Sigur Rós

Why Were Britney Spears And Madonna Left Off Our 'Best Songs Of 2008' List?

11 Dec 2008 15:11:00 EST

Our Bigger Than the Sound columnist explains his vigorously debated choices.
By James Montgomery

By now, I'm sort of used to being called an idiot on a weekly basis. Because that's what seems to happen each and every Wednesday when I publish my Bigger Than the Sound column.

Usually, I get 10 to 20 negative — and angry — comments per column (though if said column in any way detracts from Britney Spears, that number jumps to 40 or 50), and though it would probably benefit my ego not to read them, I always do ... if only because I find them sort of hilarious and inspiring (and because I am a sucker for grammatical errors and ALL-CAPS MISSIVES). What I usually don't do is respond to them.

(Check out James' personal responses to some of those e-mails in the video right here!)

But this week is different. On Wednesday, I published my annual "Best Songs of the Year," and it got a lot of responses. Like, way more than I expected a column that didn't include "Britney Spears" or "Heidi Montag" in the headline to get. Some of the comments took issue with my picks — "I've never heard of half these bands!" and "Kid Rock? Are you serious?!?" being two popular ones — but most were upset with who I didn't put on my list (Britney, Madonna and Rihanna, in particular). So I figured it was time to break from tradition and write an actual response.

Since there were so many comments, I thought the best way to handle this would be to just address the four most basic types of complaints. Hopefully, in doing so, I'll be able to explain the method behind my madness ... why I made some picks, why I didn't make others and, really, whether I should be fired for doing either. To keep the dialogue going, I'd love to hear some of your favorites too. Feel free to leave them in the comments below. Also, call me as many mean names as you see fit — after all, I'm a professional rock-and-roll journalist. I can take it.

Complaint #1: "Where is Britney?!?"
A valid question, to be sure (so valid that it was often asked in ALL CAPS). After all, Ms. Spears certainly had a huge year — triumphant comeback, VMA wins, hit singles, prime-time tell-alls and, earlier this week, a #1 album — and ignoring her on a "Best Songs" list just seems rather odd. But here's the thing: In my opinion, the songs just weren't that good. As I wrote in a column back in October, " 'Womanizer' ... kind of sounds like what would happen if you threw Mike Jones and an air-raid siren into a blender — and not in a good way," and I'm sticking with that, no matter how little sense it makes. Britney is a pop artist, and pop artists live and die by their songs (look at Rihanna — oh, wait, she didn't make the list either ... but more on that in a second). "Womanizer" may have hit #1, but, to me, it's not even one of her top 10 tracks ("Toxic," it ain't). There's no progress there, no tremendous leap forward, no "Oh, wow, what was that?!?" moment. It's basically Britney being Britney — and while that might be good enough for her fans, it wasn't for me. And I think there are plenty of critics out there who agree with me. "Circus" hasn't been out long enough to make much of an impact on me, and though the chorus is catchy, I feel this is just Brit mining the same "The Paparazzi Won't Leave Me Alone" territory that she did on "Piece of Me" (which, come to think of it, is a better song anyway). At the end of the day, nothing I say here will be able to sway the most ardent of Britney supporters, but I figured I'd at least try to explain why I didn't put one of her songs on my list. I'm not denying her impact on '08, just her impact on, well, me.

Complaint #2: "Why isn't (insert name of popular recording artist here) on this list?!?"
This is sort of the catchall category. Readers were really miffed that artists like Rihanna, T.I., Madonna and Usher didn't make the cut — and, again, justifiably so. Each had huge hits in 2008, and they probably should've been on this list. Or at least Rihanna and T.I. should have. Some commenters seemed to think that I used some sort of statistical logarithm to determine who made my list, and I wish I could tell you that was the truth. The simple fact is, most of it was just based on my opinions, though I did try to include factors like critical reception and cultural impact when making my final decisions. That's why Katy Perry had two songs on my list. Whether they loved her or hated her, she at least had critics talking, and both of her songs ("Hot N Cold" and "I Kissed a Girl") made big impacts on the singles chart. Most critics didn't seem to care all that much for Madonna's "4 Minutes," so despite the fact that it landed in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and scored a pair of Grammy nods, I left it off my list. I don't think anyone was happy with Usher's output in '08, and when you consider that "Love in This Club" was: A) The lead single from an album that didn't do all that well, and B) Subject to an Internet controversy about whether it was just made up of stock GarageBand beats, I left it off the list too. In the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that both Rihanna's "Disturbia" and T.I.'s "Whatever You Like" should have made the cut, so apologies to them and their fans. Pink's "So What" probably should have been on there too.

Complaint #3: "Kid Rock?!? Tyga?!? Katy Perry?!? Really?!?"
Yes, really. If you apply the basic "Critics + Culture" reasoning I explained above, there is no way Rock's "All Summer Long" or Perry's two tracks are left off this list. "Summer" was an unquestionable smash, a critical sticking point (both for its source material and its unheard-of "No iTunes" marketing campaign) and a career-revitalizer. Plus, I have the creeping suspicion that it will be the kind of song that packs dance floors at weddings and racing-themed bars for the next decade. I already covered the reasons I included Perry on my list, and in the case of Tyga's "Coconut Juice," well, regardless of what you think of him, you cannot deny that his song was ridiculously catchy, so much so that it was actually voted the "Summer Jam of '08" by the readers of the Idolator music blog. And they're plenty smart.

Complaint #4: "I've never heard of half these people!"
Of all the complaints my column got, this one perplexed me the most (of course, I got the same comments when I did my "Best Songs" and "Best Albums" columns last year, too, so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised). I don't understand how "I've never heard of ____" somehow equates to "______ is terrible," and, frankly, I wish our readers didn't think this way. The radio is not your only portal to discovering new music. There's soooo much good stuff out there, and it's just a few keystrokes away. Seriously, how difficult is it to Google "atlas sound + quick canal"? (screw it, I'll just do it for you). Would it kill you to sit and listen to a few Wye Oak songs? Or something from Ida Maria? It's a pretty lazy way of operating, to be honest, and I think that dismissing something because you've never heard of it (or in the case of Sigur Rós' "Inní mér syngur vitleysingur," because you couldn't pronounce it) is pretty dumb. Or maybe you're not a die-hard music fan like me. Maybe you don't like to have your notions challenged or your horizons pushed. Then again, why else would you wade through a 3,000-word column just to leave a single comment?

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Sigur Ros' New Album Is All About 'Doing Whatever We Feel Like,' Including Singing In English

02 Jul 2008 17:43:00 EDT

Icelandic post-rockers let loose, ditching their meticulous epics for a more joyous new sound.
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Kim Stolz

You've never had to be fluent in Icelandic to understand Sigur Rós's music, though it would probably help.

For more than a decade now, they've been making massive-sounding, glacially paced post-rock, with lyrics delivered in Icelandic (or sometimes in a completely made-up language called "Vonlenska") by otherworldly voiced frontman Jónsi Birgisson, and in the process, they've developed a worldwide following — almost in spite of themselves. (Read our report on the band's recent show in Iceland in the MTV Newsroom blog.)

So when time came for the group to being work on the follow-up to their 2005 album Takk ..., they decided to throw those loyal fans another curveball. For the first time, they ditched the meticulously produced epics for which they'd been known, and let things get loose. They were going to have fun. And, in perhaps the boldest move of all, they were going to make their songs more accessible ... by singing in English.

"We talked about it often, and for this record it was the right time," bassist Georg "Goggi" Hólm told MTV News. "It is a record where we're kind of letting go and doing whatever we feel like and not thinking too much about it. So, we decided to try writing songs in English this time. Some of them just didn't work out, so we switched them to Icelandic, but for one song — the last one on the record, called 'All Alright' — it worked, so we did it in English."

