Elliott Smith

C-Murder To Be Tried Again For Murder; Plus Britney Spears, 'Hannah Montana,' Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance & More, In For The Record

17 Oct 2007 08:52:00 EDT

Spears and Kevin Federline's legal reps attend hearing; Miley Cyrus coming to theaters ... in 3-D!; Chester Bennington breaks arm during show.
By MTV News staff

C-Murder
Photo: Priority Records

C-Murder will be tried a second time on a second-degree murder charge, The Associated Press reports. A trial date has been set for February 11. The rapper, who was born Corey Miller, stands accused of the shooting death of 16-year-old Steve Thomas at a Louisiana nightclub on January 12, 2002. His 2003 conviction was tossed in March 2006 after prosecutors withheld criminal background information on witnesses from Miller's attorney. If convicted, he faces a mandatory life sentence without parole. ...

What would a day be like without Britney Spears news? Legal representatives for the singer and her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, were present at an ex-parte hearing called by his lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan on Wednesday (October 17), according to Us Weekly. Commissioner Scott M. Gordon sealed the courtroom for the one-hour Los Angeles Superior Court meeting, which pertains to the former couple's child-custody dispute. Spears and Federline were not present for the one-hour meeting in Los Angeles Superior Court but are required to be in court for a hearing on October 26. Relatedly, Spears is apparently making no secret of her distaste for Gordon, Us Weekly also reports. The singer was heard griping about Gordon at a department store in Beverly Hills late last week, allegedly ranting to her assistant, "I hate my judge. He is so mean. Just an old fart. He told me I was being catty with him, but he was being catty with me and paid me no respect at all. ... His job is to sit there and tell people what to do. And that's just so sad, because he gets off on it." She was also heard singing Rihanna's "Umbrella" while shopping in the store. The magazine also reports that Spears was seen wearing a zip-up jacket with the phrase "F--- Off Lover Boy" while driving in Malibu on Tuesday. ...

Well, maybe Brit should have listened to Lance Bass. He's speaking up about the troubled singer, telling GQ that he's been trying to get through to her. "I tried. I tried. She's my neighbor in Beverly Hills [California]. She lives next door. I tried to get in touch with her — I wanted to be that friend to help her. I don't think she's having any of her old friends anymore," he told the magazine for its November issue. Equally revealing, Bass said he disclosed to the pop star that he was gay years before he came out in public. He said he reached out to her after her quickie Vegas wedding in January 2004. "I felt bad for her," he said. "I knew she was about to go through a lot of crap. I felt the need to share something. So I sat her on my bed, and I'm like, 'Well, I'm gay!' " ...

"Hannah Montana" fans, get ready to see your hero in a whole new light — she's hitting the big screen ... and in 3-D! The upcoming movie "Hannah Montana/ Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour" will get the 3-D treatment for a theatrical release that will play in theaters from February 1-7, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film will be shot during various stops on her 54-city tour, which starts Thursday in St. Louis. ...

Linkin Park's Chester Bennington broke his arm on Sunday during a concert in Melbourne, Australia. The band's Web site features a video showing the frontman's limb in a cast. Despite the injury, Bennington continued to perform with the Park, for their entire set. ... My Chemical Romance have booked a special gig at Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey, for October 24. Tickets for the sold-out show went for $100 apiece, with all proceeds going to charity. In other MCR news, RollingStone.com reports that the band has put the finishing touches on a yet-untitled DVD surrounding its recent tour. The disc, reportedly due out early next year, will feature the group's full performance of The Black Parade in Mexico City. ...

Kanye West gave a surprise performance at a launch event for T-Mobile's Sidekick LX at Griffith Park in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. He played a batch of Graduation songs, after which DJ AM and Steve Aoki did some spinning. A slew of celebs turned out for the event: Nick Cannon, Bow Wow, Shia LaBeouf, Travis Barker and Shanna Moakler, Carmen Electra, Jack Osbourne, Wilmer Valderrama, JC Chasez, Frankie Muniz and, yes, even Chris "Leave Britney alone!" Crocker. ...

Rivers Cuomo has let slip what fans can expect on his just-announced demos compilation release. He told RollingStone.com that the release will have about 18 songs, including his original demo for Weezer's "Buddy Holly" — and, get this, a cover of Ice Cube's "The Bomb." He also said he'll be unveiling songs from an unfinished space-rock concept album. ... Apparently everyone in Kid Rock's camp isn't sharing in his Rock N Roll Jesus SoundScan spoils: His longtime manager, Ed "Punch" Andrews, has decided to retire, according to Billboard.com. Rock has reportedly found a replacement in Vector Management, which handles Bon Jovi, among others. ...

In September, Robert Plant dismissed a potential Led Zeppelin tour that would be held after their reunion gig at the O2 Arena in London on November 26 — but is Jimmy Page leaving the door open? He hinted as such in an interview with Canada's Winnipeg Sun, saying, "Let's do the O2 show, shall we? And then we'll speak to you afterwards." But, he added, "That's what we have on our horizon at this point. I know you want to hear other answers, but I'm afraid that's all I can give you." The guitar god was less vague about the prospect of new Zep material, saying he would be "really surprised" if there wasn't any. "We're musicians ... as we're playing we'll probably be coming up with all manner of things," he said. Bassist John Paul Jones also spoke with the newspaper, saying, "Basically, we are concentrating on this show. That's where all the energy is going. I mean, who knows, but one step at a time." ...

Cat Power, a.k.a. Chan Marshall, will take on Bob Dylan's "I Believe in You," James Brown's "Lost Someone," Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son" and other classics on her second covers album, Jukebox. The January 22 release — which was previously titled Covers II, according to Billboard — also features a pair of originals: "Song to Bobby" and a new version of one of her older cuts, "Metal Heart." One would expect Marshall to perform the Dylan tune when she salutes His Bobness at an upcoming event called "I'm Not There: In Concert a Celebration of Todd Haynes' Film." My Morning Jacket, Calexico and Mason Jennings have also been tapped for the concert, which will take place November 7 at New York's Beacon Theatre. The movie, which stars Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett and others, is due in theaters November 21. ...

Ryan Adams can't get enough of "October Road," apparently. The mercurial singer/songwriter's music is featured in the TV drama and its ad bumpers, and now he's ganging up with the cast for his new video. Adams plans to shoot a clip for "Follow the Lights" — a song included on his Tuesday EP of the same name — Sunday in Los Angeles, and it's due to premiere January 7 during the first episode of the show's second season. The collaboration marks the first time the cast of an ABC show has gotten together to take part in an artist's music video. ...

From the "Man, please don't do this" file, it seems George Lucas is entrenched in one of two planned "Star Wars" TV projects, a live-action spinoff, the Los Angeles Times reports. Lucas told the newspaper he has "just begun work" on the series, which, as he previously told MTV News, will be set between "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" and the original "Star Wars." He reiterated to the Times that the spinoff will focus on minor characters from the series, not Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader. He also joked that the series would be about "the life of robots." ... Bleeding Through singer Brandan Schieppati has teamed with Bad Religion drummer Brooks Wackerman, No Use for a Name guitarist Dave Nassie and ex-Distillers bassist Ryan Sinn to form a new band called the Innocent. The thrash-metal act has been working on material but there's no word yet on when it might record and release an LP. ...

For the second time in a month, Apple Inc. has done something it's not known for: dropped its prices. Effective immediately, the price for songs on iTunes without copy protection will drop from $1.29 to 99 cents. Apple started selling some DRM-free songs in May at a premium price. ...

Elliott Smith's girlfriend, Jennifer Chiba, cannot collect on the deceased indie-rock icon's estate even though he allegedly said he would make sure she was financially set for the rest of her life, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Chiba had sued Smith's estate in 2004, arguing that he had promised her as such and that, because they had lived together — and shared their earnings and property equally — she was entitled to a portion. But a split California appellate court ruled Tuesday that while she did have a "cohabitative agreement" with Smith, Chiba — who had been seeking more than $1 million — also had a recording management agreement and acted as an unlicensed talent agent. If she appeals, a state Supreme Court review could be possible.

10.16.07

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.

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Lauryn Hill Plays Bizarre Show In NYC; Plus Alicia Keys, Common, Kelly Clarkson, Lily Allen, Madonna, Al Sharpton & More, In For The Record

7 Aug 2007 05:01:00 EDT

Keys, Com lighting up Red Star Soul concert series; Clarkson helping kick off NFL season; Allen's U.S. work visa canceled.
By MTV News staff

Lauryn Hill in Brooklyn, New York, on Monday
Photo: Walik Goshorn

Lauryn Hill arrived more than two hours late and performed an uneven if not memorable set on Monday night at Brooklyn, New York's Wingate Field as part of the free Martin Luther King Jr. Concert Series. The enigmatic singer, overdressed for a hot summer night, showed up at 10 p.m. for the scheduled 7:30 show and ran through a number of her more popular solo and Fugees hits — but often reconfigured them into unrecognizable scat chants. Hill told the audience her sometimes-inaudible voice was hoarse, but her tone improved as she continued. Hill closed the show with her Grammy-winning "Doo Wop (That Thing)" and then immediately exited after thanking the 10,000-plus people who showed up for the park jam. ...

Alicia Keys, Erykah Badu and Common will light up the Red Star Soul concert series over the course of the next three months, Billboard.com reports. Common and Chrisette Michele will kick off the campaign August 15 in Los Angeles, with Com playing additional shows in Detroit (September 4); Atlanta (September 18); and Washington, D.C. (September 26). Raphael Saadiq, Michele and Teedra Moses will play at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland on August 28; Badu and Michele will hit up Chicago on September 13; and Badu will also play Philadelphia on October 13. ...

If you're a fan of Kelly Clarkson and football, get ready for some red-hot double coverage: She'll help kick off the NFL season when she sings before the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts game September 6. The half-hour pre-game show — which will also feature performances by Hinder, Faith Hill and John Mellencamp — will air on NBC at 8 p.m. ET. Clarkson's performance will be part of a free concert she'll be giving at Indianapolis' Monument Circle. ...

Lily Allen's U.S. work visa was canceled upon her arrival at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday, BBC News reports. The singer, who had come to the States for the VMAs announcement on Tuesday (August 7), was held at the airport for five hours due to her June arrest in London for alleged assault. A spokesperson for Allen said the singer was questioned but that her work visa will be sorted out by her next visit. Allen is slated to tour the U.S. in September and is still expected to attend — and perform at — the VMAs on September 9. ... Madonna's representative Liz Rosenberg says that despite reports of a snag in the singer's adoption of David Banda, the process is going smoothly. "None of that stuff is true," Rosenberg told UsMagazine.com in regards to a Reuters report that suggested the adoption might be compromised. "The adoption process is going along very well and according to proper procedure," she asserted. ...

The Reverend Al Sharpton is staging a "day of outrage" on Tuesday to urge the public to divest from the music industry until it forces rappers to stop using derogatory terms including the N-word. Sharpton led a rally in Detroit outside the former studios for Motown Records, but he has also organized 19 additional protests elsewhere in the U.S. "The opposition has tried to use the argument of free speech, but they don't have the freedom to use people's pension funds against their own will and interest," he said in an interview with Reuters. ... A London judge has dismissed a suit over a U.K. photo agency using a 2004 image of J.K. Rowling's 3-year-old son, saying the legal action didn't have a realistic chance of success, according to Bloomberg News. "Our aim has only been to protect our children from press intrusion during their childhood," Rowling said in a statement, adding that she and her husband plan to appeal the ruling. ...

