"Estoy feliz de anunciar finalmente los planes para el próximo álbum de Smashing Pumpkins". Con estas palabras, el carismático Billy Corgan dio a conocer la sorpresiva estrategia de lanzamiento de su octavo disco, sucesor de "Zeitgeist", de 2007.

La nueva obra de la banda, titulada "Teargarden by Kaleidyscope" estará compuesta por nada menos que ¡cuarenta y cuatro temas!, que serán editados de a uno por vez y estarán disponibles para su descarga gratuita a través de la web del grupo.

"Gratis es gratis", afirmó Corgan. "No será necesario registrarse ni nada, podrán entrar y bajar las canciones que gusten, todas las veces que quieran". El frontman también adelantó que esta semana comenzaron las grabaciones en su estudio.

El ambicioso proyecto, además, promete volver a las bases psicodélicas del conjunto, con temas atmosféricos y melódicos.

Los primeros temas que darán forma a "Teargarden by Kaleidyscope" saldrán a la luz hacia fines de octubre.

• The Smashing Pumpkins

Moses, Smell the Roses' Mike Byrne
Photo: myspace.com/taylorharmonphotography

Smashing Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan said he was looking for some new blood when he announced open auditions earlier this year to replace departed drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. And, according to Pumpkins fan site Hipsters United, the great Pumpkin — at this point the only remaining original member of the band — might have found his man in unknown 19-year-old drummer Mike Byrne.

Corgan blogged on Friday that he has found the band's "drummer of the future," explaining that he's still on target to release new music in October. "I've worked with him so far for one week, and all indications are really good that he's the man for the job," Corgan wrote of the unnamed drummer. "Going to work with him some more before it becomes official. Whoever takes the job has quite big shoes to fill, no doubt about it."

Smashing Pumpkins rep Mitch Schneider confirmed to MTV News on Tuesday (June 9) that Corgan is working with Byrne in the studio on demos. "I think he's an incredibly gifted drummer, and so far things are going really well," Corgan said, according to Schneider's statement.

The Hipsters United site quickly dug up some evidence that Corgan was referring to Byrne, who reportedly sits behind the kit for Oregon band Moses, Smell the Roses, in his blog post. Among the evidence is that the Berklee College of Music freshman — who was just 1 when the band's debut album Gish was released — wrote on his MySpace page in mid-May that he was "with the Pumpkins till next Saturday." He then updated his status on Monday to say, "Mike is off for another couple weeks at Pumpkin camp."

Ben Spees, a friend who is recording the latest Moses album, Tweeted on Friday about Corgan's blog post, writing, "Billy Corgan posted about Mike in his blog. Drummer of the future."

If he does make the lineup, Byrne — who reportedly has had only four years of drum lessons — would be the youngest member of the band, led by 42-year-old Corgan. New guitarist Jeff Schroeder is 35, and new bassist Ginger Pooley is 29. A spokesperson for the Pumpkins had no comment at press time.

Either way, it would be a big step up for Byrne, whose band just played a May 29 house show in Beaverton, Oregon. He appears to be having some fun with all the speculation, judging from the gig Moses posted on MySpace for December 31, 2010: "Billy Corgan's House w/Frank Zappa and David Crowder Band." The cost of the gig? $10,000.

[This story was originally published at 4:34 p.m. ET on 06.09.2009]

• The Smashing Pumpkins
• Billy Corgan

The Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan
Photo: Jason Merritt/ FilmMagic

How do you go about replacing one of the most distinctive drummers in alt rock? With an open audition, of course. Just a week after original Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin quit the group, the Pumpkins (a.k.a. lone remaining original member Billy Corgan) announced on on their official site on Monday that an open audition will be held in Los Angeles on April 10 to fill the vacant position.

"The Smashing Pumpkins are continuing to make music after the departure of original member Jimmy Chamberlin, " read the announcement on the official Pumpkins site. "When Jimmy originally auditioned for the Smashing Pumpkins, he was playing in a locally touring jazz band that was playing weddings and street fairs. It just goes to show that you never know where the next big talent will come from." Before Chamberlin joined the band in 1988, Corgan and former guitarist James Iha performed with a drum machine.

Throwing the door open to all interested parties with "exceptional drumming ability and a desire to be part of a massive creative and progressive musical project with a rich 20-year history," the post also explained that the auditions are for recording and touring drummers, noting that there may be "multiple positions" open.

Applicants are asked to send a headshot, music, video links and a résumé listing their bands, live-performance experience, awards and any music education in their background to a Gmail address.

Not waiting to fill the drummer's seat, Corgan announced last week that he's been working on demos for new Pumpkins songs, which could end up on the band's next album, only their second to not feature Chamberlin. The drummer explained somewhat cryptically last week that he was leaving the band with no bad blood, but that he simply could no longer "pretend I'm into something I'm not. ... I can't just, 'Cash the check.' "

Though the two had a longtime friendship and Corgan excitedly invited Chamberlin back into the fold after the drummer was sent into a three-year exile due to his drug issues, Corgan said he's psyched about moving forward. "It's going well and I'm very happy and in a great mood. I'm not sad (about what has happened), actually excited to be working on new SP!" Corgan said on Thursday of the five tunes he's working on, with an eye toward hitting the studio in May.

"The songs sound like spring!" he added. In one of the strangest bits of news to come out of the sessions, the official Pumpkins site recently reported that among those joining Corgan in the studio is friend Mark Tulin, bassist for the late-1960s psychedelic band the Electric Prunes, best known for their tune "I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night."

• The Smashing Pumpkins

Smashing Pumpkins
Photo: Virgin

The Smashing Pumpkins filed suit on Monday against their former label, Virgin Records, claiming that Virgin illegally used their name and music in promotional deals that hurt the band's credibility with fans.

"We fought hard for the right to be in control of how our music is used, to avoid situations like this kind of crass commercialism and exploitation," singer Billy Corgan wrote in a statement on the legal action released Tuesday (March 25). "Labels like EMI are no longer running the show, and we won't be bullied by those in the 'old' music business who consider every artist to be easily expendable. Those days are over."

The breach-of-contract suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court claims that the band worked hard for "over two decades to accumulate a considerable amount of good will in the eyes of the public," but that Virgin's licensing of the Pumpkins' music in the Pepsi Stuff promotion threatens their reputation for "artistic integrity." It accuses the label of using the band's music for profit without its knowledge and claims that the actions, "irreparably harmed the group, their reputation and good will with their fans." The band claims that the Pumpkins' music and likeness have been vigilantly guarded and that together they "convey a message of honesty, artistic integrity and alternative non-mainstream culture" that has been harmed by Virgin's actions.

The Pepsi sweepstakes-like campaign, a partnership with Amazon.com's MP3 site, was heavily promoted and included a buzzed-about Super Bowl commercial starring Justin Timberlake and "Saturday Night Live" star Andy Samberg. According to The Associated Press, the Pumpkins say Virgin, which released the band's music for more than 17 years, only has the right to sell digital downloads of the Pumpkins' songs. The suit claims that their contract does not allow Virgin to use their music in promotional campaigns to sell outside products, and the bandmembers say they would never "grant such authority to Virgin, or any other entity."

The band explains in the release that the Pumpkins, "would never have granted such authority to Virgin, or any other entity, because they govern the use of its name, likeness and musical works in conjunction with any commercial affiliation or sponsorship. Therefore, the suit indicates 'Virgin has deceived and confused the public into believing that Plaintiff is affiliated with the promotion and/or that Plaintiff itself is participating in the promotion.'

"It's a frustrating situation, honestly, to be treated so poorly by a label where we had so much success," Corgan said. "Recently, they have ignored our pleas to give our fans special editions of our old albums, telling us they weren't interested. So there is a tremendous amount of hypocrisy involved with them turning around and using us like this."

The suit from the band — which reunited in 2006 with just two original members, frontman Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, to release 2007's gold-selling Zeitgeist — demands that Virgin give a full account of the funds received from the promotion and that the Pumpkins receive damages from those profits, as well as seeking an injunction against using the band's music or name in the future.

Spokespeople for Virgin and the Smashing Pumpkins could not be reached for further comment at press time.

[This story was originally published at 11:52 am E.T. on 03.25.2008]

• The Smashing Pumpkins

Lindsay Lohan on the cover of <i>New York</i> magazine
Photo: Bert Stern

Lindsay Lohan has done some racy photo shoots in the past, but she takes it to a whole new level in New York magazine to pay tribute to her idol. The recently rehabbed actress re-created Marilyn Monroe's famous "Last Sitting" nude pictorial for the mag's spring fashion issue with the shoot's original photographer, Bert Stein. So was she nervous about getting in front of the camera wearing nothing but a chiffon scarf? "I was comfortable with it," she told New York, though she admitted to doing "250 crunches" the previous night. On set for Lohan's revealing re-creation was a small entourage of her manager; her security guard; a makeup artist and assistant; a hairstylist and assistant; a stylist; a manicurist; a sentry posted to guard the on-loan diamonds; the photographer and his manager; two photo assistants; and the actress' younger sister, Ali. (By comparison, Stern's original shoot with Monroe was just him and his subject). "Here's a woman who is giving herself to the public," Lohan said of the original photos. "She's saying, 'Look, you've taken a lot from me, so why don't I give it to you myself.' She's taking control back." ...

After taking home five Grammys at least week's awards, Amy Winehouse will appear at the Brit Awards in London Wednesday night, her publicist confirmed. The performance will be Winehouse's first appearance on a British television program since she left a London rehab clinic two weeks ago. ...

Indie powerhouse TVT Records, home to rap stars Lil Jon and the Ying Yang Twins, will file for bankruptcy protection, label head Steve Gottleib announced Tuesday. According to Billboard, the New York company will continue to operate, but a number of staff members have been let go, and several acts, though not confirmed as of press time, will become free agents. The Gottleib-founded TVT rose to prominence in the '80s after releasing rock albums by Nine Inch Nails and made larger strides beginning in the '90s with its roster of hip-hop acts. Recent legal battles with Def Jam Records and Slip-N-Slide over projects by Ja Rule and Pitbull before each gained notoriety zapped TVT of millions of dollars. ... "Dancing With the Stars" typically appeals to an older demographic, but Mario hopes to bring his young fans to the competition. The R&B crooner will join "American Pie" star Shannon Elizabeth, Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, Olympic gold medalist Kristy Yamaguchi and more on the reality show's new season, which kicks off March 17 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. ...

The producers of "American Idol" have teamed up with Apple's iTunes Store, giving "Idol" fans the chance to purchase music by their favorite contestants before the show's winner is crowned. Starting this week, iTunes will offer downloads of every performance from the top 24 semifinalists, for 99 cents; full videos of the final 12 contestants will be offered for $1.99 beginning March 12. iTunes will also allow customers to pre-order tracks from a given contestant for automatic download the day after "Idol" airs. One-click access to the store is being made available from the show's official Web site. ... "American Idol" victor Jordin Sparks will be the opening act on Alicia Keys' upcoming North American tour, which kicks off April 19 in Hampton, Virginia. The tour concludes June 18 with a performance at New York's Madison Square Garden. ...