And with that, the new Sigur Rós was born. The group wrote a boatload of songs over one week, shelved them for a year, and then, early last year, they revisited what they had done. With the help of legendary producer Flood (Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, U2), they began to assemble the bits and pieces. Moving at a breakneck pace (in about a month), they completed the new album, which they gave the decidedly Sigur Rós-ian title Með Suð í Eyrum Við spilum endalaust (it means "With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly").

"The attitude for the record was doing it quick and fast and leaving the mistakes in, and with that comes spontaneity, and happiness and screaming things out," Hólm laughed. "So, in that spirit, it was all finished within a couple of months. It was really spontaneous, and I think it was something we really needed, because we usually take two years to finish everything, so it was time we just let it go."

"There are moments that we probably could've gone back to fix, but we decided to leave them in because we wanted it to be done fast," drummer Orri Páll Dýrason added. "We were recording strings in [keyboardist Kjarri Sveinsson's] living room, and he went to the bakery at one point, so we kept recording. And at one point, he comes back and there's a 'drrrring' of the doorbell in the middle of the song. But we kept it in. We kept everything in."

And that loosening of the reigns isn't the only change that can be heard on the new record. There's also an unabashed sense of joy in many of the songs, like first single "Gobbledigook," which is full of handclaps and whistles and sunny, strummy guitars. The accompanying video is packed with nudes galloping through the forest. It's about as un-Sigur-Rós-ian as you can imagine, and the concept has spilled over into the band's notoriously minimalist (and quiet) live shows. For the first time ever, fans are standing, cheering and even — gasp! — rushing the stage. And the band couldn't be happier.

"I think we've changed a lot musically — and in life too — we have grown up, and we're all liking people being quite noisy. We're liking these standing audiences," Hólm said. "Sometimes it's boring when people are sitting there going, 'Ssssh! Don't say anything,' because we're up for a rowdy crowd."

"It makes us happy, too," Dýrason said. "People are worried that if they speak during our shows, they'll cause us to make mistakes. But we think it's OK, because we always make plenty of mistakes. It's fine."

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'Hannah Montana' Tour Extended Through January; Plus Shia LaBeouf, Jessica Alba, Terrence Howard & More, In For The Record

12 Dec 2007 20:29:00 EST

LaBeouf's criminal trespassing charge is dropped; Alba reportedly pregnant; Howard set to make Broadway debut.
By MTV News staff

More Miley! The "Hannah Montana" star has freshened up her Best of Both Worlds Tour schedule with 14 additional January dates, meaning more of her fans will be thrilled and more opportunities will be had for raging ticket controversies. Instead of capping off her tour January 9 in Albany, New York, Cyrus will hit the following cities: Detroit (January 11); Milwaukee (January 13); Chicago (January 14); St. Louis (January 15); Las Vegas (January 18-19); Glendale, Arizona (January 22); Austin, Texas (January 24); Lafayette, Louisiana (January 25); New Orleans (January 26); Orlando, Florida (January 28-29); Jacksonville, Florida (January 30); and Miami (January 31). The Jonas Brothers have been opening for Cyrus but will be replaced by Aly & AJ from January 11-24, after which a yet-unannounced supporting act will take over for the remaining shows. ...

Shia LaBeouf's criminal trespassing charge has just gone poof. Walgreens Co. and a security company announced via a letter read in a Chicago court Wednesday (December 12) that they will not continue a case involving criminal charges against the actor for refusing to leave one of the chain's stores in early November. The "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" star, who reportedly appeared intoxicated at the time of the incident, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor criminal trespassing. ...

"Fantastic" news for Jessica Alba: The actress is pregnant, People.com reports. According to the site, the "Awake" star's representative said her boyfriend Cash Warren is the father. Alba reportedly met Warren on the set of "Fantastic Four" in 2004, at which point they began dating. The actress was reportedly in talks to go to Broadway for a revival of the David Mamet play "Speed-the-Plow." ... Relatedly, it's hard out here for a ... Broadway star? Terrence Howard has signed on for an all-black version of Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" that will debut March 6 at New York's Broadhurst Theatre. James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad and Anika Noni Rose of "Dreamgirls" will also star in the third revival of the production, which marks Howard's stage debut. He will play Brick, the aging alcoholic ex-football player. ...

What do John Legend and Eddie Vedder have in common, besides a great set of pipes? The singers are joining together to provide music for an upcoming documentary miniseries based on Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States," a 1980 book that is widely read in high schools and colleges, and its companion piece, "Voices of a People's History of the United States," according to Billboard.com. "The People Speak" will begin production in Boston in January and also involve Viggo Mortensen, Josh Brolin and other actors. Vedder brought Zinn, a Boston University professor, onstage at a Pearl Jam show in Boston three years ago. ...

Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe have more than their Australian backgrounds in common. Forbes has named the actors as the most overpaid celebrities in Hollywood, according to a complicated formula involving the stars' salaries, budgets and returns for movies in which they have appeared, and more. Jim Carrey, Will Ferrell and Adam Sandler also made the list. ...

Just in time for Christmas comes news that Britney Spears has been offered to play the role of the Virgin Mary in the upcoming film "Sweet Baby Jesus," a humorous retelling of the nativity story, according to Us Weekly. "I had to convince my partners because they were like, 'Oh, no. Britney?' " Philippe Rebboah, the film's French producer, reportedly said. "But I thought it was brilliant. It's a bit ironic that she would play the Virgin Mary, no? ... She likes the idea, that's what I heard." Rebboah added that the singer is reviewing the script and will make a decision soon whether to act in the movie, which will be filmed in March. ... You could say this year's "Idol Gives Back" charity special was a wee bit successful — it only raked in a mere $75 million, for charities in the U.S. and Africa. "American Idol" will give the fundraiser another go on April 9 at 8 p.m. with a two-hour special featuring performances and appearances by yet-unnamed celebrities, according to Variety. The show itself will be back January 15 with a two-hour special. ...

Sigur Rós are plotting a batch of theatrical screenings for "Heima," the new documentary film they released late last month. The movie, which revolves around a series of free shows the band played in its native Iceland last summer, will be shown Tuesday (San Francisco, Denver); December 19 (Boston, Atlanta); and December 20 (Austin, Texas; Seattle). ... A lock of John Lennon's hair that went up for bid Wednesday had been estimated to sell for $4,000 to $6,000 — but an unnamed telephone bidder actually shelled out $48,000 for it in the Beatles memorabilia auction, The Associated Press reports. The items in the auction had been collected by the legendary group's hairdresser, and a photo of the band dedicated to her — it was signed "George 'Dandruff' Harrison" — went for $13,000. ...

Music/social-networking site Mog.com relaunched on Wednesday with some seriously beefed-up content. As the result of a deal with Rhapsody Music Service — a joint venture with MTV — Moggers can now listen to millions of full-length songs on their own pages and on the pages of others, and a new search function provides instant access to specific music anywhere on Mog. Using the "play all" function, users can hear what like-minded people are listening to, while the "play this page" function lets users instantly create a playlist of every song mentioned on another Mogger's page. ... Maybe this is where those Led Zeppelin tour rumors came from: Nashville's WSMT-TV is reporting that Zep frontman Robert Plant and bluegrass star Alison Krauss will take the stage together at the Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, Tennessee, in June to perform songs from their collaborative CD, Raising Sand. The fest will be held June 12-15.

