Johnnie Cochran and Jay-Z (file)
Photo: Getty

Attorney Johnnie Cochran, who rose to fame defending O.J. Simpson, died Tuesday (March 29) from a brain tumor, the Los Angeles Times reports. He was 67. Though he built his career fighting police misconduct, Cochran eventually became one of the most sought-after celebrity lawyers, helping P. Diddy fight charges stemming from a 1999 nightclub shooting, defending Snoop Dogg against murder charges in 1995 and representing Tupac Shakur in a 1993 sexual-assault case. ...

Usher is keeping it on, er, in wax. Visitors to New York's Madame Tussaud's have already been able to audition for a virtually snarky Simon Cowell and hear Beyoncé's wax figure encouraging them to shake their jelly as her backup dancer. Now Usher fans will be singing "Yeah!" at an interactive exhibit focused on the abs-master, whose likeness — dressed in an immaculate white shirt, jacket, baseball cap and signature "U" chain — invites guests into the exhibit, which looks like a music studio. As visitors pass through the multi-colored light beams, the sound system reacts by triggering different clips from the singer's songs. ...

When erudite, experimental rockers Radiohead want to debut new material, they make sure to do it in the most erudite, experimental way possible. Witness the events that transpired at this weekend's Ether festival at London's Royal Festival Hall, where Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke and guitarist Jonny Greenwood performed brand new compositions with the experimental London Sinfonietta orchestra. According to London's The Guardian, Yorke added vocals to the new tune "Arpeggi," and the full orchestra also performed two songs written by Greenwood: "Smear" and "Piano for Children." The Radiohead B-side "Where Bluebirds Fly" was also performed. ... Believe it or not, there actually will be an HFStival this year, despite there not actually being a WHFS anymore. In January, the long-running Washington, D.C., rock station changed formats, leaving the future of the HFStival — a summertime tradition for more than a decade — up in the air. But less than a month later, WHFS' sister station Live 105.7 began broadcasting WHFS on nights and weekends, and now it looks like it'll also be presenting the festival this year, scheduled for May 14 at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium. Confirmed acts include Coldplay, Foo Fighters, Good Charlotte, Sum 41 and Interpol. Tickets go on sale Saturday through Ticketmaster. ...

Courtney Love wrapped work in 2000 on the drama "Julie Johnson," which was a hit at Sundance in 2001, but it took this long for the film to find a home — it's now slated to premiere on June 1 on the gay network Here! (available via DIRECTV and DISH Network, and on cable in major markets). In the flick, Love plays Claire, who becomes more than friends with Lili Taylor. Taylor portrays the titular character, a desperate New Jersey housewife on a quest to revamp her life ("The OC" 's Mischa Barton plays Taylor's daughter Lisa). (Click for "Julie Johnson" photos.) Liz Phair contributed four songs to the soundtrack. ... Bronson Pinchot, Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth from "The Apprentice" and Pepa from rap duo Salt-N-Pepa are about to become roomies — they're among the new castmembers for the next installment of VH1's "The Surreal Life." These housemates for the fifth season will share quarters in a Hollywood mansion with former supermodel and "America's Next Top Model" judge Janice Dickinson, baseball slugger Jose Canseco, U.K. model Caprice and motocross madman (and sometime Pink boy toy) Carey Hart. The new season starts September 4. ...

Former Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus will be hitting six cities over 30 days starting June 5 in Philadelphia as part of what could barely be called a tour in support of his latest record, Face the Truth. Malkmus will hit New York on June 7, Cleveland on June 9, Detroit on June 10, Minneapolis on June 12, Los Angeles on June 14, and then take the next 20 days off before performing at New York's Battery Park with Yo La Tengo on July 4. ... Iconic British mope rockers the Smiths will serve as the subject of an academic symposium to be held at Manchester Metropolitan University in the U.K. on April 8 and 9, according to the BBC. The seminar, called "Why Pamper Life's Complexities," will consider the band's cultural, social, political and musical impact, as well as the influence of frontman Morrissey's lyrics on gender, sexuality, race, nationality and the imagination of class. ...