AFI side project Blaqk Audio will embark on their first tour September 5 in Atlanta, in support of the forthcoming Cexcells, which lands in stores August 14. The trek runs through September 27 in Los Angeles. ... Buzz is building over the next Hives LP, which will be called The Black and White Album, according to Billboard.com. There's no release date scheduled yet. ... Black Tide, a young metal band from Miami that had been tapped to replace Circus Diablo on Ozzfest's second stage, have now found themselves having to drop off the bill — without even playing a single note. As it turns out, the band is too young — the second stage is being sponsored by Jägermeister, and the group's youngest member is only 14 years old. ...

They've gone and done it: McFarlane Toys has created Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora action figures, and is planning to unveil them this month. Go here for details. ... Anthrax have nixed plans to record their next album with Slipknot's Corey Taylor, citing scheduling conflicts with Taylor's other projects. The band's searching for a new singer to enter the fold. ... Boston hardcore legends Sam Black Church will reunite for a September 22 gig at the Roxy in Boston; this will be the band's first live set in more than six years. Darkbuster, Madball and Unearth will also play at the show. ...

Louisiana native Terrance Stewart, also known as DJ Bay Bay, was arrested Monday and charged with rape and witness intimidation, according to a report in Louisiana newspaper The Shreveport Times. Stewart served as the inspiration behind rapper Hurricane Chris' breakout hit "A Bay Bay," which is a nod to the DJ. According to Shreveport police, an unidentified woman was found drunk and unconscious on Thursday night at the club where Stewart was spinning, and police believe the woman was raped during the party. Stewart is being held in jail on a $150,000 bond; his lawyer issued a statement defending his client's innocence. "Mr. Stewart is innocent of these charges and intends to vigorously defend himself against them," lawyer Eric Johnson said. "We are very confident that after the case is tried by a judge or jury that Mr. Stewart will be exonerated." Police are also searching for another DJ, Ron Johnson, who they believe was also involved in the incident. ...

What better way to bring the bizarre Phil Spector trial down the homestretch than with an appearance by blockbuster-movie director Michael Bay? On Monday, the filmmaker — one of the last three rebuttal witnesses being presented by the prosecution — said he didn't see deceased actress Lana Clarkson at a Hollywood party weeks before her death, as the defense had suggested, the Los Angeles Times reports. According to defense attorneys, Bay had snubbed Clarkson at the party, hurting her so much that it helped drive her to suicide. Bay, who was called to rebut testimony from defense witness Punkin Pie Laughlin, said he had cast Clarkson in a commercial about a decade ago and that he would have recognized her had he seen her at a party. ...

Pete Doherty tested positive for drugs during a review of the Babyshambles frontman's court-ordered participation in a treatment program on Tuesday, spurring a London judge to warn him to quit drugs within a month or face jail time, The Associated Press reports. "If he does not show his motivation it's prison, as simple as that," Judge Davinder Lachlar said at the hearing. "Depending on what information I have when [Doherty] next [comes] to court, the decision will be made." Doherty is due in West London Magistrates' Court on September 4 for another hearing.

08.06.07

Let the fiesta begin — Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony have rolled out dates for their En Concierto trek. The spousal celebration will hit Atlantic City, New Jersey (September 29); Uncasville, Connecticut (October 3); Washington, D.C. (October 5); New York (October 7); Toronto (October 10); Chicago (October 14); San Jose, California (October 17); Los Angeles (October 19); Anaheim, California (October 20); San Diego (October 24); Las Vegas (October 26); Dallas (October 30); Houston (October 31); and Miami (November 2). In related news, Lopez is firing back at critics of "El Cantante," her new film with Anthony, the Los Angeles Times reports. Speaking at the Directors Guild of America Theatre in Los Angeles on Friday, she insisted that the film is an accurate portrayal of salsa legend Hector Lavoe. "I don't know what movie [the critics] want to see, because this is the truth," she said. ...

Lindsay Lohan checked into a drug and alcohol treatment center in Sundance, Utah, over the weekend, according to a CBS News radio report. Lifestyle magazine Town & Country recently named the center, Cirque Lodge, one of the best substance-abuse facilities in the country. Lohan, who is due in court in Santa Monica, California, on August 24, has been to rehab twice before. ...

Gwen Stefani recently admitted to U.K. newspaper The Observer that meeting up with her No Doubt bandmates was a bit uncomfortable. "It would be ridiculous to say there was no tension," she said. "Because my solo career has been going on and on. It was never supposed to be this long." Beyond the No Doubt reunion, the singer also revealed what else is on the horizon — acting roles "are the last thing on my list," she said; instead, her focus is "make babies, make music." "I'm on repeat mode," she added. Stefani also opened up about her ongoing "mad love affair" with Gavin Rossdale. "Time goes by and you get the rocky times then you get the intense love times, then you get the reward of having the baby," she said about her relationship with her husband. "It's just this ongoing saga. ... I'm interested to see what's going to happen next, you know?' " ...

The organizers behind "A Concert for Virginia Tech" are coming to the defense of Nas, whose lyrics have stirred up controversy over his participation in the event. "Nas is a positive force in hip-hop," read a statement issued by Red Light Management, which manages Dave Matthews Band and is helping the group organize the event. "Over the course of his albums, many of which have included storytelling about the violence of inner-city life, he has evolved into a spokesman for change. His actions stand out as a true lesson in how conflict can be resolved with words." ...

Many U.S. music retailers are yanking import copies of Amy Winehouse's 2003 debut, Frank, from their shelves after receiving a letter from Universal Republic that threatens legal action and claims the label has exclusive rights to distribute her recordings Stateside. The label is planning to issue the album domestically for the first time November 7. ... Backstreet Boys are unveiling their new single "Inconsolable" Monday night (August 6) on New York's Z-100 radio. The track will surface on the group's yet-untitled new album, due October 30. ... Speaking of big returns, the Black Crowes have finished recording their new album, which will be mixed in September and street in the spring. The disc spotlights new touring keyboardist Adam MacDougall and North Mississippi Allstars guitarist Luther Dickinson, and was produced by the band and longtime collaborator Paul Stacey. ...

A New Zealand mayoral candidate is trying to put Ice Cube in hot water. Political hopeful Len Brown, who is vying for the mayor's seat in Manukau City, issued a press release Monday morning calling for the rapper's August 22 visit to Auckland to be canceled. "Ice Cube brings a gangsta message to our community via his gangsta rap," the statement read. "This message promotes gangs, gang violence and drugs. We don't want this in our homes. We don't want it on our streets." ... LL Cool J highlighted the New York leg of the Microsoft Zune BBQ concert series in Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday. The veteran rapper stormed through tracks that spanned his entire career, including his latest, "Queens." Grand Puba, the LOX, Clipse, the Boot Camp Click, Large Professor and Joell Ortiz also performed at the community-based event. UGK and Mos Def performed at previous stops in Chicago and Los Angeles. ...

Don't bet the family farm on it just yet, but Van Halen's reunion tour is reportedly back on, sources tell Billboard.com. The outlet reports that a press conference will be held in Hollywood next week, during which the band will announce a 50-date arena tour to start in early October. The hard-rock legends had originally planned to set out on an amphitheater tour this summer, but it was scrapped, and guitarist Eddie Van Halen entered rehab. The reunion tour will reportedly feature Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Eddie's son Wolfgang and David Lee Roth. ... Gene Simmons was forthright, to say the least, about his feelings toward former Kiss mates Ace Frehley and Peter Criss in a recent interview with TVGuide.com. "They were thrown out of the band because they were drug addicts and alcoholics," said Simmons, who has a strong aversion to drugs and alcohol. "They're damaged. ... You're talking about 30 years of abuse. Everybody cares about Ace and Peter. I love them to death. But I don't want them to die on tour." ...

There's a new wrinkle in Madonna's adoption of a Malawian boy. The court-appointed official who was assigned to the case is not being allowed to travel to Britain to evaluate the suitability of the singer and her husband, Guy Ritchie, to be the adoptive parents of David Banda, Reuters reports. The official, Penstone Kilembe, had been appointed to travel to Britain twice, after which he has been expected to testify in a hearing next year whether Madonna's adoption of the child should be formalized. Kilembe is being accused of getting a plane ticket and money directly from Madonna, without the approval of the Malawian government, but he has dismissed claims that he asked the singer for the ticket. ... Two more people have been identified as James Brown's children, The Associated Press reports. While many DNA tests have come back negative and others are pending, two people claiming to be the late singer's offspring are indeed telling the truth, longtime Brown adviser Buddy Dallas said Friday. While Dallas refused to identify the two people, a 45-year-old retired flight attendant is thought to be one of them. ...

Chris Rock and his wife Malaak said in a statement issued Monday that he is not the father of a 13-year-old boy whose mother, Kali Bowyer, attempted to file a paternity suit against the comedian in March. According to the statement, DNA testing has ruled out Rock as the father of the child. "After multiple lies, including that Chris refused to establish paternity and after finding out that Ms. Bowyer has an extensive criminal record, we personally asked the court to help us establish paternity so that we could put this harassment to rest. ... We have spent a tremendous sum to litigate this case and are asking our attorney to pursue all legal remedies against her." ... Eddie Murphy has confirmed that he is the father of Melanie Brown's child, but the Spice Girl is still upset — her lawyer Gloria Allred said Saturday that the actor "has not indicated ... that he plans to visit the baby," AP reports. Murphy issued a statement Friday saying, "He acknowledges paternity of the child Angel and has paid child support to Ms. Brown, as well as covering the expenses of her pregnancy." But Allred said Brown's chief concern is that he "see his child, spend time with her, hold her, love her and bond with his daughter." ...

Record label Kill Rock Stars is giving away free downloads of Elliott Smith's "Angel in the Snow" on Monday in commemoration of what would have been the late singer/songwriter's 38th birthday. Go here for details. ... If Iggy Pop's performance with the Stooges at Lollapalooza on Sunday has you salivating for more, mark September 18 on your calendar — a new Pop DVD, "Live San Fran 1981," drops that day. The concert features Ig being backed up by Blondie drummer Clem Burke and future David Bowie guitarist Carlos Alomar, and two unreleased songs he recorded with Ric Ocasek of the Cars are also included in the package. ...

Lee Hazlewood, who wrote "These Boots Were Made for Walkin' " — Nancy Sinatra's hit from the '60s that Jessica Simpson reworked for "The Dukes of Hazzard" — has died of cancer, BBC News reports. The singer/songwriter, whose songs were covered by a wide range of artists including Nick Cave and Primal Scream, was 78.

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Mariah Carey Working On 'Stone Groove'; Plus Britney Spears, Eve, Kanye West, Swizz Beatz, Common, Zac Efron, Amanda Bynes & More, In For The Record

20 Jul 2007 08:20:00 EDT

Spears shoots first video in years; Eve shows up to court early; 'Ye, Swizz, Com jam in NYC.
By MTV News staff

Mariah Carey
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

Everything is "flantastic" in Mariah Carey's world these days, she says in a new voicemail message on her Web site. She tells fans she recently bagged a 10th track for the follow-up to The Emancipation of Mimi, hopes to squeeze out the effort by the end of the year and is heading to Atlanta to work with "JD" — most likely Jermaine Dupri — on a "stone groove/ smash-hit wonder — or at least a stone groove, hopefully." Carey said she'll be holed up in the studio working on the effort for the next few months; she didn't elaborate on her new movie "Tennessee," though, "because [I want] the performance to speak for itself." ...

Britney Spears shot her first video in years at a warehouse in Los Angeles on Thursday (July 19). The song, "Get Back," leaked online this week. ... Eve showed up to court a day early and met all the conditions of her probation on Thursday, Los Angeles' KNBC reports. The rapper, whose real name is Eve Jihan Jeffers, pleaded no contest to a DUI charge last month and was sentenced to 36 months' probation. ...

