fiery Furnaces, French Kicks, British Sea Power, the Futureheads, M83 and Ambulance LTD. More acts are expected to be announced in a few weeks. ...

Will.I.Am will guest star on an upcoming episode of "Joan of Arcadia," in which he'll play a character called, strangely enough, Three Card Monte Guy God. In the episode, airing February 18 at 8 p.m. on CBS, the Black Eyed Peas leader teaches Joan a lesson about keeping her eye on what's important while he tricks her with the cards. ... James Woods, Danny Masterson and "Hustle & Flow" co-star DJ Qualls were among the Sundance Film Festival attendees who showed up to check out Ludacris' set at Harry O's on Main Street in Park City, Utah, Sunday night. ...

Metallica frontman James Hetfield has designed the fifth in his series of custom guitars with manufacturer ESP. The new model, dubbed the "Truckster," is based on the guitar Hetfield used on the St. Anger tour and features "a multi-layered finish strategically sanded through and fully distressed" to match Hetfield's battered battle axe. ... Bob Dylan has been nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award for his memoir, "Chronicles, Vol. 1." The tome will go up against biographies of Alexander Hamilton and William Shakespeare for the prize. The awards ceremony will take place on March 18. ...

Ex-Afghan Whigs singer Greg Dulli will debut his new band, Uptown Lights, at a show in Los Angeles on February 19. The six-piece outfit grew out of sessions Dulli had recently with another of his groups, Gutter Twins, a collaboration with guitarist/singer Mark Lanegan. ... Want to be the new lead singer of INXS? The band is holding open-call auditions starting Tuesday in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the Milestone Club and ending February 25 in Los Angeles at the Whisky. The camera-shy need not apply — this is all being documented for the band's reality show that will air on CBS this summer. ...

• Method Man
• Boot Camp Clik
• John Mayer
• Rob Thomas
• Rooney

Britney Spears will appear at the 2004 Teen Choice Awards, which are taping August 8 in Universal City, California, and will air August 11 on FOX. Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are hosting the show, which will also feature appearances by Jennifer Garner, Jimmy Fallon, Mischa Barton, Christina Applegate, Anne Hathaway, Wilmer Valderrama, Chad Michael Murray, Tyra Banks and Shawn and Marlon Wayans. Teens can vote for the awards at www.teenpeople.com/teenchoice. ... Britney's little sister, Jamie Lynn, is starring in a new live-action comedy series on Nickelodeon called "Zoey 101," in which she'll play a 13-year-old attending a newly coed beachside boarding school. In the premiere episode, Jamie Lynn's character, Zoey Brooks, aims to make the basketball team, much to the chagrin of the boys already on the team. The show, shot on location in Malibu, California, will air on Sundays starting in early 2005. ...

Filmmaker Michael Moore's controversial "Fahrenheit 9/11," whose box-office receipts total more than $100 million, will be screened in the overwhelmingly pro-Bush Crawford, Texas, home of the president's vacation ranch. Via his Web site, Moore extended an invitation for Bush to join the expected 1,000 people at the screening. "The premiere will give us a chance to serve up some chips, salsa and a whole lot of truth," Moore wrote. "And let's face it, you've got some of the funniest lines in the film." ... Rapper Loon will appear in court on September 8 for a preliminary hearing on his charge of one count of assault with a deadly weapon. The MC missed a June 3 preliminary hearing at Beverly Hills Superior Court and a bench warrant was issued for June 30. Loon and co-defendant William Reyes turned themselves in that day. ...

Katy Rose is using the Chicks With Attitude Tour with Liz Phair and the Cardigans to promote her new single, "I Like." "It's a very powerful song," Rose said. "We usually open the show with it. It's basically saying that maybe I could like myself one day and maybe I could like you one day, because anything can happen, really." ... Rooney are returning to the studio next month with Keith Forsey, who produced the band's self-titled debut, to record the follow-up. In the meantime, the band has released separate exclusive live tracks to Napster and Rhapsody! and is encouraging radio stations to play "Pop Stars," although it will not be an official single. "It's about the candy-coated glossy poppy music," singer Robert Carmine said. "It was written like three or four years ago at the peak of all that Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys [stuff]." ...

Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic's first book, "Of Grunge & Government: Let's Fix This Broken Democracy!," will hit bookshelves on September 15. One part memoir, one part political platform, Novoselic tells the story of his musical and political coming-of-age. ... OK Go are giving bands the OK to go political. Lead singer Damian Kulash has written a how-to guide for bands interested in becoming politically active. His "How Your Band Can Fire Bush," a manifesto/resource guide, can be found at www.okgo.net, and provides tools for bands to talk to their fans and the press about politics. For your Bush-bashing convenience, Kulash has also included a two-page fact sheet of what President Bush has and has not accomplished while in office. ...