New Order will be playing four U.S. gigs in late April and early May, just prior to returning to Europe for a string of festival appearances, according to the band's Web site. On April 29, they'll perform in Oakland, California, with the Chemical Brothers before taking the Coachella stage on May 1 in Indio, California. On May 3, the band stops in Chicago for a performance, then heads to New York for a show May 5. ... Paul Westerberg is releasing his first solo-career retrospective, Besterberg: The Best of Paul Westerberg, out May 17. The former Replacements frontman is including 20 songs from his solo albums, tracks from movies, unreleased tunes, outtakes and B-sides. The liner notes will include a track-by-track commentary. ...

03.28.2005

Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie were spotted on the streets of London Thursday night dressed as a nun and the pope for a kabbalah party to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Purim, which commemorates the day Queen Esther saved the Jewish people living in ancient Persia from extermination. "Yes, she was dressed as a nun and Guy was dressed as the pope," Madonna's publicist, Liz Rosenberg, said. "Some Catholic groups are saying stuff, but Purim is a joyous holiday occasion. Madonna and Guy had a great time drinking and dancing. It's funny, because she said that she was happy that the pictures of her are out there because her father would be so proud. She said that when she was a girl she wanted to be a nun and she guesses that she's still a nun at heart." ...

Forget Xzibit, P. Diddy now wants to pimp your ride. The hip-hop mogul is extending his Sean John brand into the automobile industry with a new line of custom-designed aluminum rims dubbed "Sean John Wheels," according to The Associated Press. The rims, which are expected to retail for $700-$3,000 each, will hit stores next month. ... The bulk of her legal struggles behind her, Courtney Love may be back to making whoopee again, at least on film. The singer is in the running to play "Deep Throat" star Linda Lovelace in an upcoming biopic named after the infamous adult-film actress, according to Daily Variety. ...

The White Stripes' still-untitled follow-up to 2003's Elephant is due June 14, V2 Records has announced. ... If you can't wait to hear Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee's upcoming star-studded solo album, Tommyland: The Ride (August), just wait until you hear what the tattooed rocker has in mind for an encore. "My next album is going to be an all-dance record," he said. "I've been DJing a lot lately and I want to make one just for the club kids. I've been recording beats and I'm going to work on it after the Mötley tour." ...

Despite being one of the most celebrated acts of the college-rock era (or perhaps because of that), Dinosaur Jr. never performed on national television. But now that the band has re-formed with its original lineup — frontman J Mascis, bassist Lou Barlow and drummer Murph — to play a couple of overseas summer festivals, it's also going to make the leap to living rooms across the country when it performs on "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson" on April 15. The following night, J Mascis + the Fog, plus, as a press release puts it, "VERY special guests," will take the stage at Los Angeles rock club Spaceland. ... Between the time he spends with girlfriend Parker Posey, not combing his hair or recording his new album, Cold Roses, you'd think Ryan Adams would like to savor what little free time he has. But that's not the case. Because according to a post on Ryan-Adams.com, the messy-mopped troubadour will be hitting the road with his new band, the Cardinals, for a string of dates starting April 27 in Northampton, Massachusetts, and running until May 9 in Asheville, North Carolina. Cold Roses is due in stores on May 3. ...

Cave In frontman Stephen Brodsky has a new side project called the Octave Museum. The band features Brodsky on vocals and guitar, Johnny Northrup of Thee Electric Bastards on bass and Kevin Strongbow of Scissorfight on drums. The band's set to make its live debut in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on April 20. Meanwhile, a collection of mostly unreleased Cave In demos should hit stores this summer through the band's former label home, Hydra Head. ... Billy Idol is kicking off a tour to support his first album of new material in more than 10 years, Devil's Playground, starting April 9 in Philadelphia. In addition to new tunes such as "Scream," "Bodysnatcher" and "Super Overdrive," expect to hear fresh takes on classics "White Wedding" and "Rebel Yell." The 31-date tour wraps in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on May 27. ...

• "Julie Johnson" Photos

• Usher
• Radiohead
• Coldplay
• Good Charlotte
• The Smiths

Morrissey, April 2004
Photo: WireImage

NEW YORK — It is 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, the fourth of May. Usher's "Yeah!" blares out of Portebella, a clothing store next to Harlem's Apollo Theatre, one of the most hallowed musical sites in the U.S. The venue has hosted hundreds of memorable concerts throughout the past seven decades, mostly from the likes of Usher's stylistic forebears such as Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown and Jackie Wilson.

But right now, devotees of a very different kind of performer approach from either end of 125th Street. For tonight is the second installment of Morrissey's five-night engagement at the Apollo.

Stephen Morrissey, the 44-year-old former Smiths frontman, English resident of Los Angeles, and poet laureate of the sensitive and misunderstood, will release You Are the Quarry, his first album since 1997's Maladjusted, on May 18. And his psychopathically devoted fans are primed for both the album and tonight's show.

Phil Robert DeJean, 36, and Cherish Porter, 28, are among the first to arrive. "It's amazing that no one's here yet," marvels Porter. "Where are the screaming throngs?"

This is the fourth Morrissey concert that Dejean has attended since high school, and he has tickets for Saturday's show as well. He's decked out in checkerboard raiment, and quickly doffs his cap to show off a long cowlick that dramatically contrasts with his otherwise-tight buzzcut. "This," he declares, "is because of Morrissey.

"In the mid-'80s, he was my surrogate dad," Dejean, a teacher at Martin Luther King Jr. High School of Arts and Technology, continues. "He nurtured me. Being Puerto Rican and Haitian, people thought I was weird, but I hear his fanbase is growing in the Latin sector.

"I'm trying to get kids to be more into the arts and reading," he adds, "and Morrissey talks about Oscar Wilde and other writers, so to catch all the in-jokes, you gotta keep up. Somebody told me Andre 3000 is into the Smiths, so who knows when a Morrissey beat will end up on a Nas record? That would have me rollin'."

Dejean notes that Morrissey does not reciprocate any hip-hop love. "He does not like 'pop thuggery,' " he chuckles, imitating the singer's haughty speaking voice. " 'The G-Unit does not represent me.' "

Porter, a resident of Mount Vernon, New York, was introduced to Morrissey and the Smiths by Dejean. "Me and Phil were both brought up in very religious families," she says. "I think we both have a strong need for religious [guidance]. He's a reverent being. "

"I saw him in Las Vegas two weeks ago," enthuses Michael Short, 29, who adds that MTV should play Morrissey's new video for "Irish Blood, English Heart." "I happened to be there on business — I went by myself. I guess I could have brought a showgirl. He looks great and his voice hasn't changed a bit. He's the epitome of a rock star."

His uncle Joe, a beefy 39-year-old bartender, says he became a fan while attending Southern Connecticut State University in the mid-'80s. "Someone turned me on to [the Smiths' 1986 album] The Queen Is Dead, of course. Then the Smiths broke up. I first saw Morrissey in 1990 at Jones Beach [New York]. People attacked the stage, and he had to sing backstage." Short's favorite Morrissey lyric is from "Unlovable": "I wear black on the outside, because black is how I feel on the inside." "In the '80s," Short relates, "it was cool to be depressed and wear black."

Asked whether he thought Morrissey was asexual — the singer contended for years he was celibate — Short recalls an interview he read: "He said, 'I find sex to be sloppy.' I think 'sloppy' is a good word for sex! I'm heterosexual, but if I played for the other team, he might be the one to get me. If I met him, I'd give him a huge hug and a kiss, and that would be the start."

Sarah Williams, from West Hempstead, New York, entertains similar feelings. "I masturbate to his voice," she states. Today is her 21st birthday, and her fiancé, John Rizzola, 29, bought tickets for the two of them for tonight's show. She has never seen Morrissey — the man who has been her daily obsession since 2001 — up close, and she's sure that she will cry.

"My ex-boyfriend is a huge fan," she says as Rizzola, a Metallica fan, smiles indulgently. "I fell in love with the Morrissey and Smiths CD that he made for me. 'You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby' obsessed me. I downloaded his unreleased stuff. No one else comes close. I like Sarah McLachlan."

"You like 'NSYNC too," chides Rizzola.

"I don't know if he's asexual," she adds, "but I hope he's hetero so I can get my hands on him," adding that her fiancé would sanction such a liaison.

Exiting from an SUV in front of the Apollo are two high school sophomores from Ridgefield High School in Connecticut. Becky, a red-headed 16-year-old, wears a vintage, fluffy red dress from the '80s. Her mother drove Becky and friend Theresa, raven-haired, also 16 and wearing an antique skirt and combat boots, to the show.

"I read 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower,' a book about a boy named Charlie who's learning about music, relationships and high school," says Theresa. "It mentions [Morrissey's] song 'Asleep,' so I downloaded it off of Kazaa. I became dangerously obsessed with him ever since. I burned a CD for Becky," whose favorite Morrissey/ Smiths tune is "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out." "To me," Becky says, "it means that everyone has a soul."

Prior to their current infatuation, Becky and Theresa were chiefly interested in Rufus Wainwright, Belle and Sebastian, and "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." Other students at their school like Dashboard Confessional, but Becky says she considers emo to be "whiny. But Morrissey is so interesting. I like his ... what do you call it? A pompadour? A quiff! If he wants to be our friend, that's OK."

The throngs that Cherish Porter anticipated eventually make their way into the Apollo. It is very possibly the first time many of Morrissey's pasty-faced admirers have ventured to the venerated theater — or Harlem, for that matter. It's equally possible that for just as many, it will be the last.

At 9:05, after a short set from David Johansen, former frontman for '70s glam rock legends New York Dolls (one of Morrissey's all-time faves), and a spoken recitation by a disembodied female voice of various unhappy occurrences ranging from "oil slicks" to "gut-wrenching disappointment," the object of the crowd's affection, accompanied by his longtime five-piece band, hit the stage.

Sporting a cream-colored jacket and a lilac-colored handkerchief affixed to his belt, Morrissey swanned around to the strains of a new tune, "First of the Gang to Die," which was followed by "Hairdresser on Fire," which he punctuated by crouching into a pose reminiscent of Rodin's sculpture "The Thinker."

Throughout the next hour, he gestured grandly, graciously accepted the screamed plaudits of the crowd and wrapped his froggy tenor around evergreens like "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" and "Every Day Is Like Sunday," as well as new tunes like "The World Is Full of Crashing Bores," which he prefaced with caustic remarks regarding President Bush: "There he is, smiling, whereas I wouldn't get out of bed if I had days like he has had lately."

Finally, Moz launched into a turbocharged encore of 1983's "Hand in Glove," which culminated with him removing his shirt and throwing it into the crowd.

David, a 32-year-old Australian, had waited 18 years to see Morrissey. He summed up the feelings of many by saying, "He answered all my prayers tonight."

• Morrissey
• The Smiths

The Shins
Photo: David Ondrick

Some people think the world runs according to a grand scheme. Shins singer/guitarist James Mercer is convinced there's a plan — but he believes it runs counter to all common sense.

"Sometimes it feels like this perfect reverse logic runs everything," said Mercer, whose guitar-pop band released its full-length debut, Oh, Inverted World, on Tuesday. "It's as though everything were exactly the opposite of what it should be. That's when you get really frustrated with things — you know, situations where someone is attracted to the exact person they shouldn't be attracted to. It can be applied to a lot of things, like politicians — the better liar is really the person people love the most." Mercer knows a thing or two about the topsy-turvy.

His band — which manages a Kinks-y and Zombie-ish pop sound without devolving into the strictly retro — has its roots in the indie-rock outfit Flake, which formed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1992. They mutated into Flake Music, while Mercer formed the Shins as a side project in 1997 to concentrate on melodic tunes. When members of Flake Music left town, Mercer was left with a Shins line-up consisting of precisely the same folks who played in Flake way back when, only on different instruments.

While Flake preferred disjointed group collaborations, Mercer completes his Shins tunes before presenting them to bandmates Marty Crandall (keyboards), Neal Langford (bass) and Jesse Sandoval (drums).

"I work pretty hard at that — I like the transitions in good songs," said Mercer, 30, citing the Beatles' "Girl" from Rubber Soul (1965) as an example of perfect subtlety. "One of my favorite moments in songs is when they switch from verse to chorus." Mercer's interest in traditional pop songcraft is evident throughout Oh, Inverted World, where a melody might conjure either a hopeful sunrise or a damp, melancholy evening. The oddly titled "Know Your Onion!" jumps with crisp, lo-fi inspiration. "The Celibate Life" draws its strength in part from jangly guitar and harmonica as well as Sandoval's anxious, understated drumming on what sounds like a shoe box.

On "Caring Is Creepy" the band could be first cousins to '80s Brit hitmakers the Smiths. "In this generation, or at least the people I hang out with, there seems to be this aversion to any sort of real feelings," Mercer said of the track. "To give a sh-- is the opposite of cool. I guess that's where the title phrase came from." The Shins spent the early part of this year garnering acclaim at the South By Southwest and Noise Pop festivals. Later this month, they'll hit the East Coast for some dates with the Red House Painters. Mercer is planning a summer move to Portland, Oregon, while his bandmates will remain in Albuquerque. Although he's still a big fan of his hometown, he has struggled with its lack of a strong rock-music community.

"After touring the whole country with Modest Mouse, I realized that Albuquerque is pretty unique," he said. "You can be in a neighborhood in Portland and it feels like you're in Milwaukee, and the same goes for New York. Albuquerque is a poor city, with an Hispanic majority, which is the cool thing about it."

• The Shins
• The Kinks
• The Zombies
• The Smiths
• Red House Painters

Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce
Photo: Reprise

Drummer Mike Joyce and bassist Andy Rourke, one half of quintessential U.K. gloom troupe the Smiths, will make the Stateside debut of their new band, Specter, on Saturday in New York, according to a group spokesperson.

Five East Coast dates have been lined up to give the band, which takes its name from frontman Jason Specter and is rounded out by guitarist Will Carol, a chance to shop around their demo in hopes of securing a U.S. record deal. The band has previously played a handful of shows around their hometown of Manchester, England.

In what can either be viewed as a slap in the face for Joyce and Rourke or a blessed coming for diehard Smiths fans, Specter's Sunday show at New York's Don Hill's will be part of the second annual Smiths tribute night, titled "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" after the song of the same name which appeared on the Smiths' 1984 singles collection Hatful of Hollow.

In March, former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr joined ex-Crowded House singer Neil Finn for a series of guest-star-studded gigs in New Zealand (see "Neil Finn's House To Get Crowded With Radiohead Members, Vedder"). The Smiths' frontman Morrissey, meanwhile, has kept relatively quiet since being legally required to pay an estimated $1.7 million to Joyce for back royalties three years ago (see "Morrissey Loses Smiths Appeal").

Specter tour dates, according to Mike Joyce's Web site:

• 5/26 - New York, NY @ CB's 313 Gallery
• 5/27 - New York, NY @ Don Hill's
• 5/29 - Washington, DC @ Velvet Lounge
• 5/30 - Boston, MA @ Milky Way
• 5/31 - New Haven, CT @ Tune Inn

• The Smiths

Neil Finn
Photo: Zoren Gold

It'll be a crowded house indeed when Neil Finn takes the stage in New Zealand next month for a series of all-star gigs set to feature Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder and members of Radiohead as special guests.

The former leader of pop group Crowded House will share the stage of the historic St. James Theatre in downtown Auckland for a five-date run (April 2-6) that will celebrate the release of Finn's second solo album, One Nil, which is slated for international release April 9. No U.S. release has been scheduled.

In addition to vocals from Vedder, guitarist Ed O'Brien and drummer Phil Selway of Radiohead will join Finn, as will former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr and former Soul Coughing bassist Sebastian Steinberg. Other guests include Tim Finn, Finn's brother and former Crowded House/Split Enz partner, and singer/songwriter Lisa Germano on vocals, piano and violin.

"The concept for these shows is to invite friends whose music I admire to collaborate with me in presenting a week-long musical extravaganza which I optimistically expect to be a blast," Finn said in a press release announcing the shows.

"Given a bit of preparation time and careful planning, it should go far beyond the sometimes token nature of one-off all star shows." All of the guests are slated to perform along with Finn for each of the concerts.

• Neil Finn
• Pearl Jam
• Radiohead
• The Smiths
• Lisa Germano

For those dreaming about a possible musical marriage between Oasis and former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, dream on.

• Morrissey
• Oasis
• The Smiths

Morrissey has lost his appeal against a previous court action that mandated the former Smiths singer pays an estimated $1.7 million to ex-Smiths drummer Mike Joyce. The original judge, Judge Weeks, had ruled that instead of the 10 percent share of the band's profits that Joyce had received, he and bassist Andy Rourke were entitled to equal shares along with Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. Morrissey and Marr had previously cut themselves in for 40 percent each. Rourke was part of the original action when it was first launched in the late 1980s, but later settled for an amount just under $150,000.

According to British press reports, Morrissey launched an appeal of the decision saying that Judge Weeks had let his personal feelings cloud his decision. Morrissey's lawyers described the judge's actions as an "unjust and gratuitous attack" on Morrissey's character. Weeks had described Morrissey as "devious, truculent and unreliable."

Morrissey had maintained that he and Marr had been the songwriters and musical directors and had been in charge of the band's business affairs while Rourke and Joyce just played their instruments as the backing rhythm section. He said that the pair knew they would receive the lessor percentage. But the appeals court ruled that it was "simply unsustainable" that the members weren't working as a band of equal partners.

The Smiths broke up after five years together in 1987 when Marr left the band, reportedly over personal and musical differences with Morrissey.

• Morrissey
• The Smiths

Morrissey devotees will be eager to get their hands on an upcoming collection of rarities and unreleased material from the mope-ster that arrives this summer.

"My Early Burglary Years," which arrives on September 15, features a trove of B-sides and album cuts as well as Morrissey's previously unreleased live version of T-Rex's "Cosmic Dancer."

The upcoming release from the former Smiths frontman will come on an enhanced CD that also features his video for the 1995 track "Sunny."

Here's what fans will find when "My Early Burglary Years" arrives in September:

• "Cosmic Dancer"
• "Sister I'm A Poet"
• "Girl Least Likely To"
• "At Amber"
• "Pashernate Love"
• "I've Changed My Plea To Guilty"
• "I'd Love To"
• "Black Eyed Susan"
• "A Swallow On My Neck"
• "Michael's Bones"
• "Nobody Loves Us"
• "Reader Meet Author"
• "The Boy Racer" "Jack The Ripper"
• "Boxers"

• Morrissey
• The Smiths

A song penned by Echo and the Bunnymen singer Ian McCulloch and ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr has been selected to be the official theme for England's World Cup soccer team.

According to "NME," the song, entitled "(How Does It Feel To Be) On Top Of The World," was written by Marr and McCulloch five years ago and beat out tracks submitted by Blur, the Lightning Seeds and Pulp.

The Bunnymen had originally recorded the song for a BBC documentary series on soccer. Plans now call for "On Top Of The World" to be re-recorded, with vocals to be provided by a number of British groups and members of the U.K. soccer team.

World Cup '98 kicks off June 10 in Paris, France.

• Echo & the Bunnymen
• Morrissey
• The Smiths

Jan. 10 [12:00 EST] -- If misery loves company, then the upcoming Smiths Convention should be packed to the rafters.

The Pasedena Convention Center will reportedly host the February 23 event, which will mark the 10th anniversary of the mope-rockers' break up.

Fans will get the chance to meet former-Smiths Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke, who will be screening never-before seen Smiths' concert footage (including an early performance featuring Johnny Marr on vocals). One lucky raffle winner will be treated to dinner with Joyce and Rourke, and will also walk off with one of the band's gold records.

Smiths fanatics will also be treated to an auction of vintage Smiths goodies, a Smiths dance party, and a photo exhibit of the band.

The convention is scheduled to run from 2 to 11 p.m., and admission is $20. For more information, call the Smiths Convention hotline (818) 967-7811.

• Morrissey
• The Smiths

Artists Who've Never Been #1: Ozzy, Kiss, The Cure, More

• David Bowie
• Lemmy Kilmister
• The Smiths
• Morrissey
• The Who