Beyoncé (file)
Photo: Getty Images

Destiny's Child might be over, but that's not going to make Beyoncé stop the music. She's already planning on going back in the studio to do a single for "The Pink Panther" soundtrack, she told MTV Europe, and she's hoping to do more music for the upcoming screen version of the musical "Dreamgirls," which she starts shooting in December. "I grew up listening to the soundtrack and hearing about that play," she said. "I wish I could have seen it in the flesh, but they're redoing it, and I'm so excited. For the first time, I feel that I'm going to be challenged." But as far as a new solo album, don't hold your breath. "I'm not sure if that's going to happen [anytime soon]," she said. ...

Karl Mueller, bassist for '90s alt-rock hitmakers Soul Asylum, died on Friday at his home in Minneapolis at the age of 41. Mueller was diagnosed with throat cancer last year, and while he was an only child, his bandmates Dave Pirner and Dan Murphy are listed as his "brothers" in the obituary which ran in his hometown paper the Minneapolis Star Tribune. A memorial service for Mueller is set for Wednesday in Minneapolis. ... If you were upset last month when the White Stripes announced their U.S. tour dates — and conveniently forgot to include any on the East Coast — well, cheer up. Because on Monday (June 20), they rectified this slight by confirming a whole slew of new shows. The second leg of the tour starts September 8 in Milwaukee and makes stops in East Coast strongholds like New York, Boston and Atlantic City, New Jersey, before coming to a close October 2 with a hometown show at Detroit's Masonic Temple Theatre. Brendan Benson and the Greenhornes will serve as opening acts on various dates. ...

Paris Hilton, Wilmer Valderrama, the cast of HBO's "Entourage" and members of Good Charlotte and Linkin Park are among the celebs who have created custom sneakers that will be auctioned off as part of Reebok's Trick Your Kicks program. Bidding for each pair of shoes starts at $100, and proceeds from the auctions, ending Friday, will benefit the Forefront Organization, a nonprofit global network of human-rights defenders. Visit www.rbk.com for more info. ... Hilton is going for an '80s sound on her upcoming album, and she's got former Go-Go's guitarist Jane Wiedlin aboard to help her do it. The "Surreal Life" star told the Advocate (June issue) that the hotel heiress "has no attitude whatsoever" and "takes direction well." "I'm just happy to be of service," Wiedlin told the magazine. "I was so excited they offered me the job. I mean, come on, it's Paris Hilton!" ...

The Game's expecting quite a few players to show up at his party at New York's Quo on Tuesday night — because he's playing with them earlier that day. The rapper's joining members of the NBA such as Baron Davis (of the Golden State Warriors), Gilbert Arenas (Washington Wizards) and Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics) for an all-star basketball game, the annual Rucker's Basketball Tournament in Harlem. ... Nelly wants to help you lose some weight — he's releasing a diet version of his Pimp Juice energy drink, called PJ Tight. It's got an apple flavor like the original, but less sugar, so it's only 20 calories. And if you're interested, Nelly's also looking for fans to contribute the rhyme for the jingle; check out www.letitloose.com. You have time, though, since the contest doesn't end until October 20. ...

For all you "American Idol" hopefuls who didn't make it to Hollywood: The producers of the FOX talent show will be launching an online version of the program this fall in the form of an Internet radio station, according to Reuters. Contestants can upload their music to the service, called "American Idol Underground," for a $50 entry fee. Each track will be given a minimum of 200 spins, and listeners can rate it on a scale of 1-10. The top-rated tracks each month will be presented and scored by a panel of celebrity judges, who will pick the best performance in each musical genre. Prizes have yet to be determined, but don't look for a crossover onto the small screen — the online service will have no direct integration into the television show. ... Drummer Mike Chiplin, a founding member of U.K. rock outfit Lostprophets, has left the band. According to a statement issued by the group's reps, the Lostprophet "lads have all grown up together," so "the departure is an amicable one with Mike leaving to pursue other musical opportunities." The band is working on its third album, which should hit stores early next year. ...

In between playing the Philadelphia Live 8 concert on July 2 and their appearance at this summer's Lollapalooza festival on July 23, the Kaiser Chiefs will be playing three East Coast gigs with the Cribs. The first, at Philly's Theatre of Living Arts, is set for July 20, while the band plans to invade New York's Webster Hall on July 21 and Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club on July 22. Both bands will also perform at San Francisco's Fillmore on July 25. ... Deftones frontman Chino Moreno and his side project Team Sleep will be playing a dozen North American club shows with openers Idiot Pilot, beginning July 2 in New York. The band will hit Detroit, Nashville and Indianapolis before wrapping things up in Lawrence, Kansas, on July 18. ...

Madonna has picked a title for her upcoming documentary, a sequel of sorts to 1991's "Truth or Dare." She's calling the Jonas Akerlund-directed film "I'm Going to Tell You a Secret." ... The Used have hired director Kevin Kerslake (Velvet Revolver's "Fall to Pieces," Ryan Cabrera's "True," Nirvana's "Come as You Are") to helm the soon-to-be-shot clip for their next single, "I Caught Fire." ...

06.17.2005

No $575,000 lawsuit is going to keep Detroit badass Kid Rock down. The rocker is set to perform "America the Beautiful" at the Palace of Auburn Hills Sunday night, before Game 5 of this year's NBA Finals between the Detroit Pistons and the San Antonio Spurs. Naturally, Rock is a hardcore Pistons fan. ... Alicia Keys, Jermaine Dupri, Ice Cube, India.Arie, Ciara, Chingy and Twista are among those scheduled to attend the ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Awards on June 27 in Beverly Hills. Producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis will be presented with the Heritage Award at the event. ...

In anticipation of Don't Quit Your Day Job, his first album on Kanye West's new label, Consequence is releasing a retrospective mixtape called A Tribe Called Quence 1995-2004. Consequence, a protégé of A Tribe Called Quest, will also be heard in the coming weeks alongside Andre 3000 on the Q-Tip single "Sexy," with Cam'ron on West's "Gone" and on his own single, "Clockin' My Style." ... Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan have recorded a new song called "Unplayed Piano" that will be available exclusively through iTunes beginning Tuesday with all proceeds going to the U.S. Campaign for Burma and Burma Campaign U.K.'s crusade to free Aung San Suu Kyi on her 60th birthday, June 19. The only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient led an international movement to end over 40 years of brutal military rule in the Southeast Asian country of Burma. ...

Pennywise have set an August 9 release date for their eighth album, The Fuse. The first single, "Disconnect," which lambastes a media-obsessed culture, will arrive at radio stations next week. ... Canadian rockers Our Lady Peace, who'll be appearing at the Live 8 show in Toronto, will release Healthy in Paranoid Times on August 30. The album is the group's first new studio release since 2002's Gravity. In additional to the conventional CD release, a DualDisc edition will also hit stores, featuring an in-depth look at the making of the LP. ... Stellastarr* are putting the finishing touches on their sophomore album, Harmonies for the Haunted. The New Yorkers are planning a September release. ...

Less than a month after they announced they'd be going on indefinite hiatus, three members of Floridian beard-core pioneers Hot Water Music have forged a new group called the Draft. According to Hot Water Music's Web site, the band features guitarist and singer Chris Wollard, bassist Jason Black and drummer George Rebelo. They've lined up their first gig, which goes down July 4 at Common Grounds in Gainesville. Hot Water Music's other member, singer/guitarist Chuck Ragan, has "decided to concentrate on life off of the road." ... Cee-Lo and Sean Lennon are among the guests on Esthero's new album, Wikked Lil' Grrrls, due June 28. The Canadian singer will promote the album with a tour kicking July off 2 in Seattle and wrapping up July 31 in Detroit. ...

Taking a break from recording their fifth studio album, Ganging Up on the Sun, in Nashville, Tennessee, Guster will return to their hometown of Boston to perform two shows with the Boston Pops. The orchestra will play classical pieces that have influenced the band, including "G Major" and "Dear Valentine," before joining the group on Guster tunes. The shows are scheduled for June 22 and 23, while the album is due in early 2006. ... O.A.R. have enlisted former Talking Heads member Jerry Harrison (who has produced No Doubt and Live) to oversee their second major-label album. Parliament's Bernie Worrell will guest on the material, which the band will debut on tour this summer. ...

Boston's Irish punkers the Dropkick Murphys will release The Warrior's Code on June 21 before heading out on the road as the co-headliners on this summer's Vans Warped Tour. The record will include the songs "Wicked Sensitive Crew," "Your Spirit's Alive" and "Last Letter Home." ... Brothers Dean and Gene Ween are prepping Shinola, a collection of "scraps, throwaways and outtakes," according to the band's Web site. No release date has been set. ...

• Beyoncé
• Soul Asylum
• Game
• Nelly
• The White Stripes

Past "American Idol" contestants Clay Aiken, Kimberly Caldwell and Christina Christian will play a special part in this season's "Idol" finale on Wednesday. Aiken will host the Fantasia Barrino hometown celebration from Greensboro, North Carolina; Caldwell will host the Diana DeGarmo hometown celebration in Atlanta; and Christian will host the red-carpet arrivals at the Kodak Theatre. Jennifer Love Hewitt will introduce the opening of the show, which airs live on FOX at 8 p.m. ET. ... In other "American Idol" news, the producers of the show have teamed with Dick Clark's production company to bring "American Bandstand" back to the airwaves for the summer of 2005. The show, which ran from 1957 to 1987, will feature music performances. ...

Eminem's headlining gig over the weekend wasn't a concert, but the Detroit Hip-Hop Summit, organized by Russell Simmons and his Hip-Hop Summit Action Network. Eminem joined about a dozen other artists, including Young Buck and Lloyd Banks of the G-Unit, the Ying Yang Twins and D12, to speak to the crowd about the importance of voting. An estimated 4,000 people attended, all new voter registrants. ... Though she's facing court-ordered rehab or jail time on drug charges, Courtney Love is gambling that she'll be able to resolve her various legal troubles in time to hit the road for a summer tour. The singer announced a handful of tour dates with her new band, the Chelsea, on Friday, with the promise that more would follow. The tour starts in New Haven, Connecticut, on June 18, and so far runs through a July 23 date in Hollywood. "I'm finally going on tour with my all-girl band," Love said in a statement. "This has been my dream since I drew lipstick all over the Beatles poster in my room when I was 5." ...

N.E.R.D. have chosen a second single from their album Fly or Die. The song, "Maybe," features both Lenny Kravitz and ?uestlove of the Roots. A video for the track was shot last week in Los Angeles. ... Foxy Brown is bringing the high life to her more flush fans with a new line of furs. The coats made from mink, chinchilla and other furry creatures will sell for between $2,000 and $12,000. The rapper is also contemplating creating accessories for the line. ...

A spoof of Apple Computer's fluorescent iPod posters commenting on the recent Iraqi prisoner-abuse scandal started cropping up around New York last week. The posters aesthetically mimic the colorful iPod ads but promote "iRaq" with a silhouette of the memorable hooded prisoner hooked up to electric wires. The tagline reads, "10,000 volts in your pocket, guilty or innocent." ... Punk poet Patti Smith will tour North America, starting June 3 in Northampton, Massachusetts, and running through June 25 in Detroit. It will be her most thorough trek since 2001. Smith's latest album, Trampin', was released last month. ...

On Tuesday, the day their Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) drops, Slipknot will release a 7-inch red vinyl pressing of the single "Duality," backed with "Don't Get Close," their contribution to the soundtrack for the video game "MTX Motocross." Only 13,000 copies will be available, many stocked at Hot Topic outlets. ... Following their stint on Ozzfest, Slayer will hop aboard the fall installment of the Jägermeister Music Tour. Slipknot topped the bill for the spring incarnation, which wrapped up May 14. ...

Brides of Destruction bassist Nikki Sixx, who also plays in Mötley Crüe, knocked a Las Vegas fan out on Saturday night when he flung his instrument into the crowd and clocked the guy in the head. Paramedics arrived and carted the unidentified man to a local hospital where he was treated. His condition is unknown. Police were not called, and after a 15-minute break, a roadie came onstage and said there had been an unfortunate moshing accident, but that the band would finish the show. ... Billy Corgan has a new career: sports analyst. On Friday, the former Smashing Pumpkins/ Zwan frontman filed the first installment of "The Wrigleyville Report," a weekly morning show feature covering the Chicago Cubs for WXRT radio. Corgan will provide analysis of Cubs games from the previous week and look ahead to the upcoming schedule. ... The search for the very first recorded breakbeat, the holy grail of hip-hop, is the subject of an upcoming movie, "Kool Herc's Breakbeat." Music historian and DJ Max Welder traces hip-hop's history, from Jamaica to the streets of New York, in his quest to house the record in a museum. ... P. Diddy's done it again. He's further expanded his clothing brand name through a new partnership with Estee Lauder. Under the deal, the cosmetics company will produce new fragrances for the rap mogul's Sean John line. ...

Your little puppies at home can learn how to be a player under the tutelage of coach Snoop. Snoop Dogg is holding a one-day youth football camp for kids ages 7-14 on June 5 at the Arena in Upland, California. More info is available at www.snoopbowl.com. ... If you're holding tickets to Marc Anthony's Nada Personal Tour, there's something you need to know: The tour has been postponed until November. A spokesperson for Anthony confirmed that the singer would delay the tour so that he can turn his attention to his new salsa and pop albums. Fans who purchased tickets via phone or Internet will have their account automatically credited, while those who purchased them in person can return them for a refund at the ticket outlet. "I look forward to seeing you all soon," Anthony said. ...

Soul Asylum have been working together on a studio album in a bid for a comeback, but those plans have been put on hold — bassist Karl Mueller is being treated for throat cancer and isn't expected to be finished with treatment until July. ... After spending almost two weeks in the London drug rehab center the Priory, Libertines frontman Pete Doherty has checked out. Sources close to the band said the rocker left the voluntary clinic over the weekend and will play with the band soon. ...

5.21.2004

It seems like the door hasn't completely closed on Bill Ward. Two days after posting a note on his Web site (www.billward.com) claiming that he was as surprised as anyone to find out he will be replaced by Mike Bordin when Black Sabbath take the stage for Ozzfest, the band's original drummer posted a second note on Thursday saying he "received a positive response" from Sharon Osbourne and is moving ahead with negotiations. ...

Before she launches her summer tour, Jessica Simpson's offering fans a chance to get premium passes via a ticket auction on www.stubhub.com. Winners get tickets in the first two rows, T-shirts, autographed photos, VIP laminates and meet-and-greet passes, which will allow them to get their picture taken with the singer. ... Rakim is not done talking about his recent arrest for allegedly failing to pay child support, or about the troubles with his baby's mother, either. The MC has recorded a freestyle about the drama over the beat from the Ghostface track "Run." Expect the track, which DJ Kay Slay played Thursday night on New York radio station Hot 97, on mixtapes soon. ...

"A Raisin in the Sun," starring Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, is turning out to be Broadway's biggest success this spring. Though the production has received mixed reviews, it grossed $570,000 in ticket sales in the week that ended on Sunday, according to The New York Times. Normally, a successful play in New York will pull in closer to $200,000 a week. ... Diddy helped launch a new razor by Gillette in New York Thursday — by shaving some of his whiskers. He was given a commemorative version of the vibrating blade plated in white gold and encrusted with diamonds, courtesy of Jacob the Jeweler. The regular, non-blinged-out razor will retail for $15. ...

Add another tour to the summer concert calendar. Hoobastank and Phantom Planet are hitting the road together in July in support of their albums The Reason and Phantom Planet, respectively. No dates have been announced yet. ... While the MTV Video Music Awards move to Miami, the awards show's European counterpart is also headed South. The Europe Music Awards will take place in Rome, at the Tor Di Valle, on November 18. It marks the first time the event has been held in Italy since 1998's ceremony in Milan. ...

Alanis Morissette didn't have a scheduled performance at the Absolutely Fourth bar in New York on Monday, but gave one anyway — as "Tammy Reynolds." Dressed in disguise, the singer surprised patrons when she took the mic to sing karaoke. ... The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins has undergone throat surgery and is recovering well. The singer went under the knife for a hiatal hernia and acid reflux problems. If his recovery continues at its current pace, the Darkness will be able to play all previously scheduled North American dates. ...

A concert in Albany, New York, featuring Slayer, Slipknot, Killswitch Engage, Hatebreed, Chimaira, Superjoint Ritual, Shadows Fall and Life of Agony is under attack by the local community. A woman named Susan Balfour has distributed a petition to cancel the Aggressive Music Festival, which is scheduled for July 17 and 18 at the Glens Falls Civic Center. Balfour has traveled the region showing people some of the more graphic lyrics by Slayer, Slipknot and some of the other bands in an effort to build a support network to have the event canceled. ...

M.O.P. have been added to the second stage of the Projekt Revolution Tour. The outing will make 32 stops in North America this summer. Linkin Park, Korn, Snoop Dogg, the Used, Less Than Jake, Ghostface and Funeral for a Friend will also perform. ... Downset have postponed their tour because singer Rey Oropeza's mother is in declining health. Five shows have been affected — May 21 in Seattle through May 26 in Denver. However, Downset are still expected to take part in the Projekt Revolution Tour, which launches July 23 in Cincinnati. ...

Coinciding with the June 8 release of Sonic Youth's 19th album, Sonic Nurse, the band will also issue a DVD, "Corporate Ghost - The Videos 1990-2002." More than three hours of commentary and interviews accompany the 23 videos included on the disc. ... Former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman John Fogerty will tour this summer for the first time in almost four years. The tour will open on June 25 in Saratoga, California, and run through August 8 in Houston. Fogerty's first studio album since 1997's Blue Moon Swamp is scheduled for release by the end of September. ...

• Eminem
• Courtney Love
• Foxy Brown
• Slipknot
• Soul Asylum

Minneapolis outfit Soul Asylum will preview material from its new album, "Candy From A Stranger," by playing live at Sony Studios in New York City on April 13 and 14. The performances will be cybercast on the band's website at www.soulasylum.com on both days from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST.

Fans can also watch and listen in as Soul Asylum entertains a veritable media blitz of interviews with various radio stations to help promote the release of the new album, which is due in stores May 12, as well as its new tour, which is also slated to kick-off in May as well.

One song sure to be on the set list is the band's latest summer single, "I Will Still Be Laughing".

As we previously reported (see "Soul Asylum Surfaces With New Album, New Drummer -- Maybe"), the band recorded "Candy From A Stranger" late last year in Miami with producer Chris Kimsey.

The performances and press conferences will also give internet users a chance to see whether the band introduces Charlie Quintana as its new drummer or has tapped another replacement for Sterling Campbell, who handled the sticks on Asylum's last album, 1995's "Let Your Dim Light Shine."

Soul Asylum will kick off its tour with a radio-sponsored concert on May 2 in Charlotte, North Carolina and will then will make the rounds at other radio festivals, including stops in Washington, Dallas and Boston.

No other dates have been announced for Soul Asylum's spring tour, but we'll keep you posted.

• Soul Asylum

Soul Asylum are back in the spotlight with a new album and (we think) a new drummer. The band will be releasing "Candy From A Stranger" on May 12, and although he doesn't appear on the album, Charlie Quintana, one of the busiest drummers in the business, with credits that include Cracker, Izzy Stradlin's Ju Ju Hounds, Bob Dylan, the Cruzados and most recently Joan Osborne, is apparently manning the kit.

Sources close to Quintana say he joined the group after a tryout earlier this month in the band's hometown of Minneapolis that included a last minute live appearance at a local club. Quintana told friends that he was as surprised as anyone when singer/guitarist Dave Pirner announced to the audience during their set that he was their new drummer. Quintana added that the chemistry with the band is working well, and that he expects to continue as a fulltime member.

Still, a spokesperson for Columbia Records says that Quintana has joined the band only temporarily at this stage and will play with them on one-off shows during March. He's not confirmed as the permanent replacement for the amicably departed Sterling Campbell.

The new album was recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami late last year with producer Chris Kimsey (Rolling Stones, Gipsy Kings, Killing Joke) at the console. The record contains ten songs penned by Pirner (one co-penned with Campbell) and one written by lead guitarist Dan Murphy.

The band's previous release was 1995's "Let Your Dim Light Shine." Their last notable show together was entertaining flood victims at a high school prom in Grand Forks, North Dakota, last summer.

The members have been involved in a slew of side projects, however. Pirner wrote the score for the movie Chasing Amy, and played drums and trumpet (using the name "Reno") in the O'Jeez with Jessy Greene (ex-Geraldine Fibbers) and Kraig Johnson (Run Westy Run).

Murphy recorded an album with Golden Smog (see ) and toured with the Jayhawks. Bassist Karl Mueller did a stint with Babes In Toyland's Lori Barbero as house DJ at the 400 Club in Minneapolis.

• Soul Asylum

The alt.country project known as Golden Smog has just finished recording 25 songs for use on the band's next album, which should pop up later this year or early next year.

Big Star drummer Jody Stephens told MTV News Online that he joined the band (Soul Asylum's Dan Murphy, the Jayhawks' Gary Louris and Marc Perlman, Wilco's Jeff Tweedy and Run Westy Run's Kraig Johnson) in the studio for a six-day recording blitz that put the finishing touches on 25 tracks that the band started during a similar 10-day session more than a year ago. He said that with the exception of a few overdubs, the material is ready for the next as-yet untitled Golden Smog album, which does not yet have a release date.

The sessions mark Stephens' first studio time with the band, but he has drummed with Golden Smog in concert.

Stephens said that since everyone in the band has another prime gig, there's a refreshing lack of pressure on the group that comes across when they play together. "Because this is a part-time project, the key element is having a good time."

But will the band be taking that good time on the road to test the new material? "We may get together, as long as it doesn't conflict with anyone's schedule," Stephens said.

• Soul Asylum
• Wilco

July 1 [16:00 EDT] -- On Saturday, Soul Asylum played a prom at the Grand Forks Air Force Base, performing for students from two flooded out high schools.

The band decided to play the gig after students from Grand Forks High School and Red River High in East Grand Forks, Minnesota put in a request to its recording label, explaining that their initial proms were postponed due to spring floods that wiped away 90 percent of the area.

"The kids said that, by not having an end to their school year, there was no closure for their adolescence. Being in a rock band, I could relate to that," [800k QuickTime] singer Dave Pirner joked.

Soul Asylum's two sets included such favorites as "Somebody To Shove," "Runaway Train" [1.2MB QuickTime Video] and "Black Gold." The band also rocked out a handful of "prom songs," including Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" and Alice Cooper's "School's Out." [1MB Live QuickTime]

The band heads into the studio late summer to begin work on its next album.

• Soul Asylum

June 2 [12:00 EDT] -- Soul Asylum kicked off a month-long U.S. tour this weekend that will culminate when the band plays a prom in North Dakota.

No, the band hasn't hit the skids. They agreed to play for the students of Central and Red River High Schools in Grand Forks after the students' original prom plans were washed away with the spring floods that ravaged the state.

The prom has now been moved to a hangar at the Grand Forks Air Force base, and on June 28 the band will be on hand to help the students celebrate the end of another school year, and to forget the tragedy that the rain of spring brought to the area.

Before their prom date, Soul Asylum will warm up with a string of shows that began Saturday night in the band's hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Here's where else they'll be:

• 6/14 - New York, NY @ Fleadh Festival at Randall's Island
• 6/16 - Washington, DC @ 930 Club
• 6/17 - Richmond, VA @ The Flood Zone
• 6/19 - Charleston, SC @ The Music Farm
• 6/20 - Atlanta, GA @ Nike Farm
• 6/21 - Dubuque, IA @ Livestock Festival
• 6/23 - Columbia, MO @ The Blue Note
• 6/24 - St. Louis, MO @ Mississippi Nights
• 6/25 - Chicago, IL @ Cabaret Metro
• 6/26 - Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest at Leinie Lodge
• 6/28 - Grand Forks, ND @ Grand Forks Air Force Base

• Soul Asylum