They haven't even been born yet, but Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony's twins might already be earning some cash. People magazine reportedly shelled out up to $6 million for the first crack at photos of the babies, while OK! struck an exclusive deal for international rights to the pictures, according to AdAge magazine. However, People and the stars' reps denied that these deals are final. ... Heidi Klum to the rescue! According to an AP report, the model and "Project Runway" host wants to help Britney Spears and said she'd be willing to open her home to the troubled pop star while she tries to put her life back together. "She can call me and come live in our house with us for a couple of months," Klum said. "I would help set her straight. I am sorry when a young person gets thrown so off-track. She has, of course, lived an extremely wild life." No word on whether Spears will take her up on the offer. ...

According to The Associated Press, the Spice Girls' tour-bus driver assisted police in the arrest of a Michigan man, who is the chief suspect in a carjacking. Police told the wire service that the bus driver called 911 to report a possible drunk driver weaving in and out of traffic on Interstate 75, just outside of Detroit, on Saturday. (The Spice Girls were performing that night in nearby Auburn Hills.) The motorist was arrested and turned over to police in the town of Burton in connection with a carjacking at a gas station. Police did not identify the Spice Girls' bus driver or the man who was arrested. ...

Pink's marriage might be ending, but her movie career is still moving forward. She shot "Catacombs" several years ago, and now the horror film will finally see the light of day — or, at least, the DVD shelf — when it is released in video stores Tuesday (February 19). "It takes place in Paris," Pink told MTV News when she first shot the movie. "I'm an expatriate who moved to Paris to study at the Sorbonne, but I dropped out, because I like to party, and my friends run all these underground parties in the Paris tunnels, where they have all these ancient remains of people. And people actually do party underground there. It's all true. It's pretty amazing and intricate, actually." Pink's character then invites her younger sister (played by Shannyn Sossamon) to come and visit, and because her sib is "very high-anxiety, an annoying nervous wreck," Pink decides to invite her to the catacomb parties to "mess with her a little bit. It's all about family ties and how evil we can be to our siblings and what we get for doing that," Pink said. Despite the film's locale, she only shot in the City of Lights for four days, and the rest of "Catacombs" was actually shot in Bucharest, Romania. "It's cheaper," she shrugged. ...

My Chemical Romance have revealed details of their upcoming tour. The trek will feature openers Billy Talent and Drive By, and get under way March 28 in Tempe, Arizona. Dates are scheduled through May 6 in Philadelphia. ... Green Jellÿ, that long-forgotten mock-metal outfit behind the infectious "Three Little Pigs," have reformed and are in the process of booking a national tour for this summer. The band will also re-release 1991's Cereal Killer and 1994's 333 LPs, along with a DVD of all their videos. For now, Green Jellÿ are scheduled to play the new Milwaukee Metalfest on June 7 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ...

Camp Freddy, the cover band featuring Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro, ex-Cult bassist Billy Morrison and Velvet Revolver's Matt Sorum and Scott Weiland, will be taking over Los Angeles' Roxy Theatre "every Thursday night during the month of May for our very first residency," the band reports. "Each week we will perform a different set list, and the evening's performance will culminate with two or three songs featuring our very special guests of the night. We will not be advertising these guests in advance. The band will be joined each week by our good friend and longtime Camp Freddy cohort [Sugar Ray's] Mark McGrath." ...

On Saturday, Bury Your Dead guitarist Eric Ellis was attacked by six individuals following the band's performance at the Rave in Milwaukee. Ellis was held at gunpoint while the men hit him multiple times with a baseball bat and hammer. Local police have characterized the incident as a "gang initiation." Despite his injuries, Ellis and the rest of the band will continue on with their tour alongside Hellyeah. "It will take more than this to stop Bury Your Dead," the band said in a statement. ...

Ska-punk act Goldfinger will return April 22 with Hello Destiny, which will be issued by Side One Dummy Records. The album follows 2005's Disconnect Notice and will feature founding guitarist Charlie Paulsen, who parted ways with the band in 1997. ... Portland, Maine, rockers 6Gig will be reuniting for two hometown gigs. The shows are set for April 25 and April 26, at the Big Easy. ... Foxy Shazam will be hitting the road with Portugal. the Man starting March 17 in El Paso, Texas. The trek runs through March 27 in San Francisco. ...

Underoath have tapped Matt Goldman and Killswitch Engage's Adam Dutkiewicz to produce their forthcoming album, which they've written eight songs for so far and will begin recording in about a month. Meanwhile, the band's "Live" CD/DVD set will hit stores May 13.

2.15.08

Alicia Keys took home four trophies from the NAACP Image Awards, held at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium Thursday night. She won the Outstanding Album and Outstanding Female Artist prizes, as well as the top video and song awards. Other honorees included Chris Brown, Jordin Sparks, Denzel Washington and Janet Jackson. Washington and his "Great Debaters" co-star Jurnee Smollett won the Best Actor and Actress prizes for film, while Jackson received the Best Supporting Actress honor for her work in "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?" ...

As Britney Spears' father extended control over her affairs in Los Angeles on Thursday, a New York attorney attempted to undo them by taking the conservatorship to federal court. Claiming he represents the singer — despite a judge already deciding she's unable to retain counsel of her own just yet — attorney Jon Eardley filed a claim that the singer's conservatorship deprives her of her civil liberties, since she's been denied the right to meet freely with whom she chooses (as her father has the power to restrict visitors); make and receive phone calls (since a restraining order prevents manager Sam Lutfi from contacting her); drive a car (since her father hired security to do that for her); and gain access to money or credit cards (since her finances are being handled by her trust). "She is being confined ... to the private person of her own home," the suit reads. Eardley is represented by Lutfi's publicist, Michael Sands, who claims that the motion moves jurisdiction from Los Angeles Superior Court to the U.S. District Court, and voids the conservatorship: "Britney Spears has no conservatorship!" he said in a press release. However, the Los Angeles Superior Court responded, "This is an issue that will have to be litigated by the parties." ...

Paramore and Jimmy Eat World have rolled out dates for their much-anticipated co-headlining tour. The 20-date outing will take them from San Antonio on April 1 to Atlantic City, New Jersey, on May 2, with stops in California, Iowa, New York and elsewhere along the way. ...

Eddie Vedder has sketched out the itinerary for his first-ever solo tour, which he will stage in support of his Grammy-nominated "Into the Wild" soundtrack, according to Billboard.com. The Pearl Jam frontman will swing through Vancouver, British Columbia, on April 2, after which he'll play a smattering of shows in various California cities: Santa Cruz (April 5), Berkeley (April 7), Santa Barbara (April 10), Los Angeles (April 12-13) and San Diego (April 15). ... The Raconteurs are wrapping up their yet-untitled sophomore effort in Nashville, according to a recent post on their MySpace page. The post wasn't forthcoming with more details, although it did say, "They promise to release [the LP] as soon as they can." ...

U2 frontman Bono and British artist Damien Hirst raised $42 million for HIV/AIDS programs in Africa at a Sotheby's auction in New York on Thursday, according to The Associated Press. The (Red) Auction, co-organized by the Gagosian Gallery, sold pieces from some of the world's top contemporary artists. Sotheby's said model Christy Turlington bought a piece for $170,500. "We got serious about love, and not just the love of art, but the love of our brothers and sisters suffering from AIDS in the poorest places on the planet," Bono said, according to BBC News. ...

Coheed and Cambria, Incubus and Disturbed have been added to the roster for this year's Download Festival in England (June 13-15). They join a lineup that already features Kiss, Judas Priest, the Offspring, Motörhead, H.I.M, Children of Bodom, Rise Against, Lostprophets, Alter Bridge and In Flames. ... Aerosmith are starring in a new edition of "Guitar Hero" called, er, "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith." Due in the summer, the game will feature 30 or so songs by the Boston legends, as well as ones by bands that have opened for Steven Tyler's crew. ...

Chan Marshall — better known as Cat Power — has bulked up her tour schedule in support of her recently released album, Jukebox, according to Pitchfork. Following an April 10 show in Vancouver, British Columbia, she will hit up Seattle the following day and continue playing gigs through an April 20 show at Austin, Texas' South by Southwest fest. Two days later, she'll perform in Houston, after which she'll journey down to Mexico City for an April 23 performance. ... The National — whose last album, Boxer, made many critics' top 10 lists last year — have slipped out a live EP through Rhapsody, Pitchfork reports. The release, called Rhapsody Rocks NYC, contains four songs recorded at New York's CMJ Music Marathon last year. ...

Butch Walker has slapped together a new live album, but in case you're running low on funds these days, don't worry — he's posted the 24-track effort for free download at FriendsorEnemies.com. Devout fans can get the release with bonus tracks for $5.99. ... Portishead have firmed up their first album in 10 years. Third will drop April 29 and feature 11 songs, including "Nylon Smile," "Magic Doors" and "The Rip." ...

Yoko Ono has denied reports that she was planning legal action against singer Lennon Murphy, who has sought to trademark the name of her band, Lennon. In a letter to the technology blog BoingBoing, Ono explained that several years ago, Lennon Murphy sought Ono's permission to perform under her birth name, Lennon Murphy, which Ono did not object to. But later, without Ono's knowledge, the singer reportedly filed an application in the U.S. Trademark Office requesting the exclusive right to utilize the name "Lennon" for musical performances. Ono's attorneys asked Murphy's lawyers and manager to withdraw the registration, offering to cover all costs Murphy had incurred in filing for the trademark. When Murphy went ahead with the registration anyway, Ono said she did not sue Murphy, but had her attorneys notify the trademark office that Ono did not believe it was fair that Murphy be granted the exclusive right to the Lennon trademark for musical and entertainment services. Ono wrote, "I am really hurt if people thought that I told a young artist to not use her own name in her performances and had sought to sue her. I did no such thing. I hope this allegation will be cleared." ...

Borders Books is trying a new method to appeal to music downloaders. According to a press release, the retailer will roll out 14 new concept stores this year featuring "digital centers" that will allow customers to burn CDs and download music and books to most MP3 players, though not to iPods.

• Lindsay Lohan
• Amy Winehouse
• Britney Spears
• Spice Girls
• My Chemical Romance

Radiohead's <i>In Rainbows</i>
Photo: XL

The music industry is suffering a pretty big hangover this week, thanks to the year that was 2007. CD sales dropped 20 percent, and many fingers were pointed at one band in particular — Radiohead — for turning the industry inside out with the name-your-own-price digital release of In Rainbows, their latest album.

Well, sorry, haters: It's going to be hard to shake off those memories, seeing as how Radiohead are ringing in the new year with the CD version of the effort, which made many critics' best-of-'07 lists.

So does this mean the physical release will do for CD sales what the digital release did for the online world? Um, we'll say no on that one. In fact, when a band as big as the Smashing Pumpkins are also bypassing terrestrial stores by putting out a new effort online only — in the U.S., at least — it's safe to say that this year will see even more digital action than '07 did.

Surprisingly, the Pumpkins' set will only be available on iTunes in the States, with CD versions of the release hitting other stores across the world. Also curious is that the item is an EP containing four all-acoustic songs: "The Rose March," "Again, Again, Again (The Crux)," "POX" and "Sunkissed."