Kanye West, Swizz Beatz, Common, Mos Def, Q-Tip, Talib Kweli, Saigon and Queen Latifah held an impromptu jam session at S.O.B.'s in Manhattan on Wednesday night following the Pepsi DJ battle hosted by Hot 97's DJ Enuff and DJ Kast One. 'Ye got things hot for the crowd when he kicked into "Can't Tell Me Nothing," and Mos and Kweli reunited onstage. Drag-On and Rah Digga also popped in for performances, and Just Blaze was in the house as a judge of the DJ battle. ...

Zac Efron and Amanda Bynes celebrated the premiere of "Hairspray" on Wednesday night in Baltimore, the city that inspired the film — and is home to its creator, John Waters. "It's very flattering," Efron said amid screaming fans, according to The Associated Press. "It feels great to be bringing this movie back to Baltimore." Waters also cropped up at the event, and when asked about the screaming teen girls, he remarked, "I look over there and many of them could be arrested if they saw my other movies, so times have changed."...

Say it ain't so — the Los Angeles Times reports that Nirvana music will be featured in the background during an entire episode of TV's "Cold Case." ... The Mitch Schneider Organization, the publicity firm that represents the Smashing Pumpkins, has issued a sarcastic response to a phony letter purportedly from Billy Corgan that appeared in last week's edition of The Stranger in Seattle. "Although this 'open letter' is apocryphal, there are some references and statements in it that do in fact make a few interesting points that should be pondered," the statement reads. "The letter states in Billy's words that there would be no My Chemical Romance or Panic! at the Disco without the Pumpkins. While this isn't so, it is a little-known fact the Pumpkins' music is responsible for the swing dance craze of 1997." ...

You've heard Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" covered by everyone from Guns N' Roses to Wyclef Jean to Avril Lavigne — now it's Babyface's turn. The R&B legend redoes that song — as well as Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight," Jim Croce's "Time in a Bottle" and other rock classics — on his 11th album, Playlist. The set will christen the relaunched Mercury Records when it drops September 18. ... Michael Jackson took his children on a tour of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space and American Indian Museums on Wednesday, before either museum opened to the public. ...

Elliott Smith is anything but forgotten, with his posthumous LP New Moon debuting at #24 on the Billboard album charts not too long ago. Now his friend Autumn de Wilde is hoping to enrich the singer/songwriter's legacy with a new book filled with rare interviews and photographs. Simply titled "Elliott Smith" and due in November, the tome will also contain contain forewords by Beck and Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla, personal ephemera, handwritten lyrics, as well as a CD featuring five unreleased songs recorded at small L.A. gigs in 1997 — including covers of "All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down" by Hank Williams Jr. and "Clouds" by Quasi, the indie-rock duo who occasionally backed up Smith. A portion of the proceeds will go to two charities: Austin, Texas' Sims Foundation in Austin and Portland, Oregon's Outside In. ...

Wanted dead or alive: the makers of energy drink Mijovi. Well, the situation isn't that dire, but all the same, Jon Bon Jovi wants the owner of the coffee-based beverage to change its name, since he claims it's too similar to his, AP reports. A letter Jovi's lawyer sent to Marcos Carrington highlights the company's marketing terms "itsmijovi" and "itsmilife," the latter being the name of a Bon Jovi song. Carrington replied that the words are meant to mean "it's my jovial life" and that he named the drink after his girlfriend Jovita. ... The Reverend Al Sharpton, who had insisted that shock-jock Don Imus be fired for making racist comments, told AP in a telephone interview Wednesday that he wouldn't object if Imus were to return to the airwaves. "He has a right to make a living," Sharpton said, adding that he hoped any station that would hire Imus would make sure he wouldn't make insensitive remarks about race or gender. ...

M.I.A. is playing a smattering of festivals this summer, and along the way she's making a few pit stops and small clubs. She'll hit up Brooklyn, New York's Studio B (July 25); San Francisco's Rickshaw Shop (July 28); Los Angeles' Echoplex (July 30-31); and, after playing Lollapalooza in Chicago on August 3, she'll perform at the city's House of Blues the following day. ... Underground hip-hop prince Aesop Rock will tour heavy in support of his August 28 LP, None Shall Pass. He'll head out with Cage and Blockhead September 8 in Philadelphia and stay on the road with them through September 11 in Pittsburgh, after which he'll hook up with Octopus Project and tour with them and Blockhead from September 13 in Chicago through September 26 in Burlington, Vermont. Finally, he'll set out for his longest stretch, with Black Moth Super Rainbow and Blockhead, in San Francisco on October 10 and bring that run to a close November 20 in Atlanta.

07.19.07

Gwen Stefani has filed a lawsuit against Forever 21, claiming the retail chain stole a design from her Harajuku Lovers line. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, claims that Forever 21 is marketing, promoting and selling products featuring a design that is "virtually indistinguishable" from the cutesy heart logo used by Stefani's L.A.M.B. offshoot — with "Harajuku" simply changed to "Forever" and "Lovers" to "Love." Since the small text change is "inconspicuous," the lawsuit claims, it's "unlikely to go unnoticed by a consumer" and is "confusingly similar." Well, unless you look at the price, that is. Harajuku Lovers alleges false destination of origin, trademark infringement, dilution and unfair competition against the chain, and seeks not only monetary damages but also Forever 21's profits and gains, since the company claims the co-opting of design caused the originals to lessen in value. ...

50 Cent has a few words of advice for Nas in the new issue of XXL: put down the book. When asked, "What percentage of MCs in hip-hop do you think are actually intelligent?" 50 replied: "You have different kinds of people. You have people that are extremely book-smart that lack common sense, so they don't know what's going to affect their audience. ... For instance, Nas is a really smart guy. He reads books constantly. We were around him on the Nastradamus tour. He was almost weirder than me 'cause we would go to breakfast and he'd be there reading a book. Conceptually, I think that's what made him drift away from what his initial audience enjoys from him and why he's not hot right now." In the interview, 50 also insisted Jim Jones should be running Dipset — he's "a more credible artist than Cam'ron is," 50 said — revealed that he's been trying to hook up with M.O.P. and admitted that he doesn't eat cookies because he's looking after his weight. ...

Pras tells Billboard.com the forever-delayed Fugees reunion CD is now off the table altogether — and he's not afraid to point fingers, either. "We went in the studio and recorded a couple records that were incredible," he said. "But, to put it nicely, it's dead. Me and [Wyclef Jean], we on the same page, but Lauryn [Hill] is in her zone, and I'm fed up with that sh--. Here she is, blessed with a gift, with the opportunity to rock and give, and she's running on some bullsh--? I'm a fan of Lauryn's, but I can't respect that." ... Time to kick off those kicks — Lily Allen's Nike Air Max 90 is on the way. The limited-edition shoe will be available through exclusive promotions in the U.S. this summer and be colored red, white and blue. She's not the only one with new Nikes — underground rapper MF Doom has designed his own Dunk High Premium SB, which is on sale in very limited form. ...

Crisis averted, Fall Out Boy fans: Looks like the rumors of an engagement between Pete Wentz and his girlfriend Ashlee Simpson aren't true. And neither is the gossip that she's pregnant. Initial, uh, "reports" had Wentz proposing to Simpson before FOB's Live Earth gig at Giants Stadium (New Jersey = romance) and suggested that Ash was seen refusing to drink anything and rubbing her belly. But according to a spokesperson for Wentz, those reports are false. ... Blood spatter left by deceased actress Lana Clarkson is once again being contended in the Phil Spector trial. On Wednesday (July 18), defense witness James Pex, a blood expert, challenged the prosecution's claim that spatter can travel more than 3 feet, according to the Los Angeles Times. In other developments, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Larry Paul ruled Tuesday that convicted Hollywood madam Jody "Babydol" Gibson's testimony was "inadmissible and irrelevant" to the trial. ...

Though Avril Lavigne didn't directly address the plagiarism claims that have dogged her over her "Girlfriend" hit, she posted a message on her MySpace page on Tuesday thanking fans for their support and urging them to check out the new disc by her hubby's band, Sum 41. "I wanted to take this time to thank you, my fans, for all your undying support," Lavigne wrote. "You have been amazing and I can't express how much I appreciate it. Thank you all so much. I am so proud of this record and grateful for the response it has been getting from all of my fans. You made it go [#] 1." ... The White Stripes promised to play a show in every Canadian province and territory on their current tour and, technically, they now have. After secret gigs in bowling alleys, buses, flour factories and parks, the duo wrapped up their unconventional Great North experiment with a blink-and-you-missed-it surprise afternoon gig in St. John's, Newfoundland, on Monday before playing a real show that night. Taking the stage in front of a few hundred fans, the pair plugged in, hit a single note and then took a bow, with Jack White grinning as he said, "We have now officially played in every province and territory in Canada." According to reports, fans were clued into the gag. ...

Zach Braff working for Dunkin' Donuts? Wake up and smell the coffee — it's really happening. The "Garden State" director has helmed two ads for the chain, one featuring Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley and another featuring Naomi Campbell. ... Rilo Kiley's Under the Blacklight is still about a month away — it drops August 21, to be precise — but the band has already fleshed out a tour in support of the release. The indie-rockers hit the pavement September 6 in San Francisco and wind down the trek in their Los Angeles hometown on October 16. ... The title of the upcoming book "Would Someone Please Explain? The Best of Duran Duran's Ask Katy" pretty much says it all, so long as you're aware that "Ask Katy" is the fan-letter section of the band's Web site. Due in November, the tome features what Duran Duran consider to be the most outstanding questions fans have sent in since the site's inception 10 years ago, with answers from the band. ...

Comedian Dave Chappelle was briefly hospitalized over the weekend for exhaustion, checking into an emergency room on Saturday and checking out a few hours later after receiving fluids and a meal. Chappelle's publicist Carla Sims confirmed the ER visit to The Associated Press, saying the funnyman had been traveling and was suffering from exhaustion but is now "fine." She did not specify what hospital Chappelle visited or give any other details about his condition. ... Winona Ryder is finally speaking out about her shoplifting bust six years ago — and she says painkillers were the real culprit. "Two months prior to [the December 2001 incident], I broke my arm in two places and the doctor was giving me a lot of stuff and I was taking it at first to get through the pain," she said. "And then there was this weird point when you don't know if you are in pain but you're taking it. ... It isn't a reckless [state], like you're out of your head. It's just confusion." The actress added that she was especially embarrassed about the incident because it drew attention in the wake of 9/11.

07.17.07

That purported Britney Spears track floating around the Internet is the real deal, the song's producer, Nate "Danjahandz" Hills, has confirmed to MTV News. In May, the producer revealed to MTV News that one song set to be featured on her upcoming LP sounded like it belonged in a video game, and "Get Back" matches that description. "It's weird! It's catchy, but it's weird. It's hot," he said, adding that the hook and chorus made him laugh. But it isn't all laughs for Spears these days — the Humane Society of the United States has fired off a stern letter to Spears after it caught wind that she had reportedly dropped $3,000 for a Yorkshire Terrier puppy from Pets of Bel Air in California after spending less than 30 minutes in the shop, according to "Entertainment Tonight." "Choosing a dog is a major lifestyle decision that should not be taken lightly," HSUS Director of Outreach for Companion Animals Stephanie Shain said in a press statement. "We suggest that people take time to choose a member of their family and to be sure they are working with a reputable breeder ... Ms. Spears is setting a damaging example to the public. Most dogs sold in pet stores come from puppy mills -- factory-like facilities, churning out purebred and 'designer' puppies in large numbers." Brit also bought a Chihuahua puppy from Pets of Bel Air in January. According to "ET," the store is adamant that it buys from top breeders, not puppy mills. ...