12.11.07

Like Jay-Z rapped once before, "Money Ain't a Thang." The Def Jam prez has denied a report in New York's Daily News indicating that salary was a sticking point in negotiating his return to the hip-hop label. His original contract is up at the end of this month, and so far, his return hasn't been announced. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly shortly after the Grammy nominations were announced, Jay — who nabbed five nods — revealed the two sides were "close." But he wouldn't guarantee anything. He said salary wasn't even near the top of his list of considerations. "I don't know [if I'll be back]," Jay explained in the interview. "We'll see how it goes. But seriously, it's not about money. That's really the last thing. Of course, as a person that does these type of things and puts his heart and soul into it — and it's effective, as the [Grammy nominations] would indicate — you want to be compensated for what you do. But it's really not about money. It's really about the future of the music business, and not wasting anyone's time. I don't ever want to sit in a seat just to sit in a seat. I could be off doing something else that's beneficial to the future of the music business as well as myself. So it's not about money! I mean, you couldn't pay me enough. And I don't mean that in a cocky way." In other Jay news, he'll ring out 2007 with a performance of American Gangster on December 29 in Las Vegas, at the Palms Casino Resort's Pearl. The intimate show in the 2,500-seat venue won't be cheap: Tickets start at $128 and top out at $228. ...

Panic! at the Disco have pegged March 25 as the release date for their second album, which they still don't have a name for yet, according to Billboard.com. Guitarist Ryan Ross told the site the band is "working backwards" for the release, stripping down its sound and going for a more classic-rock approach. Songs will include "Things Have Changed" and "Nine in the Afternoon," a song the ensemble tried out during shows over the summer. Speaking of which, Panic are sketching out a tour that will see them playing U.S. theaters in March. "We're not going to do a circus show again," Ross promised. ...

Gwen Stefani made good on her promise to donate proceeds from her October 30 concert at San Diego's Cox Arena to victims of the wildfires by giving a whopping $166,000 to local charity the San Diego Foundation, which is helping the community recover. The Southern California singer's donation will be used in the form of Gwen Stefani After-the-Fires Scholarships distributed to students who lost their homes in the fires. ... And for all her problems, Britney Spears still has a heart too — the singer's Believe fragrance is teaming with MondoNation.com an eBay auction to benefit the Make a Wish foundation, Autism Speaks and the Nelson High School Africa Project. Limited-edition gift sets, fragrances, T-shirts and more are all up for bidding, with 100 percent of proceeds going to the charities. ...

Though Green Day didn't even have an album out this year — not counting their new rumored side project, Foxboro Hot Tubs — the band topped Lycos' list of most-searched bands of 2007. Th

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Britney Spears Single Is Released; Plus Eve, 50 Cent, Owen Wilson, Snoop Dogg, Kanye West & More, In For The Record

30 Aug 2007 21:00:00 EDT

Eve can't get used to alcohol-monitoring device; 50 wants Hillary Clinton as president; Wilson reportedly slit wrists.
By MTV News staff

Britney Spears' new single, "Gimme More," premiered Thursday night (August 30) on Z100 and subsequently surfaced on the New York radio station's Web site. She opens the song by singing, "It's Britney, b---h," and producer Danjahandz closes it by saying, "Bet you didn't see this coming." In related news, "Access Hollywood" reports that a source told the news site that Spears' manager Larry Rudolph — who had been in hiding — has finally been subpoenaed in the singer's child-custody dispute with ex-husband Kevin Federline. ...

Eve and 50 Cent are featured on the double-cover of Rap-Up's September/October issue, and both rappers do plenty of talking inside. For her part, Eve talked about her DUI arrest, fellow female rappers and her plans to start a family. While she didn't comment directly on the case, she did confirm that Sean Penn visited her while she was in jail but said he did not bail her out. Eve lashed out at Don Imus — "he's old enough to know better" — but only had good things to say about Lil' Kim, Foxy Brown, Lauryn Hill — and Dr. Dre. "Me and Dre will always forever be cool. There's a respect, musically. ... We get in [the studio] and it's like shadowboxing." The magazine hits stands Tuesday. Eve talked more directly about her troubles with the law when People caught up with her Tuesday night at a nightclub in Las Vegas. She said she can't get used to the alcohol-monitoring ankle bracelet she is being forced to wear. "When they told me I was getting it on, I thought it was going to be like a beeper, but it's like a pair of Bose headphones," she told the mag. She will be allowed to remove the bracelet on September 8. ...

Also featured in Rap-Up is 50 dishing about a handful of female artists. He said Beyoncé is "definitely hot" and called Ciara "talented" but dumped on rumored love interest Mya ("I don't think she's ever gonna be a success"). Fiddy also reiterated that he doesn't beef with Jay-Z and Diddy; riffed on his September 11 competitor, Kanye West; and also shared his feelings on the president. "Me and George Bush were both actually born on July 6, he's just a little older than me. And he does have a talent: He has less compassion than a regular human being." He added, "Me and George Bush are so different. ... I actually go to war, when I go to war. Bush just sends [people] to war. When I took a trip to Iraq — 'cause I went to perform for the soldiers in Iraq — they had the same vehicles that I ride around in New York." While he's not crazy about President Bush, 50 did reveal who he would like to be the successor: "I'd like to see Hillary Clinton be president. It would be nice to see a woman be the actual president and ... this is a way for us to have Bill Clinton be president again, and he did a great job during his term." ...

According to "Access Hollywood," an attorney for Owen Wilson told the TV show that the actor didn't overdose on drugs but rather slit his wrists during his failed suicide attempt on Sunday. The lawyer, who is not named, said Wilson had been taking antidepressants and was not aware of any other drugs in his system at the time of the incident. ...

Snoop Dogg will host this year's MTV Europe Music Awards, to be held in Munich, Germany, on November 1. "I've called up the homeys from east to west and I guarantee it's gonna be off tha chain, ya dig," Snoop told MTV U.K. Foo Fighters and British pop singer Mika are set to perform at the ceremony, which will have a new category this year: New Sounds of Europe. ... Miami's Bang! Music Festival is getting a big dose of Chicago music. Kanye West and Smashing Pumpkins will headline the extravaganza, which has ballooned to two days this year. The Bravery, Riverboat Gamblers and others are also confirmed for the fest, to be held at Miami's Bayfront Park Amphitheater. ... T-Pain is adding a twist to Baby Bash's Cyclone by appearing on the new Lil Jon-produced single of the same name. The Latino rapper also rubs elbows with producer J.R. Rotem, Danity Kane's Aundrea Fimbres and Paula DeAnda on the disc, which streets October 16. ...

Hulk Hogan's son Nick Bollea has posted on his MySpace page a message to fans regarding the Sunday night car accident that left 22-year-old passenger John Graziano critically injured. "I want to thank everyone who has sent their support to me. Right now I would like to ask all of you to focus your prayers on my friend John," reads the post. His sister Brooke expressed similar sentiments in a post on her own MySpace page: "You have all been so sweet to reach out to me and my family during this time. As you guys may know, Nicky has been released from the hospital, but my best friend John is still in the hospital. Every single prayer helps John heal, so please, keep praying and don't give up." ...

Ethereal Icelandic rockers Sigur Rós have pieced together a pair of releases for November 6. Hvarf/Heim is a double-CD: Hvarf encompasses five new recordings of songs — some previously unreleased — from various junctures in the band's career. Heim features six live acoustic versions of songs from Sigur Rós' four albums. A DVD is also on the way — "Heima" follows the group as it performed a series of free concerts in its native Iceland last summer. ...

Bob Marley's family intends to sue Universal Music Group and Verizon Wireless over a recently announced deal in which the companies said they plan to use some of the reggae legend's songs for products including ringtones, Billboard.com reports. Fifty Six Hope Road Music Limited, the company owned by Marley's family, told the news outlet that the companies' agreement was signed without the family's permission and doesn't mesh with Marley's Universal contract. A statement sent in response by Universal said the label hadn't received a suit and claimed, "We are offering Bob Marley ringtones through Verizon in accordance with the terms of a long standing contract between Bob Marley and UMG." ...