"We have always regretted not recording more in between tours because albums have never caught the full story of the group ... it's sort of Zeitgeist+," frontman Billy Corgan said in a press release about American Gothic, the title of which he called a "continued comment on the state of our country." Corgan added, "I had written a bunch of material during the residencies in Asheville [North Carolina] and San Francisco [in 2007], and fans kept asking us if we were gonna put any of that stuff out. iTunes came to us wanting to do something together, so it just felt right."

The Pumpkins recorded the EP at the Pass studios in Los Angeles while on a break between their 2007 U.S. and upcoming European tours, with Corgan, drummer Jimmy Chamberlin and legendary Queen collaborator Roy Thomas Baker producing. Fans looking to get their mitts on the artwork can download it for free at SmashingPumpkins.com.

Another smaller-scale release by a big-name artist is happening this week: Björk's Declare Independence, which is landing in brick-and-mortar stores in the form of a CD-plus-DVD set and as a 12-inch vinyl. Look for it online as well.

The packages contain the title track — which is the 42-year-old Icelandic songstress' third single from her 2007 release, Volta — as well as bonus remixes by collaborator Ghostigital, a singer/trumpet player who also hails from Iceland; London producer/engineer Mark Stent, who has worked with Björk in the past as well; and British electronic musician Matthew Herbert, who programmed three songs on Björk's 2001 album, Vespertine. The DVD contains the song's video, which was directed by — you guessed it — perennial Björk co-conspirator Michel Gondry.

Also on the menu for this week is the soundtrack to "Elvis: Viva Las Vegas," an ABC special that aired in September as part of the 30th anniversary of Presley's death. The disc pits recently remastered songs sung by the King — "Mystery Train," "Jailhouse Rock," "(There'll Be) Peace in the Valley (For Me)," etc. — alongside tribute cover versions performed during the TV special. Included are Daughtry's take on "Suspicious Minds"; Bruce Springsteen's cover of the title track; Chris Isaak and newcomer Brandi Carlile's "Love Me Tender" duet; Toby Keith and Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry's rendition of "Mystery Train"; as well as additional cuts by Patti Scialfa, Faith Hill and Miranda Lambert.

Rounding out the latest batch of new releases is a 25th Anniversary Edition reissue of Here, There & Back by Lynyrd Skynyrd spinoff group the Allen Collins Band, and Life by Stereo by Christian hip-hop artist J.R.. The latter disc is being issued by Cross Movement Records, which amusingly states on its Web site: "J.R. presents the antithesis of an infamous heavy-metal album of [a] similar moniker, Death by Stereo, with Life by Stereo — signifying God's use of music as a medium to communicate life rather than death." We're pretty sure the label actually means the band Death by Stereo, which, as it is, are really more of a hardcore thing than a metal group. But we get the drift.

Song Title of the Week:

"Weird Fishes/ Arpeggi" from Radiohead's In Rainbows

Album Cover of the Week:

Radiohead's In Rainbows

New Releases:

· Björk - Declare Independence (EP; with DVD; One Little Indian) [Buy Now]
· J.R. - Life by Stereo (Cross Movement)
· Radiohead - In Rainbows (TBD/ATO) [Buy Now]
Read: "Radiohead's In Rainbows To Be Released Digitally October 10 — You Decide The Price!"
· Various artists - "Elvis: Viva Las Vegas" soundtrack (Sony)

Digital Releases:

· Allen Collins Band - Here, There and Back - 25th Anniversary Edition (available at RollforRock.com)
· Smashing Pumpkins - American Gothic (EP; available exclusively on iTunes in the U.S.)

Coming Attractions:

January 8:
· Sia - Some People Have Real Problems (Monkey Puzzle) [Preorder]
· Testament - Demonic and Hammer of the Gods reissues (Prosthetic)
· Various artists - ... And All the Pieces Matter: Five Years of Music From "The Wire" (Nonesuch)

January 15:
· Eels - Meet the Eels: Essential Eels Vol. 1, 1996-2006 (CD and DVD; Dreamworks/Geffen/UMe); and Eels Useless Trinkets: B-Sides, Soundtracks, Rarities and Unreleased - 1996-2006 (two CDs and one DVD; Dreamworks/Geffen/Ume) [Preorder]
· Jon Foreman - Fall/Winter (two EPs; lowercase people/ Credential Recordings)
· Spice Girls - Greatest Hits (enhanced; two discs; Virgin) [Preorder]

January 22:
· Natasha Bedingfield - Pocketful of Sunshine (Epic)
· Matt Costa - Unfamiliar Faces (Brushfire)
· Mindless Self Indulgence - You'll Rebel to Anything (Metropolis)

• The Future Of Music: What's Next?

• Radiohead
• The Smashing Pumpkins
• Björk

Britney Spears look-alikes on the set of the singer's new "Piece of Me" video
Photo: WENN/Newscom

Britney Spears' "Piece of Me" video is in place, even if it won't actually be out until January at earliest — People.com posted a sneak preview of it on Thursday (December 13). In the clip, her second one for Blackout, the singer and her dancers are chased by the paparazzi and duck into a club in an effort to escape. (Check out snaps from the "Piece of Me" video shoot right here.) Don't forget that Britney has reached out to fans to direct a separate "Piece of Me" video for her, with the winning clip to air December 20 on "TRL." For the "Britney Spears Wants a Piece of You" contest, MTV has opened its vaults of the footage shot of the pop singer over the years, and fans can access the goods via the MTV Video Remixer. Pick the shots you like, mash them up and hit "send" — clips can be up to 3:34 in length or shorter. The grand-prize winner also will receive a brand new Haier Ibiza Rhapsody device along with a one-year subscription to Rhapsody, as well as the entire catalog of Spears' CDs and DVDs released in the U.S. ...

Scott Weiland's DUI case will be continued on January 17, according to TMZ.com — the Velvet Revolver frontman was due to be arraigned Thursday (December 13). Maybe it would have helped if the rocker had gotten that news Wednesday night, when he allegedly ranted onstage at Velvet Revolver's show in Hollywood, the site reports. Weiland reportedly said his group is not the "Mormon Tabernacle f---ing Choir" and, a source allegedly told the site, steered clear of his bandmates backstage after the show and didn't have his picture taken. ... Scott Stapp is off the hook — a domestic battery charge against the rocker has been dropped after he completed terms of an agreement, including his required participation in anger management counseling, according to The Associated Press. The original charge was aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony but it was reduced to a misdemeanor on Monday. Stapp was arrested in May after his wife accused him of taking drugs and throwing a bottle at her. As part of his agreement, he also underwent a substance abuse evaluation and agreed not to have any weapons in his possession. ...

So much for Jessica Simpson's "Blonde Ambition" — the actress' flick, inspired by the '80s classic "Working Girl," is going straight to DVD, according to UsMagazine.com. The comedy, which co-stars Luke Wilson, will hit stores January 22. ...

If you think that lock of John Lennon's hair went for a lot of money — it was auctioned for $48,000 on Wednesday — wait till you hear how much a London dealer threw down for a handwritten, illustrated J.K. Rowling book: a cool 1.95 million pounds, the U.S. equivalent of $3.98 million, according to Reuters. The copy of "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" — a book that is referenced in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — was auctioned Thursday in London, and the price is the most anyone has ever paid for a modern literary manuscript at auction. All proceeds will go to Rowling's charity the Children's Voice, which helps vulnerable kids across Europe. ...

A Louisiana judge denied a request from C-Murder to travel to Texas for Pimp C's funeral on Thursday (December 13). According to an AP report, the judge would not make an allowance for the trip for Murder (born Corey Miller), who is currently under house arrest awaiting a retrial for the 2002 murder of a teen inside a nightclub. ...

Ne-Yo is heading to Wal-Mart — but not to go holiday shopping. Instead, the R&B singer will be at the retail chain's location in Torrance, California, on Friday to help with a toy drive for inner-city children. ... Coldplay have unearthed their cover of the Pretenders' Christmas-themed "2,000 Miles" and posted it on Coldplay.com. The group recorded the song — which benefited Future Forests and Stop Handgun Violence — in 2003 and made it available for a limited time as a paid download on their site. "We love Christmas songs, but every time we try and write one it's awful," Chris Martin wrote in an accompanying post. "So we often cover them — well, once or twice, actually. In fact, the song I would most like to have written is 'Fairytale of New York' by de bloody Pogues of Ireland." ...

Shakira elbowed her way onto the list of Golden Globe nominees — her "Love in the Time of Cholera" contribution earned a nod for Best Original Song. "I composed 'Despedida' with all my love for [Gabriel] Garcia Márquez, who is for me a true genius and the most eloquent spokesman of my people," she said in a statement, referring to the author who wrote the book on which the film was based. Eddie Vedder's "Guaranteed" from "Into the Wild" also made the cut, as did the "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" tune "Walk Hard," which was penned and performed by John C. Reilly, Marshall Crenshaw, Jake Kasdan and Judd Apatow. Similarly, three "Wild" Vedder songs and a trio of "Walk Hard" cuts have made the Oscar committee's list of tracks being considered for Best Original Song, according to a weblog on Variety.com. Fifty-nine tunes — including ones by John Legend, John Mayer, the Flaming Lips, Sondre Lerche, Rufus Wainwright, Sheryl Crow and Fountains of Wayne frontman Adam Schlesinger — are eligible for the award. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will screen film clips featuring the tracks on January 15, after which the actual nominees for the Best Original Song category will be determined. ...

R. Kelly's Friday night concert at the Forum in Los Angeles will be protested by black activists calling for action against the singer, who is facing 14 counts of child pornography, the Los Angeles Times reports. "It's like pulling teeth to get people to talk about this," one activist, Jasmyne Cannick, told the Times. "It's a challenge to get the black community to even discuss it. They're acting like he doesn't have 14 counts of child pornography against him. ... We're all acting like we don't have daughters and nieces and little sisters." But Kelly's manager, Derrell McDavid, didn't seem too worried when he spoke to the newspaper. "There's been no protests on this tour," he said. "It's just been a warm embrace and sold-out shows." ... Are the Smashing Pumpkins already working on new material? It seems that way — but this time around, fans won't have to wait nearly as long. Drummer Jimmy Chamberlin wrote in a blog post on their Web site that they're in the midst of tracking, and hinted that the Pumpkins might have new material to release as early as January 1. "We are back in the studio recording some songs for a possible release worldwide," he wrote. "Look for these around the first of the year." ...

Snoop Dogg's Youth Football League is still going strong, and the rapper has plotted a third benefit show to raise funds for the project, which helps kids stay off the streets. "The kids in the league depend on me to keep it going, and giving 100 percent of the sales from this concert is my way of making it happen for all of them," he said in a statement about the show, which will take place Saturday at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California. All proceeds will go to the league and be used for new uniforms, transportation, lodging and food for the upcoming Snoop Bowl, taking place during Super Bowl weekend in Arizona. ... Linkin Park's ambitious Music for Relief project has taken on another cause: raising money and awareness about the humanitarian crisis that has resulted in Bangladesh in the aftermath of Cyclone Sidr. The outreach organization has launched an eBay auction featuring items by LP, Avril Lavigne, Smashing Pumpkins and Deftones, with all proceeds going to the international relief group Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere. ... George Clooney and Don Cheadle were honored in Rome on Thursday with a peace award for their efforts to raise awareness about the Darfur humanitarian crisis, according to AP. Also Thursday, they urged world leaders to provide helicopters for a peacekeeping force, partially led by the United Nations, that will take over security in the Sudanese area later in December. ...