The first benefit for the Kanye West Foundation will take place August 24 in the rapper/producer's Chicago hometown. The $125-a-ticket show will rock the House of Blues with a theme encouraging kids to stay in school. ... Snoop Dogg, Whodini and Missy Elliott are among the artists to be hailed at the fourth annual VH1 Hip Hop Honors. The show will be taped October 4 at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom and premiere October 8 at 10 p.m. ET. On Monday, VH1.com will launch the online contest "The Score" — the winner will create and produce the score for the event. Those interested can post their minute-long beats for consideration right here. ...

Not everyone loves "The Simpsons." In fact, England's pagan community is madder than a dog with bees in its mouth over a giant painting of Homer Simpson brandishing a donut. The painting, made to promote "The Simpsons Movie," was hung on a field in Dorset opposite a famous 17th century fertility symbol: the club-wielding, clearly excited Ceme Abbas. According to the Daily Mail, the giant underwear-clad Homer was painted with biodegradable paint that will dissolve when it rains, so some local pagans have vowed to unleash some "rain magic" to erase the drought. ... A Los Angeles Police Department officer who videotaped the Game in a holding cell waving a wad of cash and throwing hand signs after the rapper's arrest in May is under investigation by the department's internal-affairs division. The Associated Press reports that the unnamed officer could face disciplinary action for making the video on his cell phone; the footage was posted on the TMZ.com web site on May 12. ...

Smashing Pumpkins fans probably didn't expect to find photos of Paris Hilton inside copies of the band's Zeitgeist reunion CD, but just in case Billy Corgan didn't confuse them enough, a shot of the heiress is also featured on the cover of the band's new "Tarantula" U.K. single. So what gives? In an interview with Launch Radio, Corgan said he took the photos with Hilton, who he had met previously. "The original idea was we were gonna see if Lindsay, Britney and Paris would all shoot ... [but] Paris I knew personally, and hung out with her a few times, and so I asked her. ... And God bless her, she came, she showed up at 10 a.m. on a Sunday morning, sat in the chair, got made up and [I] shot her." Hilton recently told E! Online that she has been meeting with producer Scott Storch to hammer out plans for her second LP. ...

Speaking of sophomore efforts, Carrie Underwood's forthcoming, yet-untitled album will street on October 23. The effort will succeed her 2005 debut, Some Hearts, which earned her a heap of awards. ... Brandon Flowers is a dad, People reports. The Killers frontman and his wife Tana welcomed a boy over the weekend. ... Producer Polow Da Don launched his Interscope Records imprint Zone 4 Inc. Monday night at Opera in Atlanta. The star-studded bash was presented by Zune and Universal Publishing, and featured performances by Polow's artists Rich Boy, Keri Hilson and i15. Also in attendance were Lil Wayne, Andre 3000, Young Jeezy, DJ Unk, Jim Jones, Soulja Boy, Jermaine Dupri and Ciara, who hosted the festivities. ...

Asda — the British arm of Wal-Mart Stores — apologized Tuesday (July 17) for criticizing "Harry Potter" publisher Bloomsbury of "blatant profiteering" for charging the U.S. equivalent of roughly $36 for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." Bloomsbury had nixed the delivery of a half-million copies of the book to the stores, but Asda says the volumes will be on its shelves after all. Also in the U.K., copies of the book will come with a photo of a missing 4-year-old girl and a yellow ribbon in an appeal to help find her, Agence France Presse reports. Author J.K. Rowling has also asked that bookstores in 200 countries receive posters of the girl, who went missing at a Portuguese resort in early May. And on Tuesday, Britain issued seven postage stamps featuring the covers of the books. Roughly 340,000 people had pre-ordered them, snapping the record of 300,000 pre-orders set by a set of Beatles stamps in January. Meanwhile, on U.S. shores, Barnes & Noble is holding copies of the volume at a secret warehouse somewhere in the Northeast, Reuters reports. Security is being maintained around the building 24/7. ...

A friend of Lana Clarkson testified Monday in the Phil Spector murder trial that the actress had called her days before the shooting and said, "I can't take it anymore. I'm sick of [Hollywood]. I want out." Punkin Irene Elizabeth Laughlin, who cried while recalling the exchange, was due to continue testifying Tuesday. ... Michael Jackson must hand over more than $250,000 to a Southern California firm, a judge determined late last week, according to AP. Ayscough & Marar handled side issues for the singer during the 2005 child-molestation trial. ... Ricky Martin will soon be all over Dominican TV and radio — but he won't be singing. Instead, the artist will be issuing public-service announcements warning about sexual exploitation and human trafficking. ... Sting and his wife Trudie Styler must fork over $51,000 to compensate a former chef for sexual discrimination, AP reports. Jane Martin, who had worked for the singer for eight years, had claimed she was fired after she became pregnant. ...

The good news for concertgoers is that average ticket prices are only up about 50 cents (or 1 percent) over last year, according to mid-year numbers released by Pollstar. The scary news, though, is that tight-trousered '70s icon Rod Stewart is the top draw so far this year, with $48.1 million in ticket sales, beating out Justin Timberlake, who landed just behind at $42.3 million. Reunited rockers the Police were #3 at $41.9 million and are expected to top the list by year's end with a tour predicted to generated $100 million in North America. Christina Aguilera landed at #7 on the list with $30.6 million, just after former Pink Floyd leader Roger Waters and before a Cirque du Soleil show. ...

Iman has caused a stir or two with her graceful looks over the years, but if you ask the supermodel who she thinks is about to make a stir, she says it's Lenny Kravitz/ Lisa Bonet offspring Zoe Kravitz. Iman raved about Zoe in the new issue of Trace, which is on newsstands this week — Iman guest-edited the magazine's annual "Black Girls Rule" issue. (Check out pictures of Zoe in the mag.) "When I met her for the first time, with her dad and her late grandfather, I literally took her under my wings like she was my own daughter. Self-effacing, knowing and grounded is what makes her truly the new 'It' girl." Zoe Kravitz, who is set to act alongside Terrence Howard and Jodie Foster in this fall's "The Brave One," opened up in the mag about her Hollywood ambitions and what it was like to work with Foster. "Every time we did a take I would check if it was OK," Kravitz said. "[Jodie] would tell me to let go and just do it. She [just] taught me to be comfortable on set."

[This story was originally published on 7.18.2007 at 1:45 p.m.]

07.17.07

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Bobby Valentino Vs. Bjork, Plus Bone Thugs, Paris Bennett, Elliott Smith, H.I.M. & More, In New Releases

8 May 2007 06:01:00 EDT

Also due Tuesday: Sea and Cake, Bad Plus, Sea Wolf, Shannon Wright, Travis, Master P, Radiohead.
By Kurt Orzeck

Bobby Valentino's Special Occasion
Photo: Def Jam

With everyone still reeling from Saturday's riveting de la Hoya/ Mayweather match — we wanted more blood, but UFC has been spoiling us — what better time for another edition of New Releases face-offs? Here are the record-bin battles you can expect to see this week:

Calling Timbaland - Fight for the Crown: Bobby Valentino's Special Occasion vs. Björk's Volta
>>> The Mississippi R&B singer made a stunningly auspicious debut with his 2005 eponymous LP, which peaked at #3 on the Billboard albums chart. Valentino has invited even more friends to his new Special Occasion — Timbaland ("Anonymous"), Fabolous ("Let Him Go") and Ludacris ("Rearview [Ridin']") among them. Also featured is a cover of Babyface's "Soon as I Get Home," as well as a boatload of hit-making producers and songwriters: Sean Garrett, Bryan Michael-Cox, Dre & Vidal, Timbaland and Rodney Jerkins.

>>> Björk's Volta is also spewing with collaborators, chiefly producer Timbaland, who is behind three of the tracks: "Earth Intruders," "Innocence" and "Hope." With Antony Hagerty of Antony and the Johnsons duetting on two songs — "The Dull Flame of Desire" and "My Juvenile" — plus a 10-piece brass section, a band from the Congo and other diverse guests, Björk is ready to break out. That her last studio LP, 2004's Medúlla, was her highest-charting one yet in the U.S. only helps poise her for even greater success.

As Not Seen on TV - The "Idol" Contest: Paris Bennett's Princess P vs. Paula Abdul's Greatest Hits: Straight Up!
>>> While Jordin, LaKisha, Blake and Melinda keep hashing out on season six of "American Idol," one of last year's contenders doesn't want you to forget about her. Fifth-place finisher Bennett has at last dished up her solo debut, named after the nickname Ryan Seacrest endowed her with during the competition. Adding even more frothy "Idol" goodness is a guest spot by fellow contender Kevin Covais on "Let Me Rap"; other tracks on the LP, partly produced by Rodney Jerkins, include "All Hail the Princess," "Burnt Up" and "Get Bizzy."

>>> Meanwhile, "Idol" judge Abdul doesn't want you to forget that she's got pipes of her own — her Greatest Hits: Straight Up! bundles together 18 selections by the Grammy-winning singer, including "Opposites Attract," "Forever Your Girl" and "Rush, Rush." The clips for her six #1 singles are also coming out this week, so be on the lookout for MC Skat Kat.

A Bone to Pick - The Rap Battle: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's Strength & Loyalty vs. Bone Brothers' Bone Brothers 2
>>> Cleveland's Thugs have clocked roughly 40 million CDs sold worldwide, but they've been on the wane lately — last year's Thug Stories barely scraped the top 25 on the Billboard albums chart. But with a new label — they were on Koch but now call Interscope home — and a litany of high-profile peeps lending support (Mariah, Akon, Bow Wow, Swizz Beatz, Will.I.Am), the now-trio are aiming a bit higher. The Best Buy edition of Strength & Loyalty, originally called The Bone Thugs Story, has the exclusive cut "Just Vibe," while Hastings Entertainment's version features an exclusive "I Tried" remix.

>>> While those guys are hoping for a resurgence, two other bros — founding members Bizzy Bone and Layzie Bone — have a few things of their own to say with Bone Brothers 2. While Layzie has kept it real with Bone Thugs, Bizzy has since been ousted — which should make the first song on their LP, "Bone Thugs-N-Harmony," pretty interesting. Also featured is "We Are Warriors," "Thugs Need Luv" and "Bone Thug 4 Life."

Lest You Forget - Vying in the Vaults: Elliott Smith's New Moon vs. H.I.M.'s And Love Said No: The Greatest Hits 1997-2004
>>> Smith fans got a raft of unreleased material with 2004's From a Basement on the Hill, which culled 15 songs the singer/songwriter was on the verge of releasing before he passed away in 2003. Digging a little deeper, his label Kill Rock Stars has chalked up 24 more songs he recorded from 1994 to 1997, including "Looking Over My Shoulder," "All Cleaned Out" and an early version of "Miss Misery." Let's just pray that this is the final word on Smith and that his estate doesn't plunder the vaults ad nauseum à la Jeff Buckley's.

>>> While New Moon showcases material up through 1997, Finnish goth gushers H.I.M. begin at that year and take their best-of set through 2004. The band pours its heartagrams out on two new songs, "And Love Said No" and a cover of — yes, they really did it — Neil Diamond's "Solitary Man." Fans pining for more unreleased material can hold their collective breath for two weeks, when Uneasy Listening Vol. 2 hits stores.

Ahoy, Mateys — Battle on the High Seas: The Sea and Cake's Everybody vs. Sea Wolf's Get to the River Before It Runs Too Low
>>> While Chicago indie cognoscenti Sam Prekop, Archer Prewitt and John McEntire are always rearing their heads in one form or another — via side projects, collaborations, etc. — it's taken them four long years to crank out another opus. This one marks the first time in the band's 14-year history that it's looked outward for production help — the honors go to Brian Paulson (Wilco, Slint). Songs include "Up on Crutches," "Middlenight" and "Introducing."