The Polyphonic Spree's two-week tour to promote the release of their second album, Together We're Heavy, will begin August 13 in Chicago. Seven East Coast dates stand between the kickoff and the trek's finale, August 25 in New York. ... Sorry, ladies — Reel Big Fish frontman Aaron Barrett has married his girlfriend of more than two years, Molly Terrence. The couple were wed during an impromptu ceremony in Las Vegas on July 21, in a ceremony that included Barrett's fellow bandmates and some friends. Reel Big Fish had been in town for a show at the House of Blues, and finish up their tour this week before they head off to Hawaii for another wedding — that of their bassist, Matt Wong. ... Following their departure from Geffen Records in March, Cold have inked a deal with Atlantic Records and have completed eight songs for their follow-up to 2003's Year of the Spider. Producer Dave Fortman is expected to join the band when Cold hit a Massachusetts studio to record the new material. ...

7.26.2004

First-time voters are up for grabs in the upcoming presidential election, according to a poll conducted by Pace University on behalf of Rock the Vote. The poll reveals that 33 percent of those who have registered to vote since the 2000 election consider themselves Republicans while 35 percent consider themselves Democrats. Half of these new voters say that they would vote for John Kerry, while 40 percent say they would vote for George W. Bush. ...

Missy Elliott lent a hand to Christina Aguilera as she recorded her remake of yet another disco classic, Rose Royce's "Car Wash," for the upcoming movie "Shark Tale," which hits theaters October 1. The dynamic duo's joint is joined by tracks from Ziggy Marley and Sean Paul; Mary J. Blige, and Will Smith. The soundtrack is due September 27. ...

U2 may consider rush-releasing their upcoming album, tentatively titled Vertigo, on Apple iTunes. In an interview with the U.K.'s The Daily Telegraph, Bono said that if the music stolen recently during a photo shoot appears on the Internet, they would "release it immediately as a legal download on iTunes, and get hard copies into the shops by the end of the month." The album was otherwise slated for a fall release. U2's label, Interscope, did not have a comment at press time. ... One of LL Cool J's trademarks is his affinity for hats, so it's only right that after 20 years in the game he now gets to design his own. New Era has announced that Cool J has just signed on for its 59Fiftyat50 celebrity campaign, where such artists as Spike Lee, Cam'ron and Fabolous get to conceptualize their own fitted ball caps. MTV's La La and DJ Green Lantern will also design hats for the company. ...

Dame Dash has the money, now he's got the time, too. The Roc-A-Fella boss is launching a collection of luxury watches called Tiret New York. Prices for the bejeweled timepieces will range from $18,000 to $175,000. ... Dry your eyes, Phishheads. Your hearts may be broken at the news of Phish's retirement and you may not be able to make their final shows in Vermont, but there's still hope. The Coventry festival, August 14-15, can be heard live on XM Satellite radio and seen in select Regal, Edwards and United Artists movie theaters. ...

In an encore of his Winter Music Conference performance in Miami this past March, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs will reteam with dance DJs Erick Morillo and Steve Lawler for a one-off show in Pacha, Ibiza, off the coast of Spain on August 9. "The show we did together in Miami at the Winter Music Conference was absolutely jaw-dropping," Morillo said. "I am sure this will be another one for the record books." ... The legacy of the Ramones lives on forever in the new documentary "End of the Century." Following its premiere at New York's Tribeca Film Festival in May, the film will screen at a half dozen theaters, including New York's Angelika Film Center and the Landmark Theatres in Berkeley, California; San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington, DC, in August and September, before showing in an expected 22 cities in October. For dates and locations visit the band's official site, www.ramones.com. ...

Guitarist Scott Ian said on his Web site that Anthrax's upcoming greatest-hits album is scheduled for release November 23. Anthrax fans chose which tracks would be re-recorded for the album. Favorites including "Among the Living," "Caught in a Mosh" and "Belly of the Beast" are expected to make the final cut. ... Ministry's Evil Doer North America Tour will kick off in Las Vegas on September 7. The band will be joined on the road by guests My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult. There will be more featured guest artists announced throughout the tour and more dates added weekly. The tour will run through November 22. ...

All City, the second album from female rap trio Northern State, is slated to drop August 17. For the follow-up to 2002's Dying in Stereo, the New York group collaborated with hip-hop heavy-hitters the High & Mighty and the tightie-whitie-wearing Har Mar Superstar. The album will be prefaced by the first single, "Girl for All Seasons." ... Erudite singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen will release his eleventh studio album, Dear Heather, on September 28. His first album of new material since 2001's Ten New Songs includes 12 new compositions and one live track, a cover of the country-western standard "Tennessee Waltz." ...

• Britney Spears
• Loon
• Michael Moore
• Rooney
• Katy Rose

Michelle Branch (file)
Photo: Warner Bros.

Michelle Branch will headline the Virgin College Mega Tour, a six-week trek set to begin March 27. Rooney, fresh from their cameo on "The O.C.," are on board as openers, along with singer/songwriters Gavin DeGraw and Joe Firstman.