Look, up in the sky, it's the Spice Girls! The reunited group has revealed the name of its Virgin Atlantic jumbo jet: Spice One. The name was chosen via an online contest, and the winner — who hails from Brazil — recently joined the ladies at their recent ceremony at Los Angeles International Airport. ... Three Thom Yorke remixes that were previously available on his Web site will be issued February 4 in the U.K. in the form of 12-inches. The remixes are by the Field, Four Tet and others. ...

Lupe Fiasco has filled up his calendar with concert dates, promotional appearances in support of his sophomore album, Lupe Fiasco's "The Cool," which drops Tuesday. LupeFiasco.com will be relaunched that day, on which Fiasco will also play a gig at New York's the Fillmore at Irving Plaza. After that, he'll stage a December 20 in-store gig at the Bassment in his Chicago hometown; a "MySpace Presents the Release" show in Hawaii on December 27; and then set out on a tour that starts January 10 in Portland, Oregon, and ends March 25 in Fredricksburg, Virginia. In the meantime, stream The Cool in its entirety on MTV's "The Leak." ...

While less than 20,000 of the reported millions who wanted to see Monday's Led Zeppelin reunion in London were actually able to attend the gig, millions more briefly relived the experience vicariously through bootleg online clips. But, almost as fast as those clips showed up on sites like YouTube, they were reportedly taken down at the request of the band's management. Or perhaps at the request of Warner Bros., which owns the publishing rights to Zeppelin's catalog, according to Portfolio.com, which reported that individual clips began disappearing from YouTube on Tuesday afternoon "due to a copyright claim by Warner Music Group," which, incidentally, has a licensing deal with YouTube for its content. However, the story got even weirder Thursday morning, when the Silicon Alley Insider revealed that a Brooklyn, New York, company called "GrayZone," which bills itself as the "bootbusters of the entertainment industry," took the initiative in sending out the takedown notices. According to the Alley Insider story, GrayZone apologized for erroneously issuing the notices and explained, "The error is ours alone. We acted without authorization from the band or Warner Music Group. Unfortunately, an automated system mistakenly attributed the removal of the content to a copyright claim by Warner Music Group. That was inaccurate. We have informed YouTube of the error and we regret any inconvenience this may have caused." Speculation had surfaced that the reason for the takedown might be tied to an expected DVD release of the event at some point next year. ... In related news, Robert Plant will tour next year, but not necessarily with Zep. He'll make the rounds with Alison Krauss, with whom he collaborated for their October release Raising Sand. The pair will trek through Europe in May. ...

There's a new "Jackass" movie coming, and you won't even have to leave the house to see it. The 64-minute "Jackass 2.5" will stream for free from Wednesday until December 31 at JackassWorld.com with previously unreleased footage and interviews. The movie, touted as the first-ever studio-backed feature streamed entirely online, is available to anyone over 17 who downloads the Microsoft Silverlight media player, which can be found at Blockbuster.JackassWorld.com. ... Janet Jackson has finally settled on a title, release date and lead single for her follow-up to last year's 20 Y.O. Discipline will drop February 26 and be preceded by the first single, the Rodney Jerkins-produced "Feedback," which impacts January 7. Ne-Yo, Jermaine Dupri, Stargate, The-Dream and others also lent their talents to the veteran singer's 10th studio effort, which was executive produced by Antonio "L.A." Reid. ... The Liars have lined up a headlining stint for next year as they continue to support their self-titled release, which came out in August. The band will set sail January 25 in San Francisco and play about a month's worth of gigs that will wind down with a February 22 show in Los Angeles.

12.12.07

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.

• Britney Spears
• Velvet Revolver
• Scott Stapp
• Creed
• Jessica Simpson

Vincent "Don Vito" Margera (file)
Photo: Peter Kramer/ Getty Images

Vincent "Don Vito" Margera's fate on two counts of sexual assault is in the hands of the jury. Tuesday saw the presentation of closing arguments, during which Pamela Mackey, an attorney for Margera -- Bam's uncle -- argued that he had been in his "goofy, outrageous and vulgar" persona during his August 2006 Colorado mall autograph signing, during which he is accused of having groped three young girls. ...

Tony Yayo will stand trial beginning January 10 in connection with the case in which he is alleged to have roughed up the 14-year-old son of Game manager Jimmy "Henchman" Rosemond in March. According to Yayo's lawyer, Scott Leemon, the judge combined the cases of Yayo (born Marvin Bernard) and a man known as an "honorary" member of the G-Unit, Lowell "Lodi Mack" Fletcher, who was also allegedly involved in the assualt, but whose relationship to Yayo Leemon declined to discuss. ...

Big brother and little brother teamed up Monday night: Jay-Z made a surprise guest appearance at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston during Kanye West's set at the JAMN 94.5 Monster Jam Concert. Kanye also brought T-Pain — who played his own set earlier in the night — for "Good Life." Lil Wayne, Fabolous, J. Holiday, MIMS and Akon also performed at the concert. ...

Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz broke his foot during the band's performance Sunday night at the Voodoo Music Experience festival in New Orleans. Wentz uploaded a gory close-up photo of his severely bruised and swollen foot to his profile page on FriendsorEnemies.com. "For anyone who was at the Voodoo Fest in New Orleans, you got to see me jump around," he wrote. "Ended up breaking the bone that connects my shin to my foot; no shows will be cancelled. I am currently trying to get a 'rocker' boot so I can have a walking cast. Currently, my foot is the size of a small car. If you see me at a show, come sign my cast." ...

Don't expect to see Britney Spears gracing the cover of Maxim anytime soon — the magazine has ranked her #5 on its list of the Five Unsexiest Women Alive. One slot ahead of her is Madonna, who Spears seems to be emulating these days, and they're followed by Sandra Oh, Amy Winehouse and the list-topper, Sarah Jessica Parker. ... Some people might not find Madge too sexy these days, but according to a new tome, "Madonna: Like an Icon," Tupac Shakur was more than just hot for her in the past — they actually dated. The book's author, Lucy O'Brien, claims the Material Girl dated 'Pac for one year in her mid-30s before the rapper's untimely death. O'Brien quotes a friend close to the singer, saying ultimately, the rapper's friends quashed the fling. "She was going out with him," one of Madge's friends said. "But homegirls were saying to [2Pac], 'I can't believe you're going out with a white girl.' " Madonna was then subsequently dumped, according to the book. ...

Linkin Park's outreach project, Music for Relief, has set its sights on a new challenge: helping Southern California recover from the devastating wildfires. The band has contributed $50,000 to Direct Relief International — a Santa Barbara nonprofit that has been providing medical supplies to victims — and the donation was matched by SanDisk Corporation, a flash-data-storage-card company. "The wildfires are an unfathomable tragedy," LP bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell said in a statement. "Being able to help victims of a natural disaster like the wildfires is exactly why Music for Relief was founded." The band is also encouraging its fans to make their own contributions through the Music for Relief Web site. ...

Common's still riding strong with his latest album, the recently released Finding Forever, but while he's looking forward, his former label is looking backward with a new compilation of early cuts. ThisIsMe Then: The Best of Common, being issued by Relativity/ Sony Legacy, compiles 15 songs from 1992-'97 — but the enhanced disc has four video extras too: for "Take It EZ," "I Used to Love H.E.R.," "Retrospect for Life" (featuring Lauryn Hill) and "Invocation." It's set to street November 27. ... The Roc is in the building: Freeway hosted a listening session at S.O.B.'s in New York Monday night for his sophomore set, Free at Last, due November 20. The Philadelphia rapper previewed collaborations with 50 Cent, Rick Ross and Jadakiss, before Beanie Sigel hit the stage with him to perform their Just Blaze-produced classic, "Roc the Mic." ...

Reggae singer Beenie Man was released from a Kingston, Jamaica, jail on $21,000 bail on Monday after appearing in court on tax-evasion charges, according to The Associated Press. Authorities say the singer (born Anthony Moses Davis) owes about $661,000 in overdue taxes in Jamaica. He's due back in court December 3. ... The estate of late rapper Notorious B.I.G. filed a federal court motion on Monday claiming that prison inmate Waymond Anderson, who once implicated a former police officer in the killing of the rapper, was lying when he recently recanted his testimony. AP reports that the motion seeks access to phone and prison visitation records for Anderson, who is serving a life sentence for murder in a separate case. In an August 20 deposition Anderson said he lied about the alleged police involvement as part of a scam involving the slain rapper's family members and attorneys to win a monetary settlement from the city. The estate argued in its filing that the records will discredit Anderson's story and reveal who was behind his "wholesale assault on the truth." ...

A 20th-anniversary edition of the A Very Special Christmas album — featuring performances by No Doubt, Wyclef Jean, Sting, Run-D.M.C., Jon Bon Jovi, Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow and U2 — will be released November 20. The package benefiting the Special Olympics will also feature the first-ever DVD collection of videos in the series' history, including performances from the 1998 and 2000 Christmas at the White House specials. ... Two anti-poverty groups co-founded by Bono, the ONE Campaign and Debt AIDS Trade Africa, will merge their operations in the U.S. to create a single organization that will be known as ONE. Reuters reports that the organization will continue to focus on poverty-relief efforts in Africa and the U.S., according to a statement from Bono, in which he said, "ONE and DATA are two organizations with the same outrage: Extreme, stupid poverty in the 21st century makes no sense when the resources and technology exist to do something about it. ... What makes sense is to harness these two forces into a single organization and redouble our efforts. One goal. One team." And in yet more U2 news, National Geographic Cinema Ventures will release a new film, "U2 3D," in late January. The movie will play in 3-D only, in select theaters worldwide. Filmed in South America during a series of U2 concerts on their Vertigo Tour, the film is the first live-action movie ever shot, produced and exhibited in digital 3-D, and strove to capture the intimacy between the band and its audience. ...

Slayer and Halloween are a match made in hell, and this year the metal titans have partnered with MySpace to spook fans into buying their new concert DVD, "The Unholy Alliance - Chapter II: Preaching to the Perverted," which also features performances by Lamb of God, Mastodon and more. One of the clips from the DVD, Slayer's performance of their Grammy-winning song "Eyes of the Insane," will stream all day on MySpace TV on Wednesday. ... SoLow.com, which rewards visitors for making the lowest unique bid for prizes it offers, is giving one lucky fan a chance to spend Thanksgiving with the Osbournes. The winner will also get tickets to Ozzy Osbourne's concert in San Diego, as well as a few hundred bucks in cash and a hotel room in Los Angeles. ... Tom Cruise, meet the Sex Pistols. The actor and the notorious punk-rock legends are both slated to appear — and perform, in the case of the Pistols — on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" on Tuesday night (October 30). Republican presidential hopeful Representative Ron Paul rounds out the odd lineup. ... Forbes has released its list of the top-earning dead celebrities, and Nirvana's Kurt Cobain no longer sits at #1 — that spot now belongs once again to Elvis Presley — the King's estate generated $49 million in the past year, while Cobain's name doesn't even make the list. At #2 is John Lennon, whose drew $44 million in 2007, while fellow Beatle George Harrison takes #4 with $22 million. Other musicians on the list include Tupac Shakur at #8 with $9 million and James Brown at #11 with $5 million. Bob Marley is at #12, having made $4 million this year. ...

In the end, nobody at the University of Florida got zapped. Andrew Meyer, of "Don't tase me, bro" fame, will not face any criminal charges for disrupting an appearance by Senator John Kerry at the university, according to AP. And the two police officers suspended while state officials investigated the incident — which became an instant viral phenomenon that spawned remixes, T-shirts and a short-lived cultural catchphrase — have been reinstated after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement concluded that they acted properly when they tased the 21-year-old. ... If it's good enough for Radiohead, it's good enough for Paste. For the next two weeks, the music magazine will be offering one-year subscriptions to readers for whatever price they decide to pay. There's a minimum payment of $1, but anyone who ponies up more than the $19.95 the magazine typically charges for a year will be thanked in print in a future issue. ...

It's a long way from "Gangsta's Paradise" to "Oh!" but Coolio is willing to make the trip. The rapper has signed on to appear in a reality show called "Coolio & the Gang" for the women's cable network Oxygen that will begin airing in the second quarter of 2008, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The program will follow the Grammy-winning MC as he raises six teens by himself while trying to maintain his rap career and launch a clothing line in what is described as a real-life version of "My Three Sons." ... The Who are about to launch a subscription service for serious fans, who will get access to a huge library of video and audio content for $50 a month. According to a post on the band's Web site, beginning Monday, superfans will get a free, exclusive double-CD (View From a Backstage Pass) of live performances from 1969-'76 that will not be available in stores, a personalized Who e-mail address, discounts in the Who store, exclusive full-length videos, and streaming and paid download access to every Who song ever recorded.

Pierce Brosnan is being investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for alleged battery stemming from an incident that happened at a mall in Malibu, California, on Friday, TMZ reports. Robert Rosen, a photographer, claims that after he complimented Brosnan on his James Bond films, the actor began cursing and hit Rosen in the ribs. In response, Rosen kicked the actor, he claims.

Entertainment legend Robert Goulet died Tuesday morning in a Los Angeles hospital, AP reports. Goulet, who was 73, had been awaiting a lung transplant after discovering last month that he had acquired a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis. The self-deprecating Goulet was a Broadway star, Grammy Award-winning singer, TV show host and actor, appearing toward the end of his career in films like "The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear," "Beetlejuice" and "Toy Story 2" (he voiced Wheezy the Penguin).

10.29.07

Gwen Stefani, a Southern California native, is reaching out to victims of the wildfires by donating proceeds of her Tuesday concert at San Diego's Cox Arena to local charity the San Diego Foundation, which is helping the community recover from the ongoing disaster. Stefani announced the effort on San Diego radio station 93.3 KHTS on Monday morning (October 29). "San Diego has always been so supportive of me throughout my entire career ... living in Orange County, it has always been like a second home to me," she said on air, according to a press release from her label. "When I heard about the devastation of the fires at first I felt I should cancel my show out of respect, but then it occurred to me there might be a more useful solution." San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders thanked her, according to the press release, saying the Foundation will use the funds to support its After-the-Fires Fund 2007 effort. ...

Kanye West is bringing his ego to the bookshelf. Following in the steps of his mother, Donda — who released her own book about the artist, "Raising Kanye," earlier this year — 'Ye has put his swagger to paper for "Thank You and You're Welcome," which he co-authored with J. Sakiya Sandifer. According to 'Ye's Web site, the book is a collection of "Kanye-isms" — "the creative, humorous and insightful philosophies and anecdotes used in creating my path to success," he said in a post. "It captures the same wit, playful irony, and piercing insight found abundant in my lyrics." It can be preordered on EchoTunes.com. ...

It seems OiNK's demise has given way to a new torrent site, according to Torrent Freak. Called "BOiNK," the site will be hosted by the Pirate Bay and will launch sometime this week. ... Fall Out Boy's Infinity on High will be expanded with five bonus tracks, three of which are live cuts. The embellished set is due November 20. In other re-release news, the Smashing Pumpkins' latest, Zeitgeist, will be re-released and packaged with a full-length DVD documentary, titled "Inside the Zeitgeist." Due in stores Tuesday, the set will also include three bonus cuts: "Ma Belle," "Stellar" and "Death from Above." ...

Since she was 13 years old, Jordin Sparks has been wearing a sexual-abstinence promise ring that her parents gave her — and the "American Idol" winner says she doesn't plan to take it off anytime soon. "I wasn't ever forced into [wearing the ring]," she told UsMagazine.com. "It's all about making the right choice and not putting yourself in that situation." Sparks, who admitted, "Temptation is always there," said her dream guy will have to have "nice teeth. They could be athletic and sing ... and play an instrument." ... Paris Hilton's planned trip to Rwanda caught a snag when Playing for Good, the foundation coordinating the trek, postponed it last week. But the heiress recently insisted to "Extra" that the trip will happen next year. "I feel like there's a lot I can do, and a lot I can do to help," she added. "I know [Rwanda] went through a lot of traumatic experiences, and I feel like if I go there, I can help save some people's lives." ... Lindsay Lohan's planned New Year's Eve party has just gotten a whole lot quieter. While UsMagazine.com reported last week that the starlet would be hosting this year's bash at red-hot Las Vegas club LAX, the news source now says she's backed out. A representative reportedly told UsMagazine.com that she will no longer be hosting the event, as the actress continues to focus on her work and sobriety. ...

Ozzy Osbourne is auctioning off the quad bike that nearly killed him. The 350cc Banshee still has a dented front bar and split rear guard from the 2003 accident, and is expected to fetch $3,000 in an upcoming sale of memorabilia by the star and his wife/manager Sharon. Bidding begins November 30 in Beverly Hills, California, with some of the proceeds earmarked for Sharon's colon cancer charity. ... Metallica played two acoustic performances over the weekend as part of the 21st annual Bridge School Benefit at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. The band's set included a number of covers, including Rare Earth's "I Just Want to Celebrate," Garbage's "Only Happy When It Rains," Dire Straits' "Brothers in Arms" and Bob Seger's "Turn the Page." John Mayer, Regina Spektor, Neil Young and others also performed at the event. ...

Sum 41 have been forced to cancel the remaining dates on their Canadian trek, as frontman Deryck Whibley is having back problems. Whibley is suffering from a herniated disc and has been ordered by doctors to avoid performing for the next six weeks, according to Pollstar.com. He is recovering at the Los Angeles home he shares with wife Avril Lavigne. ... Taking Back Sunday's Mark O'Connell recently underwent back surgery to remove a broken disc. "A disc broke off my spine, and they had to remove part of it," he wrote in a statement. "Everything turned out really great, just recovering right now and it's hurting a little. They said if I take care of myself really well, I'll be just fine." ...

Natalie Portman can't shake her "Garden State" music jones. The actress is putting together a charity mix tape for iTunes called Big Change: Songs for FINCA, which will benefit the organization that works to alleviate poverty in developing countries, according to Entertainment Weekly. The $7.99 album, due Tuesday, will feature exclusive songs and mixes from Norah Jones, M. Ward, Devendra Banhart, the Shins and Beirut. ...

Country Music Hall of Fame singer/songwriter Porter Wagoner died Sunday from lung cancer at age 80, according to a Reuters report. The Grammy-winning singer, known for his flashy rhinestone suits and blond pompadour hair, had been a member of the Grand Old Opry since 1957 and scored such hits as "Last Thing on My Mind" and "Green Green Grass of Home." He was also known for championing Dolly Parton in the early days of her career by singing a series of duets with the fellow country legend.

• Tony Yayo
• Jay-Z
• Kanye West
• Fall Out Boy
• Britney Spears

Gwen Stefani
Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/ Getty Images

Gwen Stefani, a Southern California native, is reaching out to victims of the wildfires by donating proceeds of her Tuesday concert at San Diego's Cox Arena to local charity the San Diego Foundation, which is helping the community recover from the ongoing disaster. Stefani announced the effort on San Diego radio station 93.3 KHTS on Monday morning (October 29). "San Diego has always been so supportive of me throughout my entire career ... living in Orange County, it has always been like a second home to me," she said on air, according to a press release from her label. "When I heard about the devastation of the fires at first I felt I should cancel my show out of respect, but then it occurred to me there might be a more useful solution." San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders thanked her, according to the press release, saying the Foundation will use the funds to support its After-the-Fires Fund 2007 effort. ...

Kanye West is bringing his ego to the bookshelf. Following in the steps of his mother, Donda — who released her own book about the artist, "Raising Kanye," earlier this year — 'Ye has put his swagger to paper for "Thank You and You're Welcome," which he co-authored with J. Sakiya Sandifer. According to 'Ye's Web site, the book is a collection of "Kanye-isms" — "the creative, humorous and insightful philosophies and anecdotes used in creating my path to success," he said in a post. "It captures the same wit, playful irony, and piercing insight found abundant in my lyrics." It can be preordered on EchoTunes.com. ...

It seems OiNK's demise has given way to a new torrent site, according to Torrent Freak. Called "BOiNK," the site will be hosted by the Pirate Bay and will launch sometime this week. ... Fall Out Boy's Infinity on High will be expanded with five bonus tracks, three of which are live cuts. The embellished set is due November 20. In other re-release news, the Smashing Pumpkins' latest, Zeitgeist, will be re-released and packaged with a full-length DVD documentary, titled "Inside the Zeitgeist." Due in stores Tuesday, the set will also include three bonus cuts: "Ma Belle," "Stellar" and "Death from Above." ...

Since she was 13 years old, Jordin Sparks has been wearing a sexual-abstinence promise ring that her parents gave her — and the "American Idol" winner says she doesn't plan to take it off anytime soon. "I wasn't ever forced into [wearing the ring]," she told UsMagazine.com. "It's all about making the right choice and not putting yourself in that situation." Sparks, who admitted, "Temptation is always there," said her dream guy will have to have "nice teeth. They could be athletic and sing ... and play an instrument." ... Paris Hilton's planned trip to Rwanda caught a snag when Playing for Good, the foundation coordinating the trek, postponed it last week. But the heiress recently insisted to "Extra" that the trip will happen next year. "I feel like there's a lot I can do, and a lot I can do to help," she added. "I know [Rwanda] went through a lot of traumatic experiences, and I feel like if I go there, I can help save some people's lives." ... Lindsay Lohan's planned New Year's Eve party has just gotten a whole lot quieter. While UsMagazine.com reported last week that the starlet would be hosting this year's bash at red-hot Las Vegas club LAX, the news source now says she's backed out. A representative reportedly told UsMagazine.com that she will no longer be hosting the event, as the actress continues to focus on her work and sobriety. ...

Ozzy Osbourne is auctioning off the quad bike that nearly killed him. The 350cc Banshee still has a dented front bar and split rear guard from the 2003 accident, and is expected to fetch $3,000 in an upcoming sale of memorabilia by the star and his wife/manager Sharon. Bidding begins November 30 in Beverly Hills, California, with some of the proceeds earmarked for Sharon's colon cancer charity. ... Metallica played two acoustic performances over the weekend as part of the 21st annual Bridge School Benefit at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. The band's set included a number of covers, including Rare Earth's "I Just Want to Celebrate," Garbage's "Only Happy When It Rains," Dire Straits' "Brothers in Arms" and Bob Seger's "Turn the Page." John Mayer, Regina Spektor, Neil Young and others also performed at the event. ...

Sum 41 have been forced to cancel the remaining dates on their Canadian trek, as frontman Deryck Whibley is having back problems. Whibley is suffering from a herniated disc and has been ordered by doctors to avoid performing for the next six weeks, according to Pollstar.com. He is recovering at the Los Angeles home he shares with wife Avril Lavigne. ... Taking Back Sunday's Mark O'Connell recently underwent back surgery to remove a broken disc. "A disc broke off my spine, and they had to remove part of it," he wrote in a statement. "Everything turned out really great, just recovering right now and it's hurting a little. They said if I take care of myself really well, I'll be just fine." ...

Natalie Portman can't shake her "Garden State" music jones. The actress is putting together a charity mix tape for iTunes called Big Change: Songs for FINCA, which will benefit the organization that works to alleviate poverty in developing countries, according to Entertainment Weekly. The $7.99 album, due Tuesday, will feature exclusive songs and mixes from Norah Jones, M. Ward, Devendra Banhart, the Shins and Beirut. ...

Country Music Hall of Fame singer/songwriter Porter Wagoner died Sunday from lung cancer at age 80, according to a Reuters report. The Grammy-winning singer, known for his flashy rhinestone suits and blond pompadour hair, had been a member of the Grand Old Opry since 1957 and scored such hits as "Last Thing on My Mind" and "Green Green Grass of Home." He was also known for championing Dolly Parton in the early days of her career by singing a series of duets with the fellow country legend.

10.26.07

The Clipse couldn't be any happier: Malice and Pusha T's deal with Sony Music is done, they told MTV News. Sony exec Kyambo "Hip Hop" Joshua — who co-manages Kanye West and Lil Wayne — spearheaded the deal, under which the Clipse inked a home for their Re-Up Gang Records. "I heard Hip wanted to be down; the next thing I know he's in Houston with half my management team," Pusha T said. "Then next thing [I know,] half my management team is in New York with Rick Rubin. It was working just like that." The first music to come out of the deal will be the Re-Up Gang's next, yet-untitled LP, after which a full Clipse album will follow. "For the Re-Up [album], we're slated to get in [the studio] with Danjahandz, Timbaland, of course [Pharrell]. Dame Grease gave me some incredible records. He's the truth. [A] couple of other guys [are also onboard]. That's how we're trying to go in with it. We're keeping it funky." ...

April Margera — Bam's mother — testified in her brother-in-law Vincent "Don Vito" Margera's sexual-assault trial on Friday (October 26), portraying him as a harmless, bumbling man, the Rocky Mountain News reports. Supporting claims made by the defense on Friday that Vincent Margera's signature arm movement might have been mistaken for breast fondling, she said he often swings his hands to the side in front of the person who is standing next to him at family gatherings or with fans — and is more apt to do so if cameras are present — but that she has never seen him fondle anyone. April Margera also said her brother-in-law "walks like a Cro-Magnon," lacks vision in one eye, has other physical ailments and mumbles his words. His defense argued Friday that the fact that Margera plays an outrageous, sometimes profane character on TV shouldn't be used against him. Three teens testified in the assault trial earlier this week, saying they had all saw Margera touching girls inappropriately at his autograph signing at a Colorado mall in August 2006. ...

Ciara celebrated her 22nd birthday on Thursday night in New York at Nikki Beach Midtown with a toast in her honor. The Atlanta singer was joined by Missy Elliott — they both hit the dance floor to bust some moves before taking off for the VIP section upstairs. Ciara revealed to People at the event that "great friend" 50 Cent gave her a b-day gift, but she didn't say what it was. "For some reason, with this friend, everybody turns everything into something else!" she remarked. ... Dolly Parton must be rubbing off on Jessica Simpson — first Simpson signed on for "Blonde Ambition," a new movie inspired by Parton's classic comedy "Nine to Five," and now she's packed up and moved to the actress' native state of Tennessee to work on her new, yet-untitled album. Simpson, who has moved to Nashville, previously expressed interest in working on a country album to MTV News way back in July 2005. ...

Jay-Z was hit with a lawsuit on Friday by a woman who claims she was fired from his 40/40 Club in New York because she was pregnant, according to TMZ. Folake Ogundiran claims in the suit, which was filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, that she was discriminated against because her "gestational status" would be "inconsistent" with the club's image, which encourages "young, fashionable, unattached and sexy" salespeople. The ex-employee says that when she told her bosses that she was pregnant, a supervisor replied the business couldn't be run "like this," and that Ogundiran shouldn't bother showing up for work the next day. Ogundiran argues she was subsequently barred from entering the workplace and denied unemployment benefits. She is seeking unspecified damages. ...

Tap into Kid Rock's iPod and you might find ... the Foo Fighters? Apparently so — the Rock N Roll Jesus recently told MTV Europe he's a fan of Dave Grohl and his gang. "We played together in L.A. a few weeks back, oh, it was great," he said. "I love Dave Grohl — he's a silly guy." But Grohl isn't the only one Rock loves — he's a big fan of Jesus too, which is why he named his new album the way he did, he told Spin for its November issue, which streets Tuesday. "I think Jesus' name needs to be put back out there. I was actually talking to Reverend Run about this, and he said, 'If God could actually talk, I think he'd say, "They kicked me out of school. They don't want me in the public school system anymore." ' I'm gonna stick Jesus' name back out there in any way I can, 'cause I love Jesus." ...

Just in case you haven't heard enough Britney Spears news lately, brace yourself for more dirt: Her mother, Lynne Spears, is writing a memoir about raising her daughters. The book, "Pop Culture Mom: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World," will be released around Mother's Day, according to the publisher. ...

While it's not as cool as this guitar, Fall Out Boy guitarist Joe Trohman's custom-edition ax is still pretty sweet. It's got keyhole inlays on the fretboard, Troh's signature embossed on the head and, according to the man himself, is a "great guitar for playing live" — we're sold! Manufactured by Washburn, Trohman's guitar is available in both white and black, and retails for $419.90. To pre-order one of your own, check out EmpireoftheRepublic.com. ...

Amy Winehouse's husband saved her life — at least that's what she told German magazine Stern in a recent interview regarding her hospitalization in early August. "I really thought I was on the way out," she said of the incident. "My husband Blake [Fielder-Civil] saved me. He brought me to the hospital. Often I don't know what I do. Then the next day the memory returns. Then I'm engulfed in shame." Winehouse also said in the interview — which she reportedly gave after her arrest in Norway for possession of marijuana on October 18 — that she has taken medication for depression. "Since I was 16, I felt that a black cloud hangs over me. Since then I have taken pills for depression." She added, however, "But they slowed me down. I believe there are lots of people who have these mood changes. I just have this good luck to have found this outlet in my music. I believe I live through pain. If you suffer for something, it means to me that it is not unimportant." ...

Alicia Keys, Gwen Stefani, Sheryl Crow and others performed for a cause on Thursday night at the Black Ball, a Keep a Child Alive-sponsored ceremony that in part honored Bono for contributing to efforts to further AIDS awareness and prevention in Africa, according to RollingStone.com. Jay-Z, Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong, Clive Davis, David Bowie and others attended the event, which was held at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. Keys played a handful of songs, including duets with Stefani — for a cover of U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday" — Crow ("I Shall Believe") and Bono, with whom she gave a rendition of their 2005 collaboration, "Don't Give Up." ...

Due to the wildfires in Southern California, Velvet Revolver postponed a headlining show that was scheduled to take place Friday night at the outdoor Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine. The band opted to postpone the show because of poor air quality in the area and to avoid stressing emergency-services personnel who are already spread thin by the fires, according to a spokesperson. The rescheduled gig with openers Alice in Chains will take place December 12 at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City. ... Legendary punks the Sex Pistols played a warm-up gig Thursday night at the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, California, in advance of their upcoming British reunion tour. Reuters reports that the rare hourlong club gig — a private affair in front of 500 sweaty fans that was the first gig by the band in four years — featured all their best-known tunes, including "Anarchy in the U.K." and "God Save the Queen." Notoriously testy singer John Lydon, 51, was a bit rusty, forgetting the words to "Holidays in the Sun, " complaining about the heat, taking a bathroom break toward the end of the set and threatening a "coward" fan who tossed a drink that struck him in the face. ...

Omarion and Bow Wow have bumped their collaborative joint, Face Off, and will release it on December 11 instead of the week prior, Billboard.com reports. Select editions will come with a DVD containing music videos from the singers' previous LPs, behind-the-scenes clips and more. ... Ryan Cabrera is going indie. The 25-year-old Texas pop singer will release his upcoming album on his own label, according to a spokesperson. "The sound of the new record I think will open a lot of eyes and ears, and definitely be a surprise to fans and anybody who hasn't heard my music," he said in a statement. "I wanted to take my time with this record and really make a diverse entire album, as opposed to just a single or two ... I want a ride, a journey, I want the record to be able to be played all the way through. So many things have changed in my life, and the music is heading along with it." ...

New Spock Zachary Quinto may have recently told MTV News that the original "Star Trek" castmembers would "make themselves available if this generation wants that" for the J.J. Abrams reboot, but apparently that doesn't include William Shatner. While original Spock Leonard Nimoy will have a cameo in the flick, the original Captain Kirk won't appear in it, according to Shatner. "I couldn't believe it. I'm not in the movie at all," he told The Associated Press on Friday. "Leonard, God bless his heart, is in, but not me. ... It obviously is a decision not to make use of the popularity I have to ensure the movie has good box-office [success]. It didn't seem to be a wise business decision." Abrams had previously said Shatner would have a part in the film, but according to Shatner, nothing came of the meetings they had together. ...

David Bowie, meet SpongeBob SquarePants. The rock legend will guest star in the animated character's new TV movie, "Atlantis SquarePantis," which premieres November 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Nickelodeon. The rock legend voices the king of Atlantis, the fittingly named Lord Royal Highness. ... U2: good Samaritans — and tax cheats? According to a new AP report, the group's music-publishing company paid most of the millions it made last year to five unidentified "employees" that are suspected to be the bandmembers and their manager. U2 Ltd. made more than $30 million last year, and $25.8 million of it went to said "employees." The band has also been criticized for moving its corporate offices from Ireland to the Netherlands, where music royalties are barely taxed. ... Capitol/EMI is planning a super-sweet 40th birthday for Pink Floyd — the label is tying together all the classic-rock band's albums in the form of a giant limited-edition package. The box was designed by Floyd's longtime collaborator Storm Thorgerson, and a fabric poster he made is also included. ...

A judge has ruled that a photograph owned by Elton John that was seized last month from an art exhibition is not indecent. BBC News reports that the image of two naked young girls taken by famed American photographer Nan Goldin was deemed indecent by standards applied in 2001 by the Crown Prosecution Service, but that those standards have shifted since then. The exhibition of 148 photos owned by John was supposed to run until January 20 but was closed after nine days at the singer's request in light of the controversy. ...

Former "Laguna Beach" star Jason Wahler entered Washington state jail on Friday, TMZ reports. He had been ordered to be behind bars for 30 days on a fourth-degree assault charge and a charge of a minor exhibiting signs of intoxication stemming from an April incident in Seattle. ... Orlando Bloom won't be charged with hit-and-run or drunk driving in connection with his car crash earlier this month. Los Angeles officials say the actor, who hit a car as he was being chased by paparazzi, was not driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. ...

Contrary to those who criticized Al Gore's Al Gore's Live Earth concerts, the event met its goal of reduced carbon emissions, the organization said in a press release issued Thursday. "Live Earth's maiden event met its goal in restraining carbon emissions to 19,708 metric tons, while of the 97 metric tons of waste collected, 81 percent was diverted from landfills via recycling and composting efforts. The results confirm the efficacy of Live Earth's 'Green Guidelines' ... which offer practical advice for organizers of future large-scale events, whether musical concerts, cultural gatherings or sports competitions."

• Gwen Stefani
• Kanye West
• Fall Out Boy
• The Smashing Pumpkins
• Ozzy Osbourne

Madonna
Photo: Gareth Davies/Getty Images

Madonna finalized her massive 10-year deal with Live Nation on Tuesday (October 16), although the exact terms have yet to be disclosed. The deal involves her new studio efforts, tours, merchandise, DVD releases, sponsorships, licensing agreements, fan club, Web site, and TV and film projects. "The paradigm in the music business has shifted, and as an artist and a businesswoman, I have to move with that shift," she said in a statement. "For the first time in my career, the way that my music can reach my fans is unlimited. I've never wanted to think in a limited way and with this new partnership, the possibilities are endless. Who knows how my albums will be distributed in the future? That's what's exciting about this deal — everything is possible. Live Nation has offered me a true partnership, and after 25 years in the business, I feel that I deserve that." She did, however, have some kind words to say about former label Warner Bros.: "I appreciate their hard work and value the many relationships I have developed over the years with the label in the U.S. and around the world. I have an album coming out with them next year, and I'm excited about it. We still have work to do together." And Warner Bros. returned the enthusiasm in its own Tuesday statement: "We congratulate Madonna on her future plans. She is one of the most remarkable artists of our time. We are excited to issue her upcoming album next year. We are also honored to own her catalog of recordings from the past 25 years, as well as to manage her library of songs for an extended period of time. From all of us at Warner Music Group, we thank Madonna for a valued and enduring partnership." Live Nation also announced a new Artist Nation arm that will launch with Madonna and have divisions dedicated to dealing with an artist's recorded music, merchandise, concert tickets, sponsorships, marketing and more. ...

Foxy Brown (real name: Inga Marchand) pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to assault charges stemming from the alleged cell phone-throwing incident that took place in July, The Associated Press reports. The rapper, who is serving a one-year jail term at New York's Rikers Island Correctional Facility for violating her probation, entered the plea in a Brooklyn state Supreme Court. On Friday, she refused to get on a correction-department bus twice for a court arraignment. Brown allegedly hit neighbor Arlene Raymond after they got into a fight over Brown blasting her car stereo outside her home in Brooklyn. ...

One of 50 Cent's employees was arraigned in Hartford, Connecticut's Superior Court on Monday on two counts of carrying a pistol without a permit, two counts of second-degree assault and one count of weapons in a motor vehicle, according to The Hartford Courant. Dwayne "Hove" McKenzie, who has been jailed since early Sunday on $1.5 million bail, is expected to be released as early as Monday after the bail amount was cut in half following the arraignment. The charges stem from incidents over the weekend in which McKenzie, who resides at Fif's Farmington mansion, is accused of pistol-whipping a nightclub promoter. Four days later, McKenzie was found with a 9mm Glock and another handgun when police stopped him in downtown Hartford to serve him a warrant on an unrelated weapons charge. Two months ago, McKenzie lost his right to carry a pistol after firing a gun at a man who robbed him. His cases have been continued until November 6. ...

Need another Shakira fix? The singer has slapped together a live DVD/CD, simply called "Oral Fixation Tour," for release on November 13. The disc immortalizes her l40-city, 2006-'07 world tour — which more than 2.5 million people attended, according to her publicist — and features 17 performances, including ones with Wyclef Jean and Alejandro Sanz. Bonus video clips, behind-the-scenes footage and a documentary capturing her trip to Colombia in support of her Pies Descalzos child-education program are also tucked onto the DVD, while the CD has a batch of live songs. The main program will also be screened at select theaters starting November 12. ...

Talk about "girl power" — the Spice Girls are putting a very feminine touch on their upcoming Greatest Hits set by selling it exclusively at Victoria's Secret stores. The November 13 release will be available elsewhere in downloadable form beyond VictoriasSecret.com, but the physical copies will only be at VS stores or via a pre-order on the aforementioned Web site starting midnight Wednesday and ending midnight Thursday. The group is also taking part in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which tapes November 14 in Los Angeles and airs December 4 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. ...

Last we heard from Weezer, they were planning to hit the studio in July to record album number six and get it out next year. Now comes news — via a post on frontman Rivers Cuomo's blog — that Geffen has agreed to put out a disc of his favorite demos he recorded from 1992-2007. "I hope you enjoy it. I may also be able to put out more demo CDs in the near future," reads the post. RollingStone.com reports that the collection, due December 11, will be called Alone - The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo. Cuomo's planned book has been postponed to a later date. ...

The Smashing Pumpkins, Metallica, Linkin Park and Chris Cornell are among the big names who'll be featured on the forthcoming Live Earth - The Concerts for a Climate in Crisis CD/DVD package, due November 20. Recorded July 7 at Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore's Live Earth concerts, which served to raise awareness about the climate crisis, the set will also include performances by the Black Eyed Peas, the Foo Fighters, Kelly Clarkson, Dave Matthews Band, Beastie Boys, Bon Jovi and John Mayer. Net proceeds will benefit the Alliance for Climate Protection, whose mission is to persuade the public about the importance and urgency of adopting and implementing effective and comprehensive solutions for the climate crisis. ...

It looks like the "Hannah Montana" ticket controversy is spurring the government to act on ticket scalpers. On Monday, a federal judge prohibited the use of automated software to buy mass tickets from Ticketmaster, Reuters reports. The move was provoked by a suit Ticketmaster lodged in April against Pittsburgh's RMG Technologies before tickets for the Miley Cyrus tour went on sale. Ticketmaster argued that the company's software allows scalpers to move ahead of other customers in line and purchase mass amounts of tickets that can be resold at higher prices. "They're cheating consumers out of a fair shot at these tickets, and we're not going to stand for it anymore," said Joe Freeman, a lawyer for Ticketmaster. U.S. District Court Judge Audrey Collins has issued a preliminary injunction against RMG that bars the company from "creating, trafficking in, facilitating the use of or using computer programs or other automatic devices to circumvent" the Ticketmaster Web site's copy-protection system. State attorneys general are also figuring out if ticket resellers have broken consumer-protection laws in at least three states: Pennsylvania, Arkansas and Missouri. ...

U2 are planning quite the birthday bash for their classic LP The Joshua Tree. The album will be reissued in multiple configurations — as a single CD, two-CD package, as a collectible box with an additional DVD, and as a double-vinyl set — on November 20, Billboard reports. Rare material including B-sides, demos, alternate takes and more are expected to appear on the updated versions of the album, which originally came out March 9, 1987. The DVD will reportedly featured a July 4 show held that year at the Paris Hippodrome, in addition to the Brian Eno-produced documentary "Outside It's America." The package housing two CDs and a DVD will also have five portfolio prints, and bandmembers have scribbled up new liner notes for the reissues. ...

Let the jokes begin: Clay Aiken is joining the cast of "Monty Python's Spamalot" on Broadway. The "American Idol" runner-up will play one of the lead roles, Sir Robin — which was previously taken on by David Hyde Pierce — from January 18 through May 4 in the production, which was spawned by "Python" member Eric Idle and directed by the esteemed Mike Nichols. "Let's not lie, the chance to work with legendary creative minds like Mike Nichols and Eric Idle is, on its own, a reason to jump at this opportunity," he told The Associated Press. ...

Don Imus is likely to return to radio December 3 on New York City's WABC-AM, the country's biggest talk-radio station, according to Variety. His deal with the station — also home to another inflammatory jock, Rush Limbaugh — is expected to be finalized this week and will also involve a TV element that could allow him to regain his national platform. ... Idlewild guitarist Rod Jones sustained a hairline fracture in his arm in an accident last weekend, according to a post on the band's Web page. Jones tripped and took a tumble down a flight of stairs backstage at the Carling Academy in Liverpool, England. He iced the injury and still took the stage with the band, fumbling his way through its set. A post-show visit to the doctor revealed it was a minor break, and Jones plans to continue playing with the band on its latest tour. ...

Hot Chip will issue their next LP, Made in the Dark, on February 5. Look for the electronic indie-pop group's third effort to feature 13 cuts, including first single "Shake a Fist," "One Pure Thought" and "Wrestlers." ... The Hellacopters have thrown in the towel, according to the band's MySpace page. In a statement, the band revealed that "the reasons behind this very difficult decision are many and too personal to go into here." Still, the band's seventh and last studio album will be released, sometime early next year. "We feel like we wanna say one last goodbye to you and throw in the towel with a bang, so we're aiming to do a farewell tour through Europe and Scandinavia sometime in the spring." ...

YouTube has come up with a new way to fight video piracy and leaks — by employing new technology that would automatically remove copyrighted material from the site, AP reports. Hoping to appease angered movie and TV studios, the site will feature filtering tools crafted to allow the owners of copyrighted videos to block their material from appearing on YouTube. But if the owners want to keep their copyrighted material on the site, the new technology also allows them to sell ads surrounding it. ...

First Angelina Jolie lost her husband in a movie, now she's losing her son. The actress — who recently played the wife of slain reporter Daniel Pearl in "A Mighty Heart" — will star in Clint Eastwood's "The Changeling," an upcoming drama about a woman whose son goes missing in Los Angeles in the 1920s, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film, based on a true story, will also star John Malkovich. ... The Academy Award for Best Screenplay that Orson Welles won in 1941 for "Citizen Kane" — the greatest movie of all time, according to the American Film Institute — is going up on the auction block. The prize will be displayed at Sotheby's in New York on December 7-10 and sold December 11 for an estimated $800,000 to $1.2 million.

10.15.07

Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds came out way back in September 2006, but he doesn't want you to forget about him this holiday season. The singer has compiled two new gifts for fans: a special edition of the album and a new DVD to boot. FutureSex/LoveSounds Deluxe Edition, due November 27, will feature his "Until the End of Time" duet with Beyoncé and other to-be-named bonus tracks featuring big-name artists. The reissue will also house a bonus DVD with unreleased concert footage, making-of clips, director commentaries and more. The double-DVD "FutureSex/LoveShow Live From Madison Square Garden," on the other hand, will drop a week earlier — and only be available at Best Buy. Expect to see the August 15 concert in full on the disc, as well as before and after footage, song-by-song commentary from JT, backstage clips, interviews and more. ...

Britney Spears is inviting her fans — the ones who haven't been too turned off by VMA performance or new video, at least — to an open casting call for dancers on Monday (October 15) at the Millennium Dance Complex in North Hollywood, California. The tryouts will be held from 5-9 p.m., with "all styles welcome," according to "Access Hollywood." The tryouts will be for an upcoming tour and her next video, although it's not yet known for which song it will be. Spears reportedly planned to hold the auditions last week but was a no-show. ...

Lindsay Lohan has filed a countersuit against a man who accused her of negligence and drinking when she hit his parked van in West Hollywood, California, in October 2005. According to CBS' Los Angeles TV affiliate, the actress is asking for more than $75,000 in damages for the repair of her car and the cost of renting other vehicles after she hit the vehicle owned by Raymundo Ortega, who subsequently sued Lohan for at least $200,000 in damages. She also says Ortega made an illegal U-turn and that he and an unspecified number of defendants were "negligent in the ownership, operation, repairs and maintenance" of his van, according to the suit. As for Ortega's claim that she drove drunk, Lohan says the California Highway Patrol report — which his lawyers have called hearsay — does not support that allegation. The suit says Ortega made the drunk-driving claim "as a battering ram to force a settlement." A trial date for both suits has been set for April 7. ...

50 Cent got real with a roomful of high school students in Connecticut on Friday, which was named "50 Cent Curtis Jackson Day" in Bridgeport, the Connecticut Post reports. More than 50 juniors and seniors from three high schools were invited to Mayor John M. Fabrizi's office for what they were initially told was a discussion with city and school officials about services for young people, but they got a surprise visit from 50, who told them to look past some of his lyrics and judge him by the man he has become. "I say in one of my songs I hate cops. I don't hate cops," he said, reportedly nodding to Bridgeport Chief of Police Bryan T. Norwood. "But I am expressing the feelings of a young boy who sees the cops take his brother away, and hates them for it." When asked how he could rectify his beliefs with some of his other lyrics, he said, "Rap is very competitive. You can't show your vulnerabilities, or another artist will use that against you in their content. Also, you don't paint the whole picture at one time, with one color. I want to show more of my character, but it has to come out over time." 50, who has been in Bridgeport filming a new movie, "Righteous Kill," said he's been wanting to get involved in the city — so he presented a $25,000 check from his G-Unity Foundation to an education program called Hall Neighborhood House. During the events, 50 made two more interesting remarks — he suggested his feud with Kanye West was actually just a marketing ploy ("His label and my label are both owned by Universal Music Group"), and replied to a question about his moniker with a pun: "50 Cent is a metaphor. It means change." ...

Ashlee Simpson might have broken out a few tunes from her upcoming, yet-untitled LP over VMA weekend, but apparently it's not quite there yet. The singer had originally aimed for the LP to come out in November, but her label has now slotted it for a first-quarter 2008 release. ... Taking a cue from Avril Lavigne, Ashley Tisdale is on a mall tour to support her debut album, Headstrong. The "High School Musical 2" star's trek kicked off Sunday in Columbus, Ohio, and runs through November 1 in Dallas. ... Beyoncé is heading to Shanghai. The singer will perform at the Chinese city on November 3 as part of her international tour — despite the fact that she previously had to scrap a show in Malaysia after it was preceded by dress-code problems. China previously canceled a show by boyfriend Jay-Z after calling his lyrics too "vulgar," and officials also told the Rolling Stones in the past not to perform their racier material. Beyoncé is set to play Wednesday in Ethiopia and Saturday in Romania, after which she'll hit Turkey, India, Thailand, Indonesia and then China — first on November 1 at Macau — Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan. ...

Q-Tip brought out Stevie Wonder for his encore Sunday night at the Key Club in West Hollywood, California. The two performed "Superstition," with DJ Scratch from the legendary EPMD on the ones and twos. ... John Legend has pegged February 12 as the release date for Estelle's Shine, the first album to come via his HomeSchool label through Atlantic, Billboard reports. Legend acts as executive producer on the effort, while Wyclef Jean, Will.I.Am, Swizz Beatz and Mark Ronson also contribute production, and Kanye West and Cee-Lo make guest appearances. Legend told the mag he's three songs into his next, yet-untitled album, which he hopes to have out in the summer. ...

Pink knows how to party like an animal. The ardent People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals supporter hosted a party for the activist group's president, Ingrid Newkirk, in Los Angeles over the weekend. The bash, which featured pink champagne and veggie "not" dogs among its offerings, served to boost Newkirk's new book, "Let's Have a Dog Party," and Bill Maher, Kevin Nealon — and Pink's dogs — were also in attendance. In other PETA news, the Suicide Girls will soon be seen in the group's noted "We'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" series — they are posing Monday for photos that will be used in the nude-ad campaign and other advertising efforts. ...

Paris Hilton felt "empty" as a partygoer, and now she wants to "leave a mark on the world," she told Newsweek for its new issue, which hits stands Monday. In the article — called "Ms. Hilton Gets Serious. Please Stop Laughing." — she maps out plans for a five-day trip to Rwanda that will have her visiting schools and health-care clinics. "I'm scared, yeah. I've heard it's really dangerous," she said about going abroad. "I've never been on a trip like this before." Scott Lazerson, founder of Playing for Good — the children's charity the heiress will be traveling with — added that, "She's using her celebrity and the cameras that follow her for the good of humanity." The article also reveals that Lazerson is planning to film the trek and sell it as a reality show, called "The Philanthropist," that would feature other celebrities helping the poor. ...

What's a Radiohead? That's what at least one member of the Bush White House is wondering after Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto revealed that he's a big fan of the band and plans to pick up its new album, In Rainbows, according to The Washington Times. Another deputy press secretary, Scott Stanzel, called himself an "appreciator" of Radiohead's music as well, while National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe added that he's "90 percent sure" he's got a few of their songs on his iPod — although none from 2003's Hail to the Thief, which is widely considered to be a slam on the president. When Press Secretary Dana Perino was asked about the group, she replied, "I don't even know what that is. Is that a band?" ... Kirsten Dunst, Blondie frontwoman? Works for Deborah Harry. The group's singer said she's given Dunst her blessing to take on the role for an upcoming, yet-untitled Michel Gondry flick. "She's probably capable of a lot of things she hasn't been asked to do yet, and doing something that's sort of left of center would be great for her," Harry told AOL's Spinner. "I've met with her a couple of times and hung out with her socially. She's just a sweetie." ...

The Arcade Fire joined none other than Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band onstage at a Sunday show in their native Canada, Billboard reports. The indie-rockers joined the more seasoned squad for a rendition of "State Trooper," then performed their own song "Keep the Car Running" with backing from the E Street Band at Ottawa's Scotiabank Place. ... Marilyn Manson's Chatsworth, California, mansion is on the market and can be yours for a cool $1.1 million, according to the Los Angeles Times. The five-bedroom abode features a recording studio, an office-library and a "bonus room." There's also a pool and a covered barbecue. ... Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, who checked into a rehab facility over the summer, botched his lines when he made an unexpected appearance on "Saturday Night Live" over the weekend. Host Jon Bon Jovi did his best to salvage the appearance by bringing his band onstage to play music. ...

More good news for Led Zeppelin fans — not only is the band getting back together for a November 26 reunion gig, but it will soon be shaking up the digital sphere by making its songs available online. On Monday, Zep announced plans to make all their LPs available — as full albums, or à la carte — through all digital-music services on November 13. Their songs will soon be available as ringtones and mobile features in an exclusive deal with Verizon Wireless as well. The band also launched its MySpace page on Monday. In a separate deal, the band is expected to receive $60 million in exchange for lengthening its ties to music publisher Warner/ Chappell Music for at least 10 years, according to The New York Times. ... The Police have put the kibosh on two more shows — their Monday and Tuesday concerts in Manchester, England — due to frontman Sting's throat infection. The band's Friday and Saturday shows, set for Cardiff and London, respectively, will go ahead as planned. ...

Houston rapper Big Moe (born Kenneth Moore) died on Sunday, The Associated Press reports. The 33-year-old rapper, a member of DJ Screw's Screwed Up Click posse, was best known for his 2002 single "Purple Stuff," from his second album, Purple World. ...

Remember the Mighty Mighty Bosstones? Well, the long-dormant ska-core kings will return December 30 for a performance at the Hometown Throwdown in Cambridge, Massachusetts, following "numerous threats of bodily injury from the under-18 crowd," the band joked on its MySpace page. No word on whether the band plans to write and record, but we'll keep you posted. ...

A pair of concerts slated to take place simultaneously in Tel Aviv, Israel, and the West Bank town of Jericho on Thursday — to support the call for a solution to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict — have been scrapped. The free shows, due to be headlined by Bryan Adams, were called off after Palestinian supporters reportedly said they were threatened over the stance of the show's organizer, the One Voice group, which some Palestinians say ignores their perspectives on lasting peace and Palestinian refugee issues. The Jericho gig was canceled last week, according to a BBC News report, and Israeli organizers followed suit. ...

Universal Music Chairman/CEO Doug Morris is hoping to join forces with other record companies to create an industry-owned music-subscription service to compete with iTunes, BusinessWeek reports. The magazine says Morris has already roped in Sony BMG Music Entertainment as a potential partner and is talking with Warner Music Group as well. The labels control a combined 75 percent of the music sold in the States. Morris also reportedly wants to involve wireless carriers and plans to name the service Total Music. ...

Could Jon Peter Lewis be getting a second wind? The former "American Idol" contestant self-released his first album, Stories From Hollywood, in November 2006 after he didn't have any luck scoring a major-label record contract after participating on the show. But now the disc is getting wider distribution thanks to a new deal with Iowa indie label Authentic Records. Lewis also has a new tour in the works — it starts November 15 in, fittingly, Cedar Falls, Iowa. ...

And just when you thought you'd heard the last from Corey Clark, the former "Idol" contestant faces up to two years in jail and a potential fine of up to $150,000 after pleading guilty to a felony charge of harassment. Four other charges were dismissed as part of the plea deal. The harassment charge stems from Clark's violation of a court order by placing calls to his father-in-law in August 2006. Months earlier, his wife, Monica Rodriguez Gonzalez, filed for the order — which banned him from contacting her or eight other people, including their child — after claiming he had abused her. Clark will be sentenced in early November in an Arizona court.

[This story was originally published at 2:28 p.m. ET on 10.16.2007]

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