>>> Look deeper in the underground ocean and you'll find Sea Wolf, who got their handle from the Jack London book of the same name. Roaming California troubadour Alex Brown Church is actually the man at the heart of the band, and he sews together guitar, cello and other lush sounds for his five-song debut EP. "You're a Wolf," "The Garden You Planted" and "I Don't Know if I'll Be Back This Time" are featured on the disc, which is issued by the red-hot Dangerbird Records (Silversun Pickups, All Smiles).

Yo Momma - Family Feud: Mother Mother's Touch Up vs. Mothernight's Mothernight
>>> Last Gang Records — which brought you Metric and Death From Above 1979 — rolls out the carpet for its latest hopefuls, Vancouver, British Columbia's jazz- and classical-influenced popsmiths Mother Mother. Better yet, they really are a family affair — singer/guitarist Ryan Guldemond is the brother of singer Molly. Their first set was produced by New Pornographers collaborator Howard Redekopp and features "Polynesia," "Oh Ana" and "Ball Cap."

>>> Also being introduced are Mothernight, an industrial-metal band from Warsaw that sounds nothing like the above. Fronted by Freya, the four-piece found a strange time to put out its maiden release — after all, Kurt Vonnegut, who wrote a book called "Mother Night" died less than a month ago. The song titles featured on Touch Up, however, don't quite mesh with Vonnegut's dark comedy — among them are "Someone to Feed On," "Shadowsblack" and "Infect Your Soul."

Song Title of the Week:

"Crackle Rotcha Tee Thout" from Chasing Victory's Fiends

Other Notables:

Lavender Diamond's Imagine Our Love
These country folksters have been making some pleasant noise in their Los Angeles hometown and beyond lately, and Matador is hoping they become the label's next Belle & Sebastian or New Pornographers. Giving Lavender Diamond — who are led by cool singer Becky Stark — an extra boost is their recent performance at South by Southwest, overseas deal with Rough Trade and recent tour with the Decemberists.

The Mary Timony Band's The Shapes We Make
Timony's former band Helium were one of Matador's key '90s linchpins, as a matter of fact, but after many subsequent years of obscurity, she's hoping to rebound with this release produced by Jawbox's J. Robbins. Timony enlists keyboards, banjos, analog synths, the melotron, viola, and even an old Casio PT1 for the LP, which was crafted in Robbins' Baltimore studio and Timony's attic studio in her Washington, D.C., home.

Wooden Stars' People Are Different
This Canadian band nabbed the Juno Award for Best Alternative Album for its collaborative effort with Julie Doiron in 2000 — and it celebrated the prize by disbanding for four years. Now the Wooden Stars are shining bright again with their first release in eight years, which sounds something like XTC jamming with the Clash. If these guys can count the Arcade Fire among their fans, surely they can count you as well.

New Releases:

· Keren Ann - Keren Ann (Blue Note)
· The Bad Plus - Prog (Heads Up)
· Bassnectar - Underground Communication (Om)
· The Bellamy Brothers - Jesus Is Coming (Curb)
· Paris Bennett - Princess P (306)
Read: "Idols Now: Paris Bennett Debut Includes Rapper ... Kevin Covais?"
· Steve Bertrand - Pain Is a Megaphone (enhanced; Icon)
· Björk - Volta (Atlantic) [Buy]
Read: "Tsunami, Timbaland Help Shape Bjork's Forthcoming Volta"
· Bone Brothers - Bone Brothers 2 (Real Talk/ Koch)
· Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Strength & Loyalty (Full Surface/ Interscope) [Buy]
Read: "Bone Thugs Dropping Two New LPs; Second Disc To Feature Dre, Kanye, Mariah"
· The Boggs - Forts (Gigantic) [Buy]
· The Brakes - The Beatific Visions (enhanced; Rough Trade)[Buy]
· The Breakers - Here for a Laugh (Funzalo)
· The Brokedowns - New Brains for Everyone (Thick)
· Chanticleer - And on Earth, Peace: A Chanticleer Mass (Warner Classics)
· Chasing Victory - Fiends (Mono vs Stereo)
· Circus - Labertino (Locomotive)
· The Clientele - God Save the Clientele (Merge)
· Dan Deacon - Spiderman of the Rings (Carpark)
· Linda Draper - Keepsake (Planting Seeds)
· Earthless - Rhythms From a Cosmic Sky (Tee Pee) [Buy]
· Edge of Dawn - Enjoy the Fall (Metropolis)
· Electrelane - No Shouts No Calls (Too Pure)
· DJ Encore - Unique (Koch)
· The Exies - A Modern Way of Living With the Truth (Eleven Seven)
· Fields - Everything Last Winter (Atlantic)
· Scott Fisher & 1 a.m. Approach - Step Into the Future (1 a.m. Approach)
· Foreverinmotion - The Beautiful Unknown (111)
· Sage Francis - Human the Death Dance (Epitaph)
· Lisa Gerrard - Silver Tree (High Wire)
· Goon Moon - Licker's Last Leg (Ipecac)
· Great Lake Swimmers - Ongiara (Nettwerk)
· Harper - Day by Day (Blind Pig)
· Dave Hole - Rough Diamond (Blind Pig)
· The Ike Reilly Assassination - We Belong to the Staggering Evening (Rock Ridge)
· Jackiem Joyner - Babysoul (ARTizen)
· Kotipelto - Serenity (Candlelight)
· Jimmy LaFave - Cimarron Manifesto (Red House)
· Lavender Diamond - Imagine Our Love (digipak; Matador)
· Fred Lonberg-Holm Trio - Terminal Valentine (Atavistic)
· Hamilton Loomis - Ain't Just Temporary (Blind Pig)
· Lord Belial - Revelation (Regain)
· Maxïmo Park - Our Earthly Pleasures (Warp)
· Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours - Trailercana (DPR)
· Mother Mother - Touch Up (Last Gang)
· Mothernight - Mothernight (Locomotive)
· Mystery Jets - Zootime (Dim Mak)
· Neon Horse -- Neon Horse (Tooth & Nail)
· New Years Day - My Dear (enhanced; TVT)
· No Second Troy - Narcotic (None)
· Page France - Page France and the Family Telephone (Suicide Squeeze)
· Chuck Ragan - Los Feliz (Side One Dummy)
· Rush of Fools - Rush of Fools (Midas)
· Sage Francis - Human the Death Dance (Epitaph)
· The Sea and Cake - Everybody (Thrill Jockey)
· Sea Wolf - Get to the River Before It Runs Too Low (EP; angerbird)
· Richard Shindell - South of Delia (self-release)
· The Stranger's Six - A Date With Daylight (Orange Peal)
· Barbra Streisand - Live in Concert 2006 (two CDs; Columbia)
· Tarwater - Spider Smile (Morr)
· The Mary Timony Band - The Shapes We Make (Kill Rock Stars)
· Travis - The Boy With No Name (Epic)
· Bobby Valentino - Special Occasion (Def Jam) [Buy]
Read: "Bobby Valentino Looks Out For The Ladies With New Album, Jean Line"
· The Voyces - Kissing Like It's Love (Planting Seeds)
· Wax Tailor - Hope & Sorrow (Decon)
· Weatherbox - American Art (Doghouse)
· Wooden Stars - People Are Different (Sonic Unyon)
· Shannon Wright - Let in the Light (Quarterstick)
· Yacht - I Believe in You. Your Magic Is Real. (Marriage)
· Various artists - New Arrivals, Vol. 2 (MPress)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:
· Paula Abdul - Greatest Hits: Straight Up! (Virgin/EMI) [Buy]
· The Coasters - The Definitive Soul Collection (Rhino) [Buy]
· Easy Rider - Lo Mejor de Easy Rider (Locomotive)
· The Heptones - Sweet Talking (Heartbeat/Rounder) [Buy]
· H.I.M. - And Love Said No: The Greatest Hits 1997-2004 (Universal Republic)
· Jethro Tull - The Best of Acoustic Jethro Tull (Capitol/EMI)
· Carole King - Love Makes the World - Deluxe Edition (two CDs; Rockingale)
· KMFDM - Adios and Symbols (Metropolis)
· Dave Mason - Live at XM Satellite Radio - The Deluxe Edition (Friday Music)
· Master P - Ghetto D - 10th Anniversary Edition (two CDs; Priority)
· Radiohead - Com Lag (2Plus2IsFive) (enhanced EP; Capitol) [Buy]
· The Rascals - The Definitive Pop Collection (Rhino)
· Leo Sayer - The Definitive Pop Collection (Rhino)
· Elliott Smith - New Moon (two CDs; Kill Rock Stars) [Buy]
· Terry Strafford - Say, Has Anyone Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose (Koch)
· Tankard - Disco Destroyer (Locomotive)
· Dale Watson - The Little Darlin' Sessions (Koch)

Music DVDs:
· John Coltrane - "Trane Tracks: The Legacy of John Coltrane" (Jazz Movie Classics) [Buy]
· Dinosaur Jr. - "Live in the Middle East" (Image)
· The Knack - "On Stage at World Cafe Live" (Decca)
· Living Colour - "On Stage at World Cafe Live" (Decca)
· Rhett Miller - "On Stage at World Cafe Live" (Decca)
· David Poe - "On Stage at World Cafe Live" (Decca)
· Baden Powell - "Self Portrait - 1990" (DRG)
· Rainbow - "Up Close and Personal" (with book; Hurricane)
· Spooky Tooth - "Nomad Poets - Live in Germany 2004" (Koch)
· Thin Lizzy - "Up Close and Personal" (with book; Hurricane)
· Grover Washington Jr. - "Live From Atlantic City" (Immortal)

Coming Attractions:

May 15:
· Megadeth - United Abominations (Roadrunner) [Preorder]
· Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight (Warner Bros.) [Preorder]
Read: "Linkin Park Finish Apocalyptic Album, Revive Projekt Revolution Tour"
· Wilco - Sky Blue Sky (enhanced; Nonesuch) [Preorder]

May 22:
· Tim Armstrong - A Poet's Life (with bonus DVD; Hellcat)
· The Bravery - The Sun and the Moon (Island) [Preorder]
· KRS-One and Marley Marl - Hip Hop Lives (Koch)
· Maroon 5 - It Won't Be Soon Before Long (Octone) [Preorder]
Read: "Maroon 5 Back With 'Harder' Album After Adam Levine Gets Sick Of Partying"
· Ozzy Osbourne - Black Rain (Epic)

May 29:
· Les Claypool - "Fancy" DVD (Prawn Song) [Preorder]
· Danzig - The Lost Tracks of Danzig (two CDs; Megaforce) [Preorder]
Read: "Glenn Danzig Preps 'Final' Tour, Film, Box Set And, Uh, Dolls"
· R. Kelly - Double Up (Jive) [Preorder]
Read: "New R. Kelly LP Includes Akon, Jeezy, 'Flirt' — But No 'Closet' Till July"

Related Artists

Nearly Two Dozen Unreleased Elliott Smith Songs Leaked Online

14 Oct 2005 05:48:00 EDT

Tribute album for late singer/songwriter due in February.
By Rodrigo Perez

Elliott Smith
Photo: Dreamworks

Just a week shy of the second anniversary of Elliott Smith's death, a bounty of unreleased material — including tracks from the sessions for the singer/songwriter's final LP, From a Basement on the Hill — has leaked online.