El DeBarge — a member of R&B squad DeBarge — was arrested Sunday for investigation of domestic violence, AP reports. The singer (real name: Eldra DeBarge) is being held without bail at a jail in Los Angeles because he has two previous warrants for his arrest in narcotics cases. ... The driver involved in the car crash that killed "A Christmas Story" director Bob Clark and his son has pleaded no contest to two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, AP reports. Hector Velazquez-Nava will be sentenced September 27 and faces up to six years in prison.

08.29.07

Say what you will about those supposed Britney Spears tracks floating around online, but the singer is planning to debut the first single from her new album as early as this weekend. The single is called "Gimmie More," was produced by Danjahandz and is an up-tempo dance track — and is also the song for which the singer was seen shooting a video last month. "It's about feeling good, celebrating womanhood," Danja told MTV News earlier this year. "And if you don't dance to it, I really don't know what you're listening to. It's a new Britney." In related news, Spears will host the grand opening of Las Vegas nightclub LAX at the Luxor on Friday. DJ AM — who, along with Christina Aguilera, is an investor in the club — will man the decks. And the infamous Versace gown Spears was supposed to wear during her aborted OK! magazine shoot went up for auction on eBay on Wednesday (August 29). USA Today reported that bidding on the dress started at $5,700, with proceeds going to Mothers Against Drunk Driving. ...

Amy Winehouse can add the VMAs to the growing list of shows she won't be playing this year. The U.K. starlet — who last week postponed her U.S. tour until 2008 — has canceled her scheduled performance at the awards show on September 9. ... Lindsay Lohan plans to meet with her estranged father, Michael, while she is in rehab, a source told People.com, according to the site. People.com says multiple sources have revealed that Lohan's lawyer Blair Berk is helping negotiate Michael Lohan's visit to the Cirque Lodge in Sundance, Utah. ...

Christina Aguilera is on for the Emmy Awards. The singer will perform the Tony Bennett standard "Steppin' Out (With My Baby)" with the jazz legend at the ceremony, which will air September 16 on Fox. The two sang the song together on the TV special "Tony Bennett: An American Classic," which is nominated for eight Emmy Awards. ...

Gwen Stefani has gotten together with Hewlett-Packard for a creative twist on her Harajuku Lovers line. Starting Wednesday at HP.com/Gwen, fans can make and print CD labels, stationary and more by mashing HL content into their own customized designs. ... Jay-Z and Eve hosted a Rocawear party at the Venetian in Las Vegas on Tuesday night in celebration of the weeklong Magic Fashion Convention. The shindig — which was sponsored by Giant magazine and Mercedes-Benz — also featured cameos by Nick Cannon, Travis Barker and Young Jeezy, among others. ...

Lil Wayne is being sued by a concertgoer who alleges that she was knocked to the ground and trampled at the rapper's October show at Baltimore's Morgan State University, according to the Baltimore Sun. Tyrique Layne, who was a student at the university at the ti

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New Releases: Rick Ross, James Blunt, Bloc Party, Slayer, Cassie, Cure, Sigur Ros, Jonas Brothers & More

08 Aug 2006 06:00:00 EDT

Also due Tuesday: Matthew Friedberger, Unearth, Daughters, Tegan and Sara, Dirty Pretty Things.
By Kurt Orzeck

A New Hustle: Weighing 300 pounds and standing 6 feet 2 inches tall, Rick Ross should be making quite the impact with his forever-in-the-works Port of Miami debut this week. The underground hero's paean to his hometown has already grabbed ears with its leadoff single, "Hustlin', " and his guest roster will have other hip-hop fans feeling the Miami heat: Jay-Z, Young Jeezy, Lil Wayne, Mario Winans, Lyfe Jennings, Akon, Jazze Pha, DJ Khaled and Cool & Dre. On "Push It," Ross samples "Scarface" theme "Push It to the Limit," while his hometown homies the Carol City Cartel step in on "It Ain't a Problem," and Jay and Jeezy shine on a remix of "Hustlin'."

Blunt Bloc: While Ross' debut has yet to be tested, James Blunt and Bloc Party have already made seismic introductions with theirs. And now it's time for the brazen Brits to capitalize with video follow-ups. Blunt's "Chasing Time: The Bedlam Sessions" encapsulates concert performances, interviews, videos and documentaries by the "Oprah" darling/former soldier. It's also bolstered by a CD featuring covers of the Pixies' "Where Is My Mind?" and Crowded House's "Fall at Your Feet." "God Bless Bloc Party" is a bit more spare; the hour-long documentary draws from gigs at Los Angeles' El Rey Theatre and in Belfort, France, though it does chalk up band and fan interviews for good measure.

No, You're Not Seeing Things: Slayer and their fans alike were dying for the band's latest LP to drop on 6/6/06, but they had to wait two more months for Christ Illusion to appear. The band's first disc in six years marks its recording reunion with original drummer Dave Lombardo and is the first one in ages that doesn't feature Rick Rubin behind the boards. While Rubin executive produces, the band has made no secret of its resentment for his recent teaming with rivals Metallica and tapped Josh Abraham (Velvet Revolver, Pink) to do the knob-twiddling instead. The album's gory cover art of a mutated Jesus has — surprise! — turned off a few retailers, but fans will no doubt be sacrificing themselves for "Cult," the first single; "Jihad," a song about 9/11 that's told through the eyes of a terrorist; and "Eyes of the Insane."

"You Hear It First" Face-Off: They've both been featured in MTV's recent "YHIF" series, and now it's time for Diddy-backed Cassie and Libertines leftovers Dirty Pretty Things to go head-to-head. Cassie hopes her 4 million MySpace hits and indie-chart appeal carry her self-titled debut — featuring the single "Me & U," "Ditto" and "Miss Your Touch" — to great heights. Dirty Pretty Things are aiming to make cousin Pete Doherty jealous with their maiden release, Waterloo to Anywhere, which boasts "Blood Thirsty Bastards," "Last of the Small Town Playboys" and "Bang Bang You're Dead."

Sibling Rivalries: For musicians, there's virtually no escaping their kith this week. Kevin, Nicholas and Joseph Jonas — a.k.a. teen sensations the Jonas Brothers — finally deliver their debut, originally due in the spring but the title to which, It's About Time, now carries extra meaning. The delay was due to a track list changeup: The youngsters swapped "Dear God" and "Hey We're Gonna Be Alright" for an acoustic version of "Please Be Mine," "Year 3000" and "What I Go to School For."

Youthful peers Aly & AJ see their Into the Rush debut re-released in deluxe form, with a bonus DVD dishing up videos for "Chemicals React," "Rush" and "On the Ride." The animated clip for "Chemicals" that's featured in the "Sims 2: Pets" video game is also featured.

Slightly older Korean-American sisters Meg & Dia wrote all the tracks on their Something Real debut and have been promoting it as the MySpace House Band on this year's Warped Tour. The 18- and 21-year-old ladies called on their friends to help record "Courage, Robert," "Cardigan Weather" and the first single, "Monsters."

That duo probably admire Tegan and Sara, the Canadian twins whose 2004 effort, So Jealous, granted them more recognition — on MTV and elsewhere — than they received in their previous six years combined as a band. Their generous "It's Not Fun. Don't Do It!" DVD tries to expand on that success, compiling a full concert from their homeland, plus a self-made tour doc, all their videos, a photo album, a feature on the making of So Jealous, a photo album and commentary galore.

One sibling did manage to escape from his sister, though: Matthew Friedberger, the Fiery Furnaces captain who's making his first solo outing. The two-CD Winter Women/ Holy Ghost Language School finds him breaking from the other half of the Furnaces, sister Eleanor, and doing almost all the performing and singing himself — save a little percussion help from Tortoise's John McEntire. 859 Recordings' classy christening set comes in a brilliant box with nine-panel fold-out art and a lyric sheet.

