The Shins

Britney Spears Pops A Tire; Plus Lindsay Lohan, John Legend, Robin Thicke, Kanye West, Beyonce, Fergie & More, In For The Record

8 Jan 2008 08:17:00 EST

Woman seeking more money from Lohan; Legend, Thicke to perform at MusiCares event; West blogging like crazy.
By MTV News staff

Britney Spears
Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Does anything go right for Britney Spears anymore? In the wake of Brit's recent hospital stay and 15-minute meeting with Dr. Phil, the troubled pop star was spotted Monday night on Los Angeles' Sunset Boulevard, having a bit of car trouble. Spears' car suffered a flat tire near the 405 freeway. According to a rep from the Los Angeles Police Department, the singer abandoned her Mercedes in the middle of the street and accepted a ride home from one of the many paparazzi who were following her. The LAPD had the car towed to a nearby lot for safekeeping. Spears will have to cover the $104 towing fee, as well as a $35.60 storage fee. ...

Lindsay Lohan is being sued by the woman she allegedly chased in July while driving under the influence, and now Tracie Rice is seeking more money from the actress. According to TMZ.com, Rice has filed legal papers that allege she has already spent $3,500 in therapist bills and other medical-related expenses. She also claims she lost her job because of the car chase. ...

John Legend, Robin Thicke, Lil Mama, Anthony Hamilton and Fantasia are some of the stars who will serenade Aretha Franklin when she is honored as the 2008 MusiCares Person of the year at an event at the Los Angeles Convention Center on February 8. The music legend is being hailed for her outreach efforts to children's and health-care groups, churches and food banks in the Detroit area. The event will also feature a silent auction with items by members of Led Zeppelin, Bill Clinton and others — proceeds go to MusiCares, which helps musicians in need of financial, medical and/or personal help. ...

Kanye West has been on fire lately with his blog, posting about everything from Dr. Dre's new line of headphones to a nostalgic look at Jamiroquai's "Virtual Insanity" video. ... Beyoncé, Amy Winehouse, Fergie, Jessica Simpson, Avril Lavigne and Lindsay Lohan have something dubious in common — they've all been named on Mr. Blackwell's annual worst-dressed list. Victoria Beckman topped the list. ... Ray J is teeing up a new album for release in April, and he has taken Lil Wayne, the Game and Snoop Dogg along for the ride. All I Feel also boasts production from Rodney Jerkins, and Yung Berg is featured on the album's first single, "Sexy Can I." ...

What's good for Radiohead is apparently good for Coldplay. According to various reports, including one from British newspaper the Daily Star, Coldplay may be mulling a departure from EMI, the band's longtime label home. Radiohead ditched the label and released their last album, In Rainbows, independently online. According to a source, Coldplay don't feel they "necessarily need a label" and will consider all of their options before re-signing with the company. The band has been working on its fourth LP with producer Brian Eno (U2, Depeche Mode), and had originally hoped to release the new material this spring, though no official release date has been given. ...

The South by Southwest lineup has swollen to include Bun B and the Black Keys. Blitzen Trapper, the Von Bondies, the Raveonettes and Vampire Weekend have also been announced to play at the festival, which will happen March 12-16 in Austin, Texas. Speaking of the Keys, their new album, Attack & Release — which was produced by Danger Mouse — will hit stores April 1. ... Sean Penn and the Coen brothers keep raking in the accolades — the respective "Into the Wild" and "No Country for Old Men" directors have been nominated for the Directors Guild of America's best filmmaker honor. Paul Thomas Anderson ("There Will Be Blood"), Tony Gilroy ("Michael Clayton") and Julian Schnabel ("The Diving Bell and the Butterfly") are also up for the distinction, and the winner will be announced January 26. ...

According to Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail, singer Bif Naked, 36, has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Naked, whose real name is Beth Torbert, reportedly found a lump in her breast during a self-examination. She is scheduled for a lumpectomy this week and will also undergo chemotherapy. "It's like being on 'The Price Is Right,' " she told the paper. "I can't believe coins didn't come out of the machine. They said, 'This is not something we're happy with. Let's do an ultrasound.' ... A week later ... they did these tests, and this biopsy came back basically being pretty gosh darn positive for breast cancer." Naked is not afraid to take on the chronic disease. "I'm really confident that it's going to be a snap for me," she said. "I have a pre-existing aneurysm in my heart, so it will be a challenge medically. Hopefully in three weeks I can start my chemotherapy. ... After that, you can go through the steps of radiation, and hopefully be right as right." ...

According to guitarist Brian Bell, Weezer's forthcoming sixth album is in the bag. "Personally, I think it's our best yet," he said in a statement. "Never have the four of us worked so hard and passionately on an album, and we all look forward to performing this culmination of our talents and combined knowledge in 2008 in a city near you." ... French electronic sensations Justice will anchor the bill for the forthcoming MySpace Music Tour, which is set to kick off March 3 in Austin, Texas, and run through March 31 in Los Angeles. Diplo, DJ Mehdi, Chromeo, Busy P and Fancy are also scheduled to perform. ... Eels frontman Mark Oliver Everett has an autobiography on the way. His tome, "Things the Grandchildren Should Know," examines the singer's life and his early days in rock music. The book will be available in the States in the fall. ...

There's a new Web site that's designed to help pair drummers with bands that are short on talent. Over at DrummerHunter.com, bands that need a kitman can browse potential players using a profile system similar to those used on dating Web sites or social networks like MySpace. Drummers can post contact information, MP3s of their playing, acts they like and genres they can play, all for free. Bands can then search the profiles and contact the sticksmen directly.

1.07.08

Shins multi-instrumentalist Marty Crandall was reportedly arrested Friday night on a domestic-violence charge after an altercation with girlfriend and former "America's Next Top Model" contestant Elyse Sewell. In a LiveJournal.com post titled "Worst Weekend Olympics" that has since been locked, Sewell, who dated Crandall for several years, wrote that a night of drinking in a Sacramento, California, hotel room ended with her escaping "from the room through a blitzkrieg of violence." According to several reports, the post featured photos of Sewell's heavily bruised arms and bloody knuckles, and noted that Crandall bore bite marks from their alleged scuffle, which resulted in Sewell's arrest as well. Both were reportedly booked after she notified hotel security about the incident — Sewell was reportedly released from jail Saturday, while a search of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department Web site shows that a man named Martin Lesley Crandall was released from jail Sunday. A spokesperson for the Sacramento Police Department could not be reached for comment at press time. In a Sunday afternoon post, Sewell wrote on her LiveJournal.com page that, "I'm feeling much better on this new day (after sleeping until noon). I've decided to heed the advice of many commenters (lawyerly types) and friends — lock my last entry about the legal foibles between me and my ex-boyfriend." The Shins' label Sub Pop responded to the matter on Monday (January 7), saying in a statement, "Marty Crandall and his ex-girlfriend Elyse Sewell were both arrested over the weekend following an argument at a Sacramento hotel which resulted in hotel staff calling the police. They were both taken into police custody and released over the weekend. There will be no further comment at this time, and [we] would appreciate their privacy being respected." Crandall and Sewell are due back in court Tuesday. ...

Jay-Z, Bono, Al Gore, George Clooney, Jon Stewart and Matthew McConaughey were just a few of the celebrities who appeared in a video poking fun at Microsoft founder Bill Gates on his last day and subsequent retirement. The clip aired Sunday as a part of Gates' last keynote address to his company. In the video, Gates — with newfound time on his hands — explores several alternative post-career options. First he's in the studio cutting a record with Jay at the boards. "You killed it, Billy G," Jay says in the clip. Then Bono gets a phone call that brings him offstage during a concert — on the other end, Gates shares his new high score at "Guitar Hero." The near-eight-minute video ends with the iconic software advocate receiving a cheering ovation. ... Curiously, the Gates keynote event wasn't the only place where Jay and Bono crossed paths recently — the exiting Def Jam prez checked out a screening of U2's new 3-D concert film on Monday (January 7), according to RollingStone.com. Jay reportedly left the "U2 3D" screening early. ... Miley Cyrus, Fergie and John Legend have been roped into the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, which will go down March 3-22. The country-centric event will also feature Faith Hill, Tim McGraw and Rascal Flatts. ...

Kid Rock's scheduled arraignment Monday in DeKalb County, Georgia, has been postponed until February 4, according to the DeKalb County Solicitor's Office. The arraignment stems from Rock's arrest in October on a misdemeanor battery charge after he allegedly got into a brawl over a woman at a Waffle House. According to a Solicitor's Office spokesperson, the postponement was necessary to give officials more time to investigate the matter and determine whether they'll prosecute the case. ... Nicole Kidman is having another, um, kid. The actress, who already has two adopted children with ex-husband Tom Cruise, is expecting her first baby with new hubby Keith Urban. ...

Add Beanie Sigel to the growing list of veteran rappers unhappy with what they see as a lack of support from Def Jam. Jay-Z detractors LL Cool J and Method Man have been the most vocal, but in an interview with DJ Whoo Kid over the weekend, the Philadelphia lyricist revealed his — and labelmate Freeway's — frustration with the label. "It's some f---ed-up sh-- that needs to be addressed," Sigel said. "A lot of questions should be directed to the people in charge. They need to be put on the spot and asked questions. Because I want to know myself. ... I'm waiting to hear the same answers to questions that me and Freeway get asked." Jay-Z has stepped down as president of Def Jam, but he still seemed to draw some of Beans' ire, though he wasn't directly named. Beans, however, explained he will release a mixtape soon titled "True American Gangster," a play off Jay's most recent album, November's American Gangster. ...

According to a post on Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider blog, "American Idol" season-five winner Taylor Hicks is the latest "Idol" to get the boot from J Records. Just weeks after season-two champ Ruben Studdard was dropped, an unnamed label source told the site that Hicks is going to record his next album on his own, because "he is no longer on the J Records roster." A spokesperson for J Records could not be reached at press time. ... Jessica Simpson escaped to Mexico over the weekend, with boyfriend Tony Romo — and her parents — in tow, according to People.com. The two were also joined by some of Romo's Dallas Cowboys teammates, who have apparently warmed up to the actress, who some had criticized for distracting the quarterback. ... Actor Jack Black and wife Tanya Haden are expecting their second child, according to The Associated Press. Black reportedly confirmed his wife's pregnancy over the weekend. Black and Haden, a cellist and the daughter of jazz great Charlie Haden, were married in 2006 and already have one child, a 6-month-old son. ...

BT, an electronic-music producer who has worked with everyone from Britney Spears to the Roots, is speaking out about the alleged abduction of his daughter by the child's mother. According to a statement released by his publicist, 3-year-old Kaia Transeau has been missing for three weeks, and BT has not had contact with her since the first few days she was gone. "I am diligently and delicately working to do everything possible to amend this tragic family situation," he said in a statement. "As a father, my only goal is to get my daughter back home. I appreciate your continued support and understanding in this desperate hour." Kaia is on the National Crime Information Center's missing-persons list (304-625-2000). ...

José González is feeling green — the indie-folk luminary will launch an environmentally friendly trek starting February 29 in Miami. The singer/songwriter has partnered with Reverb for his Green Tour, which will find him neutralizing emissions from venue energy use and calculating his CO2 footprint. Tickets will cost an extra 50 cents each to offset costs for the effort, and the jaunt will end March 31 in Vancouver, British Columbia. ... OK Go have stepped up for a good cause — the band ganged up with New Orleans funk/soul group Bonerama during the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and recorded music at a studio in the city's Upper Ninth Ward. The end result is an exclusive iTunes EP that will drop February 5 and benefit local musicians — including R&B legend Al Johnson — who are still struggling to get their lives back together. You're Not Alone features three reworked songs from OK Go's last album, 2005's Oh No, as well as covers of David Bowie's "Rock 'N' Roll Suicide" and Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released," with Johnson contributing vocals to the latter track. The groups are also partnering to play two benefit shows: a gig Friday at Tipitina's and a February 2 concert at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., that will be streamed on NPR. ...

R.E.M. aren't the only big-name rock vets who will perform at this year's South by Southwest festival — Black Crowes will also descend on Austin, Texas, with a headlining show at Stubb's on March 15. The band has lined up seven additional March club gigs, during which it will play the entirety of its first proper studio release in seven years, March 4's Warpaint, in addition to classic material. The Crowes' One Night Only run starts March 2 in Sayreville, New Jersey, and ends March 20 in Los Angeles. Speaking of R.E.M., frontman Michael Stipe recently chimed in on the presidential-nomination race, and while he's not exactly going to pull a Chuck Norris and throw his support behind Republican candidate and Mike Huckabee, he did have a few kind words for the former Arkansas governor. "I can't think of probably a single issue in which I am even remotely in the same universe as that guy ... and yet, he was kind of charming and ... self-deprecating," he said on Sirius Satellite Radio program "Jade Radio." "He was actually kind of a good sport, and funny, and I don't know what that means. Maybe it's a good thing that's he's being lauded right now by the right. He's an evangelical. May God bless all living creatures, but my God ... how weird." ... A Perfect Circle mastermind Billy Howerdel has christened his new band Ashes Divide. The group will release its debut album in March, with the album's first single, "The Stone," due to hit radio January 22. ....

Sony/BMG — home to Beyoncé, Alicia Keys and Carrie Underwood — is finalizing plans to sell part of its collection without Digital Rights Management protection in the first quarter of 2008, BusinessWeek.com reports. The first initiative under the deal will come via a Platinum MusicPass series of digital-album gift cards that will be sold starting January 15 at Best Buy, Target and other select stores. The album cards retail for $12.99 and come with bonus material — titles include Backstreet Boys' Unbreakable, John Mayer's Continuum and Bruce Springsteen's Magic. Also being considered is an upcoming Pepsi Super Bowl promotion featuring Justin Timberlake that will involve the free distribution of 1 billion songs from major labels.

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Shins' Crandall Off The Hook In Alleged Domestic-Violence Incident With Former 'Top Model' Girlfriend

8 Jan 2008 05:39:00 EST

District attorney's office cites insufficient evidence; musician's ex-girlfriend also in the clear.
By Gil Kaufman

Elyse Sewell (file)
Photo: Amy Graves/WireImage.com

The Sacramento, California, district attorney's office ruled Tuesday (January 8) that there was insufficient evidence to pursue domestic-violence charges against Shins multi-instrumentalist Marty Crandall or his former girlfriend, Elyse Sewell. The pair were arrested Friday after an alleged altercation at a Sacramento hotel during which Sewell claimed in a now-deleted post on her LiveJournal page that a drunken Crandall bruised her arms and bloodied her knuckles, and that she left bite marks on him as a result of their scuffle.

Sewell appeared in court Tuesday for her arraignment, during which a judge said the case against her had been rejected for insufficient evidence, according to Paul Durenberger, the supervisor of the domestic-violence unit in the district attorney's office. "Basically it means there was not enough evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt and no way to prove a crime against either one of the people involved," he explained. "We looked at the police reports and there was no way to make a determination of a crime."

Sewell, a former "America's Next Top Model" contestant who dated Crandall for several years, wrote in her original post that a night of drinking in a hotel room ended with her escaping "from the room through a blitzkrieg of violence." After a hotel employee called police, both Sewell and Crandall were arrested and booked on domestic-violence charges. Sewell was released from jail Saturday and Crandall was released Sunday.

In a post titled "Bail Bond Betty" on her LiveJournal page dated at just after noon Tuesday, Sewell, pictured wearing a blue blouse and black skirt and standing outside a hotel room pouring M&M's into her purse, wrote, "Gettin' ready. I fancy my court appearance to be pretty fly despite puffy eyes and the giant jail boil on my chin that yesterday, in my anxiety, I picked into scabrous oblivion. Better pack some candy in case I end up in jail tonight and regret not grabbing my last chance for an M&M ... Soon I will find out whether I will be prosecuted or the district attorney will drop the felony charges. Ugh, how distasteful that I even have to think about those boring legal words. Out with 'own recognizance.' "

She updated the post later in the day, writing, "The DA has rejected the case against me. I am free. I wish the same outcome for Marty and have no intention of pursuing any further legal action. I would not wish entanglement in the widening gyre of the American legal system upon my worst enemy ... It was incredibly naive of me not to realize that my blog entry about this incident would become tabloid fodder. That was not my intention. I consider the small circle of people who frequent this LJ to be a support group; the much larger world of tabloid readers is certainly not. I will never speak of this again, nor malign Marty in this space. And tomorrow this'll be fishwrap ... Expect few updates to this journal in the next couple of weeks as I will be untangling the web of seven years of cohabitation with my ex-boyfriend, packing up my sh--, and thickening up a plot to travel and work in more temperate climes."

Durenberger said Crandall was still expected to be arraigned Wednesday as a procedural matter, at which point the charges against him will also be dropped.

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The Shins

Shins Instrumentalist Arrested For Domestic Violence; Plus Jay-Z, Bono, Hannah Montana, Fergie, Nicole Kidman & More, In For The Record

7 Jan 2008 08:14:00 EST

Jay, Bono poke fun at Bill Gates in video; Miley Cyrus, Fergie roped in to perform at rodeo show; Kidman pregnant.
By MTV News staff

The Shins' Marty Crandall
Photo: Karl Walter/Getty Images

1.4.08

The Hannah Montana tour is definitely one of the hottest tickets in town for tweens and their parents, but one woman admits she went a little overboard in trying to win tickets for her daughter. Texas mom Priscilla Ceballos apologized Friday (January 4) on NBC's "Today" show for writing an essay falsely claiming the girl's father had died in Iraq just so the girl could see Hannah (a.k.a. Miley Cyrus) in person. "I just wanted to help my daughter write a compelling story," she said. The fabricated essay won the contest's grand prize, which included airfare for four to Albany, New York, and four tickets to a sold-out Hannah Montana concert there, as well as a makeover that included a blond Hannah Montana wig. "Please accept my heartfelt apology and please do not punish my child for my mistake," Ceballos urged on the show. ...

What's harder to find than a City of Gold? For "American Idol" rocker Chris Daughtry, it was one of his own songs. Daughtry was commissioned to write a song to play over the end credits of "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," but the single, "Feels Like Tonight," was left on the cutting-room floor, reports Variety. "It's a great song, and probably could have been a good marketing tool, but when we put it up with the movie, it just felt wrong," Disney music chief Mitchell Leib told the Hollywood trade. ...In other "Idol" alumni news, Season Two winner Ruben Studdard and semifinalist Frenchie Davis (who got the boot from the show after Fox discovered that she worked for an adult Web site before trying out) have signed on for the 30th anniversary national tour of the Tony Award-winning musical revue "Ain't Misbehavin'." Richard Maltby Jr. co-wrote and directed the Broadway production, which showcases the music of "Fats" Waller, and he will re-create his original direction. Studdard was in need of some good news after being the first "Idol" winner to be dropped from his label, when J Records let him go in December. Since appearing on "Idol," Davis was in the Broadway cast of "Rent." The "Ain't Misbehavin' " tour will begin in November and run at least through May 2009. ...

Literature probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you think of C-Murder, but the rapper — who is to be retried on a second-degree murder charge on February 11 — is taking part in a unique book club that connects readers with authors. On January 19, C-Murder will help christen the New Orleans "chapter" of the Conversations Book Club when he joins the group at the Comfort Inn & Suites downtown to discuss "Death Around the Corner," his recent novel about the city post-Katrina. ...

R.E.M., My Morning Jacket, Vampire Weekend, Daniel Lanois, Tech N9ne and My Brightest Diamond are among the initial slate of bands scheduled to perform at this year's South by Southwest festival. Lou Reed will be the keynote speaker at the fest, which will take place in Austin, Texas, March 12-16. ... Birdman is being sued for allegedly sampling other artists' songs without paying for them. The lawsuit, which was filed in New Orleans, claims that the Cash Money Records co-founder (real name: Bryan Williams) owes several music publishers money for using copyrighted songs without permission. ... Does Britney have some competition? Both Whitney Houston and her estranged husband, Bobby Brown, were no-shows Friday (January 4) at their scheduled court appearance, TMZ.com reports. According to the Web site, Whitney's attorney, Stephen Kolodny, said the singer was sick. ...

Bay Area producer/DJ Amplive won't be putting out his remix of Radiohead's In Rainbows after all. Just a month after announcing his remix album, Rainydayz Remixes, which was to feature a cameo from Too Short, Amp announced on his MySpace page that he had received a cease-and-desist letter from Radiohead's publisher, Warner/Chappell, on December 18 that barred him from releasing the unapproved album, according to a story on Pitchfork linked to from Amp's site. In a video on his MySpace page, a dejected-looking Amp, holding a sign that reads "free," laments, "In Rainbows is one of the top Radiohead albums, and I'm a big Radiohead fan, and it was all done in celebration." He says he wanted to show his appreciation for Radiohead's pioneering pay-what-you-want scheme by doing a hip-hop remix album that would also have featured Del Tha Funkee Homosapien and Jurassic 5's Chali 2na. He says he wishes that Radiohead could hear the free remix album, which he knows they would like, and suspects the band is not to blame for the legal action. "Thom [Yorke], holla at me, man," he pleads to the band's frontman at the end of the message. ...

Australia's first couple of music, Silverchair singer Daniel Johns and singer/actress Natalie Imbruglia, have announced that they will separate after four years of marriage, according to the Melbourne Herald Sun. The pair announced their split in a joint statement released Friday (January 4) that read, "While we are very sad that our marriage has ended, we want to make it clear that our parting is amicable and we remain friends. ... This mutual decision has not been taken lightly or quickly. However, our career demands and our lives in different parts of the world have brought us to the point where unfortunately this difficult decision was necessary for both of us. We have simply grown apart through not being able to spend enough time together." ... On March 25, long-running, genre-spanning party-poppers the B-52s will return with Funplex, their first album of new material since 1992's Good Stuff (and their first to feature co-frontwoman Cindy Wilson since '89's Cosmic Thing). Guitarist Keith Strickland describes the album as "loud, sexy rock and roll for your pleasure zones, with the beat pumped up to hot pink," just in case you were wondering. ...

Josh Groban had a great Christmas, but the music industry? Not so much. For the eighth year in a row, album sales were down, with total album sales diving 15 percent in 2007 to 500.5 million units, according to year-end figures from Nielsen SoundScan. The Los Angeles Times reports that it was the lowest tally and steepest decline since Nielsen began publishing estimates based on in-stores sales data in 1993. There was a bright spot with digital-album sales rising 2.4 percent to 30.1 million units, but even that paled in comparison to the 19 percent uptick in 2006. The overall picture, including albums, singles and individual-song downloads, showed a rise of 14 percent to 1.4 billion units, which, again, was down from the 19 percent gain in 2006. ...

Last year's Live Earth concert and the Roskilde Festival in Denmark will be recognized with environmental honors at the upcoming Midem Green World Awards in Cannes, France, later this month, according to BBC News. The awards pay tribute to events that promote a greater awareness of environmental issues. Live Earth is being recognized for the strict green guidelines it set out in order to create a low-impact worldwide event, while Roskilde, one of the largest European festivals, is earning praise for serving all its drinks in recyclable plastic mugs. ...

Not everyone is psyched about the huge music festival that is slated to touch down in Vineland, New Jersey, this summer courtesy of a hookup between Lollapalooza promoters C3 and the people behind England's Glastonbury Festival. According to the Vineland Daily Journal, a group of citizens, including a former City Council president, have mobilized under the banner of Neighbors Against Rock Concert Site in an attempt to block the show. The first meeting of NARCS is slated to take place Thursday, with the goal of blocking the festival — currently scheduled for August 8-10 — from taking place on a local 570-acre farm. The event is expected to draw 35,000-40,000 people over three days, with mostly on-site camping, which neighbors worry will have a negative impact on the area due to potential increases in traffic, noise, crime and pollution. According to the Journal, NARCS isn't opposed to the festival, just its location. The group is considering a lawsuit to stop the show, while suggesting that promoters move it to a more "appropriate" location, such as the local county fairgrounds. ...

The once-in-a-lifetime New Year's Eve gig at a small club in Surrey, England, that featured Who guitarist Pete Townshend, former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and guitar god Eric Clapton might not be a one-off after all. The secret show, which the trio performed under the name Totally Abandoned, benefited charity and included mostly "old classics," according to London newspaper The Independent. A Thursday post on the Who's site confirmed that the gig took place and teased that "a much larger gig" could happen in New York before March. ...

Stephen Stills is recovering after having surgery for prostate cancer on Thursday. He is expected to be at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25 for the world premiere of "CSNY/ Déjà Vu," a movie directed by Neil Young that revolves around his and Stills' group, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

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The Best Albums Of 2007, In Bigger Than The Sound

12 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST

Radiohead, Kanye West, Shins, Feist, LCD Soundsystem all made the list.
By James Montgomery

Photo: MTV News

On The Record: The 20 Best Albums Of 2007

This is not a perfect list, because this was not a perfect year. I think the general consensus is that something big happened (or is happening) in 2007, but no one seems to be able to agree on just what that "event of monumental import" was. Maybe it was In Rainbows, the OiNK bust or the defections of several high-profile artists from the major-label stables. Perhaps it was none of those things, and it's all still business as usual, but I sort of doubt it.

There's definitely a movement afoot, though. And these 20 albums were all part of it — some because they changed the flow of the industry, others because they were simply released in 2007. Below, you'll find game-changers, weirdo-folk, not-punk punk albums, expansive-yet-minimalist electro — and absolutely no Neon Bible. And, like I said, you'll probably find some faults with my list (I probably should've included Spoon's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga and Bruce Springsteen's Magic, for starters) but I'd like to think that's also why it's also a pretty good one: After all, there was no clear-cut choice for Album of the Year in 2007, just a whole lot of efforts that could possibly lay claim to the title (or couldn't, depending on who you asked). If we learned anything, it's that practically everyone could agree on positively nothing. And if that's not a pretty accurate assessment of the past 12 months ... well, then I don't know what is.

Also, I'd love to hear your feedback and read your lists, so feel free to e-mail me at BTTS@MTVStaff.com.

20. The Go! Team, Proof of Youth
The sound of the blog bubble bursting, complete with '70s guitars, double-dutch cadences, thunderous drumming, glorious fuzz and a cameo by Chuck D. Unfairly abandoned by pretty much everyone who loved the Go! Team's 2004 debut, Thunder, Lightening, Strike (because it's basically the same record), Proof of Youth stands as an example of the inherent stupidity of today's fast-moving blogosphere, and a cautionary tale to bands like the Black Kids and Vampire Weekend. If only all failures sounded this good.

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For the rest of MTV News' year-end top 10s, check out our Best of 2007 page, where you'll find the hottest hip-hop, catchiest singles and more.

19. Black Moth Super Rainbow, Dandelion Gum
Stuff a vocoder in your mouth. Strap a pair of Casio keyboards to your feet. Wander the Mojave Desert for a month. Do the Black Moth Super Rainbow. Gleefully psychedelic, completely nonsensical, unbelievably sunny folk-tronica from the wilds of Pittsburgh. Every bit as WTF as the name implies.

18. Patrick Wolf, The Magic Position
A guy who looks like an extra from "The Legend of Zelda" releases the year's most melodramatic album — 40 minutes of gilded, whimsical, overly indulgent Baroque-pop, full of stabbing violins, synthesizers that pop like fireworks and chiming church bells; becomes even more flamboyant (if that's possible); establishes himself as a sex symbol on both sides of the aisle; has onstage meltdown in NYC; threatens to quit the music industry via a messageboard post; recants his threat days later; then starts a feud with fellow balladeer Mika over "authenticity." And you thought you had a busy year.

17. The Shins, Wincing the Night Away
Not only is this album better than you remember, it's also probably the only thing on this list that the dude in the cubicle next to you owns (well, this or Kanye). Packing away the sunny, strummy indie-pop for darker, nocturnal mood music, the Shins crafted a weird winner that somehow managed to debut at #2 on the Billboard albums chart (despite leaking to the Internet like three months early), and finally get them out from underneath the shadow of that dude from "Scrubs." Hopefully.

16. Kanye West, Graduation
The swagger is nothing new. Neither is the lack of humility. But never have both sides of Kanye co-existed so successfully on one record (maybe Daft Punk helped broker the peace). On Graduation, West reveals the complexities contained within himself, looking back while moving forward, slowing down a step — really, there's nothing on here that grabs you with the immediacy of "Jesus Walks" — to bask in his successes, while still holding his competitors in check and keeping one eye toward the future. A truly accomplished, truly human album that still manages to work in a song based around a Steely Dan sample. And that's much harder to do than it looks.

15. Okkervil River, The Stage Names
World-weary, scruffy rock from the weariest, scruffiest band in Austin, Texas, Stage Names is beautiful, tear-in-yer-beer stuff, but it's also probably the most self-aware album released this decade (either this or Panic! at the Disco's A Fever You Can't Sweat Out) full of too-smart references to the Beach Boys, Marcel Duchamp artwork, Paul Simon and Nena's "99 Luftballons." It's meant to be a concept record of sorts, about the exploration of high art and low art, which sort of explains the tender ballad about the death of porn star Savannah. Sort of.

14. Jens Lekman, Night Falls Over Kortedala
Sumptuous, swirling pop from Sweden's finest troubadour. Sonically, it's all over the map: booming orchestral numbers, sparkly samba, morose Northern soul, all sung in Lekman's sleepy, mahogany-rich baritone. Also, "I took my sister down to the ocean/ But the ocean made me feel stupid" is probably the most emo line of the year. Deep, man ... deep.

13. LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver
Just last week, I named James Murphy's "All My Friends" as "the best song of 2007," and the album is nearly as good. Building on the, well, dancey-but-not-dance roots he's been laying down for a few years now, Silver is the record in which Murphy puts electroclash (remember that?) to bed for good and establishes himself as a truly important artist: the kind of guy who's not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve (check "All My Friends" or "New York, I Love You but You're Bringing Me Down"), or get funky in really goofy ways, or record a 45-minute exercise track for Nike. And we need guys like that.

12. The National, Boxer
The sound of sepia. Sad like the photos you see pinned to the walls in really old bars. Beautiful like being drunk on a rooftop in Brooklyn, the city twinkling in the distance. Painful like the hangover the following morning. The songs on Boxer are all of those things, often at the same time. A remarkable record.

11. Feist, The Reminder
Sure, there's the song that sold the iPods, but there's also the churning, torch-y "My Moon My Man," the heartbreaking "The Park" and the slinky "Brandy Alexander," to name just a few. Intimately performed, expertly arranged indie balladry, with Leslie Feist's voice weaving through it all: lithe, supple, sexy and undeniably powerful. Probably — OK, undoubtedly — the breakthrough album of 2007.

10. Yeasayer, All Hour Cymbals
What world music would sound like if it was played by a bunch of hipsters from Williamsburg. Hints of African guitars, drone-y Eastern European notes, Celtic rhythms, plus chants, chimes and handclaps, all whirled together into a heady sonic brew. In a thousand years, when they excavate Bedford Avenue, they'll probably discover copies of Cymbals and think we were a much more evolved society. Either that or really big fans of Forest for the Trees.

9. Deerhunter, Cryptograms
If you believe the rumors (and given the generally terrifying WTF-ness of Deerhunter, I do), Cryptograms is really two albums in one: the first half — from "Intro" to "Red Ink" — was recorded in one manic session, on a single reel of tape, with frontman Bradford Cox still battling the lingering effects of walking pneumonia. The second half (starting with "Spring Hall Convert" and ending with "Heatherwood") was recorded in another one-day session, on another reel of tape. That the two halves are so sonically disparate — one murky and atmospheric, the other luminous and relatively straightforward — not only lends credence to those rumors, but also speaks volumes about the ever-evolving talent of the band itself, and makes Cryptograms an experience unlike most you'll hear this decade. And given that Deerhunter are currently on hiatus, that experience might — unfortunately — only be a one-time thing.

8. Modest Mouse, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
Not as accessible as Good News for People Who Love Bad News, not as good as The Lonesome Crowded West (or The Moon & Antarctica, for that matter), We Were Dead represents Modest Mouse at the great divide: On one side, the past. On the other, the future. So, accordingly, the album borrows equally from both, packed with rambling, shambling guitar exercises and (relatively) straightforward radio rock. There was even a slow number or three. That the album debuted at #1 on the Billboard albums chart seemed to be the most amazing thing of all, and it only gave MM the validation they deserved. No matter where Isaac Brock and company decide to go from here, they've already won.

7. Panda Bear, Person Pitch
Like the Animal Collective that begat him, Panda is less about making music and more about stringing together atmosphere, creating pockets of sound as big as entire universes. Here, he collects the wooshes of subway cars, the crunch of gravel under boots, wind, water (and a bunch more), and combines them with some really beautiful vocal harmonies, a little acoustic strumming and the occasional odd "woo-hoo" to create an album that's warm like an old blanket but also chilly like a snowdrift. Bizarrely accessible, sort of spooky, and really all you could ask for from so-called "experimental rock."

6. The Field, From Here We Go Sublime
A masterwork of techno (do people still even use that word?) both minimal and maximal, Sublime — the handiwork of Swedish DJ Axel Willner — recalls cellular division, slowly melting ice caverns and fields of blossoming sunflowers, often in the same song, and often using little more than a bass line, a kick-drum and a looped sample. Devastating in its simplicity and scope, it's more intelligent dance music than Intelligent Dance Music, which may not make sense, only it does. You get me?

5. Tegan and Sara, The Con
An album of beautiful complexity and brutal honestly, The Con covers all manners of love, loss and heartbreak, and does it all with a restraint and a maturity that belies the Quin sisters' age. W-a-a-y more confident and ballsy than any "follow-up to a breakthrough" album should be, yet still self-effacing and full of enough doubts to fill 1,000 diary pages. Expertly helmed by producer Chris Walla, it's a record that unfurls gradually, revealing just a bit more with each listen. For some reason, it reminds me of Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, though I can neither explain nor condone that statement.

4. The White Stripes, Icky Thump
To some, it's just another example of Jack White's ever-expanding ego. To others, it's another addition to his "guitar god" résumé. I think I fall somewhere in between. Sure, there's parts of Thump that are a bit much — mainly the bagpipes that drag down the middle of the record — but there's also plenty of great moments, too: the fret-melting majesty of the title track, the delightfully silly vaudeville of "Rag and Bone," and straightforward, floor-pounding rock of "Bone Broke." For the first time, White also drops the whole "magical bluesman" shtick and opens up a bit, and — surprise — he seems just as conflicted and unhappy as you or I. Which only makes him, and the entire album, that much more likeable.

3. Radiohead, In Rainbows
The album that changed everything, only it probably didn't (though it's nice to oversimplify sometimes). When all the smoke surrounding its release strategy cleared, fans were left with an album that either enthralled or mystified ... there really was no in between. For me, it was the former: Radiohead put away the electronics on this one and just decided to play, making beautiful, intricate songs about decidedly human things — failing relationships, infidelity, whatever the hell "15 Step" is about. It's the album that sounds like the next logical step, and while some didn't want to hear Radiohead slip gracefully into their 40s, that's what they got. And I'll take AARP Radiohead over almost any other band on the planet. They may sound old, but, dude, they are old. Except Jonny Greenwood. He's apparently a vampire.

2. Against Me!, New Wave
The massive choruses. The even more massive hooks. The major label. The big-name producer. The boy/girl duet. The protest song that made fun of protest songs. There probably wasn't a more unapologetic record made this year — seriously, New Wave might actually redefine the word "unabashed" — and Against Me! are totally aware of this, and they don't care what you (or the majority of their old fans) think, which is why Against Me! are awesome, and why this album totally rules. Punk rock is probably dead already, but if it isn't, well, this is the album that killed it off forever. Good riddance.

1. Wilco, Sky Blue Sky
When all is said and done, the sky is still falling and the rivers continue to run red with BitTorrent. The industry is dead, except that it's probably not. We are living in the future, only no one seems to realize it, because we might just be living in the past. You are part of the problem, and the solution, all at the same time. And none of this really matters. What cuts through the fog and the noise is simplicity. And on the surface, Sky Blue Sky is the most simple record of the year: straightforward like Summer Teeth, sparkling in execution, bravely unflinching in subject. It resonates because it's true and beautiful and seemingly not of this era. But it's also unfathomably complicated: a record about relationships, about being so in love and wanting to make it work so bad, about giving of yourself and taking from someone else about being back to back, in the foxhole — impossible Germany, unlikely Japan — against overwhelming odds, but determined to fight until the bitter end. No one said simplicity was ever easy.

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Britney Spears Reportedly Passing Drug Tests; Plus Kiefer Sutherland, Lindsay Lohan, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce & More, In For The Record

9 Oct 2007 09:10:00 EDT

Sutherland to serve 30 days in jail for DUI; Lohan calls rehab 'sobering'; Timberlake, Knowles nominated for American Music Awards.
By MTV News staff

Britney Spears
Photo: Hot Shots Worldwide / Splash News/ Newscom

Looks like there's finally some good news for Britney Spears. The singer has been passing her court-ordered random drug tests and has a 50/50 chance of regaining custody of her children, her lawyer Sorrell Trope told People. Also, while Spears has lots of court dates to keep track of these days, she has one less for her calendar this week — her arraignment on misdemeanor driving charges (for hit and run, causing property damage and driving without a valid California license). Though her arraignment was scheduled for Wednesday, a Los Angeles judge decided Tuesday (October 9) that Spears could have until October 25 to enter a plea. The judge also ordered the singer to be booked by police and show proof of that booking by her arraignment, according to a court clerk. Spears' next hearing in her custody case will be the following day, on October 26. ...

Kiefer Sutherland will serve 30 days in Los Angeles County Jail as part of a plea deal in his DUI arrest, The Associated Press reports. He must also enroll in an 18-month alcohol-education class and go to weekly alcohol-therapy sessions for six months. On Tuesday, Sutherland's attorney Blair Berk entered a no-contest plea on the actor's behalf for driving with a blood-alcohol level over the legal limit, though a second misdemeanor DUI charge was dropped. The actor was most recently arrested for driving under the influence in Los Angeles in September — he was already on probation for a DUI arrest stemming from 2004. He will be sentenced December 21. ...

Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Linkin Park and — yes, you're reading this right — Daughtry are tied for the most American Music Awards nominations this year, it was announced Tuesday. Each artist earned three nods for various categories. In terms of pop/rock, Akon, Timbaland and Timberlake are facing off for Favorite Male Artist; Beyoncé, Fergie and Avril Lavigne are vying for Favorite Female Artist; Linkin Park, Maroon 5 and Nickelback are competing for Favorite Band, Duo or Group; and Daughtry, LP's Minutes to Midnight and JT's FutureSex/LoveSounds are going head to head for Favorite Album. As for rap/hip-hop, Fabolous, T.I. and Young Jeezy are vying for Favorite Male Artist; Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Pretty Ricky and Shop Boyz for Favorite Band, Duo or Group; and Bone Thugs' Strength & Loyalty, T.I.'s T.I. vs. T.I.P. and Jeezy's The Inspiration for Favorite Album. And on the soul/R&B front, Akon, Ne-Yo and T-Pain are up for Favorite Male Artist; Beyoncé, Fantasia and Rihanna are squaring off for Favorite Female Artist; Beyoncé's B'Day, R. Kelly's Double Up and JT's FutureSex/LoveSounds have been nominated for Favorite Album. There are also Favorite Artist categories for adult-contemporary music (Daughtry, Norah Jones and John Mayer); alternative rock (Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance and the White Stripes) and Latin music (Daddy Yankee, Juan Luis Guerra y 440 and Jennifer Lopez). Daughtry, Plain White T's and Robin Thicke have been noticed for Favorite Breakthrough Artist, while Carrie Underwood landed two country-music noms: for Favorite Female Artist and Favorite Album (Some Hearts). For the first time, the AMAs are opening up voting to the general public online — it began Tuesday on the AMA site and ends November 2. The show, to be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will be broadcast live at Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre on November 18 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. ...

John Graziano, the young Marine who was injured in Nick Hogan's car crash in late August, is on life support and will require lifelong care, Florida's St. Petersburg Times reports. According to documents obtained by the newspaper, the 22-year-old Graziano will, at best, be able to open and close his eyes from time to time. His mother is petitioning a judge to let her assume guardianship of her son, who remains in critical condition. A hearing will be held Wednesday. ...

Rehab was a "sobering" experience for Lindsay Lohan, she told In Touch in her first interview since leaving Utah's Cirque Lodge Treatment Center on Friday. The actress also insisted that while she went to the clubs right after finishing a rehab stint in July, she's not going to be rekindling her nightlife anytime soon — to avoid distractions, she'll be staying in Utah until she starts shooting the upcoming flick "Dare to Love Me." "Going out all the time was very self-destructive," she said. "Partying and having all of those pictures taken distracts from the work that I do. It's not why I started acting. I didn't get into acting to be written about. ... I want to act like a woman rather than a teenager. I am doing the best I can." Lohan also opened up about seeing her estranged father for the first time in more than three years, while at Cirque Lodge. "It was really good for me ... it was really important for me to get a connection back with my dad, because I hadn't had that in a while." And if you heard those rumors about Lohan developing a relationship with a man while in rehab ... well, apparently they were true. "Yes, I am seeing someone," she confirmed. "His name is Riley. I am really happy and taking it day by day." The Riley in question is Riley Giles, a 25-year-old snowboarder from California. Last but not least, just as Paris Hilton said she was committing herself to philanthropic efforts after her own debacle, Lohan revealed that she's trying to put together a December trip to Africa with the Red Cross. ...

"Hannah Montana" fans will want to change the channel from Disney to ABC on Tuesday night when Miley Cyrus breaks out a new duet with her father, Billy Ray, on "Dancing With the Stars." The two will perform "Ready, Set, Don't Go" on the results show, with the single hitting country-radio stations immediately afterward. ... What do Diddy, Panic! at the Disco's Ryan Ross and Fred Durst have in common? They've all earned the less-than-distinguished honor of being selected for Blender's "The 40 Worst Lyricists in Rock" list. Will.I.Am, Billy Corgan, Anthony Kiedis, Common, Dashboard Confessional, Timbaland and, of course, Kevin Federline, also make the (F) grade, with Sting landing in the #1 spot. The list appears in the magazine's November issue, which streets October 16. ... Kid Rock commented to Dave Letterman about his ex-wife Pamela Anderson's recent remarriage — she got hitched to Rick Salomon in Las Vegas over the weekend. After making a salty remark about the couple on "The Late Show With David Letterman," he quipped, "I wish them much happiness." ...

Wyclef Jean seems to be the go-to guy for special causes these days. After playing at "CGI and MTV Present: Giving - Live at the Apollo" late last month, he's now been tapped for another special performance, at supermodel Petra Nêmcová's upcoming Heart of Gold Ball benefit auction. The event, to take place Wednesday at Cipriani Wall Street in New York, will have various sports, travel and event packages up for auction. All proceeds will go to Nêmcová's Happy Hearts Fund, which supports education and medical and emotional support for children affected by natural disasters. ... Say what you will about those rumors of Britney Spears putting in an application for a fall-back bartending gig while staying at the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica, California, last week. The manager at the hotel's Cameo Bar tells MTV News that while Spears has been there in the past, anyone applying has to have one to two years of fine-dining experience and must pass a drug test. The manager didn't confirm whether Spears had in fact submitted an application. ...

Avenged Sevenfold will play a free gig at the Key Club in West Hollywood, California, on October 20. The set will be taped for later broadcast on MySpace's "The List." Want in? No problem. Just show up in your Halloween costume and get there early — entry to the show will be on a first-come, first-served basis. ... Jimmy Eat World are going all in with their new single "Big Casino," fashioning their Chase This Light album-release party after the gambling concept. On Monday, the band will turn Los Angeles' El Rey Theatre into a faux casino, with fans able to play poker, blackjack, craps and other games for prizes — a flyaway to see the band perform in another city, JEW merchandise, El Rey tickets and more. The band will end the evening with an intimate set as Chase This Light drops at midnight. Entrants will get gambling money and a commemorative poster. ...

Causes, a charity album benefiting three organizations working to stop the genocide in Darfur, will be released on iTunes on November 27 and feature exclusive and rare tracks from Bloc Party, the Shins, Bright Eyes, Animal Collective, the Cure, Death Cab for Cutie, the (International) Noise Conspiracy, Travis and Spoon. All proceeds will go to Doctors Without Borders, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam America. The album will only be available on iTunes for 90 days, though a limited-edition CD can be ordered right here. ... Queens of the Stone Age are booked for "The Late Show With David Letterman" on Wednesday and are expected to perform their latest single, "3's & 7's." ...

R.E.M. are teeing up a new album for the spring, and what better place to reveal some of it than on ... CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360"? On Wednesday, Michael Stipe and company will perform "Until the Day Is Done," which will be synced up to clips of CNN's "Planet in Peril" environmental documentary. The song will also play over the doc's closing credits and appear on the band's yet-untitled spring LP. R.E.M. Live, a CD/DVD that stands as the band's first concert release, is due October 16. ... Hot Rod Circuit have called it a day. The band issued a statement about the split but didn't offer a reason for it. The boys thanked their fans for supporting them and said they'll miss playing live gigs. ... Senator Hillary Clinton's 60th birthday bash has just gotten a little bit sweeter: Elvis Costello will perform at the Thursday concert, to be held at New York's Beacon Theatre. Tickets range from $250-$2,300 for the bash, for which 2,800 people are expected to attend. Let's hope Costello isn't planning to jump out of a cake. ...

Capitol/Priority is putting some shine on classic rap material with a pair of releases from the vault. N.W.A's Straight Outta Compton is getting the 20th-anniversary treatment via a bonus-track-laden reissue due December 4. The set will feature five extras: a live version of "Compton's N the House" performed by Dr. Dre and MC Ren, and covers of Compton tracks by Snoop Dogg and C-Murder, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Mack-10 and WC. Also on the way is the label's Featuring ... Eazy-E, which pulls together his top collaborations and hard-to-find solo recordings. Four out-of-print tracks are getting new life on the disc, including his "Beverly Hills Cop III" soundtrack contribution, "Luv 4 Dem Gangsta'z," and a rare "We Want Eazy" remix. That disc hits stores December 4 too. ...

Jammie Thomas, the woman who was hit last week with the first-ever copyright infringement jury verdict, said she plans to appeal the $220,000 fine. She announced the decision on her MySpace page, explaining that her lawyer's appeal will take issue with the jury's decision that making songs available online violates copyright laws. "This would stop the RIAA dead in their tracks," she wrote. "Every single suit they have brought has been based on this making-available theory, and if we can win this appeal, they would actually have to prove a file was shared." At press time, Thomas announced that more than $3,800 had been raised so far on FreeJammie.com. ... TiVo has announced that it will offer users of its set-top boxes access to Rhapsody's library of more than 4 million songs. (Rhapsody is part of a joint venture with Viacom Inc., MTV's parent company.) TiVo subscribers with broadband boxes will be able to listen to music streamed over the Internet from Rhapsody in the coming months, though they won't be able to download songs through their TiVo box.

08.08.07

Mariah Carey has a suggestion for troubled young female celebs: Find your center. When asked by Glamour what words of advice she would give Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears, she replied, "I wouldn't want to speak to those people specifically, but I would say you need to be very centered, and spiritually know where you're at, all the time. Don't read the tabloids. Don't be obsessed with what people are writing or saying. Live your life for you. My lifestyle has changed since making it. It's not a financial struggle, but I'm still struggling in a lot of ways." Carey graces the cover of the magazine's November issue. ...

Diddy has had a tumultuous few days — first he was sued by a former associate who claimed the hip-hop mogul owes him $19 million for work by the Notorious B.I.G., and then he accepted legal responsibility for his sixth child, The Associated Press reports. In the suit, James Sabatino claims he flew the late rapper to Miami in 1994 to play a gig and hit the studio — he recorded a 17-minute freestyle session, and 90 minutes of Biggie video was allegedly captured on video as well. Since Sabatino paid for the travel expenses and studio time, he says it was understood that the music and video belonged to him, even though a contract was never signed. Diddy claims the delay was due to Los Angeles police naming Sabatino as a person of interest in Biggie's death and that it might be misconstrued if people discovered Bad Boy had paid Sabatino. The ex-associate was later imprisoned on unrelated charges but continued trying to get the money from Diddy and was told it would be coming soon, the suit alleges. Sabatino is seeking $19 million for actual and punitive damages. While that dilemma recently emerged, Diddy put another one to rest when he took legal responsibility for his 15-month-old daughter, Chance — who is said to have factored into his split with ex-girlfriend Kim Porter. Diddy previously denied he had fathered the child of an Atlanta woman, Sarah Chapman, but has acknowledged that DNA tests have confirmed that he is the father. Diddy has arranged support terms and visitation over his daughter with Chapman. ...

Trent Reznor is a free man. According to a post on Nine Inch Nails' Web site, he and his band have fulfilled their contractual obligations to Interscope. "I've waited a long time to be able to make the following announcement: As of right now, Nine Inch Nails is a totally free agent, free of any recording contract with any label," he said in the post. "I have been under recording contracts for 18 years and have watched the business radically mutate from one thing to something inherently very different and it gives me great pleasure to be able to finally have a direct relationship with the audience as I see fit and appropriate. Look for some announcements in the near future regarding 2008. Exciting times, indeed." NIN were signed to TVT prior to joining Interscope in 1994. ...

Beanie Sigel's attorney says the rapper will surrender to authorities next week after an arrest warrant was issued for his failure to return a rented car, AP reports. Sigel (real name: Dwight Grant) is planning to face the charges on October 15, Fortunado Perri told the news service, elaborating that the Payless rental car — which was due back in August and reported stolen September 6 — is being covered. "Whatever money is owed to the company has been paid or will be paid shortly," Perri added. The car was returned to Payless on Friday as detectives were on their way to arrest Sigel at his home in the Philadelphia suburb of Lansdale. It is not yet known who returned the vehicle, which had accumulated $5,000 in late fees. ...

Paris Hilton's alleged bean spillage during VMA weekend aside, Christina Aguilera isn't doing too good a job keeping her supposed pregnancy under wraps. "Access Hollywood" reports that Aguilera picked out a baby registry at a trendy boutique in West Hollywood, California, on Saturday night. With husband Jordan Bratman and his mother and sister in tow, the singer shopped for blankets, bottles, bags and other items for what "AH" called an "upcoming baby shower." ...

Want to live just like Ozzy and Sharon? Your chance is about to arrive. The Osbournes are planning to auction art, furniture and collectibles from their homes in Southern California and England, with a portion of proceeds going to the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Foundation. Items up for sale include Jack Osbourne's black leather bedroom furniture, a cast-iron crucifix that was hung in Ozzy's den and other memorable objects that appeared on "The Osbournes." The auction will be held November 30-December at the Gibson Guitar Showroom in Beverly Hills — although bids can also be placed by phone or online — and Ozzy will also perform a related benefit show at Los Angeles' Staples Center the first night. Expect to hear plenty more from Ozzy in the near future, by the way: In addition to his upcoming tour with Rob Zombie, he'll likely be headlining Ozzfest next year, according to Billboard. When asked if he would be at the top of the bill, he said, "As far as I know." He did not say whether the fest would be free again, stipulating that it was Sharon's decision. He did, however, say he's still up for recording a new Black Sabbath album, though the band's plans are up in the air. ...

Amy Winehouse, the Arctic Monkeys, Paul McCartney and Kylie Minogue were honored at the annual Q awards on Monday (October 8). Winehouse's Back to Black earned Best Album, the Monkeys were named Best Act in the World Today, Macca was awarded as a Q Icon and Minogue landed Q Idol honors. ... Speaking of Winehouse, producer Mark Ronson tells RollingStone.com, "As soon as I finish up the Daniel Merriweather record, I am going back into the studio with Amy Winehouse to work on her new record. ... She is actually dying to go back into the studio already. ... She can't go in November because she is on tour, so we are figuring it out." Winehouse's second album, Back to Black, hit U.S. stores in March. ...

A new book claims that Bono's daughter, Jordan Hewson, was nearly kidnapped by Irish criminals as part of an abduction plot 10 years ago, according to The Irish Examiner. Author Frances Cahill, daughter of murdered crime boss Martin Cahill, says in her recently released book, "Martin Cahill, My Father," that her dad stopped the alleged plot, through which five other Irish criminals were hoping to get a multimillion-dollar ransom from the singer (the U.S. equivalent of roughly $8 million). "He told them it was a bad idea," Cahill reportedly writes in the book. "Martin had nothing against Bono's family. They had never done him any harm and he wasn't going to get involved." ...

Deftones have begun work on the follow-up to last year's Saturday Night Wrist, which took the band more than three years to record and release. According to a MySpace post from the guys, they've been working on the effort since late July and will maintain a blog to document the recording process. ... In addition to the standard CD version of their new self-titled album, Avenged Sevenfold will also be releasing a MVI version of the effort on October 30. The interactive DVD will feature a making-of featurette, a studio tour, pre-encoded MP3s of all the tracks, an animated short and more. ...

Cribs bassist Gary Jarman was hospitalized over the weekend and has been treated for blood poisoning, his publicist confirmed to MTV News. It's believed the rocker contracted the condition after accidentally cutting himself with the strings of his bass during a recent gig. He had complained of pains in his arms on Saturday but managed to make a gig in Sheffield, England, that same night. He was admitted early Sunday morning and is doing fine, according to his publicist. ... Want to get down and dirty with Moby? Stop by New York's Hiro Ballroom on Thursday night when he, Juan McClean, Stretch Armstrong and DFA artist Alex Frankel christen his new DJ series, called "Degenerates." Moby will tinker around with new material as part of the residency, which is expected to be ongoing and will encompass additional DJs. ...

Jena, Louisiana, Mayor Murphy R. McMillin is lashing out over John Mellencamp's new track "Jena," which the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-nominated rocker recently wrote and posted online (with an accompanying video) in support of the Jena Six. "The town of Jena has for months been mischaracterized in the media and portrayed as the epicenter of hatred, racism and a place where justice is denied," McMillin reportedly told AP. "However, the Mellencamp video is so inflammatory, so defamatory, that a line has been crossed and enough is enough. ... I do not want to diminish the impression that the hanging of the nooses has had on good people. I do recognize that what happened is insulting and hurtful. ... [But] to put the incident in Jena in the same league as those who were murdered in the 1960s cheapens their sacrifice and insults their memory." Prior to the mayor's reaction, Mellencamp discussed his intention behind the track via a post on his site. "The song is not written as an indictment of the people of Jena but, rather, as a condemnation of racism," he wrote. ...

Bruce Springsteen defended his anti-war stance in an interview with "60 Minutes" that aired Sunday, telling correspondent Scott Pelley that it would be "unpatriotic" not to speak out on his new album, Magic, and accompanying tour. "It's unpatriotic at any given moment to sit back and let things pass that are damaging to someplace that you love so dearly and that has given me so much," Springsteen said. "I still feel and see it as a beacon of hope and possibility. That part of America is live and well." He also sounded off on other political issues of the day, saying, "When people think of the American identity, they don't think of torture. They don't think of illegal wiretapping. They don't think of voter suppression. They don't think of no habeas corpus. No right to a lawyer ... you know. Those are things that are anti-American." ...

Not too long ago, the thought of a Police reunion tour was inconceivable. Now comes news that the rock legends, who are currently on tour in Europe, might throw together a new studio effort while they're at it. "I would see it as a challenge, to make an absolutely brilliant pop album at this stage of our career, and that would be something quite remarkable," guitarist Andy Summers told reporters in Dublin, Ireland, over the weekend, according to AP. But he added that the trio have not discussed the project in detail and that the reunion tour is "all-devouring." ...

Maybe the third time will indeed be the charm for Pamela Anderson, who married Rick Salomon — perhaps best known for making that sex tape with Paris Hilton — on Saturday in Las Vegas. Anderson wore a white denim Valentino dress, People reports, and the vows were squeezed in between the 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. shows of Hans Klok's "The Beauty of Magic," which Anderson is a part of, at the Planet Hollywood resort. It's Anderson's third marriage and Salomon's second.

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Snoop Dogg Strikes Plea Deal; Plus Game, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, My Chemical Romance, Yung Joc & More, In For The Record

20 Sep 2007 08:47:00 EDT

Game gets conditional discharge; Dre says 'nobody is gonna back down' in 50/Game rift; Gerard Way rails against emo, praises Bon Jovi.
By MTV News staff

Snoop Dogg
Photo: MTV News

Snoop Dogg struck a plea deal on Thursday (September 20) in his weapon-possession case stemming from an arrest at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, in September 2006, The Associated Press reports. The rapper (real name: Calvin Broadus) was sentenced to 160 hours of community service and three years' probation, and ordered to make a $10,000 charitable donation. In the September incident, Snoop was found carrying a collapsible baton — while he claimed it was for a video shoot, authorities considered it to be a dangerous weapon. If he doesn't violate the law again, his felony conviction will be reduced to a misdemeanor after one year. "We are very pleased with the outcome," his attorney Donald Etra told AP. "He wants to get on with his life." ...

Game (real name: Jayceon Taylor) was given a conditional discharge on Thursday in the case involving the rapper allegedly impersonating a police officer in New York in November, AP reports. Per Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Marc Whiten's order, if Game is not arrested again within six months, the misdemeanor criminal-impersonation charge will be dismissed. Claiming innocence, Game had rejected previous plea deals that would have kept him out of jail in exchange for a guilty plea. He was arrested after allegedly telling a cab driver he was an undercover cop and instructing him to run red lights, but Game denied that claim and instead argued that the driver decided to run the red lights on his own. Game's lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, pointed out Game's facial tattoo and said it was doubtful the driver would have believed the rapper to be a police officer. "I've never seen a cop with writing all over his face," Game said. ...

First Dr. Dre makes an appearance at the VMAs, and now he's got an interview in the latest issue of GQ — maybe Detox really is on the way. The notoriously reclusive producer appears in the 50th anniversary issue of the men's magazine and, for the first time, goes on record about the rift between his Aftermath artists 50 Cent and Game. "It was definitely a conscious thing," he said of his decision to not speak up in the past about the feud. "This is something that's between labelmates. I've said, 'When you guys are ready to make some music, let's get down. Let's get in the studio.' All that other stuff, that's not for me. This is something they created, so it's something they have to handle. I don't feel like I have to choose a side." Dre also revealed that, at the behest of Interscope Chairman Jimmy Iovine, he once asked Game not to dis 50 during a New York show. "I knew that this one wasn't gonna go away," he said. "I know these guys, and I know nobody is gonna back down." ...

Gerard Way had some kind words to say to the University of Maine's campus newspaper, The Maine Campus, about Bon Jovi — his band, My Chemical Romance, will open for the rock legends October 25-26 as part of the christening of Newark, New Jersey's Prudential Center. "I grew up as a Bon Jovi fan. Whenever you're dealing with Bon Jovi or Springsteen, it's just a great honor and at that point; it doesn't really matter what genre you play. It really just kind of matters that you're all from New Jersey." Way also had a thing or two to say about MCR being labeled "emo," although his words on that subject weren't so kind. "Emo bands were being booked while we were touring with Christian metal bands because no one would book us on tours. I think emo is f---ing garbage, it's bullsh--. I think there's bands that unfortunately we get lumped in with that are considered emo and by default that starts to make us emo. All I can say is anyone actually listening to the records, put the records next to each other and listen to them and there's actually no similarities. I think emo's a pile of sh--." ...

Yung Joc will perform at the 100th anniversary of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity's Cornell University chapter, according to the campus' paper, The Cornell Daily Sun. The October 12 concert, to be held at the Zeta Beta Tau house, will serve to benefit the Children's Miracle Network, an alliance of hospitals for children. ... Jennifer Lopez has a new album on the brain — Brave, which drops October 9 — but that hasn't stopped her from hooking up with Carlos Santana for a new slice set to be featured on the rock icon's Ultimate Santana collection, due October 16. Baby Bash also surfaces on "This Boy's Fire," which was partly produced by Sean Garrett. Two more previously unreleased collabos — "Into the Night" with Nickelback's Chad Kroeger and "The Game of Love" with Tina Turner — also beef up the best-of disc. ...

Missy Elliott posted a teaser on her Web site announcing that she's back in the lab cooking up a new album that she hopes to release in the spring. No other information was given on the album, which would be her first since 2005's The Cookbook. ... As huge as the Kanye West/ 50 Cent album showdown appeared to be, LP sales are still down 9 percent compared to the same week last year, Billboard reports. ... Tired of seeing Kanye West all over the place? Too bad. The recent Gradu-ee will perform September 29 on "Saturday Night Live." Spoon will play on the show the following week. ...

Sammy Hagar says he wouldn't have toured with the reunited Van Halen without founding bassist Michael Anthony, who has been replaced with Eddie Van Halen's son, Wolfgang Van Halen, for the band's reunion tour with singer David Lee Roth. According to the Web site for Internet radio station KNAC, Hagar said, "I wouldn't do it without Mike. ... If Eddie wants to play with his son, fine. I love my son too, but I got him a different job. ... I just think the fans are gonna walk away with a little bit of a disappointment because Mike's a big part of that band." ... In related news, Van Halen have tossed three more California dates onto their much-anticipated reunion tour, which kicks off September 27 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The band will hit Fresno on November 29, Anaheim on December 18 and will now bring the jaunt to a close in Oakland on December 22. ...

The inaugural Girlfrenzy concert scheduled for October 27 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine, California, has been postponed. Though organizers have not given any reason for the show's cancellation, they said in a post on the show's MySpace page that it will be rescheduled for 2008. The show was to feature Avril Lavigne, Fiona Apple, Sheryl Crow and Colbie Caillat. ... After three years, Scratch magazine is calling it a day. The hip-hop mag's final issue features 50 Cent and Timbaland on the cover and is due out at the end of September. No reason was given for the magazine's shuttering. ...

The 10th anniversary edition of Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp will get an extra dose of power this year with appearances from Slash, Who singer Roger Daltrey, Vince Neil and Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh. Also on the roster for the event, to be held November 7-11 in Las Vegas, are Cream bassist Jack Bruce, as well as members of Iron Maiden, Yes, Steely Dan, Bad Company, Megadeth and Winger. ... Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will give Asbury Park, New Jersey, fans a sneak preview of their upcoming tour in support of their upcoming album Magic, which is due October 2. The Boss has scheduled a pair of benefit shows for Monday and Tuesday night at the Asbury Park Convention Hall, with the $100 tickets selling out almost immediately when they went on sale Thursday morning (September 20), according to the promoter. ...

Gene Simmons, glam-rocker, reality-TV star, magazine entrepreneur and ... science-fiction author? You read it right — the Kiss frontman has penned the first installment of a planned sci-fi series, "Zipper," for release in November. The heavily illustrated book tells the story of a drone soldier from another planet who "begins to question his purpose and contemplate his autonomy ... he realizes his own capacity for individualism and wishes to explore it further," according to Simmons' Web site. ... Hardcore heroes Snapcase are getting back together for a one-off show to benefit Callum Robbins, the son of Jawbox's J. Robbins who is suffering from spinal muscular atrophy. The gig will go down at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York, on November 24 and also feature 108 and Triple Threat. The show is being organized by 108 member and author Norman Brannon, whose "The Anti-Matter Anthology: A 1990s Post-Punk & Hardcore Reader" — a tome revolving around the defunct fanzine — is due in stores November 6. ...

Gina Gershon can't stop the rock. The "Showgirls" actress, whose 2004 reality show chronicled her attempted crossover into the world of rock and roll, will preview songs from her upcoming album In Search of Cleo during a residency at the New York club the Box every Sunday and Monday night in October. Backed by a five-piece band and three dancers, Gershon will unveil the suite of songs — all of which she wrote or co-wrote — that tell the true story of the search and recovery of her lost cat, Cleo. According to a press release, the 10 songs focus "on the literal and metaphoric experience of the search, not just for Cleo, but for love," using "biting humor, country, blues and jazz-influenced singing and a splash of sexy."

09.19.07

So a judge orders Britney Spears to submit to random drug tests and abstain from alcohol, and what does she apparently do next? Goes partying! The singer reportedly went clubbing into the wee hours Tuesday night in West Hollywood, California, hitting both Winston's Bar & Grill and the Hyde Lounge — with a flurry of paparazzi on her tail, of course. Observers told People magazine that the singer was brought shots at Hyde, though it's unclear whether she actually drank them. Meanwhile, Spears has changed legal counsel again. On Monday, her divorce attorney Laura Wasser had stepped down to be replaced by Marci Levine, and on Wednesday (September 19), Levine prepared to step down to be replaced by Sorrell Trope. Trope's office told MTV News on Wednesday that the firm was in the process of being retained by Spears and anticipated that the necessary paperwork would be signed and taken care of by the end of the day. ..

In other Britney news, Justin Timberlake talked a bit about the singer Wednesday on "Oprah." When asked what he thinks is "going on" with her, Timberlake said, "I don't know, to be honest with you. I haven't spoken to her in years. I mean, there's no ill will — I have nothing but love for her. It's funny because we dated each other at a time ... wow, I haven't talked about this in a long time. It's interesting. ... We were teenagers, you know? I think that's basically the best way to describe what happened to us. I think she's a great person, and I don't know her as well as I did. ... What I do know about her is she has a huge heart, and she is a great person." ...

Talk about adding insult to injury. After pounding 50 Cent in the first week of their album showdown, Kanye West has bested his rival a second time by clinching the Music of Black Origin Award for Best Hip Hop artist. Amy Winehouse scored the Best U.K. Female prize, surprisingly, while Rihanna nabbed Best International Act honors, and Ne-Yo's "Because of You" earned Best R&B Title and Best Song. ...

If you caught Ashlee Simpson giving her yet-untitled album a test-drive at the VMAs earlier this month, you probably noticed the Cure's Robert Smith didn't make it onto the LP. In July, Smith voiced doubt about the supposed collabo taking place, and while Simpson told MTV News during her "Chicago" run in London late last year that "To work with Robert Smith would be an honor," she recently told Rolling Stone, "I am a huge fan, but would never expect to write with Robert Smith from the Cure." Boyfriend Pete Wentz also doesn't appear on the November disc — "We both keep our music separate from each other," she told Rolling Stone — however Timbaland, the Neptunes, Kenna and Gym Class Heroes' Travis McCoy did make the cut. ...

Game better be game to take on a new lawsuit — an Indian music-and-film company is suing him and Timbaland over "Put You on the Game." The song was featured on the Compton, California, rapper's Aftermath debut, The Documentary, and produced by Timbaland. According to documents obtained by MTV News, Saregama India — which filed a similar copyright-infringement suit in 2002 against then-Aftermath artist Truth Hurts — claims the duo used the song without its permission and also cites a number of additional parties, including Aftermath Entertainment, G-Unit Records and producer Danjahandz, who co-produced the track. The company is suing for a yet-undetermined sum. ... But everything isn't so dire these days for Timbo — the super-producer is soaping up for a scheduled appearance on an upcoming episode of "One Life to Live" scheduled to air October 9. He will perform two songs from his recent Shock Value LP, with the artists who accompanied him on the studio tracks: "The Way I Are" with Keri Hilson and "Apologize" with One Republic. ...

Let's set one thing straight: Chris Brown does not dislike Ciara, even though he's quoted as saying "I don't want Ciara" in the current issue of Vibe. "I didn't say I didn't like her," the singer recently told MTV News. "They mixed it around. Ciara, you know you're my homie." The article states that Brown's face "curls up as if he'd just noticed a foul odor" when the topic of Ciara is broached. "They made it seem totally bogus," he explained. "I don't have any grudges. I'm not a negative person. And I don't have a certain type. I don't care if you're a model or if you work at a gas station. Everyone's human. Everyone's a loving human being. And everyone has a chance with me." ... The New York Times loves Justin Timberlake's Southern Hospitality — the "SexyBack" singer's baby-back ribs in particular. "The most confounding thing about Southern Hospitality is those baby back ribs. Because they are, against tall odds, good," Peter Meehan wrote in his review, which was published Wednesday. "They are juicy but not fatty, seasoned simply and evenly and scented with a strong but not overpowering hit of smoke." ...

Australian Web site Undercover has reported that Rage Against the Machine are tipped to be one of the headliners of the upcoming Big Day Out festival. Though organizers haven't yet announced the lineup of the January shows, the group has reportedly booked gigs in Sydney and Melbourne on January 22 and 30, respectively, which closely coincide with BDO shows in those cities. ... The Foo Fighters will serve as the musical guest on "Saturday Night Live" on October 13, little more than two weeks after the band's Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace lands in stores. ...

Mya is stepping up for a good cause: The singer will perform at Skool'd, a benefit event to be hosted by Richie Rich on Wednesday night at Sol in New York. Eve DJ Miss Saigon and Le Tigre's JD Samson will spin at the benefit, the proceeds from which will go to the Ali Forney Center and the Reciprocity Foundation — organizations that assist lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender homeless youth in New York. Later Wednesday evening, she will host a party celebrating the launch of travel and lifestyle magazine Terrace at New York's Pink Elephant. ... A number of hip-hop and R&B acts have signed on to play a September 29 concert in support of the Jena Six, the black teens charged in connection with the beating of a white teen in Jena, Louisiana. Among the acts scheduled to play the Jena 6 Empowerment Concert at Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex in Birmingham, Alabama, according to the event's promoter, are Lloyd, Baby Boy, Twista, Jagged Edge, Tank, Killer Mike, Disturbing Tha Peace's Small World, B5, LAX Boys and Hurricane Chris. ...

Prince gave London Fashion Week the royal treatment on Wednesday when he delivered an unannounced performance during Matthew Williamson's catwalk show, Reuters reports. Once Prince's "U Got the Look" song reportedly began playing at the show, two models started dancing on the runway — after which the singer, who was sitting in the front row, started singing into a microphone from his seat. Prince them hopped on the runway and was joined by his band for the performance. "He really wanted to do this, and you don't say no to Prince," Williamson told the news service after the show. ... Bo Bice has seen the light, and it's Wal-Mart. The former "American Idol" finalist is planning to release his new album, See the Light, through the retail giant on October 23, with a presale on Walmart.com taking place beforehand. Wal-Mart will be the only terrestrial store carrying the disc, although it will be available through other online outlets. Bice, who parted ways with RCA last year, is putting out his second album through Sugar Money/ StratArt. "We had no inhibitions about what this was going to be," Bice said in a statement about the disc. "We just went in and did whatever we wanted to. The freedom shines through." ...

The Shins hope to indie-rock the mtvU Woodies this year — the band has scored three nominations, including Woodie of the Year. Lily Allen, Gym Class Heroes and Linkin Park have picked up two noms apiece, while Amy Winehouse, Common, Lil Wayne, TV on the Radio, M.I.A., Thom Yorke and Spoon have also been noticed. Don't miss the show when it airs November 15 on mtvU. ... A source told the Chicago Sun-Times that Michael Jackson is planning big things for his long-gestating comeback album. Comparing the music being recorded to the tunes on Jackson's landmark Thriller album, the source speculated that the yet-untitled, unscheduled disc might contain appearances by sister Janet Jackson and some of the other Jackson siblings. ...

Millions have watched Chris Crocker scream "Leave Britney alone!" on his hugely popular viral-video clip that recently made the rounds, and now reality-TV programmer 44 Blue Productions is hoping to parlay that success onto the small screen. Variety reports that a TV documentary soap is being developed around the 19-year-old Internet sensation — who still lives with his grandparents in Tennessee. ... According to reports from London, Babyshambles frontman Pete Doherty — who has publicly stuggled with drugs — has written a song for fellow hot English mess, Amy Winehouse. The tune, "Amy on the Mend," was reportedly intended to lift Winehouse's spirits as she deals with her recent health issues and an alleged drug overdose last month, and was allegedly sent to Winehouse in a frame and signed, "Love, Pete." The Daily Star reported that the tune, timed with Winehouse's 24th birthday, features the lines, "Amy on the mend, all that passion to spend/ Like a paper Boadicea in a battle to the end, end, end." ...

Barry Bonds has piped up about Marc Ecko's move to let fans decide the fate of the baseball slugger's record-breaking 756th home-run ball, which Ecko won in an auction over the weekend, on Vote756.com. "He's stupid," Bonds said. "He's an idiot. He spent $750,000 on the ball and that's what he's doing with it? What he's doing is stupid." He added of the fans' voting, "All of those options don't weigh anything. In baseball, that number [756] stands." According to The Associated Press, Ecko issued a statement Wednesday saying he would make a custom T-shirt reading, "Marc Ecko paid $752,467 for my ball, and all I got was this 'stupid' T-shirt.' " Meanwhile, the hip-hop fashion mogul's philosophy has caught on — the man who submitted Bonds' record-tying home-run ball also plans to let fans vote on whether the item should go to Cooperstown or be destroyed. "I give [Ecko] a lot of credit in all sincerity," Ben Padnos told AP. "I understood the potential value in this." Speaking of which, there is one difference in Padnos' approach: He's selling ads on his Web site, EndtheDebate.com. ...

Owen Wilson was only supposed to have a minor cameo in Ben Stiller's "Tropic Thunder" flick, but all the same, Matthew McConaughey has stepped in to fill the actor's shoes after Wilson dropped out of the film following a suicide attempt last month, Variety reports. The movie, which is filming in Hawaii, will also star Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr. and others. ...

Former Great White tour manager Daniel Biechele is now eligible for parole, having served one-third of his four-year prison sentence, AP reports. Rhode Island's parole board will meet on Wednesday to decide whether to grant parole to Biechele, who was imprisoned for igniting pyrotechnics that sparked a deadly fire four years ago at the Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. The blaze killed 100 people and injured more than 200 others.

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Britney Spears' Assistant Served By Kevin Federline; Plus Diddy, Notorious B.I.G., Jennifer Lopez, Amy Winehouse & More, In For The Record

13 Aug 2007 05:25:00 EDT

Diddy to executive produce Biggie biopic; Lopez pegs release date for LP; Winehouse scraps gigs.
By MTV News staff

Kevin Federline
Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Britney Spears' assistant was served with court papers Sunday morning to give a deposition in a legal matter between the singer and Kevin Federline. Mark Vincent Kaplan, Federline's attorney, told The Associated Press that Alli Sims will be asked to offer a statement "in connection with the Britney Spears/ Kevin Federline issue," although he didn't elaborate. He added that Sims is "believed to have relevant information" but didn't go into specifics about that either. On Wednesday, Kaplan filed documents in Los Angeles Superior Court for primary physical custody of Federline's two sons with Spears. ...

Diddy will executive produce the upcoming biopic of the Notorious B.I.G., Variety reports. "Soul Food" director George Tillman will be behind the lens for "Unbelievable: The Life, Death and Afterlife of the Notorious B.I.G.," for which an open casting call was launched nationally on Sunday. ...

Jennifer Lopez has pegged October 9 as the release date for her English-language album Brave, her second LP of the year and sixth studio disc overall. The set is highlighted by the just-released single, "Do It Well," and will be produced by J.R. Rotem (50 Cent, Christina Aguilera), among others. J. Lo's other album this year, Como Ama Una Mujer, is the best-selling Spanish-language debut LP ever. ... Amy Winehouse, who was hospitalized last week for severe exhaustion, has scrapped two planned shows in Germany opening for the Rolling Stones, RollingStone.com reports. The singer told Britain's News of the World, "I don't know how to explain what happened. ... I can't remember what I looked like. I couldn't recognize myself. It was terrifying." ...

Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, Kid Rock and Velvet Revolver will anchor Los Angeles radio station KROQ's Inland Invasion fest — which has been renamed the L.A. Invasion, since its relocation from a venue in Devore, California, to one in Carson. Against Me!, Chris Cornell, Hot Hot Heat, Satellite Party, Paramore and Cypress Hill round out the bill for the show, which will take place September 15. ...

The French publisher of the "Harry Potter" series will not seek damages against a 16-year-old who allegedly posted online an unauthorized French translation of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," publishing house Gallimard Jeunesse said Monday (August 13), The Associated Press reports. The case is still being investigated by French authorities, who will decide whether to bring it to trial. ... Robert Smith of the Cure, Julian Casablancas of the Strokes, Frank Black and Tom Waits will judge this year's International Songwriting Competition, RollingStone.com reports. ...

Bloc Party, Múm, Of Montreal and more have been confirmed for the ninth annual Iceland Airwaves festival, set for October 17-21 in downtown Reykjavík. ... The Shins have beefed up their fall tour schedule with a smattering of new U.S. dates. After playing Seattle's Bumbershoot festival on September 1 and Chicago's Download Festival the following day, the band will take a month off, then hit the road again beginning October 5 in Berkeley, California. From there, the Shins will play more West Coast and Southwest dates before dipping down South and winding their way up the East Coast for a two-day stand at New York's Terminal Five on October 23-24. They'll cap the tour with a pair of gigs at Las Vegas' Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel on October 27-28. ...

Wilco are bumping a pair of concerts because guitarist Nels Cline has come down with the chicken pox, according to the band's site. The Tuesday night show in Duluth, Minnesota, will now be staged September 4, and a concert scheduled for Winnipeg, Manitoba, will be postponed or scrapped entirely. ... "You Hear It First" vets the Shout Out Louds will tour for a month after they drop their new album, Our Ill Wills, on September 11. The indie-pop quintet will embark at the LA Weekly Detour festival in Los Angeles on October 6 and stay on the road through a November 3 show in Dallas. ...

According to Killswitch Engage bassist Mike D'Antonio, the band will head out for a co-headlining run with Lamb of God this winter. Suicidal Tendencies and Every Time I Die are in talks to open the gigs. ... Alice in Chains have been working on its first new material in more than a decade, according to frontman William DuVall. He said working with the band has "been deeply rewarding" and the new material sounds "insane." No word yet on when the reunited grunge rockers will release their next LP. ...

"Big Lebowski" fans who incessantly re-enact scenes and dialogue from the cult flick are about to be able to make their interpretations even lifelike: action figures are on the way. Seven-inch scale figures devoted to the Dude and Walter will be available in October and can be preordered here. ... Barenaked Ladies will host another cruise in 2008 called Ships & Dip III and leaving Miami on January 27. Tickets go on sale March 22. Meanwhile, Lynyrd Skynyrd (with guests the Marshall Tucker Band) are also hosting another cruise, while Sister Hazel and Toad the Wet Sprocket are signed on for Rock Boat VIII. ...

According to the Asbury Park Press, police charged 33 people with underage drinking last week at the Family Values Tour's Wednesday stop at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey. Thirteen others were arrested on various other charges, including resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and assaulting a trooper. In all, 46 people, ranging in age from 16-47, were taken into custody during the gig, which was headlined by tour founders Korn. ... A James Brown trustee accused of misappropriating $350,000 of the late singer's money has resigned, the Chicago Tribune reports. David Cannon turned over a check for the sum at a hearing on Friday. A follow-up hearing has been slated for September 24 as wrangling continues over Brown's estate.

08.10.07

Think 50 Cent is taking his upcoming face-off with Kanye West lightly? In an interview posted on SOHH.com on Friday (August 10), Fiddy threatened to end his rap career if he gets upstaged by 'Ye when their albums go head to head on September 11. "If Kanye West sells more records than 50 Cent on September 11, I'll no longer write music," he said. "I'll write music and work with my other artists, but I won't put out anymore solo albums." 50's Curtis will square off against West's Graduation. ...

Lily Allen has canceled gigs once again, this time because she has strep throat and sinusitis, she says in a post on her MySpace blog. "I'm back in London eating my mum's chicken soup, 'cause I'm afraid the traveling has caught up with me," she wrote in the post. "Before anyone starts trying to accuse me of neglecting my fans, I want to apologise and say how sorry I am, but I can't risk causing any permanent damage." Defending herself further, the singer also posted an image of her holding her doctor's note. ...

D'Angelo received suspended jail sentences Friday after pleading guilty to charges of driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license, AP reports. A Virginia judge revoked his license for 13 and a half months and fined him $1,250, with additional penalties suspended. A reckless-driving charge was dropped. ... Beastie Boys finally said hello to Brooklyn, New York, on Thursday night with — if you can believe it — their first-ever concert in the borough. RollingStone.com reports that the group, which played at McCarren Pool in Greenpoint, aptly opened the set with "Hello Brooklyn" and closed it with "No Sleep Till Brooklyn." ...

Norah Jones, Corinne Bailey Rae and Joss Stone are chipping in for Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino, which arrives in stores September 25. Paul McCartney, Elton John, Robert Plant and other classic-rock vets also salute the bluesman on the two-disc set, the sales from which will go toward buying instruments for public schools in New Orleans, rebuilding Domino's home there and helping other Crescent City-related programs. ... Emma Bunton, a.k.a. Baby Spice, gave birth to a, um, baby boy in London on Friday. It's the first child for the singer and boyfriend Jade Jones, who used to be in a pop act of his own: boy band Damage. ...

Bright Eyes are lighting up their tour schedule with seven additional dates: September 14 (Boise, Idaho); September 15 (Spokane, Washington); September 18 (Fairbanks, Alaska); September 19-20 (Anchorage, Alaska); September 23 (Eugene, Oregon); and September 24 (Chico, California). ... Waiting for a Cure LP? Well, the wait just got a bit longer. The band's new album was supposed to drop earlier this year, got bumped to the fall — and now won't be ready until the spring, Billboard.com reports. The band is busy touring and frontman Robert Smith hasn't finished writing yet. ...

Underoath will hit the road with Every Time I Die, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster and Poison the Well for a fall tour beginning September 22 in Houston and ending November 6 in Orlando, Florida. ETID, who are still on the Sounds of the Underground Tour, will drop their new Ferret release The Big Dirty on September 4. Earlier this week, they posted "No Son of Mine" — a track from the Steve Evetts-produced (Dillinger Escape Plan, Sepultura) effort — on their MySpace page. ... Queens of the Stone Age will not perform as part of Samsung and AT&T's free Summer Krush series on Monday in Los Angeles, as previously reported by Billboard.com. Plain White T's will play the gig instead. ...

As promised, Pearl Jam have posted the edited and unedited videos of their performance of "Daughter" at Lollapalooza on their Web site. Some segments of the performance were missing in AT&T's live "Blue Room" webcast, including critical remarks frontman Eddie Vedder made about President Bush. A spokesperson for AT&T recently told MTV News the omissions were not intentional and were mistakenly made by a webcast vendor. ...

Spoon, Coheed and Cambria, Devin the Dude and others have been confirmed for this year's CMJ Music Marathon, going down October 16-20 in New York, Billboard.com reports. UNKLE will play one of their first gigs ever with a live band, and surprise VMA Video of the Year nominees Justice will also hit up the fest. ... Franz Ferdinand, Hot Chip, Deerhoof, Grizzly Bear and David Byrne are among the acts who are contributing performances of songs written by David Shrigley for Worried Noodles, an unusual package containing two CDs and a hardcover book by the Scottish artist. The book of words and drawings was previously issued and caught the attention of the musicians, who have chalked up new songs for the set. ...

Martin Scorsese's Rolling Stones flick is rolling into next year. The film, originally slated for an August 26 theatrical release, will open in April instead, to allow the band more time to promote it. ... Speaking of rock docs, IFC has secured the rights to "Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten," a flick about the former Clash frontman that will hit select theaters November 2 and be televised on the cable channel thereafter. ... An unreleased Mick Jagger song produced by John Lennon in Los Angeles in 1973 will surface on The Very Best of Mick Jagger, due October 2. Jagger recorded the song, which has been on bootlegs for decades, with a cast of all-stars that included Harry Nilsson, Jack Bruce, Al Kooper and others. ...

In honor of the 40th anniversary of the release of Pink Floyd's first album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, a special edition of the album will be released August 28. The three-disc collection will look like a cloth-covered book, and include remastered stereo and mono versions of the album plus bonus tracks. The effort will also include a 12-page reproduction of Syd Barrett's notebook. ... Notorious ex-David Bowie manager Tony Defries will release his autobiography, Gods and Gangsters, in 2008. Also known for his work with the Beatles and Stevie Wonder, Defries is best remembered for helping to fashion the string of iconic characters rolled out by Bowie in the 1970s, as well as helping launch the solo careers of Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Luther Vandross and John Mellencamp. ... The world's leading record label, Universal Music Group, has announced that it will experiment with offering a large part of its catalog for download without copy protection at least through January. According to The New York Times, Universal (home to 50 Cent, Amy Winehouse and Akon) will offer the songs without DRM through RealNetworks, Wal-Mart, Amazon.com, Google and some artists' sites — but not on top download service iTunes.

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For The Record: Quick News On Courtney Love, Kurt Cobain, Linkin Park, Killers, Korn, GN'R, Lindsay Lohan & More

30 Apr 2007 08:36:00 EDT

Love to auction Cobain's belongings; Weenie Roast lineup announced; Axl and company reportedly sued for unpaid bills.
By MTV News staff

Courney Love
Photo: Katy Winn/ Getty Images

Courtney Love is planning to auction off most of Kurt Cobain's belongings, she said in an interview with AOL's Spinner.com. "I'm going to have a Christie's auction," she said. "[My house] is like a mausoleum. My daughter [Frances Bean] doesn't need to inherit a giant hefty bag full of flannel f---ing shirts. ... A sweater, a guitar and the lyrics to 'Teen Spirit' — that's what my daughter gets. And the rest of it we'll just f---ing sell." A date for the auction has not been set. ...

Linkin Park, the Killers, Korn and Interpol will headline what is now being dubbed the "KROQ Weenie Roast y Fiesta" on May 19 at the Verizon Amphitheater in Irvine, California. Also on the bill for the Southern California radio station's annual shindig: Queens of the Stone Age, 30 Seconds to Mars, the Bravery, Rise Against, Bad Religion, Social Distortion, Silversun Pickups, Plain White T's, Transplants' Tim Armstrong, Tiger Army, and Peter Bjorn and John. ... A smattering of those bands are also hopping onto Live 105's BFD 2007, happening a few weeks later and much further north. Bloc Party, Sum 41, the Kaiser Chiefs, the Faint, Cold War Kids, CSS and Shiny Toy Guns will play along with Interpol, QOTSA, Social D, Tiger Army, the Silversuns and the Bravery at the fest, to be held June 9 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. ...

The Phil Spector trial will be on hiatus for two days as one of the music producer's attorneys had to see a physician Monday (April 30), The Associated Press reports. Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler told jurors the court will reconvene Wednesday. ... Guns N' Roses are in for more legal woes, apparently. TMZ.com reports that a lawsuit has been filed against the bandmembers over $107,000 in unpaid bills stemming from their 2006 tour. In documents obtained by the site, Starlift Logistics claims it was hired to provide transportation and touring services for Axl Rose and the crew by two companies that work on behalf of the band. ...

Lindsay Lohan plans to record her third album in August, she said in an interview published in Nylon's May issue. "I want to do a tour like Madonna," Lohan said. "I want to do what Britney was doing. I want to work with Pharrell and Justin Timberlake and Timbaland." There's also another industry that the actress is very interested in conquering. "I think I should be a stylist," she said, recalling a recent Chanel shopping excursion. "I'm taking things off the mannequins because I'm like taking everything from the store. ... I mean, I saved another room at [Hollywood's] Chateau Marmont for a year that was just a closet! That's not normal!" ...

A Young Buck afterparty at a hotel in Kennewick, Washington, turned violent Saturday morning when gunfire erupted after 2 a.m., frightening families staying in the hotel, injuring one man and resulting in nine arrests. Tacoma's News Tribune reports that following a show featuring Buck at the nearby Club Paradise, an afterparty began at the Hilton Garden Inn in Kennewick that turned into a parking-lot brawl. During the fight, at least six shots were fired by at least two weapons, with one bullet passing through the leg of a Las Vegas man. Police have not yet determined whether Buck or any members of G-Unit were involved in the melee, the paper reported, though some witnesses said the fight began as a disagreement between members of G-Unit and rival rappers. All nine men jailed — who told police they were rappers in town to attend or perform at the Buck show — were charged with failure to report a violent crime, with more charges possible. Police said they are having a hard time investigating the incident because a number of those involved are unwilling to cooperate with detectives. A representative for Young Buck said the rapper wasn't involved in the shooting and had no further comment. ...

Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington and Disturbed singer David Draiman will perform with Dave Navarro, Slayer guitarist Kery King, Anthrax's Scott Ian, Hellyeah drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, Damageplan's Bob Zilla, Hatebreed's Matt Byrne, ex-Marilyn Manson guitarist John 5, former Judas Priest singer Ripper Owens and others as the Black Tooth Band at the "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott all-star concert and auction next month. The group will cover material from the late guitarist's multiple projects — including Pantera — and will be joined by host Jamey Jasta at the end of the night. The Black Tooth Bash — named after the "Black Tooth Grin" cocktail Dimebag created — will be preceded by Six String Masterpieces: The "Dimebag" Darrell Art Tribute, with all proceeds going to the Little Kids Rock foundation. The event will be held May 17 at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California. ...

Former "American Idol" finalist Jessica Sierra was arrested early Sunday morning after an altercation in a Tampa, Florida, cafe, AP reports. The 21-year-old singer — a Tampa native who was the third finalist cut during the fourth season of "Idol" — allegedly threw a glass at a man and was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, possession of cocaine and introduction of contraband into a detention facility. A police spokesperson told Tampa's WTSP that Sierra was uncooperative when arrested, and that officers had to shackle her legs to prevent her from kicking out the squad car's window. She was released on an $11,500 bond and will face arraignment Monday. ... Modest Mouse, the Shins, Incubus and Wolf Parade are lined up to play shows as part of the 2007 Download Festival, which will hit Boston (August 18); George, Washington (August 25); Chicago (September 1); and San Francisco (October 6). The full lineup of artists for each city will be announced May 29. ...

Attention Disney fans: "High School Musical" and "Jump In!" star Corbin Bleu has his first album, Another Side, primed for release Tuesday. The single "Push It to the Limit" actually previously appeared on the "Jump In!" soundtrack, but Bleu has chased it with a new one, "Deal With It." Initial copies of Another Side come with a bonus DVD featuring concert clips, the "Push It to the Limit" video and an interview. ... Les Claypool, the next Van Wilder? Well, not exactly, but the Primus bass master is making his directorial debut through the National Lampoon series — more specifically, via a jam-band mockumentary with the classic Claypool title "Electric Apricot: Quest for Festeroo." While that theatrical flick doesn't have a release date yet, Claypool does have a concert DVD, "Fancy," set for May 29. He's also launching a tour beginning May 23 in Minneapolis and running through July 14 at the All Good Music Festival in Masontown, West Virginia.

04.27.2007

Rage Against the Machine have added one more show to their reunion. The Rock the Bells tour, headlined by Rage and the Wu-Tang Clan, will make a second stop in New York scheduled for July 29 at Randall's Island. Tickets for the gig, which was added after the July 28 show sold out in 20 minutes, go on sale May 4 at 10 a.m. ET via Ticketmaster. The four-stop Rock the Bells tour hits San Bernardino, California, on August 10 and San Francisco on August 18. ...

Jessica Alba leads FHM's "100 Sexiest Women" poll, selected by the magazine's readers worldwide. Hilary Duff is the youngest to make the list — ranking #39 at age 19 — while Halle Berry is the highest-ranking woman over 40 at #16. Jessica Simpson (#15), Christina Aguilera (#21), Mandy Moore (#24), Beyoncé (#25), Shakira (#28), Jennifer Lopez (#40), Lindsay Lohan (#41), Fergie (#44) and Mariah Carey (#45) landed spots in the top half of the list. ... The two-part "Idol Gives Back" special has raised more than $60 million for Charity Projects Entertainment Fund, Fox announced Thursday. An updated total will be announced on Tuesday's "American Idol," and donations will continue to be accepted through May 31 via AmericanIdol.com. ...

After drinking heavily, Phil Spector pulled a revolver and shotgun on former girlfriend Dorothy Melvin, hit her twice in the head and forced her to strip at gunpoint, she testified in a Los Angeles courtroom Friday (April 27), according to Reuters. Melvin was the first witness in the Spector trial and was called by prosecutors to support the claim that the music producer had threatened women with guns in the past. "I was sobbing and I said: 'Why are you doing this, Phillip? Why are you doing this?' I was crying. I was terrified," she testified. During cross-examination, Melvin said she didn't press charges over the alleged 1993 incident and stayed in touch with Spector for more than 10 years afterward. ...

A Bahamian court rejected an appeal by Anna Nicole Smith's mother, Virgie Arthur, on Friday and is allowing Larry Birkhead to leave the country with his and Smith's daughter, Dannielynn, The Associated Press reports. The judges ruled that a court in the U.S. would most likely have the last word in terms of the custody dispute between Arthur and Birkhead. Also on Friday, Birkhead went to a Nassau registry and obtained a revised birth certificate for the baby that does not list Smith's companion Howard K. Stern and features the name "Dannielynn Hope Marshall Birkhead." ...

Fans of filthy-minded blip-hop and Tom Waits rejoice: The 10 finalists for the sixth annual Shortlist Music Prize have been announced. The albums in the running — selected by a taste-making panel featuring Sufjan Stevens, Franz Ferdinand and, uh, Panic! at the Disco — include Spank Rock's YoYoYoYoYo, Waits' Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards, Band of Horses' Everything All the Time, Cat Power's The Greatest, Hot Chip's The Warning and Regina Spektor's Begin to Hope. The winner of the Shortlist Music Prize will be announced in May. Somewhere Bob Marley is smiling. Stevie Wonder, Ben Harper and Damien Marley joined Steven Marley onstage for renditions of his pop's "Buffalo Soldier" and "Could You Be Loved" at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California, Thursday night. Mos Def and Jurassic 5's Chali 2na also gave surprise performances at the gig. ...

Arguably the most morally complex supervillain in comic book history, Magneto is finally getting his own movie — a prequel to the popular "X-Men" trilogy that will be directed by "Batman Begins" scribe David Goyer, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The flick will follow the master mutant beginning with his imprisonment at Auschwitz in Germany, primarily focusing on his friendship with — and ultimate separation from — Professor Charles Xavier, who disapproves when Magneto uses his newfound powers to hunt down and kill those who imprisoned him. Played in the first three "X-Men" films by Sir Ian McKellen, a yet-unannounced actor in his 20s will take on the character in the new flick, the paper reports. Goyer, whose film "The Invisible" opens Friday, will work from a "Magneto" script by Sheldon Turner ("The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning," "The Longest Yard"). ...

Alice in Chains have started working on new material for their forthcoming LP, according to a source close to the band. There's no word yet on whether the reunited group has found a permanent replacement for late frontman Layne Staley or will record the album with Comes With the Fall's William DuVall, who fronted AIC during their North American tour last year. ... System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian is planning a fall release for his debut solo album, Elect the Dead, which he's described as a rock album. Tankian will perform a song at this weekend's Coachella festival with Fair to Midland, who are signed to his Serjical Strike label. ...

Roots drummer Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson posted a blog on his MySpace page Monday detailing an incident with the Drug Enforcement Agency at a Buffalo, New York, airport after a recent DJ gig. ?uestlove said that because of a last-minute ticket purchase and the large amount of cash in his possession, security asked him to remove his pants and also requested that he point out the Roots in the rap magazines he was carrying. The drummer was also questioned about carrying currency from various countries. "This was single-handedly the most embarrassing moment of my career," Thompson wrote. "It was just so ... degrading, man. That is all I can describe it as." ...

Papa Roach have recruited Unwritten Law drummer Tony Palermo to fill in for Dave Buckner, who is sitting out the band's current tour. "[Buckner] has taken time off from touring with the band due to personal matters," according to a statement. "All the members of Papa Roach are looking forward to having Buckner back on the road with them in the very near future." ... Bad news for Blood Brothers fans hoping to catch the band's performance at next weekend's Bamboozle festival: They've pulled out of the gig. "After touring since mid-October, our collective health is in pretty bad shape," the band said in a statement. "We apologize and hope you understand." ...

Angelina Jolie spoke with politicians and the media on Thursday in Washington, D.C., about the plight of orphans as a part of the Global Action For Children committee, which opened its headquarters in the nation's capital earlier this week. "This is a happy day because it is not often enough that these children are represented in this town," Jolie said. ... MySpace has announced a deal to license the company's brand to entrepreneurs in China in the hopes of building a tailored social-networking site that will pass the country's stringent government regulations, according to The New York Times. The initiative is set to be called MySpace China, and a Chinese man will replace the ever-popular Tom as users' first friend.

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Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Amy Winehouse, More At Coachella 2007

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Shins, Lily Allen Upstaged By Shredding Classical Guitarists At Radio Fest

16 Apr 2007 09:26:00 EDT

Rodrigo y Gabriela steal the show at Saturday's 'A Sounds Eclectic Evening' in Southern California.
By Kurt Orzeck

The Shins' James Mercer performs at KCRW's "A Sounds Eclectic Evening" on Saturday
Photo: Marc Goldstein

UNIVERSAL CITY, California — How do you inspire L.A.'s Lexus-driving, museum-going cognoscenti into headbanging along to Metallica? Via a Mexican duo belting out a Latin-tinged cover of the band's instrumental "Orion" on guitar, apparently. Someone tell Lars.

Taste-making local radio station KCRW's sixth annual, five-and-a-half-hour "A Sounds Eclectic Evening" indeed lived up to its billing Saturday night. From Rodrigo y Gabriela's show-stealing, fleeting acoustic folk-metal to the Shins' expansive distorted-guitar rock to Lily Allen's laptop-assisted hip-pop to a stanky James Brown tribute and even a harp solo, there was something for everyone — every one of the elite attendees who could afford a $40-$300 ticket, that is.

"There are a lot of flavors here tonight," Shins keyboardist/bassist Marty Crandall said during the band's closing set, before adding: "We're butterscotch."

As the benefit — staged to help fund the digital transfer of KCRW's music library — got rolling, the scene backstage proved equally bizarre (oops ... make that diverse!). Will Ferrell, in all his poofy-haired goodness, darted from one room to the next. Adrian Grenier, dressed in a Hugh Hefner-esque felt track suit, coolly strode through the crowd — without much of an "Entourage," natch. Also mixing it up was a rather uppity Tracey Ullman, of all people, who rubbed shoulders with big-name donors to the successful National Public Radio affiliate.

Inside the Gibson Amphitheatre, the evening started off Bitter:Sweet — no, really. The trip-hopping Los Angeles newcomers, led by stunning crimson-haired chanteuse Shana Halligan, kicked off the show with a fusion of live instrumentation, harp, turntables, beat-boxing and beyond that set a too-cool-for-school tone for the night. Call it the smug joy of music.

Another local ensemble, the eight-member Breakestra, appeased the jam-band set with their soulful funktitude. They climaxed with a James Brown tribute that left singer Mixmaster Wolf playfully collapsed on the stage as it revolved to reveal the next act: South by Southwest faves Cold War Kids (see "Where Was The 'It' Band? What's With All The Hip-Hop? Reflecting On SXSW '07").

Introduced as being from "the real O.C." — Fullerton, specifically — the Kids took the stage with a vengeance. The band's spastic, scratchy sound was helmed by frontman Nathan Willett, whose sputtering-guitar and madcap-piano-man antics would have scared the bird's nest off Elton John's head. Looking like a cross between Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme and Modest Mouse's Issac Brock — and sounding not too unlike the latter — Willett acted like he were trying to squeeze out his heart through his throat. The band also provided the night's first doses of humor, though: During "Saint John," some guy named Carlos ran around the stage clad in a Lakers shirt and banged on a tambourine with a drumstick, while drummer Matt Aveiro wore a "Do the Right Thing" T-shirt throughout.