The 22 tracks are being circulated under the title From a Basement on the Hill II and are purported to be songs dropped from the LP. However, much of the material is believed to date from long before the album's sessions, some of it going back as far as the mid-'90s. Charlie Ramirez, Webmaster for the official Smith site SweetAdeline.net, says, "I think some of them might have been considered for Basement, but not necessarily."

Smith died from an apparent suicide on October 21, 2003 ("Singer/Songwriter Elliott Smith Dead; Friends, Fellow Musicians Pay Tribute").

Originally conceived as a double album, Basement was ultimately released in October 2004 as a single 15-track LP ("Elliott Smith's Final Album Due In October"). According to a publicist for Smith, 34 songs were recorded during the album's lengthy sessions, although various interviews and accounts put the figure closer to 50 tracks.

Ascertaining an exact number may not be possible, since Smith began recording the album in 2001 and its sessions spanned a troubled period for the singer, during which he descended into drug abuse and virtually disappeared from the music world before recovering. He was tweaking and recording songs for the album right up until his death.

According to Ramirez, tracks that are definitely outtakes from Basement sessions include "Abused," "The Worst Part Is Almost Over" and possibly "High Times," "New Disaster" and "Riot Coming." Other leaked tracks like "Placeholder," "See My City Dead" and "Georgia" date from the Either/Or era (1996-97). Much of the leaked material is in Smith's traditional folk mode, though "Abused" explodes suddenly with rockist tendencies and features the lyric "You feel bruised now/ Body and mind/ You feel used now almost all of the time."

Basement was originally to be produced by Jon Brion (Fiona Apple, Kanye West), who played on both X/O and 2000's Figure 8. But according to Benjamin Nugent's 2004 unauthorized biography, "Elliott Smith and the Big Nothing," the sessions ground to a halt when Brion could no longer tolerate Smith's spiraling drug abuse. Smith himself alluded to this in his last interview, which appeared in the Los Angeles-based magazine Under the Radar, where he said the early Basement sessions had been scrapped because of a botched friendship.

While Smith's family asked longtime producer Rob Schnapf and Smith's ex-girlfriend Joanna Bolme to put together the final version of Basement, producer Dave McConnell — who recorded more than half of the songs that appeared on the released album — said he was disappointed that he wasn't asked to participate. He said he'd kept "about three years' worth of notes" regarding Smith's plans for the material's mixing and presentation, but was never asked for them. He notes that "Ostrich & Chirping," a whimsical instrumental that appears on the album, was actually performed by him, not Smith, and was probably not meant for inclusion on the record.

"I think it was one of those situations where the family was so sad and taken down by the loss of their son that I think they wanted to work with somebody they knew," McConnell said, referring to Schnapf and Bolme. "Somebody that would be there emotionally as well as doing the work ... and I can't say I blame them, really."

According to McConnell and Nugent, three songs were removed from the proposed final version of From a Basement on the Hill at the family's behest, presumably for their lyrical content: "Abused," "Suicide Machine" and another track.

In response to the inevitable question about how Smith might have felt about the released version of Basement, McConnell said, "I think maybe after a long fight and kicking and screaming for a few weeks, he might have acquiesced. I don't think he would have delivered [that] record. The record he would have delivered would had more songs, would have had different mixes and [been] a little more in your face."

The number of reported Basement outtakes extends into double digits and includes still-unreleased songs like the rocking "Mr. Good Morning," the intimate "From a Poisoned Well," "Dancing on the Highway," the driving instrumental "See You in Heaven" and "True Love," a track McConnell said was recorded with Brion.

Smith's material has been in the headlines quite frequently in recent months. His covers of Big Star's "Thirteen" and Cat Stevens' "Trouble" — the latter is believed to be one of the last songs he completed before his death — were released on the "Thumbsucker" soundtrack (see "Elliott Smith, Polyphonics Bring Balance To 'Thumbsucker' Soundtrack"), and pianist Christopher O'Riley is recording an album of Smith songs.

Additionally, a tribute album called To: Elliott From: Portland due in February, was recently announced and features Smith covers by Portland, Oregon-based artists including the Decemberists, the Thermals, Swords, the Helio Sequence, Eric Matthews and Sean Croghan.

Croghan covers "High Times," a song that, up until the recent leak, few people had ever heard. "After Elliott died, I spent a lot of time listening to these tapes he had given me of various recordings he made at home," Croghan says in the album's liner notes. " 'High Times' hit me like a brick in the face." Matthews' performance is based on the original arrangement of "Needle in the Hay" (which he played on), which included horns, harmonica and drums before Smith scaled it down to the voice-and-guitar version on his self-titled sophomore disc.

At press time, a spokesperson for Smith's estate had no comment about the leaked tracks.

Track list for To: Elliott From: Portland, according to a publicist for the compilation:

The Decemberists - "Clementine"
Helio Sequence - "Satellite"
The Thermals - "Ballad of Big Nothing"
Crosstide - "Angeles"
Amelia - "Between the Bars"
Dolorean - "The Biggest Lie"
Sexton Blake - "Rose Parade"
Swords - "I Didn't Understand"
Sean Croghan - "High Times"
Lifesavas - "Happiness"
Jeff Trott - "Wouldn't Mama Be Proud?"
Society of People of Ambiance and Elegance - "Speed Trials"
To Live and Die in L.A. - "King's Crossing"
We Are Telephone - "Division Day"
Eric Matthews - "Needle in the Hay"

For a feature on the last days of Elliott Smith, see "Elliott Smith: One of Us Is On The Moon."

Related Artists

Elliott Smith

For The Record: Quick News On Young Buck, Dr. Dre, Bright Eyes, Switchfoot, Elliott Smith, Jin & More

30 Sep 2005 05:17:00 EDT

Young Buck court date set; Bright Eyes reschedule show; Switchfoot album recalled.
By MTV News staff report

Young Buck
Photo: Jason Campbell

Young Buck's court date in Los Angeles this week in connection with the melee at last fall's Vibe Awards was once again postponed, this time to October 25. The G-Unit rapper has already pleaded not guilty to assault with a deadly weapon. ...

When Burt Bacharach, the famous composer whose credits include "What the World Needs Now Is Love" and "I Say a Little Prayer," announced last fall he was working with Dr. Dre, music fans might've assumed he was just getting senile in his old age (he's 77). Well, the music is now actually coming out. His new album, At This Time, due November 1, features three tracks with drum loops provided by Dre. Elvis Costello, Rufus Wainwright and Chris Botti also appear on the album. ... Attention Bright Eyes fans in the St. Louis area: Your show will go on. Two weeks after he announced he was canceling a show at St. Louis club the Pageant because of the venue's association with Clear Channel Communications, Bright Eyes' main man Conor Oberst has found a new (non-corporate) home for the November 12 gig: the Jesse Auditorium on the campus of the University of Missouri - Columbia. The bad news? Tickets to the Pageant will not be honored (though refunds are available). Tickets for the new show go on sale through Ticketmaster starting Friday (September 30). ...

Here's some good news for any of the almost 57,000 Switchfoot fans who picked up a copy of the band's newest disc, Nothing Is Sound, at a Christian retail outlet and then, after buying the LP, wondered, "Gee, why can't I import these tracks to my iPod?" Turns out you threw money down on a defective album. According to a spokesperson for EMI CMG, which distributes Switchfoot's albums to Christian retail only, a manufacturing defect in the CDs' content-protection technology prevented fans from burning copies of the album or transferring the tracks to portable MP3 devices. Hence, the company's pulled all of the copies that were out there, and is recalling all of those copies that have been sold. Those who bought one of the defective copies (they've got the Sparro Records logo on them) and would like a fresh copy of the disc can return to the point of purchase for a new one. ... New Jersey rock act Thursday, who're currently composing material for the follow-up to 2003's War All the Time, want their fans to help them battle breast cancer — by designing a T-shirt, through the Shirts for a Cure Project. Proceeds from the sale of the winning tee will benefit breast-cancer organizations. It doesn't hurt that the winner will also get a boatload of autographed Thursday swag, too. Designs should be e-mailed to thursday@shirtsforacure.com before October 4. ...

Remember Jin? The onetime Ruff Ryders member declared "I Quit" a year ago, but now the Chinese-American MC is back with Emcee's Properganda (October 25), a 14-track album in which he asserts his love and respect for hip-hop history on songs like "Perspectives" and "Top 5 (Dead or Alive)." ... Alanis Morissette is putting out a greatest-hits album, and for her first single, she's planning to release the cover she did of Seal's "Crazy" for Gap's fall ad campaign, via a video she shot last week in Los Angeles with Meiert Avis. The Collection, due November 15, will include 19 songs, including tracks from her "MTV Unplugged" album and her contributions to soundtracks for "Dogma," "City of Angels" and "De-Lovely." "It was a torturous challenge to come up with the songs," she said. "Rather than seeing my songs as children, I view them as rooms in the big house that is my life. All of them are a snapshot of a period of time and a passage in my life." The Collection will also include behind-the-scenes footage, while a limited-edition two-disc set will feature an hour-long documentary. ...

A tribute album to late singer Elliott Smith, To Elliott From: Portland, is slated for release on February 7. Among the acts contributing covers to the set are the Decemberists, Helio Sequence, the Thermals, Crosstide and more. Elliott's former roommate, singer/songwriter Sean Croghan, covers the previously unreleased song "Hard Times." Ten percent of proceeds will go to the Elliott Smith Foundation's Free Arts for Abused Children program. ... Ozomatli, Blackalicious and Fishbone are among the acts that will perform at a Sublime tribute show on October 24 at the Music Box @ Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles. Members of Sublime and other special guests will also take the stage. All proceeds will go to MusiCares' Musicians Assistance Program and hurricane relief efforts. ...

As if MySpace wasn't mind-numbingly addictive enough, the masterminds behind the leading online gathering place have announced several new features geared toward its college crowd. Current students, as well as alumni, will now have the ability to rate their professors, list their courses, link up with classmates and proudly display their Greek affiliation on their user profiles. And for you naughty kids who like to jones on your professor, you can now rate them on a hotness scale. ... Reel Big Fish's Scott Klopfenstein has been hospitalized in New Zealand, where he'll remain for an indefinite period of time. Doctors there have been running tests on the multi-instrumentalist and singer, according to the band's manager. Signs of Klopfenstein's condition first emerged a few weeks back, in the form of partial paralysis and blurred vision. At this point, doctors have determined his illness could be one of two things: Guillain-Barré or Miller Fisher syndrome, both being rare, acquired nerve diseases characterized by abnormal muscle coordination, paralysis of the eye muscles, absence of the tendon reflexes, generalized muscle weakness and respiratory failure — all of which could be preceded by a viral illness. Reel Big Fish will continue to tour Australia and will play in Hawaii on October 10. ...

09.29.2005

Atlanta's Philips Arena was the site of the Heal the Hood charity concert a few weeks ago, and now Usher has announced he'll hit the venue for another benefit show. Usher has named his concert Project Restart and is calling on some of his friends who are major in the game to perform as well. The proceeds from the show, set for October 9, will go to the victims of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. Five thousand of the storms' evacuees who have relocated to Georgia will be given free tickets. Usher is also planning to enlist a few corporations to help find homes for 1,000 families who lost their residences in the hurricanes. ...

Britney's done it, Paris has done it, heck, even Beyoncé's done it — and now it's Hilary Duff's turn. The just-turned-18 singer is planning to launch a line of fragrance products next fall in conjunction with Elizabeth Arden, which previously partnered with Britney Spears on her Curious and Fantasy scents. "I love wearing a beautiful fragrance and don't feel completely dressed without one," Duff said. "I love to layer my fragrances with perfumes, body gels and dusting powders." She said she's looking forward to creating a line that is "fresh and innovative," that "everyone will enjoy wearing, including me." ... The leaked Fugees single "Be Easy" has a new name — the group is now calling it "Take It Easy." The trio's upcoming as-yet-untitled album is slated for release in early 2006. ...