The tour is scheduled to hit campuses from coast to coast, beginning in Richmond, Virginia, according to the tour's publicist. Seventeen shows are confirmed thus far, with additional dates expected later. Because of previous commitments, DeGraw will only perform at eight of the confirmed dates.

In addition to the main stage, an interactive kiosk village will feature giveaways from sponsors Dentyne, Volvo, Rock the Vote, and Gibson and Epiphone guitars as well as performances by new artists Tyler Hilton, Michael Tolcher and Chris Grace.

Branch and Rooney will be hitting the road on the heels of new singles. " 'Til I Get Over You" is the third single from Branch's Hotel Paper and began to surface at radio last week. Rooney's "I'm Shakin' " follows "Blueside" and "If It Were Up to Me," from their self titled debut.

Virgin College Mega Tour dates, according to the tour's publicist:

• 3/27 - Richmond, VA @ Virginia Commonwealth University
• 3/28 - Riverdale, NY @ Manhattan College (students only)
• 4/1 - Memphis, TN @ University of Memphis
• 4/2 - Cullowhee, NC @ Western Carolina University
• 4/4 - Fayetteville, AR @ University of Arkansas
• 4/8 - Flagstaff, AZ @ Northern Arizona University
• 4/9 - San Luis Obispo, CA @ Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
• 4/10 - Los Angeles, CA @ Cal State Los Angeles
• 4/16 - Ruston, LA @ Louisiana Tech University
• 4/17 - Starkville, MS @ Mississippi State University
• 4/18 - Tuscaloosa, AL @ University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa
• 4/20 - Hammond, LA @ Southeastern Louisiana University
• 4/21 - Jonesboro, AR @ Arkansas State University
• 4/24 - Weston, MA @ Regis College (students only)
• 4/29 - Kingston, RI @ University of Rhode Island
• 4/30 - Niagara Falls, NY @ Niagara University
• 5/1 - New Haven, CT @ Southern Connecticut State University

• Michelle Branch
• Rooney

Courtney Love appears in court on Tuesday (February 17)
Photo: CBS News

Courtney Love averted arrest simply by making it to court on Tuesday (February 17). The former Hole singer had missed two appearances last week to address the drug charges against her, causing a Beverly Hills judge to issue a warrant for her arrest. Love had claimed her no-shows were the result of someone lying in wait for her with a gun, so this time the singer brought along two bodyguards. Although the prosecution complained the process was being dragged out, Judge Lisa Hart Cole granted another delay, since Love has new counsel. She's due back in court on March 16. ...

Avril Lavigne's back to having her own way with "Don't Tell Me," the first single off her still-untitled second album, due May 25. The song, co-written by guitarist Evan Taubenfeld, is expected to surface at radio in mid-March. ... Jewel is releasing her first live DVD, "Live at Humphrey's by the Bay," on March 23. Shot in 2001 in San Diego, the collection includes hits like "Who Will Save Your Soul" and "You Were Meant for Me," along with rarities like "Rosy and Mick" and "Everything Breaks Sometime," behind-the-scenes footage and a previously unseen interview. ...

While in the studio working on their fourth album, Garbage were paid a visit by Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, who played drums on a track called "Bad Boyfriend." In a post on the Garbage Web site, singer Shirley Manson called the experience "awe inspiring." ... Rooney have climbed aboard the Virgin College Megatour featuring Michelle Branch and Gavin DeGraw. Dates for the spring trek have yet to be announced, though it's expected to hit about 18 colleges. ...

The Metallica documentary "Some Kind of Monster," which received rave reviews at Sundance, will not hit U.S. theaters before July. The group returns from a tour of Europe on July 2 and will then embark on the second leg of their U.S. tour. ... A line of Iron Maiden action figures will be released by the end of this summer by the National Entertainment Collectibles Association. Look for a series of 7-inch figurines of the bandmembers along with an 18-inch Eddie. There will also be an assortment of Eddie figurines depicting the mascot's look from various eras and a Somewhere in Time Eddie doll with a light-up eye and motion-activated movements. ...

Although he vows to remain politically active with the pro-vote organization Music for America, former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic will not run for Washington's lieutenant governor as he had previously announced. ... The legacy of Judas Priest will be captured on the four-disc, 65-track box Metalogy, due May 4. The retrospective features "Hell Bent for Leather," a live version of "Breaking the Law" and "Screaming for Vengeance" and will be issued in studded leather packaging. The set's initial pressing will include a bonus DVD of the out-of-print VHS concert video "Judas Priest Live," recorded in December 1982. ...

Chicago duo Local H will hit the road in support of their fifth album, Whatever Happened to PJ Soles?, with a spring tour set to begin April 7 in the Sullivan, Illinois. The follow-up to 2002's Here Comes the Zoo drops the day before. ... Two jam worlds will collide starting February 25 in Milwaukee when O.A.R. and Robert Randolph & the Family Band join forces to tour. On February 28 O.A.R. will play with Guster in Kansas City, Missouri. O.A.R.'s tour runs through March 11 in Los Angeles. ... Wisconsin filmmaker and actor Mark Borchardt, of "American Movie" and "Britney, Baby, One More Time" fame, will co-direct his first video, for metal newcomers Index Case. Chad Calek (Bleeding Through) is co-directing the clip, which will be shot in March in the band's hometown of Indianola, Iowa. ...

02.13.2004

Get ready to start calling her Jessica Sampson. That's going to be the name of Jessica Simpson's character on her ABC sitcom-in-the-works, which has just been picked up as a pilot. In the show, Simpson will play a pop-culture phenomenon much like herself who signs on to a prime-time news-magazine program to work as a part-time on-air reporter, much to the dismay of the hardworking female producer. Like "Newlyweds," the sitcom will be executive-produced by her father. A rep for ABC said that the rest of the show remains to be cast, but the pilot should be shot within the next three months and they'll know by mid-May if it's picked up as a series. ...

The judge presiding over the Michael Jackson case said on Friday (February 13) that he would like the matter to come to trial by the end of this year. The pop star did not have to appear at Friday's hearing in Santa Maria, California, where his lawyers asked for more time to sift through the hundreds of pages of documents that had been handed over to them in discovery. Judge Rodney Melville granted the delay, setting April 2 as the next court date at which they would set a date for the preliminary hearing. He also ruled that while he would not fully release certain court documents to the public, he will make available edited versions of three warrants in question sometime next week. Meanwhile, Jackson may have to appear on March 5 to extend his wavier to appear at future preliminary hearings. ...

For their upcoming album, Fly or Die, the boys of N.E.R.D. invited Good Charlotte to perform on the song "Jump." Good Charlotte join Lenny Kravitz and the Roots' Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson as guest musicians for the LP, which hits stores on March 23. ... Queen Latifah's Flavor Unit Films is remaking the 1974 blaxploitation film "Truck Turner." The original starred Isaac Hayes as a bounty hunter who's suddenly flipped into the hunted. Latifah's film is only in development, though with a distributor, MGM, already on board, hopes are to start shooting this summer. A spokesperson for the film company said Latifah, who can currently be seen in "Barbershop 2," will probably also star in the movie. ...

Ghostface's upcoming Def Jam debut, The Pretty Tony Album, has been pushed back a month, to April 6. Meanwhile, a rambunctious collaboration Ghost did with Missy Elliott, called "Tush," has leaked online and to mixtapes. ... After toying with various titles for their fifth full-length album, experimental alt-country outfit Wilco have settled on A Ghost Is Born. The 13-track disc is currently being mastering at Abbey Road Studios in London and is slated for a June 8 release. ...

Fans of Tommy Tutone's 1982 hit song, "867-5309/Jenny," have nine more days to bid for ownership of the famous phone number. Jenny's New York digits, (212) 867-5309, are up for grabs in an online auction on eBay, and can be transferred to a mobile or Internet phone thanks to the Federal Communications Commission's new rules regarding wireless phone numbers. As of press time, the highest offer was $2,648.99 ... Kings of Leon won Best New Band and Best International Band at the NME Music Awards on Wednesday in London. Radiohead also nabbed two awards: Best Video for "There There" and Best Album for Hail to the Thief. Other winners included the White Stripes, Queens of the Stone Age, Dizzee Rascal and Ozzy Osbourne, who took the Godlike Genius prize. ...

Singer Mike Patton has booked a handful of experimental solo shows. The first is February 24 in San Francisco with Ikue Mori and avant-garde jazz saxophonist John Zorn. Patton will then play five shows with Rahzel, starting February 26 in Atlanta and running through March 11 in New York. ... T.A.T.U., the Russian pop duo that scored a hit with "All the Things She Said," will likely fire their manager, Ivan Shapovalov, but will have to change their name to do so since he owns the copyright, Russian paper Dni reports. The ladies are reportedly unhappy with Shapovalov because he is too interested in portraying them as controversial lesbians, and not interested enough in promoting their actual music. ...

The Black Eyed Peas will play an outdoor concert in St. Maarten on March 7 at the end of the 24th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. The show will be held at Kim Sha Beach. On Tuesday, the group will perform in London at the Brit Awards. ... New Orleans rock band 12 Stones have parted ways with bassist Kevin Dorr. A replacement has not yet been named. The group is currently in the studio with producer Dave Fortman working on the follow-up to their 2002 self-titled debut. ...

Judas Priest's former drummer Dave Holland, who played with the band between 1980 and 1989, has begun serving an eight-year jail sentence in England for the attempted rape of a teenage boy. Holland was convicted last month in Northampton Crown Court on one count of attempted rape and five counts of indecent assault against a 17-year-old mentally impaired youth to whom he was giving drum lessons. ... Eminem's ex-wife, Kim Mathers, was sentenced to serve 30 days in Macomb County Jail for using cocaine while on probation, according to The Associated Press. After her jail time she will be transferred to an inpatient substance-abuse treatment program, where she will spend an additional 90 days. Mathers was sentenced to two years' probation in January after pleading guilty to charges of cocaine possession stemming from a traffic stop. ...

• Courtney Love
• Avril Lavigne
• Jewel
• Garbage
• Foo Fighters

Beyoncé Knowles, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott are among the artists set to perform at the 16th annual Essence Awards June 6 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Talib Kweli, Common, New Edition, Lionel Richie and the Gap Band will also take the stage at the event, which this year will honor Mary J. Blige and Mos Def. ...

Rapping and acting just don't seem to be enough for some MCs. Today's well-rounded rhymers must get into the threads game as well. Ludacris, who'll be seen in "2 Fast 2 Furious," expects his clothing line, C.P. Time, to launch by the end of the year. ... R&B duo and two-time BET Award nominees Floetry are working on their new album, the follow-up to last year's Floetic. Meanwhile, Marsha Ambrosius and Natalie Stewart have thus far recorded two songs with soul diva Patti LaBelle for her album, and are planning to collaborate with 3LW in the summer for theirs. Floetry have six tour dates lined up, from June 7 in their hometown Philadelphia through July 5 in Los Angeles. ...

If you're a girl in Portland, Oregon, you too can now say, "This one time, at band camp ...": The third annual Rock 'N' Roll Camp for Girls, a day camp to familiarize 8 to 18-year-old females with the power of rock, will take place from June 16 to 21. This year, workshops, performances and instruction will be conducted by members of Sleater-Kinney, the King Cobra, DJ Pam the Funkstress of the Coup, the Gossip, the Quails, Cherchez la Femme and Queen Size Revolution. Girls will learn to play instruments, form bands, run sound boards, produce shows, design CD packaging and posters and develop self-defense skills. A showcase of bands formed at the camp will be held June 21 at the Aladdin Theater. ...

Now that "Para Que la Vida," Enrique Iglesias' latest single off his 2002 Spanish-language album, Quizas, has hit #1 on Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks, he now holds the record for the most #1 singles (16) by any artist on that chart. The crooner is currently in the studio working on a new English-language LP, the follow-up to 2001's Escape. ... On Saturday in Hartford, Connecticut, Wayne Wonder and Beenie Man will headline the Greatest One Night Reggae Show on Earth, a multi-artist festival that makes sporadic stops around the country, similar to Reggae Sunsplash in the 1990s. Sanchez, DJ Badda Flexx and Pickey round out the bill. ...

Rooney have scheduled a tour to support their self-titled debut. Dates begin Tuesday (May 20) in Cincinnati and go through June 17 in Anaheim, California. ... Fountains of Wayne will launch a tour in Milwaukee on July 3. Dates run through July 28 in Anaheim, California. The band will be on the road to support its upcoming disc, Welcome Interstate Managers, which comes out June 10. The first single will be "Stacey's Mom," a modern "Mrs. Robinson" with a new wave pulse. ...

Canadian rockers Default are working on their second album, the follow-up to 2001's The Fallout. The band has written at least 11 songs during pre-production in Seattle, and will move up to Vancouver Island to record the LP. The band has a half-dozen shows scheduled June 15-30 in Canada and the northern U.S., where the group is expected to preview some new tunes. ... Former Ramones drummer Marky Ramone has recorded a dozen Teenage Head songs with three of the four members of the early '80s Canadian punk band with longtime Ramones producer Daniel Rey. It's not known what will become of the tracks. ...

Adema have set an August 19 release date for their second full-length album, Unstable, which shares a title with the first single, due on radio in late June. The band will launch a headlining tour to promote the record June 1 in Chico, California, and stay on the road until a Los Angeles show July 12. ... Wu-Tang Clan member Cappadonna will drop his third solo album, The Struggle, in September. Track titles include "Get Away From the Door," which features Inspectah Deck, "Blood Brothers," "Cap Is Back," "Role of a Lifetime," "Season of Da Vick" and "I Don't Even Know You." ...

5.19.03

Ever wonder how the U.S. military is getting Saddam Hussein supporters to cough up valuable information? No, they're not offering them cigarettes and lap dances, they're playing them heavy metal music and children's songs. According to a U.S. sergeant interviewed by Newsweek magazine, Iraqi prisoners have never before heard the crashing rhythms, churning guitars and growling vocals common in metal, and it affects them like Chinese water torture. Songs of choice include Metallica's "Enter Sandman" and Drowning Pool's "Bodies." Also effective is the chirpy, sing-song quality of kiddy tunes, specifically the theme to "Sesame Street" and the music of Barney. ...

Sheryl Crow was among the luminaries who paid homage to the late June Carter Cash at her funeral service this weekend. Crow sang gospel covers along with Emmylou Harris during the ceremony, which was attended by Hank Williams Jr., Trisha Yearwood, Kris Kristofferson and the prime minister of Jamaica. ... Lisa Marie Presley's first tour, a co-headlining trek with Chris Isaak, will begin July 11 at the Fleet Boston Pavilion. The 17-city treks ends August 12 at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. ...

"Platinum," the UPN drama about the hip-hop industry, has not been renewed for the fall season. Onyx rapper Sticky Fingaz starred in the show and MC Lyte was set to be a reoccurring character. ... Ricky Martin has launched People for the Children, a project that aims to fight child pornography and prostitution. The program is an offshoot of the Ricky Martin Foundation, a nonprofit organization that focuses on child-related issues. People for the Children will be based in Miami, and for its first function, Martin will meet with Mexican president Vincente Fox and his wife. ...

Festival promoters in Michigan have canceled a scheduled performance by self-described "Motor City Madman" Ted Nugent in response to the guitarist, singer, shock jock and outspoken outdoorsman's use of racial slurs during a recent radio interview. Nugent reportedly used derogatory terms for Asians and blacks during an interview with two Denver DJs last week, prompting organizers of the Muskegon Summer Celebration to scramble to find a replacement. ... The upcoming "Led Zeppelin DVD" set will be screened at eight movie theaters across the country on May 27, the night it goes to retail. The double-disc set features five hours of footage assembled by guitarist Jimmy Page, who also put together the triple-disc album How the West Was Won, which will come out the same day. Page, vocalist Robert Plant and bassist John Paul Jones will attend the New York screening of the DVD. ...

To commemorate a decade of block rockin' beats, the Chemical Brothers will issue a double-album retrospective and DVD in September. The LP will feature two new songs, rare cuts and remixes, along with a greatest-hits selection that fans can help compile at www.thechemicalbrothers.com. ... Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry unveiled a new guitar on Saturday at the House of Blues in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Gibson Joe Perry Signature model was conceived by Perry's wife Billie, who got together with designers at Gibson to create a surprise axe for her hubby. Last Christmas, she presented him with the instrument, and he liked it so much he decided to make it available to the public. ...

Ed Harcourt will launch a North American club tour June 2 in Los Angeles to promote From Every Sphere (May 20), the follow-up to his Mercury Music Prize-nominated 2002 debut, Here Be Monsters. Harcourt will also be joining R.E.M. on six dates in the fall. ... A hefty dose or rock action has been injected into the third annual Village Voice Siren Music Festival at New York's Coney Island on July 19. Performers added to the already indie-heavy lineup include Idlewild, the Datsuns, the Dirtbombs, Oneida and the Witnesses. Previously announced acts include Modest Mouse, Hot Hot Heat, Sahara Hotnights, dance rockers !!! and Radio 4, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, the Kills, rappers Northern State and the Pattern. While the majority of the lineup is in place, a few stray acts are expected to be announced shortly. ...

INXS aren't as afraid of SARS as Moby, Mariah Carey or the Rolling Stones, and they don't think travelers should be, either. Though numerous acts have canceled gigs in Asia since the health scare began, three members of the long-running Australian outfit played an acoustic gig in Singapore on Sunday in hopes of showing the public that traveling there is still safe. The band has also scheduled an appearance in Bali next month — despite heightened terrorism fears since a recent bombing killed more than 200 people — and told the BBC that "[terrorism and SARS] are a tragedy for any country, but it has been a lot of media hype that has caused the panic." ...

5.16.03

Soul crooner Barry White suffered a stroke on May 1 that affected his speech and the right side of his body, Reuters reports. The 58-year-old White, whose deep, mood-setting voice is as dependable as roses and candy on Valentine's Day, suffered kidney failure last fall and is awaiting a transplant when his condition improves. ...

Jennifer Lopez is being sued for $5 million for breach of contract by film director Adam Shankman, with whom she worked on the film "The Wedding Planner." Shankman claims that he and Lopez talked about having her play the lead role in a new film version of the classic opera "Carmen," but that she then turned around and sold the idea to Universal Pictures without his knowledge. ...

Metallica have chosen some openers for their May shows at San Francisco's Fillmore. CKY, who opened the ill-fated Guns N' Roses tour, will play Sunday; Systematic, who were signed to Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich's record label, will play Monday; and Death Angel, a reunited San Francisco-area '80s thrash band, will play Thursday. No act has been announced for Wednesday's show. ...

The White Stripes have announced dates for the first leg of their upcoming summer tour. Jack and Meg White will kick off the trek June 16 in Raleigh, North Carolina, and wind things down July 23 at Central Park's Summer Stage in New York. ... Several, if not all, of the finished tracks from the new Radiohead album, Hail to the Thief, surfaced online Thursday. Earlier versions of the tunes, purported to be stolen, were downloadable weeks ago. The follow-up to 2001's Amnesiac is slated for a June 10 release. ...

Great White have created a trust fund to which fans can donate money in order to help the group with its legal fees. While the bandmembers were recently dropped from the suits filed by at least one attorney because their pockets aren't deep enough to warrant suing, two other lawyers are still naming the rockers as defendants. There is also the possibility Great White will face criminal charges from the February 20 fire in a West Warwick, Rhode Island, club that ignited after the band shot off pyrotechnics during its show. ... T.A.T.U.'s manager, Ivan Shapovalov, was arrested in Moscow's Red Square on Thursday for disturbing the peace while filming a video for one of the group's new, untitled songs. The crafty manager already had two requests to film the allegedly lesbian duo in front of the Kremlin rejected when he set up cameras and invited 200 girls to parade around and make out in front of Lenin's Tomb and the church of St. Basil, a mere 200 yards from the Kremlin. Filming was scrapped after police intervened. Shapovalov was reprimanded by a judge, but was not punished. ...

On the heels of their split with Island Def Jam earlier this month, Hanson are being courted by two record labels. The brothers are aiming to release their upcoming album, Unleashed, in September. ... Coldplay will broadcast a two-hour live concert from the Hollywood Bowl to over 150 radio stations nationwide on May 31 at 9 p.m. The band launches a North American tour on Tuesday in Edmonton, Alberta. Dates run through June 13 in New York. ... For the first time in more than four years, Blur will cross the pond for a North American trek beginning June 8 at the Field Day festival in Calverton, New York. The 10 confirmed dates, through June 21 in Vancouver, support the band's seventh album, Think Tank, which dropped last week. More dates are expected to be added to the itinerary. ...

Apparently feeling left out from sum of the summer fun, Sum 41 have decided to hop onboard the Vans Warped Tour for eight dates. The group will play on June 29 in Chicago, then July 8 in Pomona, California, through July 15 in Peoria, Arizona. ... Ivories abound when pianists Tori Amos and Ben Folds hit the road together beginning July 26 in Redmond, Washington. The 25-date run, supporting headliner Amos' latest LP, Scarlet's Walk, concludes September 3 in Orlando, Florida. ...

Raekwon is set to star in "The Coalition," a film that tells the story of a lucrative New York construction business and how it is exploited by minority nonunion labor. The movie begins filming in June. ... Wilco, R.E.M., Common, Black Eyed Peas, Macy Gray and Rhett Miller are among the artists headlining the 33rd annual Bumbershoot festival in Seattle. Tickets to the event, taking place over Labor Day weekend at the Seattle Center, can be purchased at www.bumbershoot.com. ...

Ween will release their first studio album in three years, Quebec, on July 22. Fictitious brothers Dean and Gene Ween's follow-up to White Pepper is their first album for Sanctuary Records after residing for over a decade at Elektra. ... Ozzy Osbourne's son Louis Osbourne, a deep house/techno DJ, will embark on a U.S. club tour beginning June 12 at New York's Discotheque and wrapping up July 19 at Hollywood's Spundae. Kelly and Jack's half brother also recently signed on for a DJ mix compilation to be released by Blue Chip Records next year. ...

05.15.03

While Mark Romanek is handling Linkin Park's next video, the band's own Joseph Hahn will return to the director's chair for the group's third single from Meteora. That video and a clip for the next European single will be shot in Prague, Czech Republic next week, Hahn said Tuesday, although he wouldn't reveal what songs they will be for. "You need to focus on 'Faint,' " he joked. "I shouldn't be talking so far ahead." ...

Russian police barred T.A.T.U. from filming their new video in Moscow's Red Square on Thursday (May 15). Several hundred fans, many decked out in schoolgirl uniforms, showed up to be extras in what was supposed to be the duo's video for the Eurovision song contest. Russia chose the kissing crooners to represent the country at the contest, happening later this month in Riga, Latvia. ... Mandy Moore is giving fans a sneak preview of her upcoming covers album, Coverage. Four of the album's 12 tracks are available for listening on her official Web site, www.mandymoore.com. The songs are covers of John Hiatt's "Have a Little Faith in Me," XTC's "Senses Working Overtime," Todd Rundgren's "Can We Still Be Friends" and Joan Armatrading's "Drop the Pilot." Moore is also about to film Warner Bros.' "First Daughter," with co-stars Mark Harmon, Jeremy Piven and Annabella Sciorra. ...

Chevelle have scheduled 14 shows during down days on this year's Ozzfest. Four of the shows will be with Korn, six will be with Disturbed and the rest will be headline gigs. The first date is June 30 in Lubbock, Texas, and the last announced show is August 31 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. ... "Revealing Jewel: An Intimate Portrait by Family and Friends," a book about the personal details of the star's life, is being released in June with her approval. The tome, by author Kenneth Calhoun, features interviews with Moby, Billy Bob Thornton, producer Arif Mardin, Jewel's father, Atz Kilcher, and her mother and manager, Lenedra J. Carroll, among others. ...

All proceeds from Santana's summer tour will be donated to Artists for a New South Africa, an organization dedicated to fighting the spread of AIDS in Africa. The trek starts June 11 in Atlanta and continues through July 14 in Los Angeles. Angelique Kidjo will open every show. ... Henry Rollins is planning to perform material included on the compilation LP he put together last year, Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three, on a world tour kicking off June 1. Joining the Rollins Band on the U.S. dates of the outing will be Keith Morris, leader of the Circle Jerks and original singer for Black Flag. All proceeds from the shows will go to the West Memphis Three Defense Fund, created to help overturn the convictions of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, whom many feel were not given a fair trial in the 1993 murders of three young boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. ...

• Beyoncé
• Mary J. Blige
• Ludacris
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• Rooney

Rooney
Photo: Interscope

Not content to be flashes in the pop-music pan, Rooney have adopted a "one sound fits all" motto and hope to make music as timeless as that of the genre's past masters.

"The goal is that it should be potentially personal for every listener," guitarist Taylor Locke said. "If you listen to Bob Dylan, it's like a history lesson. For almost any time of your life, there's probably already a Dylan song that's about that, or at least you think that it's about that. Not that our record sounds like Dylan or anything."

Although there's no overt attempt to ape the onetime Robert Zimmerman on Rooney's self-titled debut album, due May 20, over-the-shoulder glances are thrown toward a bygone pop era — a time when hooks, jangly guitars, harmonizing backing vocals and choruses replete with requisite "ah"s were as bountiful as throaty growls and downtuned guitars are today.

"I was never interested in what was on modern rock radio," confessed singer Robert Carmine. "I have older siblings that turned me on to a lot of good music. It's really about not liking the people around you. A lot of people will conform or do what the others do or make themselves like what's popular. I think the music of the '60s and early '80s are great songs. It's really about well-written, well-put-together pop songs."

Rooney's first single, "Blueside," whose video is expected to surface Sunday, is the embodiment of that shimmering sound. A mid-tempo march drives the tune, and though it sometimes shakes the foundations, they never crumble completely. Layered harmonies and a vibrant chorus reinforce the crystalline production and retro-pop sensibility. The clip was directed by Marcos Siega (Alien Ant Farm, Weezer), and it depicts the band performing on the sand before rolling waves, which only strengthens some folks' comparisons to another California quintet, the Beach Boys.

"I wish people our age would listen to more songs of the past," Carmine added.

Carmine and Locke — who with drummer Ned Brower, bassist Matt Winter and keyboardist Louis Stephens comprise the band — claim the only two bands who've held any significance for them in their lifetimes are Nirvana and Weezer. It was the latter's Rivers Cuomo who gave Rooney their big break by inviting them to tour as Weezer's opening act (see "L.A. Rockers Rooney Get A Hand From Weezer, Britney, 'NSYNC").

"We're not retro-elitist snobs, but it's really tough to find bands that not only make a good reasonable record but an important record that's really good," Carmine said. "So after Nirvana and Weezer, it was time for a little history lesson."

Chapters Rooney covered while cramming for their debut included the Small Faces, Buddy Holly, the Shirelles, Ronettes, Searchers, Dave Clark Five and ELO. Much of the album was recorded over a period of two months last summer, but the aforementioned tour with Weezer and then a subsequent one with the Strokes, combined with some release-schedule changes, held Rooney's street date up for almost a year. Rather than get frustrated by the delay, the bandmembers saw it as an opportunity to hone their craft.

"It's a real privilege to not be forced to hand your record in the day you finish working on it," Locke said. "We had a lot of time to reflect. We'd go on tour and play the songs live, meet all these kids, listen to the rough mixes on our bus and talk about it. I don't think the mixing and even the photography and artwork would have turned out the way it did if we'd done it in a one-month block."

Fans can see for themselves whether the poring paid off when Rooney embark on their first headlining tour Sunday.

Rooney tour dates, according to Interscope Records:

• 5/11 - Providence, RI @ Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
• 5/13 - Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street
• 5/14 - Albany, NY @ Valentine's
• 5/16 - Norfolk, VA @ Town Point Park
• 5/17 - Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Music Hall
• 5/21 - Atlanta, GA @ Cotton Club
• 5/23 - Winston-Salem, NC @ Ziggy's
• 6/1 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero
• 6/2 - Axis Boston, MA @ Axis
• 6/3 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
• 6/5 - Chicago, IL @ Park West

• Rooney

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MTV.com Exclusive: Rooney

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MTV.com LIVE: Rooney Photos 03.29.2004

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Jessica Simpson, Janet Jackson, More At Wango Tango On-Air Festival

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• JC Chasez
• Black Eyed Peas
• Hilary Duff

Rooney live at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago, IL October 28, 2003

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MTV Exclusive: Rooney Photos

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Rooney Photos

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Rooney: You Hear It First Photos

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