Also feeling familial are Revolution Mother, pro skateboarder Mike Vallely's new band, who prove their hardcore mettle on the Enjoy the Ride EP; Sister Sledge, who's being hailed with a two-disc The Definitive Groove Collection; and Massachusetts metallers Unearth, whose III: In the Eyes of Fire boasts "Sanctity in Brothers."

Siblings Richard and Stefanie Reines deliver Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!, the debut by Panic! at the Disco tour mates Hellogoodbye, on their Drive-Thru Records imprint. Jamin Wilcox of Under the Influence of Giants, who make their self-titled bow this week, is the son of Hall & Oates collaborator Willie Wilcox. Oh, and femme fave Ani DiFranco — who births Reprieve this week — just announced that she's pregnant.

Song Title of the Week:

"Daughters Spelled Wrong" from the Daughters' Hell Songs

Other Notables:

The Cure and the Glove reissues: Their reunion concerts have drawn hundreds of thousands and their name has been dropped by virtually every new emo band, but if you still haven't brushed up on the deacons of depression, now's your chance. Double-disc versions of Head on the Door, Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me and The Top boast a combined 53 unreleased and rare songs, not to mention pristine remastered sound and bulked-up booklets. Frontman Robert Smith's side project the Glove are also recalled with a reissue of their only album, Blue Sunshine, the second disc to which features 16 unreleased tunes.

Sigur Rós' Saeglopur: Los Angeles' Worker's Institute label spent its first year putting out only instrumental Icelandic music, but while its expanding its scope this year, a new item by Reykjavik dreamers Sigur Rós falls in close proximity to those releases. The EP has one track from last year's Takk ... and three new tunes, while the DVD contains videos for the title track, "Glosoli" and "Hoppipolla."

Blood Meridian's Kick Up the Dust: Waiting for your fix of Black Mountain or the Pink Mountaintops? Look no further than yet another related project, this one fronted by singer/bassist Matthew Camirand. The ex-Black Halo finds himself wallowing in "McDonald's Blues," "In the Forest, Under the Moon" and also wonders, "Work Hard, for What?"

New Releases:

A Heartwell Ending - Trust Us, We Lie (Mediaskare)
Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain (The End)
All Shall Perish - The Price of Existence (Nuclear Blast America)
Tab Benoit - Bayou Blues: Best of the Vanguard Years (Vanguard)
Blood Meridian - Kick Up the Dust (V2)
Fiona Boyes - Lucky 13 (Yellow Dog)
Breaking Benjamin - Phobia (Hollywood)
Buy Now: Phobia (Hollywood)
Greg Brown - The Evening Call (Red House)
C-Bo - Money to Burn (West Coast Mafia)
Cassie - Cassie (Bad Boy)
Read: "You Hear It First: Cassie"
Buy Now: Cassie (Bad Boy)
Cinder - House Full of No Trust (Rock Ridge)
Comets on Fire - Avatar (Sub Pop)
Copycats - Piano Tribute to Pearl Jam, Piano Tribute to "Wicked" the Musical and Soul Sax Tribute to Smokey Robinson (CC)
Ferry Corsten - L.E.F. (Loud Electronic Ferocious) (Ultra)
Cult of Luna - Somewhere Along the Highway (Earache)
Daughters - Hell Songs (Hydra Head)
Buy Now: Hell Songs (Hydra Head)
Ani DiFranco - Reprieve (Righteous Babe)
Buy Now: Reprieve (Righteous Babe)
Dirty Pretty Things - Waterloo to Anywhere (Interscope)
Read: "Ex-Libertines Rock On Without Pete Doherty, Unleash Dirty Pretty Things"
Buy Now:
Related Artists
Cassie

Rick Ross

James Blunt

Bloc Party

Slayer

New Releases: Paul Wall, Pussycat Dolls, Switchfoot, Paul McCartney, Sigur Ros & More

12 Sep 2005 21:48:00 EDT

Also due Tuesday are new releases by Charlie Wilson, Damian Marley, Institute and Queen.
By Kurt Orzeck

Twice Tippin': Houston's scorching hip-hop scene might finally reach its tipping point this week with Paul Wall's much-ballyhooed major-label debut, The People's Champ. A limited-edition config couples the standard disc with a chopped-and-screwed version, but if you're living on the cheap this week, the chopped-and-screwed mix will be released separately on September 27. Songs include: "I'm a Playa" (featuring Three 6 Mafia), "So Many Diamonds" (featuring T.I.) and "Internet Going Nutz."
Meow Music: The purr-lesque Pussycat Dolls sashay into record bins at last this week, hoping Busta's rhymes on their "Don't Cha" single will help them scratch their way into the top five. Top-shelf producer Ron Fair spices up the Dolls' PCD with some Wurlitzer piano, and the PCD Orchestra nibbles here and there. Songs include: "Wait a Minute" (with Timbaland), "Beep" (with Will.I.Am) and "Tainted Love/ Where Did Our Love Go."
Mac Attack: A somber, gray cover photo adorns Paul McCartney's Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, but it's still a lot more attractive than the heavily pixilated art that muddied up 2001's Driving Rain (which prompted a re-release for that reason). A special edition of Chaos — this one in red and with no photo — has a doc, studio cuts, instrumentals and more. Songs include: "Jenny Wren," "Riding to Vanity Fair" and "English Tea."
Stepping It Up: Switchfoot have poured their love of Dylan, the Shins and harmonica into Nothing Is Sound, and they muse about everything from "social entropy" to democracy. Fans should switch over to the video side of the DualDisc, which has some in-the-studio stuff. Songs include: "The Shadow Proves the Sunshine," "Happy Is a Yuppie Word" and "Lonely Nation."
Mind the Gap: Like the Democrat running for 96th House District in the Ohio Congress, Charlie Wilson of Gap Band fame is also actively seeking support. He found some as of late in R. Kelly, Justin Timberlake and Will.I.Am, all of whom appear on Charlie, Last Name Wilson. Tracks include "Floatin' " (with Timberlake), a remake of the Guy ballad "Let's Chill" and the dancefloor banger "So Hot."
Welcome Back, Rockers: Gavin Rossdale returns with new project Institute and their debut, Distort Yourself; "Flagpole Sitta" breakthrough bygones Harvey Danger issue King James Version;Spin Doctors make a "WTF?"-like return with their first album in six years, Nice Talking to Me; and last but certainly not least, the fittingly named double-disc Return of the Champions finds Queen revisiting 27 ballpark and arena faves with Bad Company crooner Paul Rodgers.
We're in the Money: Pink Floyd fans will be thrilled this week, what with David Gilmour — in the flesh — helping B.B. King celebrate his milestone birthday on 80. (Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, Eric Clapton and Elton John also help with the candles.) Also, prog meisters Adrian Belew (King Crimson) and Alan White (Yes) salute Floyd with a two-disc tribute, Back Against the Wall; and Dar Williams and Ani DiFranco lift their lighters for a cover of "Comfortably Numb," featured on Williams' My Better Self.
Song Titles of the Week:
The honor this week goes to Sigur Rós, who can't seem to get enough of this imaginary "Hopelandic" dialect of theirs. Takk ... features the title track, "Glosoli," "Hoppipolla," "Mea Bloanasir," "Se Lest," "Seaglopur," "Milano," "Gong," "Andvari," "Svo Hljott" and " Heysatan."
Other notables:
Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley's Welcome to Jamrock and DJ Quik's Trauma: While these two disparate artists don't have a beef we're aware of, who'd get the TKO if they did? The youngest Marley son has Nas, Bobby Brown, Black Thought and Eek-a-Mouse in his corner; revered hip-hop vet Quik's got Game, Ludacris, Wyclef Jean, Chingy, Nate Dogg, B-Real, Jodeci and T.I. Set, point, match: Quik.
Dandy Warhols' Odditorium or Warlords of Mars: Although expectations couldn't be higher for an album with a title like this, the Dandys had to scrap a bonus DVD they'd planned on including with the release. "For reasons we cannot mention, [the DVD] was scrapped by someone in the department called 'legal,' " they posted on their Web site, adding that they might wind up selling the thing themselves. (As it is, you can watch the whole program on DandyWarhols.com.)
Cave In's Perfect Pitch Black: After a short-lived affair with RCA, Boston bashers Cave In are circling back to their original label, Hydra Head, and original metalcore sound — which has become, well, something of a phenomenon since Cave In turned to a softer, more prog-oriented sound. If you're interest is piqued, head over to PerfectPitchBlack.com, where they're streaming the album — all 10,000 decibels of it.
New Releases:

A Dozen Furies - A Concept From Fire (Sanctuary)

Jon Philip Alman - When You Get Home (LML)

Shawn Amos - Thank You Shirl-ee May: A Love Story (DualDisc; Shout! Factory)

Antigone Rising - From the Ground Up (Lava)

Aphasia - Fact & Fiction (DRT)

Apollo Sunshine - Apollo Sunshine (spinART)

Baby Mongoose - Enter the Baby Mongoose (Dionysus)

Badi Assad - Verde (Deutsche Grammophon)

Bag - Bag (Sanctuary)

Devendra Banhart - Cripple Crow (XL/Beggars)

Cecilia Bartoli - Opera Proibida (Decca)

Baumer - Come on, Feel It (Astro Magnetics)

David Benoit - Orchestral Stories (Peak)

Steve Blanchard - Northbound Train (LML)

Blue Rodeo - Are You Ready (Rounder)

Blues Traveler - ¡Bastardos! (Vanguard)
Buy Now: ¡Bastardos! (Vanguard)

Michael Bolton - Til the End of Forever (Passion Group)
Buy Now: Til the End of Forever (Passion Group)

The Bomb - Indecision (Thick)

Brakes - Give Blood (Rough Trade)

Brides of Destruction - Runaway Brides (Shrapnel)

Pieta Brown - In the Cool (Valley Entertainment)

Dee Dee Bridgewater - J'ai Deux Amours (Sovereign Artists)

Cantoma - Cantoma (Quango)

Cave In - Perfect Pitch Black (Hydra Head)

Sam Champion - Slow Rewind (Razor & Tie)

Tracy Chapman - Where You Live (Elektra)
Buy Now: Where You Live (Elektra)

Cherry Monroe - The Good, the Bad & the Beautiful (Universal)

Choppa - Da Real Choppa (Body Head Entertainment)

CocoRosie - Noah's Ark (Touch & Go)

Dana Cooper - Made of Mud (Virtual Label)

Dandy Warhols - Odditorium or Warlords of Mars (Capitol)

Doug Cox & Sam Hurrie - Hungry Ghosts (Northern Blues)

Cranes - Particles & Waves (with bonus DVD; Manifesto)

Dengue Fever - Escape From DragonHouse (M80)

Diamond Nights - Popsicle (Kemado)

DJ Quik - Trauma (Mad Science)
Buy Now: Trauma (Mad Science)

The Double - Loose in the Air (Matador)

Ebony Eyez - 7 Day Cycle (Capitol)

The Enlightened Family - A Collection of Lost Love Songs (Voodoo-Eros)

Eugene Edwards - My Favorite Revolution (Flagship)

Tim Fite - Gone Ain't Gone (Anti-)

Jack Foster III - RaptorGnosis (Muse Wrapped)

The Fray - How to Save a Life (Epic)

Freakwater - Freakwater Is ... Thinking of You (Thrill Jockey)

From Monument to Masses - Schools of Thought Contend (Dim Mak)

Gas Huffer - Lemonade for Vampires (Estrus)

Howe Gelb - Arizona Amp and Alternator (Thrill Jockey)

Giant Drag - Hearts and Unicorns (Kickball)

Gio - Gio (Universal Latino)

Go Betty Go - Nothing Is More (Side One Dummy)

David Gray - Life in Slow Motion (ATO/RCA)
Buy Now: Life in Slow Motion (ATO/RCA)

Brian Lane Green - Waiting for the Glaciers to Melt (LML)

Carlos Guitarlos - Hell Can Wait (Nomad)

Mats Gustafsson and David Stackenas - Blues (Atavistic)

Harvey Danger - Little by Little (Phonographic)
Read: "Remember 'Flagpole Sitta'? Harvey Danger Return"

Annie Hayden - The Enemy of Love (Merge)

H.I.M. - Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 (Universal)

Ho

Related Artists

Paul Wall

Pussycat Dolls

Switchfoot

Paul McCartney

Sigur Rós

For The Record: Quick News On Jessica Simpson And Johnny Knoxville, Shaggy And Olivia, P. Diddy And Rev Run & More

15 Jul 2005 16:16:00 EDT

Knoxville denies Simpson affair; Olivia guests on Shaggy single; Queen Latifah performs outside Wal-Mart.
By MTV News staff report

"The Dukes of Hazzard" star Johnny Knoxville doesn't care for being the subject of gossip-column fodder, but he realizes the rumors about him sleeping with his castmate Jessica Simpson could be worse, he says in GQ's August issue. (Click for photos.) "I'm not going to sit here and whine about it," he said. He has nothing but praise for Simpson, calling her "nice and open and sweet," but as far as rumors of a romance are concerned, "It's not true," Knoxville told GQ. "Jessica and I are just friends. She's a great girl and all that, but all the rumors — I just kind of take it in stride. But it's kind of hurtful to the families that are involved." ...
Shaggy's got Olivia on board for the first single from his forthcoming album, Clothes Drop, due out September 20. The only female member of the G-Unit shot the video for "Wild 2nite" with Shaggy in Brooklyn, New York, recently with X directing (Usher, Ying Yang Twins). Other tracks on the album include "Shut Up and Dance" (produced by and featuring the Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am), "Would You Be" (featuring reggae singer Brian Gold), and "Back in the Dayz" (featuring Rayvon, who sang with Shaggy on his hit "Angel"). The album was recorded in Jamaica, the West Indies and New York, with producers Sly and Robbie, Scott Storch and others. ...
Queen Latifah performed Thursday night in a Secaucus, New Jersey, Wal-Mart parking lot to launch her Curvation Project Confidence Awards, an offshoot of her VF Intimates Curvation brand of intimate apparel for curvaceous women. The Confidence Awards are a nationwide search for women who project confidence, and the winner will be awarded a $10,000 grant to support a program or project of her choice. To enter or nominate others, visit curvation.com. "I credit much of who I am today to the confidence I was given as a child," Queen Latifah told the crowd. "Strong, independent women like my mother and grandmother showed me the power of believing in myself and now I want to pass this message on." ...
P. Diddy can't get enough reality TV. He's got another show in the works, this time, a hip-hop reality sitcom about the life and family of Reverend Run from Run-DMC, which will begin airing on MTV in October. "Run's House" is a full house — he's got five kids, ages 9 through 21 — so Diddy's co-executive producer Russell Simmons calls it "Father Knows Best on Steroids." "Rev. Run is a legend and one of the most interesting individuals I know," Diddy said. "He's destined to become America's next biggest reality show star! He's going to show the world what hip-hop family life is really like." ... Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's third album, Howl, will hit stores on August 23. The group's 19-date U.S. trek in support of the LP will launch September 12 in San Francisco and end October 8 in Los Angeles. ...
Sigur Rós have completed their new album, Takk (which translates as "thanks" in Icelandic), the follow-up to 2002's (). Due September 12, the 11-track disc is sung in Icelandic; previously, the material was sung in the made-up language of "Hopelandish," which singer Jon Thor Birgisson created. Takk's release will be preceded by the launch of a 23-date North American tour, which kicks off August 9 in Hawaii and ends October 5 in Los Angeles. ... Five-piece indie pop outfit the Decemberists have unveiled all 36 dates on their upcoming Flight of the Mistle Thrushes Tour. The trek kicks off on September 11 in San Francisco, with Sons and Daughters and Petra Haden's Sell Out Choir opening. The tour hits Los Angeles, Phoenix, Atlanta, Houston, Washington, D.C., and New York, where the Decemberists will pick up a new support act, Cass McCombs; he finishes out the remainder of the tour, which stops in Boston, Cincinnati and Chicago before wrapping in Denver on October 23. ...
07.14.2005
Don't believe the hype. Christina Aguilera's rep has denied reports that the singer was slashed in a Paris bar fight with a drunken fan earlier this month. "She's fine, she got cut at home with a piece of glass. It had nothing to do with a fan," publicist Jill Fritzo said. Though the injury — sliced tendons — has put Aguilera's right arm in a cast and a sling while she recovers, Fritzo said it didn't stop the singer from attending the recent European fashion shows or continuing work on her new album, which is slated for an early 2006 release. ...
Usher dropped by for the first day of the new summer program he recently launched for minority youth in his hometown of Atlanta. Camp New Look will be home to 150 campers (ages 8-18) for the next two weeks as these prodigies-in-training hone their skills — whether it be singing, dancing or basketball — and learn the ins and outs of the business side of sports and entertainment, according to The Associated Press. "This truly is about learning the business side," the singer said Monday. "You're not going to learn it all overnight, but maybe, just maybe, you'll learn enough to change your life." The kids will put what they've learned to the test July 23 when they will have to coordinate a celebrity basketball game and headline its halftime show. ... Pearl Jam have signed on to headline an August 29 benefit for U.S. Senate candidate Jon Tester in Missoula, Montana. The show at the Adams Event Center in bassist Jeff Ament's native state will help raise money for the Montana Senate president's campaign. "I have known Jeff Ament for years and I think it is wonderful that Pearl Jam want to come out and lend their support and help me raise awareness about my campaign and to help raise the money I will need to defeat a sitting U.S. senator," Tester said. ...
Eminem, Talib Kweli and Motörhead axeman Phil Campbell will pop up on Detroit rapper Hush's forthcoming Geffen debut, Bulletproof. The album's slated for an August 23 release. ... The Roots, Redman, Common, Lyrics Born and Little Brother are some of the artists featured on the upcoming soundtrack to the video game "NBA 2K6 Basketball," titled The Tracks. Those artists will also be featured celebrity characters in the video game itself. The Tracks hits stores on October 4. ... Already embracing his Southern roots with next month's "Dukes of Hazzard" movie, Johnny Knoxville will be taking it one step further on July 26, when his cousin's country album hits stores with the former "Jackass" acting as producer. All Likkered Up marks the recording debut of Roger Alan Wade, the quirky singer/songwriter whose songs include such Howard Stern favorites as "My Baby Loves Malt Liquor" and "Fryin' Bacon Nekkid." The album shines the spotlight for the first time on Wade, whose two-decade musical career has seen him pen hits for the likes of Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and his cousin's "Hazzard" co-star Willie Nelson. ...
Juliette Lewis' forthcoming video for her Licks song "Got Love to Kill" takes its inspiration from Flock of Seagulls' "I Ran" and Blondie's "Heart of Glass" clips — with a feminine '80s disco aesthetic, according to director Alex Smith. "It's a girl's answer to the tomboy punk video we made previously," Smith said. ... Did you know that one of the Foo Fighters is making his debut in a major motion picture? It's bassist Nate Mendel, and the movie is actually a recently released straight-to-DVD release. The flick, called "Our Burden Is Light," features Mendel in a supporting role and an original score that he wrote. "Burden" also includes music from the Dave Matthews Band and David Gray. ...
Fresh from hosting "Rock Star: INXS," Dave Navarro already has his next gig lined up — as a card shark in the second annual Vegas Rock Star Poker Tournament. He'll play alongside Kiss' Gene Simmons and former Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell, as well as sweepstakes winners and their guests, at the Palms Casino Resort during the weekend of August 25-27. To enter to play, visit vegasrockstarpoker.com through August 15. The top prize is $10,000. ... Not only are INXS opening up their singer search to the world on their current reality show on CBS, but they're also opening up in another way — by writing their first autobiography. "INXS: Story to Story" is due out this fall, to coincide with the band's 25th anniversary. "A number of books have been written about us over the years, most of them in the wake of Michael Hutchence's tragic death, but none of them has been authorized by us or is in any way reflective of our point of view," INXS's Kirk Pengilly said. "This book is the band's history whilst Michael was alive ... It's our self-portrait and a true and honest account of our lives." ...

Related Photos

Photos: Johnny Knoxville In GQ Magazine

Related Artists

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Shaggy

Queen Latifah

Diddy

Sigur Rós

For The Record: Quick News On The Hives, Pearl Jam, U2, Sigur Ros, DJ Shadow, 'Buffy' & More

23 Aug 2002 16:05:00 EDT

By MTV News staff report

Hives guitarist Nicholaus Arson posted a message on the band's Web site this week explaining why the band severed a seven-year relationship with Burning Heart Records/ Epitaph to sign a reported multimillion-dollar deal with major-label conglomerate Universal Music Group. Arson claimed there were "extremely serious issues" with their former label, and explained that the group "did this simply to control our own destiny and regain the control over our work we once enjoyed with Burning Heart Records." ... The first single from Pearl Jam's still-untitled seventh album will be "I Am Mine," which goes to radio September 17. The full disc will follow November 12. ... The third album by Icelandic atmospheric art-experimentalists Sigur Rós, due out October 29, will have no title and no track list. The CD booklet will be made of see-through cellophane paper and will be completely blank, though album credits will be available on the band's Web site. ... Irish pop group the Corrs gleefully gave up one of their sisters Thursday when drummer Caroline Corr married Frank Woods in a candlelit church in the village of Deia. U2's Bono and the Edge flew in for the celebration. ...

Seventy-five albums have made the "Longlist," the first step in determining the recipient of the second annual Shortlist Prize for Artistic Achievement in Music, an honor bestowed on albums released in the U.S. that have sold less than 500,000 copies by the August 19 cut-off date. The first-round nominees, which include the latest albums by Andrew W.K., Beth Orton, Björk, Cee-Lo, Clinic, DJ Shadow, the Flaming Lips, Guided by Voices, Eels and Wilco, were chosen by a panel of judges, or "listmakers," consisting of Iggy Pop, Beck, Mos Def, the Neptunes, Spike Jonze and Lars Ulrich. The list gets pared down to 10 albums by the week of September 19, and the winner will be announced October 29. ... The soundtrack to "Once More With Feeling," last year's Emmy-nominated musical episode of TV's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," is set for release September 24. The LP offers the 10 songs featured in the November 6 episode, for which series creator Joss Whedon wrote music and lyrics, as well as unreleased tracks, including a demo of the poignant "Going Through the Motions" sung by Whedon and his wife, Kai Cole. ...

08.22.02

Michelle Branch is heading to Chicago this weekend to shoot a video with Carlos Santana and director Paul Fedor for Santana's upcoming album, Shaman, due October 22. Branch sings on a pop/rock song called "Game of Love," written by ex-New Radicals leader Gregg Alexander and producer Rick Nowels. ... "Well, I guess this is growing up" is right. Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus and his wife, Skye, welcomed baby Jack, their first child, into the world on August 5. ... Weezer will support Guns N' Roses at England's London Arena on August 26, according to the band's Web site. ... Who are the best bands in the world? According to British metal mag Kerrang!, they're Sum 41, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Slipknot, Linkin Park and Nickelback, who are all up for the Best Band in the World award at the Kerrang! Awards 2002, which will be awarded August 27. ...

Underworld, who are returning with their latest, A Hundred Days Off, on September 24, have lined up a U.S. mini-tour that begins October 14 at Chicago's Riviera Theater. The "Born Slippy" kings then hit Clutch Cargo's in Pontiac, Michigan, on October 15, New York's Hammerstein Ballroom on October 18 and San Francisco's Warfield on October 20 before winding up at the Wiltern Theatre in L.A. on October 21. ... Following a September tour of the U.K., Jerry Cantrell will return home for a 24-date headline tour that begins October 10 in San Antonio and ends November 15 in New Orleans. Cantrell is currently opening for Creed. ... Six Feet Under, featuring former Cannibal Corpse vocalist Chris Barnes, will support Hatebreed on a string of dates in September. The trek kicks off September 9 in Houston, Texas according to the death metal group's Web site. ...

Metallica welcomed two fans from the Make a Wish Foundation, their families and two of their friends into the San Francisco studio where they're recording their new album, played them two new tracks and hooked them up with a ton of free swag, according to the group's Web site. Lars, Kirk, James and producer/temporary bassist Bob Rock also invited their new friends to jam with them for over an hour, rocking out on "Enter Sandman," "For Whom the Bell Tolls," "Sad But True," "... And Justice for All," "I Disappear" and the rarely aired "Dyer's Eve," and Lars sent them all off with handfuls of classic hard rock CDs after one of the kids expressed an interest in Iron Maiden. ... Original Pirate Material, the garage-flavored, Mercury Music Prize-nominated album by the Streets (a.k.a. 21-year-old Mike Skinner), will arrive in America October 22 through Vice Records.

Related Artists

The Hives

The Hives

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U2

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Sigur Ros Beat Out Talib Kweli, Gorillaz For Shortlist Prize

20 Nov 2001 14:01:00 EST

Other nominees were Nikka Costa, Ryan Adams, Air, Bilal, PJ Harvey, Dandy Warhols, Jay Dee.
By Corey Moss

HOLLYWOOD — Sigur Rós' voyage from Iceland to sunny California to perform at the Shortlist concert Monday proved worthwhile, as the dreamy rock quartet was awarded the evening's namesake prize.
The Virgin Megastore Shortlist Prize for Artistic Achievement in Music, as it is formally known, was given to Sigur Rós along with $10,000 and a $10,000 donation to a September 11 relief charity in the band's name.
Sigur Rós, whose name means "Victory Rose" in Icelandic, claimed the trophy at the end of an eclectic concert at the Knitting Factory that included performances from them and fellow nominees Nikka Costa, the Dandy Warhols and Talib Kweli.
Videos from the other Shortlist Prize nominees — Ryan Adams, Air, Bilal, PJ Harvey, Gorillaz and Jay Dee — were shown throughout the evening, while the organizers encouraged the capacity crowd to check out all of the contenders. The nominees, whose albums qualified by having sold fewer than 500,000 copies, were narrowed in late summer from a list of 80.
Sigur Rós, whose powerful performance found lead singer Jon Thor Birgisson struck with so much emotion he turned his back to the audience and sat down on the stage for a song, was the clear favorite of the audience, which included many of the panel members who decided the winner earlier that evening at a private dinner debate.
Beck, who introduced the group with producer Ross Robinson, watched intensely from the balcony. Robinson declared that his favorite going into the voting dinner came out victorious. "They are like one of those leaf blowers that can come in and blow away all the garbage," he said.
Other panelists present at Monday's concert included the Roots' ?uestlove, Mos Def, Macy Gray, Aimee Mann, Michael Penn, producer Steve Lillywhite and other insiders and music journalists. Dave Grohl, Trent Reznor and Lucinda Williams also submitted votes, though they could not make the event, according to organizers.
"We were politically correct for at least 95 percent of the proceedings, then when it came down to crunch time, there was more pugilism," ?uestlove said. "[The Short List] is necessary. It's bringing light into the world."
Music industry veterans Greg Spotts and Tom Sarig, who founded the Shortlist Prize earlier this year (see "Beck, Dave Grohl, Others To Recognize Best Non-Hit Album"), said the voting was so close they nearly called it a tie. Although they did not reveal who came in second, ?uestlove hinted it was Talib Kweli, who ignited the crowd by bringing Mos Def on stage for an impromptu Black Star reunion.
Other concert highlights included Costa's "unplugged," hit-laden set, and surprise acoustic opening performances by David Poe and Julia Fordham.
The Shortlist Music Prize is the first of many annual award events, according to organizers. Next up will be the Shortlist Fiction Project in early 2002.
Sigur Rós' winning album, Ágætis Byrjun , which translates from Icelandic to English as "A Nice Beginning," was recorded in 1998, though was not released in the U.S. until May (see "Sigur Ros Get 'Nice Beginning' In U.S.").

Related Artists

Sigur Rós

Talib Kweli

Gorillaz

Nikka Costa

Ryan Adams

Gorillaz, PJ Harvey Among Finalists For Shortlist Prize

03 Oct 2001 17:42:00 EDT

Air, Nikka Costa, Bilal, 5 more in runoff for new U.S. album award.
By Joe D'Angelo

PJ Harvey, Gorillaz and Nikka Costa are among the 10 finalists for the newly minted Shortlist Prize for Artistic Achievement in Music.
The artists and their albums — Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea, Gorillaz and Everybody Got Their Something, respectively — were selected by a panel of "Listmakers" that includes Beck, Trent Reznor, Dave Grohl and Mos Def, as well as music journalists and producers.
The Shortlist's shortlist was announced Wednesday at the Museum of Television and Radio in Beverly Hills, California, during a broadcast of Listmaker Nic Harcourt's "Morning Becomes Eclectic" radio program on 89.9 KCRW-FM, according to an award spokesperson. It was followed by a panel discussion that featured Listmakers Macy Gray and ?uestlove of the Roots.
Other artists competing for the honor and a $10,000 cash prize are Air (10,000 Hz Legend), Bilal (1st Born Second), Dandy Warhols (Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia), Jay Dee (Welcome To Detroit), Ryan Adams (Heartbreaker), Sigur Rós (Ágætis Byrjun) and Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek (Reflection Eternal).
The winner will be awarded at a concert and party in Los Angeles later this fall.
The Shortlist Prize was created to honor creative and adventurous albums regardless of genre, much like the U.K.'s Mercury Music Prize, which this year went to PJ Harvey (see "PJ Harvey Wins U.K.'s Mercury Music Prize At Worst Possible Time").
Only albums released in the U.S. after July 2000 that have not sold more than 500,000 copies at the time of their nomination were eligible, keeping with the founders' intent to focus on emerging artists rather than established superstars. In July and August, 15 Listmakers selected up to five LPs each for a "longlist" of 49 prospective albums, which was then narrowed down in September (see "Beck, Dave Grohl, Others To Recognize Best Non-Hit Album").
Shortlist sponsor Virgin Megastore, in addition to providing the cash prize, will make a significant contribution in the winner's name to victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
The finalists were originally to be announced September 14 in New York as part of the New York Times Arts and Leisure Weekend Lecture Series, but the event was postponed and relocated following the attacks.
For feature interviews with Gorillaz, Bilal, Nikka Costa and the Dandy Warhols, check out "Gorillaz: In The Cage," "Bilal: Behind The Shades," "Nikka Costa: 7 Questions With Nikka Costa" and "The Dandy Warhols: Bohemian Rhapsody."

Related Artists

PJ Harvey

Gorillaz

Nikka Costa

Air

Beck

Sigur Rós - Vidrar Vel

16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Vidrar Vel

Artist: Sigur Rós

Label: Fat Cat Records

Director: Celebrator

Sigur Rós - (Untitled)

24 Mar 2005 08:00:00 EST

(Untitled)

Artist: Sigur Rós

Label: Geffen

Director: Floria Sigismondi

Album: Infadrone