Trina is readying her third studio album, Glamorest Life, due October 4. Her rep says it's "all about the best in life" as well as the rapper's "most personal work to date." It's also pretty stacked with guest appearances. Songs include first single "Here We Go" featuring Kelly Rowland, "Sexy Girl" featuring Snoop Dogg, "Don't Trip" featuring Lil' Wayne, "Shake" featuring Lil Scrappy and "Da Club" featuring Mannie Fresh. ... Despite tabloid suggestions to the contrary, Pink insists that she's not pregnant. "I might look like it, but I'm not," she wrote in a letter to fans on her Web site. She also wrote that she's still putting "finishing touches, tweaks here and there" on her new album. "I will settle for nothing less than my twisted perfection. (I think you all won't settle either)." As for her live DVD, she said she plans to release it with the album next year. ...

According to a post on Nine Inch Nails' Web site from frontman Trent Reznor, the group's drummer, Jerome Dillon, is in the hospital — his second stay this month. No further information was available at press time. "Just spent the day discussing touring up through next summer, then played our asses off to the least responsive audience I can ever remember playing to," Reznor wrote. "As I'm walking to the bus to leave Sacramento as soon as I can, I learn Jerome is back in the hospital. I have no idea what this means." ... Rob Zombie, Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell, Alice in Chains' Jerry Cantrell, former Marilyn Manson guitarist John 5, and former Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones will join Dave Navarro's covers band, Camp Freddy, on Thursday night (September 29) for a gig at Hollywood's Key Club. Proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross New Orleans Relief Fund. ...

In what has become a monthly occurrence, the Recording Industry Association of America has announced its latest round of copyright-infringement lawsuits against alleged Internet pirates. This round targeted 757 individuals for illegally distributing music on services such as eDonkey, Grokster and Kazaa. Among those sued are students at 17 universities. In addition to the "John Doe" suits, 163 lawsuits were filed against named defendants earlier this month. ... Ex-Breaking Benjamin drummer Jeremy Hummel is suing his former bandmates, claiming he was unceremoniously booted him from the group and hasn't been paid the royalties he's due. According to the Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader, the suit, which seeks more than $8.25 million in damages, claims that back in March 2004, Hummel asked the band if he could take paternity leave for four to six weeks; he wanted to be with his wife for the birth of their first child. That request was granted, and Breaking Benjamin hired a substitute drummer. Seven months later, Hummel, who was still on paternity leave, got a call telling him he was out. The suit also claims Hummel doesn't receive profits from the band's second EP or for the two tracks Breaking Benjamin recorded for the "Halo 2" and "National Treasure" soundtracks. ...

Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood is planning to pen a memoir as soon as he's done with the group's current tour. Wood just inked a deal with Macmillan, after submitting a sample chapter and putting the project up for auction; the final bid reached seven figures. ... Adam Ant is also working on a memoir. Ant recently got a book deal for his autobiography, which he's calling "Stand and Deliver," with U.K. publisher Sidgwick and Jackson, who plan to put it out next fall. ... Now that Sinéad O'Connor's putting out her first reggae record, Throw Down Your Arms (October 4), she's going to head out on the road to support it with her first U.S. tour in seven years. Since her production team of Sly & Robbie were so instrumental in getting her to take on songs by Burning Spear, Peter Tosh, Lee "Scratch" Perry and Bob Marley, she's bringing them along with her as her backing band. O'Connor's 10-day trek kicks off November 28 in Minneapolis and wraps December 10 in Philadelphia. ...

Happy Mondays filmed a show in Barcelona, Spain's Razzmatazz club last December, and now the show is coming out on DVD. "Happy Mondays Live in Barcelona," due October 4, also includes soundcheck footage and an interview with frontman Shaun Ryder. ... Not to be outdone, fellow Brit band the Wonder Stuff are releasing a DVD of their own, called "Construction for the Modern Vidiot," also due October 4. This one includes footage from shows from 2000 through 2002 throughout England, including the Fleadh Festival and the Longest Day, as well as behind-the-scenes footage of "a life of doing the gigs for the very sake of doing the gigs, and nothing else." ...

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Elliott Smith, Polyphonics Bring Balance To 'Thumbsucker' Soundtrack

16 Aug 2005 02:29:00 EDT

Polyphonic Spree completed film's unfinished score after Smith's death in 2003.
By Rodrigo Perez

Elliott Smith (file)
Photo: Anti-

When director Mike Mills began considering the music that would underscore his coming-of-age teen dramedy "Thumbsucker," he remembered a similar, albeit darker film: Hal Ashby's 1971 classic comedy, "Harold and Maude," which was scored entirely by singer/songwriter Cat Stevens.

Known primarily for his imaginative music videos for '90s hipsters (Air, Cibo Matto, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion), his graphic design and album art (Beastie Boys, Sonic Youth) and his affiliation with Spike Jonze's skate video crew, Mills was originally pegged as an ironist, but hopes the raw and emotional nature of "Thumbsucker" will clear the misconception.

Influenced by Ashby's movie, Mills sought a contemporary analogue to Stevens' folk-inflected songs, and settled upon indie-rock auteur Elliott Smith, who died of an apparent suicide in 2003 (see "Singer/Songwriter Elliott Smith Dead; Friends, Fellow Musicians Pay Tribute"). Before Smith's death, the director approached the singer about scoring his debut film, and to his surprise, the reclusive Smith agreed.

"Elliott has always been an artistic hero of mine," Mills said from his home in Los Angeles, noting that he'd met Smith in 2000, when he designed the artwork for the singer's "Happiness" single. "I gave him the script and I was shocked that he liked it and wanted to work on it."

Then Smith, who had well-documented bouts with substance abuse, dropped from sight at around the same time Mills cast the film and began shooting in Portland, Oregon (ironically, Smith's former hometown). Coincidentally, by the time Mills had completed shooting the film, Smith began his recovery.

"I gave the script to him, and then he dropped off the face of the earth," Mills said. "He went through his whole crazy time, but by the time I was done with the film, he was making From a Basement on a Hill [which was released posthumously last year] and I was shocked that he was actually making music."

The two reconnected and Mills screened a working version of the film for an enthusiastic Smith. The plan to score the film was revived, only this time the pair came up with the idea of recording a series of covers. "We didn't even know if we could possibly afford getting all the rights to the music," Mills said, noting that Smith had planned to cover Leonard Cohen's "Sisters of Mercy" and an unspecified Neil Young song. "But that was the goal. It was just a crazy idea, but Elliott was so into it."

Smith was no stranger to soundtrack work: He garnered an Oscar nomination for his work on Gus Van Sant's 1997 film "Good Will Hunting" and was approached by Wes Anderson to record Beatles covers for "The Royal Tenenbaums," though the collaboration never came to fruition (the film did use Smith's composition "Needle in the Hay"). The singer gave Mills a version of Big Star's ballad "Thirteen" (previously released only as a snippet in the Jem Cohen short film "Lucky Three") and "Let's Get Lost," a track that would eventually surface on Basement.

In the last few weeks of Smith's life, he completed a cover of Cat Stevens' "Trouble" for the soundtrack, which is believed to be one of the last songs he ever recorded. According to Mills, Smith also began work on a version of John Lennon's "Isolation" before he passed away.

Distraught over Smith's death and left in the lurch for his soundtrack, the filmmaker attended a show by the Polyphonic Spree — a group that includes a 20-odd-member chorus and performs wearing choral robes — that left him electrified and inspired.

"[The show] really changed all the molecules in my body!" he enthused. "Their performance just made me feel like, 'Why not be happy? Why aren't you choosing to be positive?' I walked out of the theater and [felt], 'That's what I want people to feel like in the film.' "

Galvanized, Mills approached Spree leader Tim Delaughter about picking up where Smith had left off. Soon, the pair were creating a new vision for the film that would combine Smith's vocal songs with the Spree's choral-driven orchestrations.

"They rescued me, big time," Mills said of the Spree. "In more ways than one — personally and the film's emotion. They provided the glue for the film."

To Mills, the balance of Smith's emotionally vulnerable covers and the Polyphonic Spree's inspiring score was the perfect balance for the film's tone. "The Spree is a lot darker than people [think], and Elliott was a lot more positive than most people associate him with being, and in a way they're both very Beatles-influenced, so it's all in a musical family."

"Thumbsucker" is due in theaters September 16; the soundtrack will arrive three days earlier and includes alternate and unreleased Polyphonic Spree tracks not featured in the film.

Track list for the Thumbsucker soundtrack, according to Hollywood Records:

"The Crash"
"Scream & Shout"
"Slow Halls"
"What Would You Let Go"
"Empty Rooms"
"Wonderful For You"
"The Rebecca Fantasy"
"Thirteen" (Elliott Smith)
"Pink Trash Dream"
"The Green Lights"
"Debate Montage (Compliments of Tripping Daisy)"
"Trouble" (Elliott Smith)
"Skinny Dip"
"Sourness Makes It Right"
"Some Of The Parts"
"Matt Schraam"
"Let's Get Lost" (Elliott Smith)
"Justin's Hypnosis"
"The Call of the Wild"
"Wait And See"
"Move Away And Shine"
"Acceptance"
"Move Away And Shine (In A Dream Version)"

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Ben Folds Salutes Elliott Smith, Hosts Weird Al On New LP

3 May 2005 09:07:00 EDT

Songs for Silverman is singer/songwriter's first album with a band since Ben Folds Five.
By Corey Moss

Ben Folds
Photo: MTV News

BEVERLY HILLS, California — If only iTunes charts meant as much as Billboard charts.

"I'd be on the front of People magazine every week," Ben Folds joked. "I have a real disproportionate Internet fanbase. On iTunes, it's me and the Boss."

In "the real world," a.k.a. record stores, though, Folds has pretty much tossed in the towel.

"You don't have to walk in the mall for very long to realize I'm not really in that world," Folds said during a promotional trip to Los Angeles last week that included, of all things, an in-store performance at Virgin Records. "The misconception is that because I write accessible music that I must be mainstream, but there's nothing mainstream anymore about being accessible. ... There has to be a story, and I got no story. Maybe I need to go out and date an actress or something."

Instead, Folds embraces his un-hipness outside of the Internet. For instance, the only known collaborator on his new album, Songs for Silverman, is parody specialist "Weird Al" Yankovic, who harmonizes with Folds on the ballad "Time."

"I love Al, but I know that doesn't add credibility in the indie world to have Al Yankovic singing on backup vocals," confessed Folds, who has been friends with Yankovic since the comedian directed his "Rockin' the Suburbs" video. "I don't give a sh--. He's a great singer. I don't collaborate with anyone for profile or cross-pollination marketing or whatever it is they call it. If I know someone that's talented, whether they're famous or not, then yeah."

Folds certainly demonstrated this philosophy last year, when he co-wrote and produced William Shatner's first album in 36 years and then toured with the actor. At the same time, he also won indie credibility by forming the Bens with Ben Kweller and Ben Lee — although he was careful to end the project before it became too big.

The singer/songwriter is taking the same downplayed approach to "Late," a heartfelt tribute to Elliott Smith on Songs for Silverman that could easily garner the same type of cred.

"I'm going to hit a period pretty soon where I don't talk about that song and let it explain itself," Folds said. "I've always had an allergy to someone who goes, 'Oh, I don't want to explain my songs,' but in this case, he's got friends and family, and I don't need to be the multimedia spokesman for the death of someone I knew for a couple of weeks. I really loved his music and I thought he was a great guy. And I was moved to write a song for him."