That crowd-pleasing, rambunctious set gave way to Rodrigo y Gabriela's even more passionate mathematical precision, which seems to be in a class by itself. Gabriela's admission that the worldly duo — who now call Ireland home — are principally influenced by thrash metal evoked laughter from the crowd, which at first didn't get that she was serious. But while the audience looked for irony, it just wasn't there. Using her fingers as a percussive accessory to the body of her guitar, Gabriela brought out truly original sounds from her instrument, while her counterpart complemented the choppy, flamenco sounds with his own masterful, breakneck finger-picking. By the time the pair delved into "Orion," the rather staid audience was already hollering like banshees. By the end of the song, virtually everyone was on their feet, cheering on by far the most spellbinding — and stripped-down — act of the night.

Rodrigo y Gabriela — who really should be called Gabriela y Rodrigo, given how impossibly Gabriela shreds with her eyes closed — closed with a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven," which was ballsy to say the least. But by the time they finished, the initial chuckles over the duo tackling the endlessly covered song turned into roars of approval, cementing them as this year's breakout act at the gala.

While calling R&G a surprise would have been an understatement, the official "surprise guest" of the night were the underwhelming Travis. (Travis are hardly Franz Ferdinand, who were the surprise act at last year's installment — or on second thought, maybe FF are becoming the next Travis). At any rate, the selection underscored KCRW Music Director Nic Harcourt's Achilles' heel: A predilection for Brit-pop bands like them. Likewise, endowing Travis with the honor reinforced the criticism that as forward-thinking as it may be, KCRW does tend to play it safe. The sappy lads trotted out some new material, but it may as well have been old stuff, judging by the diffident, scattered applause.

Next came another Brit, Lily Allen, who was decked out in a purple-pink dress and received a brief standing ovation. The singer must've gotten a warning after giving a lackluster performance at SXSW with cigarette and drink in hand, because she held neither during her well-behaved set — although she did later admit to having had too many shots of Jägermeister before climbing onstage. That some of her missing live performers were substituted with a laptop gave Allen a case of the giggles, which lasted through lackadaisical renditions of "Shame for You," "Smile" and the set-closing "Alfie." She did nail the ballad "Littlest Things," though, revealing that substance sometimes overtakes shtick.

Just about everybody stuck around to see the Shins, who thanked KCRW's support of their heralded Wincing the Night Away by performing the first four songs — including the ubiquitous "Phantom Limb" — from the album. Despite too much squeaky guitar feedback, the tunes were rousing, and before the band delved too deep into the lulling, narcotic second half of the album, it wisely pivoted into older faves like "Mine's Not a High Horse," "New Slang" and "So Says I."

James Mercer finally piped up five songs into the set, giving KCRW the obligatory props, but it was Crandall who delivered the zingers during the band's dutiful but relatively uneventful set.

"Hi, Paris, if you're here," he said.

Given the "eclectic" nature of the evening, few would have been surprised if she had been in attendance.

For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports.

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For The Record: Quick News On Hilary Duff, Britney Spears, Will.I.Am, Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell & More

15 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EDT

Duff readies LP, MTV documentary; Spears site posts fan mail; Abdul, Cowell get along 'great' off camera.
By MTV News staff

Hilary Duff
Photo: Hollywood Records

Hilary Duff has set an April 3 release date for her new album, Dignity, featuring her current hit "With Love." Duff's sister Haylie, Will.I.Am, Rhett Lawrence, Kara DioGuardi, Richard Vission and Fred Wreck are among the producers, while Hilary co-wrote every song. The singer is celebrating her new LP with "Hilary Duff: This Is Now," a two-part documentary that captures her day-to-day activities in the weeks leading up to the album release. Parts one and two of the MTV program premiere April 2 and 9 at 9:30 p.m. Also, Duff will co-host "TRL" with Damien Fahey the week of March 26. ...

BritneySpears.com has been updated so fans can send their "thoughts and inspiration" to the pop singer while she's in rehab. The letters are posted on the site as well. ...

Though they usually bicker onscreen, Paula Abdul says she and fellow "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell actually get along "great" off camera. "We have cultivated a fun relationship," Abdul says in the Monday issue of TV Guide. "He's actually become a good friend." In the interview, Abdul also clears up any rumors of romantic sparks between the two and explains her sometimes quirky behavior can be attributed to Cowell's unseen antics. "In the middle of me trying to figure out how I'm going to say something that gives someone dignity walking off that stage," she said, "I've got the antagonistic brother goofing on me, trying to throw me off." In other Cowell news, the judge told "60 Minutes" in an interview slated to air Sunday on CBS that he is worth five times more to Sony BMG — the label "Idol" winners sign to — than Bruce Springsteen, according to The Associated Press. "I mean, in the last five years, I've probably sold over 100 million records. If [Springsteen] got [$100 million]," Cowell said, referencing the lucrative contract the rocker reportedly signed recently, "I should have got [$500 million]," he said. ...

Sum 41 have finished work on their forthcoming LP, according to a post on the band's MySpace page, and it will be coming out this summer. "We are now about to start auditions to find a touring guitarist," the statement reads. "We have no idea how long this will take so [we] can't really tell you when we will be back on tour. If all goes well we should be back playing shows in mid-April. We will keep you all updated here as frequently as possible." ...

Kid Rock has been accused of assault by a 28-year-old woman who claims the singer attacked her last week when she attempted to leave his home. According to Michigan's Oakland Press, the woman — whose name has not been released — alleges that Rock grabbed her by the neck and pushed her toward her car and into a snow bank. The Oakland County Sheriff's department said that while Rock admitted that he invited the woman back to his home, his side of the story is quite different. The singer said in a statement to police that he asked the woman to leave after she became rude and insulting, at which time she threatened to accuse him of assault. The police continue to investigate the matter. No arrests have been made. ...

Angelina Jolie adopted a Vietnamese boy from a Ho Chi Minh City orphanage on Thursday (March 15), Reuters reports. Jolie's fourth child is named Pax Thien Jolie and is 3 years old. Documents have been signed by the actress and Vietnamese authorities, and the adoption will be final once U.S. embassy officials in Hanoi authorize the child for travel to the U.S. "Thank you for taking such wonderful care of my son," Jolie wrote in the orphanage's visitors' book. "I am sure he will miss your beautiful, caring staff as much as you will miss him." ... Swizz Beatz, Melyssa Ford, "America's Next Top Model" alum Nik, and "106 & Park" hosts Terrence J and Rocsi participated in a "Colors for the Cause" photo shoot for The Source Wednesday in Brooklyn, New York. Models were dressed in different colors, representing issues ranging from AIDS to breast cancer to domestic violence. The pictorial will appear in the magazine's April issue. ... Interscope chairman Jimmy Iovine joined Polow Da Don and radio personality Greg Street as hosts of a dinner and afterparty event held Wednesday night in Atlanta to celebrate Rich Boy's album release. The night started at Dolce before Jazze Pha, Ciara and Akon joined Polow and friends for the festivities at night spot Compound. ...

Metallica started recording their ninth studio LP in Los Angeles this week. According to the band's site, this is the first time Metallica have recorded outside of the Bay Area since they spent "an eternity" at One on One Studios recording their 1991 self-titled release, popularly known as The Black Album. "The last couple days have been devoted to each band member working out the right sounds, including [drummer Lars Ulrich], who remembered to turn on the snare and [guitarist Kirk Hammett] who played a solo," reads a post on the site. "The big, shiny red button was finally pushed today — and the wait begins." ... The Shins, Dashboard Confessional and Fabolous are confirmed for mtvU's 2007 Campus Invasion Music Festival, which will hit Austin, Texas; Atlanta; and Philadelphia next month. On April 22, the Shins will take the stage with the Academy Is..., Shiny Toy Guns, the Rapture and Ronnie Day at the Backyard in Austin, while Fabolous, Rick Ross, D.G. Yola and Rich Boy will appear at HiFi Buys in Atlanta on April 27. Dashboard Confessional, Gym Class Heroes, Augustana, K-os, Kidz in the Hall and Kenna will perform April 29 at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia. ...

Coldplay's singles box set now has a U.S. release scheduled. The vinyl-only package The Singles 1999-2006, which will feature 7-inch pressings of the band's 14 singles and its 1999 EP The Blue Room, is due April 10. Fans who preorder the set via the Coldplay.com Web site will also receive a Coldplay coffee mug. ... Doors founding members Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger have enlisted former Fuel frontman Brett Scallions to front their project Riders on the Storm; Scallions replaces the Cult's Ian Astbury, who left the group last month. Scallions left Fuel in early 2006 after fronting the multiplatinum act for over a decade. ... The Early November have announced they'll be going on an indefinite hiatus following the completion of their current headlining tour. "As we grow older, priorities change," reads a statement from the band. "We have to be where we haven't been in the past six years: with our friends, family and loved ones." The band plays Austin, Texas, Thursday night and will be on the road through May 6 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

03.15.2007

Beyoncé, who got a lot of flak last year for her herky-jerky moves in her "Deja Vu" clip, is putting the proverbial ball in the fans' court. In anticipation of her upcoming video collection, the singer is inviting fans to create a clip for any song on her B'Day album via a YouTube contest. The winner will get a pair of tickets to a Beyoncé show, plus two passes to meet her backstage. ...

Gwen Stefani and Akon will perform at Nickelodeon's 20th annual Kids Choice Awards, to be hosted by Justin Timberlake. The show will air live on Nickelodeon March 31 at 8 p.m. ET, with a tape delay on the West Coast. ...

Seminole police — who handle crimes that take place at the American Indian reservation in Hollywood, Florida, and are heading up the investigation into Anna Nicole Smith's death — met with homicide prosecutors Tuesday to discuss the incident, according to The Miami Herald. "They're continuing with their investigation of Anna Nicole Smith's death," Broward County Chief Assistant State Attorney Chuck Morton told the newspaper, although he would not elaborate. Police Captain Robert McDaniel added that there is still no evidence of foul play in the case. ...

Britney Spears has plenty of new music waiting for her when she's ready to record, according to Ne-Yo. "I was working really close with her A&R people," the songwriter told MTV Europe, "and came up with a lot of hot songs, but to this day I have not actually sat down with Britney." Ne-Yo shared his thoughts on the role that media scrutiny may be playing in her recovery. "I think if you took the cameras out of her face for five seconds, she might be able to get it right," he said. ...

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" will have a record-breaking first-print run of 12 million copies when it's released July 21, publisher Scholastic Inc. announced Wednesday (March 14). The final chapter in J.K. Rowling's seven-part saga tops the sixth book, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," for which 10.8 million copies were printed during its first run. "There Will Soon Be 7," a promotional campaign for the eagerly awaited book, will launch next month with events including a bus tour of libraries in major cities. ... Angelina Jolie arrived in Vietnam late Wednesday to adopt a 3-year-old, AP reports. The actress is expected to go to an adoption ceremony with officials Thursday morning and could have the child home by the weekend. ...

Suicide claimed the life of Brad Delp, lead singer of Boston, his family said in a statement issued Wednesday, according to The Associated Press. The New Hampshire medical examiner's office has determined that Delp ended his life by carbon-monoxide poisoning. "He gave as long as he could, as best he could, and he was very tired," the statement said. "We take comfort in knowing that he is now, at last, at peace." It has also been revealed that Delp left two notes behind, for his fiancee and family, although police do not know their contents. ...

The complete itinerary for this summer's Ozzfest has been announced. The heavy metal extravaganza will kick off in Seattle on July 12, and hit George, Washington (July 14); Sacramento, California (July 17); Mountain View, California (July 19); Devore, California (July 21); Phoenix (July 24); Albuquerque, New Mexico (July 26); Denver (July 28); Kansas City, Missouri (July 30); San Antonio, Texas (August 2); Dallas (August 4); St. Louis, Missouri (August 6); Columbus, Ohio (August 8); Tinley Park, Illinois (August 10); East Troy, Wisconsin (August 12); Indianapolis (August 14); Holmdel, New Jersey (August 16); Hartford, Connecticut (August 18); Boston (August 20); Philadelphia (August 22); Pittsburgh (August 24); Detroit (August 26); Charlotte, North Carolina (August 28); and West Palm Beach, Florida (August 30). There's still no word on when the Ozzfest camp will reveal the lineup for this year's free fest. ...

Gym Class Heroes' Matt McGinley is a free man once again. The drummer spent more than 32 hours in a Mexican jail after being detained by authorities early Monday morning on suspicion of breaking and entering. He was released Tuesday evening, according to a spokesperson for the band's label. A source close to the situation told MTV News that McGinley, who was in Mexico with the band to perform at MTV and mtvU spring-break events, attended a house party in Cancun that the home's owners had apparently not authorized. The owners, who returned to find McGinley among a handful of partygoers still in their home, later discovered that a number of items had been stolen. They contacted local police, who picked up McGinley. While detained, he missed Gym Class Heroes' scheduled taping on Monday, and The Academy Is ... drummer Andy "The Butcher" Mrotek filled in behind the kit. "Everyone, especially Matt, is anxious to get back out on the road, playing music," the band's reps said in a statement. Gym Class Heroes' headlining tour stops in Indianapolis on Wednesday (March 14) and wraps up May 6 in Amherst, Massachusetts. ...

Morrissey will tour North America this spring in support of 2006's Ringleader of the Tormentors. The trek launches April 28 in Stockton, California, and dates are booked through June 30 at New York's Madison Square Garden. ... After two long years, Hot Hot Heat have finished work on their new album, Happiness, Ltd. While a firm release date hasn't been announced yet, the band does hope to have the LP out this summer. In a statement, the Heat revealed why it's taken them so long to release new material. "Normally each person has the songs they love and the songs they could live without; but the goal of this record was to put out something with unanimous excitement," the band said of the follow-up to 2005's Elevators. "So in retrospect, [we're] grateful for every delay. They were all musical delays and it led to an album that all four of us actually love from beginning to end." ...

Former Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell has booked a trio of solo gigs for next month — the first dates for what is expected to be a full North American run. So far, Cornell has scheduled performances in Toronto (April 14), Boston (April 19), and Philadelphia (April 22). The singer's second solo album, Carry On, is due June 5. ... The Who's Tuesday concert in Tampa, Florida, didn't last long, as frontman Roger Daltrey walked off the stage during the first song of the band's set. According to The Associated Press, several minutes after Daltrey left the stage, guitarist Pete Townshend informed the crowd that the concert had to be canceled, and said that Daltrey had bronchitis. Townshend announced that the band will make up the show on March 25.

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