Aside from "Late," Songs for Silverman, like the Ben Folds Five records and Folds' debut solo album, Rockin' the Suburbs, mostly chronicles his conventional suburban life. Although he has covered Dr. Dre's "Bitches Ain't Sh--" (an iTunes favorite), Folds is about as gangsta as, well, Yankovic.

"You don't sell sh-- for records by saying, 'Yeah, I'm 38 years old and I've got kids,' " Folds said. "That's death. But if it's the truth, then which death do you want to die? The bullsh-- death that's like, 'I'm going to be 25 years old for the rest of my life,' or the truth death. I'll take the truth death. And they can all f--- themselves."

The truth is that Folds loves his kids. He wrote "Still Fighting It" on Rockin' the Suburbs for his son, Louie, and "Gracie" from Songs for Silverman for his daughter.

"I write songs for a very small audience. In that case it was for one," Folds said. "A lot of times it's for no one; it's for me. Everyone has similar experiences, so I don't really write to the universal. 'Gracie' is a good example of that. It's just for Gracie. The first line is, 'I saw you when you came out.' That's a pretty graphic line for a kid, but I knew she'd think that is funny."

"Landed," the first single from Songs for Silverman — Folds' first album with a band since Ben Folds Five broke up — is about a close friend's divorce.

"He went through a really, really rough time with his horrible witch of a wife and then he got out of it," Folds explained. " 'Landing' just refers to his flight back to his hometown and so him coming back to being himself."

Don't expect to hear the song on the radio, though, Folds said, even if it is a top download on the Internet. Fans can also hear the track and others from Songs for Silverman live this summer on a tour with Rufus Wainwright.

The title of the trek? The Odd Men Out Tour.

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New Releases: Jimmy Eat World, Wyclef Jean, Michael Jackson, Elliott Smith, Riddlin' Kids & More

18 Oct 2004 08:53:00 EDT

Mix Master Mike, Killing Joke, Le Tigre also have albums due.
By Alyssa Rashbaum

Jimmy Eat World (file)
Photo: Kevin Scanlon

Jimmy Eat World have seen the future, and it looks atmospheric, textured and moody.

Three years after the release of their breakout album, Bleed American (renamed Jimmy Eat World after September 11), emo rockers Jimmy Eat World are unleashing a new sound onto fans with their fourth album, Futures.

Wyclef Jean is shaking up his signature sound as well, with the release of his Sak Pasé Presents Welcome to Haiti: Creole 101. The album — in which 'Clef raps in both English and Creole, the native language of Haiti — features rhymes layered over Haitian beats.

The major change associated with Michael Jackson's new release isn't so much a change in sound or style as a slight sway in media attention toward a Jackson news item unrelated to his current legal battles. The Ultimate Collection contains four audio CDs with 57 singles, album tracks, rarities and previously unreleased recordings, as well as a live concert DVD of Jackson's October 1992 concert at Bucharest's National Stadium.

Almost a year after his death, Elliott Smith's final album, From a Basement on the Hill, will be released in stores. Smith had nearly completed the album before he died from knife wounds in his Los Angeles apartment on October 21, 2003, so producer Rob Schnapf and onetime girlfriend Joanna Bolme picked up the remaining pieces to complete the release.

Also out this week are albums by the Music (Welcome to the North); Riddlin' Kids (Stop the World); Mix Master Mike (Bangzilla), Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (Ruin Jonny's Bar Mitzvah); Le Tigre (This Island); Killing Joke (For Beginners); the Zutons (Who Killed the Zutons?); and Twisted Sister (Still Hungry).

And what would the impending Christmas season be without William Hung's Hung for the Holidays?

Out Tuesday, October 19:

3 Inches of Blood - Advance and Vanquish (Roadrunner)
Jello Biafra with the Melvins - Never Breathe What You Can't See (Alternative Tentacles)
Bizzy Bone - Alpha & Omega (Bungalo)
Castanets - Cathedral (Asthmatic Kitty)
Daydream Nation - Bella Vendetta (Elephant Stone/Parasol)
Daysend - Severance (Metal Blade)
Diecast - Tearing Down Your Blue Skies (Century Media)
Dosh - Pure Trash (Anticon)
From a Second Story Window - Not One Word Has Been Omitted (Metal Blade)
The Game - Untold Story (Koch)
Doug Gillard - Salamander (Pink Frost/Big Takeover)
Golem - Homesick Songs (Aeronaut)
Gourds - Blood of the Ram (Eleven Thirty)
A. Graham and the Moment Band - The Tyrant Is Free (Sonic Unyon)
Pat Green - Lucky Ones (Universal)
William Hung - Hung for the Holidays (Koch)
Isis - Panopticon (Ipecac)
Michael Jackson - The Ultimate Collection (Sony)
Read: "Michael Jackson's Ultimate Box Set Has Demos, Hits, Live DVD"
Wyclef Jean - Sak Pasé Presents Welcome to Haiti: Creole 101 (Koch)
Jimmy Eat World - Futures (Interscope)
Read: "Jimmy Eat World Say If You Don't Like Futures Right Away, Don't Bother"
Buy Now: Futures (Interscope)
Jin - The Rest Is History (Ruff Ryders/Virgin)
Kid Dakota - The West Is the Future (Chair Kickers')
Killing Joke - For Beginners (Astralwerks)
Last Burning Embers - Lessons in Redemption (Pink Frost/Big Takeover)
Le Tigre - This Island (Universal)
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - Shake the Sheets (Lookout!)
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Ruin Jonny's Bar Mitzvah (Fat Wreck Chords)
Mix Master Mike - Bangzilla (Scratch)
Morel - Lucky Strike (Yoshitoshi/Deep Dish)
Mr. Criminal - What the Streets Created (Thump)
The Music - Welcome to the North (Priority/Capitol)
Neville Brothers - Walkin' in the Shadow of Life (Back Porch/EMI)
No Warning - Suffer, Survive (Machine Shop / Warner Bros)
Clive Palmer - All Roads Lead to Land (Dicristina)
Anders Parker - Tell It to the Dust (Baryon)
Pink Martini - Hang on Little Tomato (Heinz)
Riddlin' Kids - Stop the World (Aware/Columbia)
Read: "The Riddlin' Kids Might Need A Dose Of The Medication They're Named For"
Buy Now: Stop the World (Aware/Columbia)
Elliott Smith - From a Basement on the Hill (Anti)
Read: "Elliott Smith's Final Album Due In October"
Buy Now: From a Basement on the Hill (Anti)
Rod Stewart - Stardust ... The Great American Songbook Volume III (J)
Bettye Swann - Bettye Swann (Astralwerks)
Luke Temple - Luke Temple (EP, Mill Pond/Parasol)
George Thorogood - 30th Anniversary Tour: Live in Europe (Eagle Vision)
Three Dog Night - 35th Anniversary Hits Collection (Compendia)
Twisted Sister - Still Hungry (Eagle Rock)
Voltress - Victim of Vultures (Cancer)
Yob - Illusion of Motion (Metal Blade)
Zutons - Who Killed the Zutons? (Epic)
Various artists - Enjoy Every Sandwich: The Songs of Warren Zevon (Artemis)
Various artists - For the Kids Too! (Nettwerk)
Various artists - Lif Up Yuh Leg an Trample (Honest Jon's/Astralwerks)
Various artists - "Alfie" soundtrack (Virgin)
Various artists - "Everwood" soundtrack (Nettwerk)
DVD: David Bowie - "A Reality Tour" (ISO/Columbia)
DVD: Willie Nelson & Friends - "Outlaws and Angels" (Eagle Rock)

October 26:

Nick Cave - Abattoir Blues/ Lyre of Orpheus (Anti)
Leonard Cohen - Dear Heather (Sony)
Donnas - Gold Medal (Atlantic)
Read: "The Donnas Take Charge With Gold Medal"
Simple Plan - Still Not Getting Any (Lava)
Read: "Simple Plan Less Simple On Second Album"

November 2:

AFI - AFI (Nitro)
A Perfect Circle - Emotive (Virgin)
Duran Duran - The Singles 1986-1995 (Capitol)
Various Artists - Now That's What I Call Music! 17 (Capitol)

November 9:

Britney Spears - Greatest Hits: My Prerogative (Jive)
Read: "Britney Fans, You Can Stop Speculating Now — Official Hits LP Track List Revealed"
Ruben Studdard - I Need an Angel (J Records)
Read: "Ruben Studdard Decides Christmas Just Isn't Spiritual Enough"
Vanessa Carlton - Harmonium (A&M Records)
Shania Twain - Greatest Hits (Mercury Nashville)

November 16:

Eminem - Encore (Aftermath)
Bon Jovi - 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong (Island)
Destiny's Child - Destiny Fulfilled (Sony)
Lil Jon & East Side Boyz - Crunk Juice (TVT)
Read: "Lil Jon's Crunk Juice Finalized; Usher, Luda, Nas, Snoop, Chris Rock On Board"

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Elliott Smith Casts A Long Shadow Over Earlimart's Treble

30 Sep 2004 09:36:00 EDT

Late singer acted as friend and mentor to California band.
By Rodrigo Perez, with additional reporting by Joseph Patel

Earlimart (file)
Photo: Palm Pictures

The first time Earlimart's Aaron Espinoza met his hero Elliott Smith, he was not only nervous, but embarrassed too.

"I had on brown pants, a T-shirt with a thermal underneath and a little beanie," the Earlimart singer laughed. "And it was like, 'Oh my God, I'm dressed exactly like him.' "

This chance meeting was at Earlimart's first show in Portland, Oregon, and over the next few years, Smith would become a friend and mentor to the group and their friends in the "Ship Collective," which also includes fellow Californians Grandaddy.

But Earlimart have a history of being saddled with tragedy (see "Earlimart Lose Friend In Aaliyah Crash, Come Back Stronger After Breakup"). So when Smith died last October (see "Singer/Songwriter Elliott Smith Dead; Friends, Fellow Musicians Pay Tribute"), it was yet another personal heartbreak for the band.

"When [Smith] passed away, that definitely set the tone thematically on the [new] record," Espinoza said. "[His death] was going to be in the songs — there was no way around it."

Earlimart's third offering, Treble & Tremble, juxtaposes taut rock songs with atmospheric, melancholy ballads. At least three songs, "Heaven Adores You" (the album's first video), "It's Okay to Think About Ending" and "Hold on Slow Down" all contain lyrical references to their departed friend.

While Smith casts a long shadow over the album, Espinoza emphasizes that Treble also has bigger themes.

"It's a record about love, basically," he said. "And that's a broad thing — like loss of love, missing and gaining love, and all that. So yeah, maybe you might have one or two instances where [a song] will get you going in a certain direction, but it turns into a lot more than just that one thing."

That idea is perhaps best exemplified in "Hold on Slow Down," whose lyrics at first are about a budding relationship but soon turn toward their deceased companion: "Well, I miss you my friend/ Will I see your face again? And will you be smiling then?"

The group hit the road earlier this week, just as Treble & Tremble hits stores, and it's accompanied by guitarist/keyboardist Jim Fairchild, whom it has borrowed from Grandaddy.

"[Grandaddy singer/songwriter] Jason [Lytle] is writing and recording a new record, so the timing is right, but I'm sure at some point Jim will have to go back to Grandaddy and we'll all be crying. We'll have to fit in as much [of Fairchild] as we can in a year."

Incidentally, the band played a show in Los Angeles Thursday night where it shared a bill with Lytle. Earlimart's 35-date tour concludes in Austin, Texas, on November 20.

Earlimart tour dates, according to the band's publicist: