Black Eyed Peas
Photo: MTV News

The Black Eyed Peas are probably happy that their latest, The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies), will be back on top of the Billboard 200 chart next week. But despite retaking the lead after falling to #2 last week, some of the "Boom Boom Pow" of the feat will be diminished in light of the fact that their disc was really the fourth best-selling album in the country last week.

Though the Peas sold 88,000 copies of their album, late pop superstar Michael Jackson would have pushed them down to the #4 slot if his albums were still eligible for the current charts. As it is, Jackson's catalog saw a remarkable resurgence after his death last Thursday at the age of 50: Three of his albums selling in excess of 100,000 copies, marking the first time catalog albums outsold the 200 champ. They were ineligible, however, for the Top 200 albums charts because they were released more than 18 months ago. (The one Jackson album that is eligible, a Motown double-disc released last August called Gold, does make the chart way down at #191, with sales of close to 3,000.)

While the Peas saw a 40 percent drop-off in business — even as their disc crossed the 500,000 mark in just three weeks — the bigger story was the precipitous plunge of the Jonas Brothers' Lines, Vines and Trying Times, which shed 72 percent of its business in week two and drops to #2 on sales of 68,000.

Making a very strong debut at #3 is critics' fave Regina Spektor, whose Far moved 50,000 copies, leading a parade of new titles in the top 10 that also includes prog-rockers Dream Theater with Black Clouds & Silver Linings (#6, 40,000), the "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" soundtrack (#7, 39,000) and R&B smoothie Ginuwine with Man's Thoughts (#9, 37,000).

The rest of the top 10 finds the Dave Matthews Band's Big Whiskey & the Groogrux King at #4 (47,000), Eminem's Relapse at #5 (47,000), Lady Gaga's Fame at #8 (37,000) and the "Hannah Montana" soundtrack at #10 (34,000).

Speaking of prog rock, wordy experimentalists the Mars Volta land at #12 with their knotty latest, Octahedron (30,000). Incubus take a major tumble with their hits package Monuments & Melodies, which shed 77 percent of its business from last week's debut to drop from #5 to #24, and indie favorites Dinosaur Jr. have a decent debut at #29 with the second effort from the reunited lineup, Farm (14,000).

Fans were clearly so jacked about the "Transformers" movie that even the score album by Steve Jablonsky sneaked into the top 50 at #49 (9,000). Further down, a re-imaging of reggae great Bob Marley's tunes for children, B is for Bob, bows at #77 (6,000). Punkers Alexisonfire hit #81 in the first week for their album, Old Crows/Young Card (6,000), and veteran R&B crooner Al B. Sure! makes a tentative return after more than a decade of musical silence with Honey I'm Home,, which debuts at #85 (6,000). "American Idol" finalist Michael Johns hit #97 with his first album since his 2008 run on the show, Hold Back My Heart (5,000).

Expect the Jackson activity to continue through next week, following the memorial services over the holiday weekend, as well as some new blood in the top 10 next week with an album from Brad Paisley, a solo album from Matchbox Twenty leader Rob Thomas and the latest from Wilco.

• Black Eyed Peas
• Jonas Brothers
• Regina Spektor

Regina Spektor
Photo: Sire Records

Here is a story about Prince, one that has been repeated to me several times and one I am therefore assuming to be true: He has no concept of time. Or, more specifically, he does not believe in the constraints of it. If the Purple One has something on his schedule for, say, 2:30 p.m., it will probably happen sometime around 11 p.m., or whenever he declares himself ready. Or maybe it just won't happen at all. Time does not dictate Prince's routine, because he refuses to acknowledge its existence. This is amazing when you think about it.

Regina Spektor is most definitely not Prince. But she is on the same time-management system.

To wit: I have interviewed Spektor three times. On the first occasion, she was profoundly late (so much so that she could've actually been considered early). The second, she was profoundly late and her handlers could not get in touch with her because, as it turned out, she had walked into a telephone pole. The third time was Tuesday, and once again she was late, and once again her handlers could not get a hold of her, though this time it wasn't because she had injured herself — it was because she had fallen asleep and missed her alarm.

I am not including this information to point out how "quirky" or "childlike" or "naïve" Spektor is — because, really, those seem to be the only three adjectives music journos use to describe her these days — but rather, to prove a point: Spektor's new album, Far, hit stores on Tuesday. It is the follow-up to her breakout Begin to Hope, which, if you've watched a TV drama aimed at the 25-54 demo, you've probably heard sprinkles of by now (Spektor, it should be noted, does not own a television set). And this makes Far a really big deal, not just for her, but her label, Sire Records.

And knowing all that, she overslept anyway.

"This is the one thing I would love to change about myself," she laughs. "Sometimes I have days when I'm really good at being on time, and then I fall off the wagon. All it takes is one time ... but sometimes I also think I feel too proud of myself when I am on time, like it's an occasion. So I should probably work on that too."

But she probably won't, because time is a very funny thing for Spektor, and not just when it comes to scheduling. Far is the follow-up to Hope in sequence (and expectation) only — the songs on it date from as far back as 2001 or as recent as five months ago. She didn't write, say, "Dance Anthem of the '80s" or first single "Laughing With" specifically for the album — she just had them lying around and figured now was as good a time as any to release them onto the world. She decided to work with four producers — Mike Elizondo, Jacknife Lee, David Kahn and Jeff freakin' Lynne — not because of their decade-spanning résumés, but rather "because they all seemed like humble, cool people." These are not how hit follow-up records are made — not these days, and really, not ever.

Which is good, because the jury's still out on whether Far will continue Spektor's hot streak. Early reviews have been mixed — most seem to find fault in the quirk (the dolphin noises she makes on "Folding Chair," the Germanic accent she adopts on "Machine"), while others miss the rough edges she bent her voice around on 2004's Soviet Kitsch. These are all actually fairly accurate criticisms ... I've listened to Far three times now, and I find myself noticing the same things; though, to be fair, I'm firmly entrenched in the Kitsch camp, as opposed to the glossier territory she explored on Begin to Hope. Then again, Spektor probably doesn't care about this at all. Actually, I know she doesn't, because she told me.

"I think people who really care about something they really like — it's natural to only want more of that. Forget about music, people feel that way about shoes. They go back to the store where they bought a pair of shoes three years ago and they now all have pointy tips instead of round ones, and they don't want any of that," she says. "I'm that way. I would wear the same pair of shoes until I'm 80 years old. But music is a breathing thing, and they'll always have those records. My job is not to make people happy, you know? 'Can I get you more to drink?' I'm not a people-pleasing housewife."

And at this juncture, her handlers break in and try to wrap up the conversation. Spektor is due to leave for Europe in the morning, and there's much scheduling to do. But before we go, I ask her about making music — twisty, turny, timeless and tangible music — in a time when none of that matters and everything is, essentially, completely and utterly disposable. She sighs and recommends a book for me to read, "The Lexicon of Musical Invectives," which she describes as "a collection of nasty reviews of classical music, from Bach to Wagner," then launches into a rant that one could describe as "delightfully quirky," if one were a lazy music journo, though I prefer "timeless." Or, rather, beyond the concept and constraints of time itself.

"I mean, in this book, it's music criticism from the 19th century, and they're ripping Tchaikovsky a new a--hole, but the thing that really gets me is that it's written so beautifully. It's nasty reviews in beautiful language, and that's what I want," she says. "My dad will forward me some of the stuff people write about me, and I think it's all bullsh--. It's all, 'Oh, this sucks, that sucks, blah.' I don't want that. I want you to write poetically about how bad I suck."

Questions? Concerns? BTTS@MTVStaff.com

• Regina Spektor

Lindsay Lohan in police custody in July
Photo: SMPD/Finalpixx

Lindsay Lohan pulled a Nicole Richie on Thursday (November 15), checking in and out of jail in less than an hour and a half, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Web site. She checked into the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, California — the same jail Richie and Paris Hilton were at — at 10:30 a.m., and she checked out shortly afterward, at 11:54 a.m. Lohan was fingerprinted, searched — without having to give up her street clothes — and then put into a holding cell in the inmate reception area, according to The Associated Press. "She was cooperative," Los Angeles Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore told AP. He added that she did not receive preferential treatment and said 30-50 women are granted early releases from the facility on a daily basis. Her brief, 84-minute stay in jail was related to her July DUI arrest following a bizarre car chase, and she had been ordered to serve her time before January. Lohan subsequently entered rehab and was released from the Cirque Lodge Treatment Center in Utah early last month. According to a People report, she began serving her community service at an American Red Cross blood-services facility in a Los Angeles suburb on Monday. ...

Alicia Keys' new album is all about self-empowerment, and it's no wonder why: The singer recently revealed to Entertainment Weekly that she has battled depression. When a family member fell ill in summer 2006, "It made me finally stop," Keys said. "Nothing else was more important — no work, no costumes, no anything. I was forced to slow down, look at my life and decide who I wanted to be. It all got very low at first because I was very depressed and I didn't understand why." After taking a monthlong trek across Egypt — during which she was only accompanied by a tour guide — and returning to the States, she promised herself that she "was going to be courageous enough to tell whoever is in my life what was going on. I became brutally honest. I would go straight up to people and say, 'Guess what? This is over. So what's gonna happen from now on is this: If you're feeling that, great. If not, bye.' Some people didn't like it, and they didn't like me being so clear and set on what I wanted. But I found that I took their power away." The issue hits newsstands Monday. ...

With her husband in jail, accused of trying to obstruct an investigation, the last thing Amy Winehouse needed was to have fans turn their backs on her. But according to BBC News, that's exactly what happened on Wednesday night, when the troubled singer played her first gig since husband Blake Fielder-Civil's arrest last week. Throughout Winehouse's show in Birmingham, England, the singer was reportedly crying, and "streams" of people walked out before the end. At one point during the show, she warned the boo birds, "To them people booing, wait till my husband gets out of incarceration. And I mean that." She later dedicated the song "Wake Up Alone" to Fielder-Civil, and while performing an encore cover of the Zutons' "Valerie," she reportedly stopped singing, dropped the mic and walked offstage. ...

Kanye West, who reportedly canceled his planned Thursday appearance at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on Monday, has also scrapped the kickoff to his U.K. tour, which was set for Monday in Amsterdam, Netherlands, according to CNN. Further evidence is found on his Web site, which does not feature the previously scheduled date in its tour section, although a string of other European tour dates (through December 4) are still listed. That includes his planned performance at the O2 arena in London on November 22, and CNN reports that the show will go on. Meanwhile, Will.I.Am has stepped in to fill West's shoes for the Victoria's Secret show, according to AP. West's mother, Donda, passed away Saturday. ...

Regina Spektor's sold-out Wednesday night show at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium was canceled shortly before it started after the singer collapsed. She "was taken to a local hospital after collapsing due to a severe inner ear infection which caused a sudden case of vertigo," according to a statement issued by her publicist. "Regina was released late last night and is resting comfortably. Regina is extremely disappointed that she had to cancel on her fans but will return to the Ryman on December 6th, where all tickets will be honored or refunded." Spektor has also postponed her planned Thursday show at the Tabernacle in Atlanta to December 5. All tickets will be honored or refunded at the show. The rest of her North American tour will continue as planned beginning Friday in Norfolk, Virginia. ...

What's the deal with Britney Spears running over people's feet? The singer did it for the fourth time on Wednesday night, according to a video on TMZ.com, as she headed into the parking lot at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. In the video, a man is heard warning the paparazzi as Spears begins driving her Mercedes, after which a photographer is heard screaming and the man responds, "Back off the drive, gentlemen, this won't happen if you back off the drive." The men are subsequently heard shouting at each other. UsMagazine.com reports that the incident took place at 9:30 p.m. Spears previously ran over a cop's feet and those of other photographers as well. ...

The deal is done: Jadakiss has signed with Roc-A-Fella, it was announced Thursday. His yet-untitled first album in four years, a collaboration between Roc-A-Fella and Ruff Ryders, is due next year. Jay-Z told Mixtape Monday late last month that the deal was almost done and that he had been in negotiations with Ruff Ryders to get the black Babe Ruth on his label through Def Jam. "Well, I've been actually trying to get Jadakiss to come to Roc-A-Fella/ Ruff Ryders for a minute," he said. Jada's last album, 2004's Kiss of Death, debuted at #1 on the Billboard albums chart. ...

M by Mariah Carey, the singer's new fragrance, is launching a Virtual Ford Model Search to find the new face of MTV's Virtual Hills. The campaign is being put on by MTV Networks, Elizabeth Arden and Ford Models. Starting Monday, viewers can go here to make their own customized avatar, and while in the virtual world, they'll be able to get beauty tips from Ford Models experts and given a virtual bottle of the perfume and Ford Models portfolio book. "With Elizabeth Arden and Ford Models, we're tapping into their twin drivers of fashion and beauty and creating a social campaign where they can seek status and project a confident sense of self with others," Courtney Holt, executive vice president of Digital Music and Media for MTV Networks' Music & Logo Group, said in a statement. In early January, models will be requested to flaunt their virtual acting abilities by posing with the M by Mariah Carey bottle, acting out a commercial for it, walking a virtual runway and competing in a virtual dance competition. The winning avatar, to be determined by reps for MTV, Elizabeth Arden and Ford Models, will be used as the face of a marketing campaign for MTV's virtual worlds, Ford Models' inaugural virtual-world model and will appear in a spot co-branded by MTV and Elizabeth Arden. Finalists will be chosen by an expert panel on January 14, and the winner will be announced on air January 31. ...

Game won a motion to retrieve $40,000 that was seized from his home in Glendale, California, in May, according to TMZ. The rapper (real name: Jayceon Taylor) got the legal win in court on Wednesday. Game is charged with three counts of making a criminal threat, possession of a firearm in a school zone and exhibiting a firearm in the presence of an officer stemming from an incident in February. The rapper, who is free on $50,000 bail, faces more than five years in state prison if convicted. ... According to England's NME, My Chemical Romance are down another man. Guitarist Frank Iero has reportedly dropped out of the band's world tour following Sunday's show in Newcastle, England, due to an undisclosed family member's illness. He will be temporarily replaced by guitar tech Matt Cortez, who previously stood in for bassist Mikey Way when he went on a six-month hiatus from the group earlier this year. The news comes less than a week after drummer Bob Bryar explained his absence from the band's recent shows due to a persistent wrist injury. The sidelining of Iero leaves the band with just three permanent members taking the stage each night. A spokesperson for the band could not be reached at press time. ...

Hurting to see the Foo Fighters? The wait is almost over. The band, which is still hammering away at its U.K. tour stretch, has firmed up six Stateside dates in support of its recent Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace album: January 23 (Dallas); January 25 (Memphis, Tennessee); January 26 (Nashville); February 18 (Worcester, Massachusetts); February 21 (Philadelphia); and February 24 (Detroit). Aficionados will be pleased to know that former guitarist Pat Smear will be back with the Foos while they're on the road — keyboardist Rami Jaffee (ex-Wallflowers) and violinist Jesse Greene are also along for the ride. A limited number of premium tix being made available through Ticketmaster auctions will benefit TreeBank, which plans to distribute the proceeds to local branches for tree-planting in communities the tour will hit. ... Velvet Revolver canceled their four scheduled concerts in Japan after immigration officials there denied the band's request for visas. According to concert promoter Creativeman Productions, the band was "looking forward to their tour of Japan [because] the upcoming trek was an opportunity to reconnect with their fans in Japan, where the band has toured before — without incident — back in 2005. But now it's a different story as [the band's] request for visas has just been denied. The increasingly tough Japanese immigration officials are taking exception with the backgrounds of various bandmembers, which have included arrests." ...

Kelly Rowland, Nick Lachey, Patti LaBelle and others have been tapped to create America's "greatest" choir for an upcoming competition show that will air live from New York over the course of four nights, from December 17-20. For "Clash of the Choirs," Rowland, Lachey and the three other celebrities involved in the competition will go back to their hometowns and recruit 20 singers, and the choirs will be eliminated one by one until the final evening. The winning choir and respective hometown celeb will get to choose a prize to be donated to their community. ... Carrie Underwood will sidle up alongside Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts and other country heavyweights for the 2008 Stagecoach country-music festival, which will be held May 3-4 at the same venue that hosts Coachella: Indio, California's Empire Polo Field. Another "American Idol" vet, Kellie Pickler, will also be performing at the event. ... Queens of the Stone Age have lined up a benefit gig that will take place in their native Palm Desert in California on December 9. Proceeds from the show, which will also feature their homies the Eagles of Death Metal, will go to Palm Desert High School, youth-outreach nonprofit Operation SafeHouse and other various Coachella Valley charities. ...

Ne-Yo, Vanessa Hudgens, Colbie Caillat and Katharine McPhee will headline the annual Christmas in Washington benefit show slated to air on TNT on December 12. ... Kelly Clarkson and Reba McEntire can't seem to get enough of each other. First McEntire welcomed the "American Idol" onto her recent Reba Duets album for a rendition of Clarkson's "Because of You." Then the two promoted it with an appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" that also featured Justin Timberlake. Now the ladies are hitting the road together for the 2 Worlds 2 Voices tour, which will launch January 17 in Dayton, Ohio, and wind down February 16 in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Billboard. ...

A judge in Michigan tossed a civil suit Kid Rock filed earlier this year after the rocker failed to appear for a court-ordered deposition. The rocker (real name: Robert James Ritchie) had filed suit against Kelly Ann Kozlowski, claiming she embarrassed and defamed him, but on Wednesday, Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Shalina Kumar nixed the suit and expressed her annoyance at Rock's absence, according to AP. "What's special about him? Why does he get to violate a court's order?" she reportedly asked of Rock's attorney, William Horton, after learning the musician ignored a deposition she had ordered to take place by the end of October. The lawyer blamed scheduling conflicts for the no-show. Kozlowski had sued Rock, claiming he roughed her up outside his Clarkston recording studio back in March. Her claims were investigated by authorities, but no charges were ever brought against Rock. Meanwhile, the judge entered a default against Rock in Kozlowski's complaint, which seeks more than $25,000 in damages. The ruling prevents Rock from contesting Kozlowski's lawsuit at trail in February. ...

Some rare Kurt Cobain memorabilia is up for sale on Craigslist. A seller claims to have gotten hold of four original, signed drawings the late Nirvana frontman made in high school, and he's selling them for $10,000 each, according to Harp magazine. The classified ad reads, "I have four original and signed drawings by Kurt Cobain. Various sizes, mostly Fender guitar-related subject matter. These were done when Kurt was in high school in the 1980s. Quite rare and unusual." ... My Bloody Valentine have rolled out a batch of concert dates after frontman Kevin Shields made the official reunion announcement in an interview broadcast Monday on VBS.tv. According to Billboard, the group will play three dates in the U.K. — June 20 (London), June 28 (Manchester) and July 2 (Glasgow) — and are mulling an offer to participate at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio, California, in late April. ...

Of Montreal and Battles have snatched up seven PLUG Independent Music Award nominations, including Album of the Year and New Artist of the Year. The Arcade Fire and Justice landed six nominations each while Band of Horses and the National nabbed five, and Spoon earned four. Radiohead, Animal Collective, Okkervil River, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Panda Bear, El-P, Om, Boris, Dan Deacon, Andrew Bird and others were also noticed. The awards ceremony will be held March 6 at Terminal 5 in New York. ...

Multimedia company Guerilla Union — which produces the Rock the Bells and Paid Dues tours — has donated $100,000 to Linkin Park's Music for Relief project on the part of the band and SanDisk Corporation, a flash-data-storage-card company, after staging an event over the weekend. The SanDisk Sunset Strip Block Party served as a launch for the company's new marketing campaign and other products, but also drew attention to the recent wildfires in the area. A handful of bands performing in various venues on West Hollywood, California's Sunset Strip were involved, including LP, Common, the Crystal Method, Z-Trip and others. ... Current and former members of Cave In, Jawbox, Isis, Sunn0))), Dälek and other underground acts have lent their talents to Decimal, the new album by Ringfinger. At the center of the project is Tracy Wilson, who previously sung for now-disbanded group Dahlia Seed. ...

A former Paris Hilton business partner has been arrested on rape charges, according to Florida's Orlando Sentinel. Fereidoun "Fred" Khalilian, the heiress' former partner in Orlando's Club Paris, turned himself in to police on Wednesday after his home was raided by a police SWAT team earlier in the day. He faces charges of false imprisonment and sexual battery stemming from an incident on Friday. ... Lindsay Lohan's father, Michael, is planning to open a restaurant that his daughter "can be around people she can trust — where she can hang her hat and call her own," according to People. He is reportedly looking for a location in Los Angeles for the restaurant, for which he said Lindsay will be part-owner, although the opening date and menu are not yet known. Michael Lohan has another item on his agenda: He's participating in the ninth annual Great Thanksgiving Banquet for homeless people at the New York City Rescue Mission on Monday. Meals will be served from noon until 7 p.m., and 1,000 shelter-based homeless people are expected to attend. ...

According to an interview with HHNLive.com, Flipmode Squad member Rampage said the group founded and relentlessly hyped on wax by Busta Rhymes has abandoned its name and is no longer working with Busta. He said the group is now just "Rah Digga, Baby Sham, Spliff Starr and myself. We just changed the name of the group, and it's now called FMS. ... We just decided to do our own thing. ... It's not under Flipmode anymore. It's under FMS, [which] stands for Famous Millionaire Squad."

11.14.2007

Jack White went all out for the new White Stripes video, for their third Icky Thump single, "Conquest." In preparation for the clip — which is in keeping with the song's Spanish theme — he actually trained with Dennis Borba, a noted bullfighter. The video will debut November 26 on MTV and was shot over two days in Artesia, California, by director Diane Martel (Ciara, the Killers). The group's cover of the song made popular by Patti Page — the tune also appears in a recent eBay TV ad — is also coming out in the form of four singles, which is giving the duo the chance to bust out some new music they recorded with Beck. There are three different-colored vinyl versions of the single, and the B-sides for each are as follows: "It's My Fault for Being Famous," for which Beck contributed vocals and piano (black); "Honey, We Can't Afford to Look This Cheap," for which Beck played slide guitar (white); and "Cash Grab Complications on the Matter" (red). Beck co-produced all three songs during a recording session in his living room. The digital maxi-single has all three tracks plus an acoustic mariachi version of "Conquest." The vinyl singles, due December 18, also come with a matador trading card and a poster. ...

To be expected, Kanye West has canceled his planned performance at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, according to "Entertainment Tonight." The event is scheduled to tape Thursday and air December 4 on CBS. West's mother, Donda, passed away on Saturday. ...

Amy Winehouse's U.K. tour will start Wednesday (November 14) as planned despite the recent troubles surrounding her husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, BBC News reports. The singer, who canceled shows over the summer due to "health issues," will begin the trek at Birmingham's National Indoor Arena. Singer/songwriter Remi Nicole, who is supporting Winehouse at the show, told the news outlet, "All I know is it's going ahead. She's professional and she knows what she's got to do. I'll be there to support her. If it was my husband, I'd be a bit upset." The tour will end with a two-night stand at the Carling Brixton Academy in London on December 16-17. As for the other matter, The Daily Mirror reports that Winehouse visited Fielder-Civil on Tuesday for the first time since he was refused bail on Saturday. His trial on allegations of "perverting the court of justice," or the U.S. equivalent of obstruction of justice, begins November 23, and he could face life in prison. ...

First Ghostface Killah got his very own action figure — and now he's telling fans how they can live just like him with a new book, "The World According to Pretty Toney." The MTV Press volume, which revolves around Ghost's alter ego, "offers nuggets of street wisdom [on] livin', hustlin', lovin', eatin', and the all-encompassing Toneology," according to a press release. The January 8 book, co-written with J. Brightly, also comes with a bonus CD with 20 minutes of Pretty Toney tunes related to the themes in the book. Keep an eye out for new Pretty Toney airing in December on MTV2 as well. ... Los Angeles rock radio station KROQ has unveiled the list of performers for the second day of its annual Almost Acoustic Christmas shows. Muse, Feist, Jimmy Eat World, Modest Mouse, Silversun Pickups, Spoon and the Shins are all on the bill for the December 9 shindig, which will take place at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California. Linkin Park, Angels & Airwaves, Avenged Sevenfold and others will light up the December 8 show. ...

Matt Damon is the Sexiest Man Alive, People declares with its 2007 issue of the same name. "You gave an aging suburban dad the ego boost of a lifetime," he said in a statement issued to the mag. Justin Timberlake, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Will Smith, Javier Bardem, Ben Affleck and others make the cut on the Hot List; while Milo Ventimiglia, Josh Duhamel, Taye Diggs and others were named "Simply Sexy." The Rock, Rainn Wilson ("Year of the Nerd"), George Clooney and others also appear in the issue, which streets Friday. ... Affleck, Eva Mendes and Reese Witherspoon want to make sure you have health insurance. The actors — along with Jeremy Piven, Joaquin Phoenix and others — have joined forces for a new public-service announcement calling for "affordable, quality health care for all Americans," according to a press release. The ad, a joint effort between the AARP, the Entertainment Industry Foundation and the Motion Picture & Television Fund, rolled out on Tuesday. ...

Don Imus isn't just coming back to radio on December 3 — the controverial shock jock will also be resurfacing that same day on RFD-TV, a cable and satellite channel that caters to rural viewers. He has signed a five-year deal with the channel. ... KT Tunstall, whose scheduled Tuesday appearances on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" and "Last Call with Carson Daly" have been stymied by the writers' strike, has decided to join the protesters instead. She's planning to busk for the strikers at the NBC headquarters in Burbank, California, on Wednesday. ... And on the subject of the strike, TV Guide announced Wednesday that it is canceling its Online Video Awards ceremony and TV broadcast in light of the strike. The winners will be announced November 26. Tunstall is also due to play at the upcoming Nobel Peace Prize Concert honoring winner Al Gore. The event, which will also feature performances by Alicia Keys, Earth, Wind & Fire and others, will take place December 11 in Oslo, Norway. Uma Thurman and Tommy Lee Jones will co-host. ...

The Beatles will be going digital next year, if Paul McCartney gets his way. "It's all happening soon," he told Billboard.com of the plans to get the group's catalog into the digital sphere. "Most of us are all sort of ready. The whole thing is primed, ready to go — there's just maybe one little sticking point left, and I think it's being cleared up as we speak, so it shouldn't be too long. It's down to fine-tuning, but I'm pretty sure it'll be happening next year, 2008." McCartney cited contractual issues as the reason for the delay. ... Ryan Seacrest and Dick Clark are reconvening for the annual "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve," which will take place on ... wait for it ... December 31! The ABC specials start at 10 p.m. ET and will include musical performances from New York's Times Square and Hollywood. ...

If you like E-40 and chicken wings, you're in for a treat: The Bay Area rapper — who also owns a Fatburger joint with former NFL player Chester McGlockton — is planning to open a Wingstop Restaurant in Benicia, California. "I was introduced to Wingstop in Dallas, and as soon as I tasted the wings I was hooked," he said in a statement. "People here [in the Bay Area] are going to love these wings." ... Every Time I Die and Escape the Fate will co-headline the annual Take Action! Tour, which raises money for various nonprofit groups. The trek, put on by Hopeless/ Sub City Records, will launch in February. ... Hayden Panettiere, "hero" to dolphins, was recently honored with a Compassion in Action Award by Peta2, the youth branch of the animal-rights organization. The actress was recognized for attempting to disrupt Japan's annual dolphin hunting by paddling out to sea with five surfers and "taking on an angry mob of boathook-wielding Japanese anglers," according to a press release. ...

Dispatch are immortalizing their record-breaking three-night, sold-out run at New York's Madison Square Garden in July with a new concert film due January 29. A limited-edition collector's version of "Dispatch: Zimbabwe - Live at Madison Square Garden" — which was directed by noted rock photographer Danny Clinch — will also have a Zimbabwe documentary, Clinch pics and other extras. Dispatch became the first indie band to ever sell out MSG thanks to the July shows. ... Try this one on for size: San Francisco singer/songwriter and former Cake collaborator Chuck Prophet accidentally got locked in a recording studio — and while he was waiting to get out, decided to re-record an album, Waylon Jennings' 1975 LP, Dreaming My Dreams. Prophet's version is available for download and as a limited edition of 1,000 copies. ...

Who needs Ticketmaster? Going.com users will be able to buy tickets through the social-networking site starting Wednesday (November 14), The Associated Press reports. The site, which accommodates user-organized events and allows users to see who else is planning to hit a given show, will not be selling tickets through traditional outlets. The first show for which tickets are being offered is Moby's Thursday concert in New York. "Ticketing was the last-mile solution for the 300,000 local monthly RSVPs that occur on our site," CEO and founder Evan Schumacher reportedly said in a statement. "Our goal was to connect the long tail of promoters with event-seeking audiences."

• Lindsay Lohan
• Amy Winehouse
• Regina Spektor
• Britney Spears
• Jadakiss

Interpol's Paul Banks performs on Saturday at Lollapalooza
Photo: Jeff Gentner/Getty Images

CHICAGO — Perry Farrell's good luck ran out on Saturday (August 4) when the predicted rain finally fell from the sky to the tune of Karen O's manic wails. But the downpour surely didn't dampen the spirits of the Lollapalooza crowd, which grew significantly on this, the festival's second day.

(Get your Lollapalooza fill: Watch the Roots' ?uestlove, Perry Farrell, Cold War Kids, Stephen Marley and more chill in the shade with Tim Kash and see snaps of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Daft Punk, M.I.A., the Rapture and more.)

Instead of bringing down the mood, the rain kind of cooled things off and made for a nice, humid vibe during Interpol's closing set, as lights were hit with rain, sending steam into the air. Taking the stage like a gang of new-wave Black Barts, Interpol closed out day two of Lollapalooza with style, a boatload of low-end and the velvet-rope-jumping swagger they've become famous for. The thudding bass of dressed-in-black Carlos D. and the molar-rattling kick-drum of Sam Fogarino set the crowd dancing (and doing other things) during the see-sawing "Slow Hands, " as the somber group kicked off a 70-plus-minute set that alternated between propulsive rockers and moody meditations.

It was hard to gauge just what inscrutable singer Paul Banks — also, of course, dressed in black pants, black shirt and sporting a black wristband — was thinking, since his blond mop of hair was hanging in his face for much of the set and he didn't speak except for a perfunctory hello to the rain-soaked crowd.

All the fans needed to hear was the group's string of midset narcotic lullabies building up to the stadium-size anthem "Evil, " which has "instant classic" written all over it. From the Pixies-like walking bass intro to the rat-a-tat drums, Banks' just-behind-the-beat singing and the slashing/watery guitar line from Daniel Kessler, the tune lived up to the band's rock and roll desperado look. And when Carlos D. held up his bass to play his part as if it were a giant Roman Candle, it almost made you wish some sparks would fly out of it.

The rain let up just in time for Muse's closing set, which was a visual stunner: 10-foot panels of pulsating lights, with blinding strobes, and gigantic screens, projecting strange sci-fi (think "Tron") and politically tinged imagery. Opening with "Take a Bow," a powerful commentary on both President Bush and former Prime Minister Tony Blair's decision to enter Iraq, Muse reinvigorated the soggy crowd. The band couldn't have been more on — every note was executed masterfully, making this the perfect ending to a day full of high points.

Next came "Hysteria, " followed by "Supermassive Black Hole" and "Butterflies and Hurricanes." Frontman Matthew Bellamy's haunting vocals put an interesting spin on the band's only cover of the night, Nina Simone's "Feeling Good. " The anthemic performance continued with "Apocalypse Please," "Invincible," "Starlight" and "Time Is Running Out," all of which had the audience mesmerized — these guys put on a huge rock show, which ended with the triumphant "Knights of Cydonia." Muse set the bar pretty high and will be a tough act to best on Sunday.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs certainly brought the power as well. As we've learned from musical history, rock stars are born, not made. And whatever DNA contributed to the makeup of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O must have been one wicked batch. The dynamo lead singer of the indie champs stole the show Saturday with a fashion-forward set that had more costume changes than a Cher extravaganza and some rebel yells that threatened to rattle the windows of the skyscrapers on the Chicago skyline.

Strutting onto the stage in a giant silver cape with black Charlie Brown-style wavy stripes and silver tassels hanging off the neck, O took center stage and eyed the audience before dropping the cape to reveal an all-black leather outfit — bustier, shorts, fingerless gloves, some kind of skirt — accented by silver high-tops and black criss-cross leggings. As the band ripped into the monster-stomping "Sealings, " with O yelling, "Shoot, shoot out your mouth, " she exuded rock-star cool from the first moment, owning the audience.

The punk blues of "Honeybear" lurched around like a drunken, well, Lollapalooza fan, speeding up, slowing down and dropping into grinding dirges as the rain began to fall. O messed with her stage getup throughout the set, putting on a feathered mask with silver tassels, draping her face in a silver shawl, ripping her gloves off with her teeth and smearing her red lipstick around so it looked like she'd been punched in the mouth.

The day started off way more mellow, but no less ominous, with a disco-dance-of-death set from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, whose singer, Alec Ounsworth, sounded less like former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne — whom he is often compared to — and more like a helium-voice preacher. The jangly sounds of "Yankee Go Home" (with the unforgettable refrain "Yankee go, Yankee go, Yankee go home") morphed into a spooky waltz that sounded way too creepy to play in broad daylight — and the day had plenty of creepiness.

After opening by singing a cappella, accompanying herself on percussion by tapping on the microphone rhythmically, oddball singer/songwriter Regina Spektor paid tribute to a legendary artist who would take the stage a few hours later, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Patti Smith, by playing her song "Poor Little Rich Boy," which, in turn, references Smith's version of the Who's "My Generation." Again improvising for percussion, Spektor banged on a chair with a drumstick while playing piano with her left hand during the spare tune. Spektor also stopped her set midway into the second song, "On the Radio," when she spotted a fan who had passed out in the middle of the crowd, urging security to get her some help. "I think there's someone sick," she said in her kewpie-doll voice.

Snow Patrol also reached out to a fellow Lolla act during their set with a duet with Silversun Pickups bassist Nikki Monninger, who filled in for Martha Wainwright on the track "Set the Fire to the Third Bar." The overly polite Scots (frontman Gary Lightbody thanked the audience after every song the band performed and even dedicated each track — to the crowd, to the other bands on the bill, to Monninger "for being so sweet") performed a veritable best-of from their growing catalog, including songs like "Run," "Chasing Cars" (the closing chorus of which the singer left to the audience), "How to Be Dead" and "Spitting Games," which Lightbody dedicated to a man in the front row, who was dressed, from head to toe, in a Spider-Man costume and waving an Irish flag to catch the singer's attention.

About 20 seconds into the song, the Spider-Man wannabe made a beeline for the stairs leading up to the stage but was tackled by a team of security guards before he could make it past the third step. As the final notes of "Spitting Games" reverberated across the open field, echoing off the trees, Lightbody, disappointment in his voice, muttered, "Well, I guess he wasn't the real Spider-Man."

One of the warmest receptions of the day was bestowed upon the Cold War Kids, whose set was impassioned, flawless, and, at times, soulful. There wasn't a person in the fist-pumping audience who wasn't singing along with frontman Nathan Willett — doing his best Joe Cocker impersonation — during "Hang Me Up to Dry."

Next up was this generation's answer to P-Funk, the Roots, arguably the tightest band here at Lollapalooza. The band turned up the funk with a genre-spanning medley filled with chunky bass, virtuoso guitar (that inspired some rapturous hyperbole from our blogger), mind-boggling drum solos and a complete horn section. The Roots shifted effortlessly, and without skipping a beat, from Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" to Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," then to the Gang's "Apache" and Biz Markie's "Just a Friend." Next came ODB's "Shimmy Shimmy Ya," Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It" and MIMS' "This Is Why I'm Hot."

The band's performance even attracted the likes of Geico's Caveman, who made his way through the sea of sweaty flesh in front of the stage, giving high-fives and posing for pictures with the hippies that saturated the crowd. The Roots ended things with a cover of the New Birth's "I Can Understand It," which then faded into a captivating James Brown medley. Still, all the folks here had to contend with was a slight drizzle, but the clouds above Chicago are getting darker, and more and more engorged with rain.

Meanwhile, over on the MySpace stage, the Hold Steady geared up and turned out perhaps the most entertaining performance thus far — if only because of how much fun these guys obviously have when they're in their element. The blood rushed to Steady frontman Craig Finn's face as he spit out the lyrics to fan faves like "Chips Ahoy!," "First Night" and "You Can Make Him Like You." And appearances aren't deceiving in this band's case — these dudes absolutely love being onstage.

"We played here last summer, and I said it was the most fun I'd ever had before 3 p.m.," Finn, who was sporting a Ron Gardenhire jersey, explained. "This is shaping up to be the most fun I've had in my life."

Sherwood started off the day on the MySpace stage with a feel-good, feedback-filled set that included a confession. "We've never been to a Lollapalooza before," said frontman Nate Henry. "I'm sorta confused as to how this happened."

The first act to hit the main stage was Ontario, Canada's Tokyo Police Club, a young indie/ garage-rock outfit whose every song seemed to end on a dime. The band woke the crowd up with a heaping helping of bombastic drum blasts, tinny guitar squeals and thick, syrupy bass lines. And despite the early hour, the turnout for the Club was strong. "It's shocking to see so many of you here," noted frontman Josh Hook before the band launched into the explosive "Box." The crowd showed their appreciation, applauding loudly for the Lolla virgins.

Later on, Minneapolis rockers Tapes n' Tapes churned out a driving set that was so loud it nearly blew the MySpace stage's amps — but not loud enough to scare away at least three dads in attendance, who traipsed through the crowd with infants strapped to their chests. The highlight of the band's volatile performance was "Beach Girls," during which drummer Greg Alsop hammered the skins as if the fate of the free world depended on it.

I'm From Barcelona also warmed up the already-warm crowd with a memorable pre-noon set. The 20-plus-member Swedish band (which included everything from a tuba player to a percussionist with banana-shaped maracas) nearly topped the Polyphonic Spree's Friday set when it came to stage-filling energy and enthusiasm. With songs about chicken pox ("You can't have it once you've had it") and cassettes, lead singer Emanuel Lundgren led the wacky pop/polka powerhouse through a set that had crowd members' hands waving in the air and included a kazoo solo from a fan who claimed he'd never had the pox.

The pre-lunch hours also brought a rare bit of soul to the proceedings, with a funky set from sets from Georgia's Ryan Shaw, a dreadlocked Sam Cooke-alike who had to raise the roof even higher to with the sound bleeding over from dour rocker Pete Yorn on an adjacent stage.

And if you haven't heard of R&B singer Kevin Michael yet, there's a good chance you will soon. Though he played to a sparse crowd, the young singer with the towering afro and a voice that mixes the soulful side of Michael Jackson with a hip-hop edge, played (tellingly) to a mostly female audience during his short set. Unfortunately, hometown hero Lupe Fiasco didn't show up to reprise his cameo on the hand-clapping banger "We All Want the Same Thing," but Michael's keyboard and guitarist/beatboxer band held it down ably as the buff crooner jumped down off of the stage to get some face time with his adoring female fans.

Make sure to stick with MTVNews.com for your Lollapalooza news all weekend.

Seen a great show? MTV News wants your photos, videos and reports from all the latest concerts, including Lollapalooza, for our new You R Here community site. Check out the site to read, rate and comment on reviews from around the globe. We'll put the best stuff on our You R Here blog, and even in on-air news!

[This story was originally published on 8.4.07 at 6:11 p.m. ET.]

• A Look Back At Lollapalooza 2007

• Pearl Jam, Amy Winehouse, Lupe Fiasco, M.I.A., More At Lollapalooza 2007

• Interpol
• Muse
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Snow Patrol
• Cold War Kids

Lupe Fiasco
Photo: MTV News

• Lupe Fiasco
• Ben Harper
• Amy Winehouse
• Juliette & the Licks
• Kings Of Leon

Regina Spektor at Bonnaroo '07
Photo: Jeff Gentner/Getty Images

MANCHESTER, Tennessee — Regina Spektor should totally rip off Built to Spill and call her next album Keep It Like a Secret, because that's exactly how she's keeping it right now.

It's been a little more than a year since her breakthrough album, Begin to Hope, hit stores. Since then, one of her songs appeared on a top-rated TV drama ("Fidelity" popped up on a little show called "Grey's Anatomy"), her album climbed the Billboard charts, and she toured the world. So you'd think she'd have plenty to get down on tape — and, who knows, maybe she does — but Spektor's not talking.

"[This past year ] has been amazing. It's been one of the best ones of my life," she said backstage at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival (see "Bonnaroo Recap: White Stripes, Police, Lily Allen Bring Heat To Already Scorching Fest"). "My mind is cataloging tons of tiny little things, rather than one big thing, so it's like — it's my own little experiences and interacting with the world. And they're so numerous that my mind starts going through this huge list like a Santa Claus or something. But because I have so much stuff that I've written, I always use some things from before and some things that I've just written and some new things that maybe nobody's heard. But I never really write for a record, so I have no idea exactly what it's going to be. It sort of just comes together into a little piece."

(Watch Regina spill the beans on her new album — sort of.)

Spektor added that she hopes to begin working on the new album sometime around November, but until then, she's got a whole lot more on her schedule — most of which she's equally secretive about.

"I'm gonna make a video for my next single, 'Better,' " she said of the Begin to Hope song. "I re-recorded it, so it's a whole new track — it's fun to have a new take on something. As for the video, well, it's still a little bit mysterious — which makes it sound romantic. In other words, I'm not sure. But I have some really cool ideas. I already came up with a concept, but I'm not gonna tell you. I don't know if it's the Russian/Jewish thing, because I'm super-superstitious, like 'knock on wood.' So when it's done, it's done, and then I'll talk about it."

She also has tours of Australia, the U.S. and Sweden lined up over the next few months. Plus, you can hear her cover of John Lennon's "Real Love" on the Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur charity album. And — ever since "Fidelity" appeared on "Grey's" — she's been juggling a whole lot of requests to have her music appear in commercials, films and even more television programs.

And what does she think of all those requests? Well, not much. Not because she's some high-minded, super-ethical artiste, or anything. But, rather, because she doesn't own a TV set.

"I'm actually sort of weirdly non-TV-savvy, because I don't own one, but I tour all the time, so there's ones in hotels," she said. "But a lot of the time I'm touring in Europe, so I get to see, like, German MTV, which is great. I didn't get to see the 'Grey's Anatomy' thing, or anything much. Some of my friends and family swear by that show, so they were so excited, but for me, I was just honored."

• Bonnaroo Blitz: Lily Allen, White Stripes, Franz

• Bonnaroo 2007 Performances

• Regina Spektor

Busta Rhymes
Photo: Interscope

Chopping off his signature dreadlocks probably had nothing to do with it, but perhaps aligning with Dr. Dre's Aftermath imprint did the trick. Whatever the reason, Busta Rhymes should be sporting the widest grin he can muster today as the latest SoundScan totals show that The Big Bang will open at #1 on Billboard's album chart, marking a first in a career that spans 15 years, seven solo albums and a stint with Leaders of the New School.

Week-one sales of The Big Bang, Busta's first collection of fresh material since 2002, topped out at nearly 209,000 copies — more than enough to earn Rhymes his inaugural chart-topping debut. The success has to taste sweet for Busta, especially after his last release, 2002's It Ain't Safe No More, opened at #43 with 62,000 scans — the rapper's first LP to debut outside of the top 10.

Rhymes' current retail dominance helped him usurp the Billboard crown from previous champs AFI. Second-week sales of the rockers' Decemberunderground slipped 43 percent to finish the week with 104,000 sales and the chart's #3 ranking. The Dixie Chicks' Taking the Long Way spends a second-straight week at #2 after selling 130,000 units.

There's no stopping the soundtrack to the Disney Channel original movie "High School Musical," which climbs one spot to #4 with 79,000-plus scans after 23 weeks in stores. The #5 slot belongs to a newcomer: One-X, the second LP from Canadian rockers Three Days Grace, which sold 78,000 copies its first week out. The soundtrack to the animated feature "Cars" follows at #6 with 75,000 scans, just in front of Stadium Arcadium, the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Rick Rubin-produced double album. During its sixth week of release, Arcadium sold another 74,000 copies to finish at #7.

Rascal Flatts' Me & My Gang holds at #8 with 73,000 scans, followed at #9 by Yung Joc's New Joc City, which slides six spots with nearly 70,000 sales. Ice Cube's Laugh Now, Cry Later drops to #10 after selling 64,000 copies during its second week in stores.

Busta and Three Days Grace led a total of 13 new releases that will crack the Billboard 200. Billy Joel's 12 Gardens Live, a two-disc souvenir from the Piano Man's recent 12-show stand at Madison Square Garden, opens at #14 with 44,000 scans. Widespread Panic's Earth to America put up first-week sales of close to 21,000 for a #48 bow. Sonic Youth's Rather Ripped debuts at #71 with 16,000 sold, while Shadows Fall claim #83 after first-week interest in the New England metallers' Fallout From the War turned into 13,000-plus sales.

Regina Spektor debuts at #135 after selling nearly 8,000 copies of Begin to Hope. Anatomy Of, an album's worth of covers from Ozzfest 2006 performers Between the Buried and Me, finishes at #151 with sales just shy of the 7,000 mark. Keb' Mo's Suitcase claims the #176 slot, selling close to 6,000 copies, and Frankie J just makes the cut at #198, selling 5,000 copies of his new Spanish-language album, Un Nuevo Dia.

• Busta Rhymes
• Three Days Grace
• Billy Joel
• AFI
• Dixie Chicks

Busta Rhymes' <I>The Big Bang</I>
Photo: Aftermath

A Cosmic Effort: The stars are aligning for Busta Rhymes' new album — it's his first for Dr. Dre's Aftermath imprint and has a good chance of breathing new life into Bus' career. But the stars are also aligning on the record, what with Nas, Missy Elliott, Will.I.Am, Q-Tip, Raekwon — hell, even Stevie Wonder and the late Rick James — cropping up on there. "You Can't Hold the Torch," Rhymes declares midway through the record. Let's see if he can.

Outta Sight: Be on the lookout this week, as two of the biggest music releases hitting stores are meant for the eyes, not the ears. No Doubt's "Live in the Tragic Kingdom," which found its way into a million VHS players, reaches the DVD format bundled with unreleased home movies, more performances, backstage stuff, promo clips and a slideshow.

"Chris Brown's Journey," on the other hand, is all-new material by the R&B phenom and revolves around a 25-minute documentary featurette, rather than concert footage. Still, there is some live content — two numbers from Clive Davis' pre-Grammy Awards party — plus three videos (with making-of segments for each), bloopers, Easter eggs and "Krumping With Chris," wherein he busts his best moves. The bonus CD has two unissued slices — "So Glad" and a remix of "Run It" — and a software device that lets you do your best Scott Storch and remix "Gimme That."

Sonic Youth probably aren't expecting Kidz Bop-like numbers with their newest opus, Rather Ripped, which is why they've been streaming all 12 tracks for free online. The band returned to what it calls its "OG nucleus" of Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, Steve Shelley and Lee Ranaldo, as fifth member Jim O'Rourke was busy studying language and film in Japan. Tracks include "Do You Believe in Rapture?," "Turquoise Boy" and "Or."

Sibling Revelry: Speaking of OGs, "We O.G.'s" is the lead single from the Reyes Brothers — the long-awaited matchup of Sen Dog and Mellow Man Ace. That tune features fellow West Coasters Snoop Dogg and Warren G, while the rest of Ghetto Therapy hosts two Bishops — Lamont and Don Magic Juan — plus Sen's Cypress Hill teammate, B Real.

Also showing signs of brotherly love are Aron and Robert Mardo, whose band goes by their last name. The group's second outing, The New Gun, showcases the unit's new keyboardist and guitarist, but the deaths of nine people close to the group in one month made "The Healing" undeniably grim.

Guitarist Mato Nanji is taking a different approach: While he originally made his band Indigenous a family effort, he's since given his siblings the boot so he can focus entirely on the undertaking himself. The American Indian singer/songwriter did co-write "The Way You Shake" with his sister Wanbdi, but he left the production duties to Steve Fishell (Willie Nelson, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band).

Beyond the Stereo: Alas, a handful of this week's releases might actually make you leave your bedroom. Jam titans Widespread Panic are playing their new LP, Earth to America, in its entirety at a free show at New York's Irving Plaza on Tuesday night (June 13). While 100,000 people showed up for the band's 1998 CD release party, expect 1,000 or so of the Panic faithful to help celebrate the band's 20th anniversary.

John Fogerty will drive some fans to cineplexes Tuesday, as the release of his "The Long Road Home in Concert" DVD is being celebrated with one-night-only theatrical showings in eight major cities. Speaking of which, Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" DVD, which sold a fair number of tickets earlier this year, hits the shelves in double-disc form this week.

And so-called "multimedia art-punk terrorists" the Residents are forcing you to get off your couch if you're interested in their River of Crime project, a series of recordings that are only available at Virgin Megastores, Cordless.com or New York's Museum of Modern Art. Modeled after true-crime radio broadcasts, the five episodes were previously available online in serial form.

Spotted: Gwen Stefani sweetening up "All Nighter" on Together as One by reggae hero Elan of the Wailers; Motion City Soundtrack, Plain White T's, Nightmare of You and other pop-punk newcomers giving it up for their favorite caped hero on the Sounds of Superman compilation; Eddie Vedder, Ani DiFranco and Steve Earle showing their mugs in the bonus video content that accompanies the "Dead Man Walking" soundtrack reissue; Replacements Paul Westerberg, Tommy Stinson and Chris Mars coming back together to record their first new material in 16 years for Don't You Know Who I Think I Was?: The Best of the Replacements; MF Grimm and Angelo from Fishbone hopping onto Krak Attack by underground hip-hop bizarro CX Kidtronik; Origin drummer John Longstreth hitting the toms on Skinless' brutal Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead; and Fountains of Wayne guitarist Jody Porter adding licks to Life in the Shade, the second album by Brookville, the latest venture of Ivy's Andy Chase.

Song Title of the Week:

"Pudgy Young Blondes With Lobotomy Eyes" from Zao's The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here

Other Notables:

Regina Spektor's Begin to Hope: She's made a name for herself by touring with the Strokes, lending her voice to an mtvU commercial and spelling her last name slightly differently than a certain embattled record producer, but will the anti-folk antihero be able to overcome her nemesis, black-metal wizards Spektr? Their Near Death Experience drops this week as well, but expect Spektor's Begin to Hope — limited versions of which boast a five-track bonus disc — to win out.

The Futureheads' News and Tributes: Hurry, 'Heads heads, as only the initial pressings of the U.K. breakout band's second LP will have three bonus tracks that previously appeared on its Area EP. Producer Ben Hillier (Depeche Mode, Blur) holed up with the quartet in his Scarborough studio, where they crafted "Return of the Berserker," "Worry About It Later" and "Favours for Favours."

Final Fantasy's He Poos Clouds: Sometimes the track list just says it all, like this roster by Toronto's very own one-man orchestra. Each song is supposed to correlate with a level in "Dungeons & Dragons," so test your skills accordingly: "Arctic Circle," "He Poos Clouds," "This Lamb Sells Condos," "If I Were a Carp," "I'm Afraid of Japan," "Song Song Song," "Many Lives 49 LP," "Do You Love" and "Pooka Sings."

New Releases:

• The Acacia Strain - The Dead Walk (Prosthetic)
  
• Tony Allen - Lagos No Shaking (Honest Jons/ Astralwerks)
  
• The Alarm - Under Attack (enhanced; Eleven Thirty)
  
• Antler - Nothing That a Bullet Couldn't Cure (Small Stone)
  
• The Bleeding Alarm - Beauty in Destruction (Immortal)
  
• Brookville - Life in the Shade (Unfiltered)
  
• Sam Bush - Laps in Seven (Sugar Hill)
  
• Busta Rhymes - The Big Bang (Aftermath)
  Read: "Busta Making An Even Bigger Bang With Em, ODB, Neptunes, Rick James"
  Buy Now: The Big Bang (Aftermath)
  
• Regina Carter - I'll Be Seeing You: A Sentimental Journey (Verve)
  
• Codetalkers - Now (Collard Green)
  
• Compton's Most Wanted with MC Eiht - Music to Gang Bang (enhanced; Thump)
  
• CX Kidtronik - Krak Attack (Sound Ink)
  
• Dabrye - Two/ Three (Ghostly)
  
• Jamie Davis - It's a Good Thing (with DVD; Unity)
  
• Dropping Daylight - Brace Yourself (Octone)
  
• Elan - Together as One (Interscope)
  
• Every Time I Die - Gutter Phenomenon (with bonus DVD; Ferret)
  
• Final Fantasy - He Poos Clouds (Tomlab)
  
• First Nation - First Nation (Paw Tracks)
  
• Foundry Field Recordings - Prompts/ Miscues (Emergency Umbrella)
  
• Frankie J - Un Nuevo Día (Columbia)
  Buy Now: Un Nuevo Día (Columbia)
  
• Futureheads - News and Tributes (limited edition also available; Vagrant)
  Buy Now: News and Tributes (Vagrant)
  
• The Handsome Family - Last Days of Wonder (Carrot Top)
  
• Hot Chip - The Warning (DFA/ Astralwerks)
  
• Glenn Hughes - Music for the Divide (Frontiers)
  
• Indigenous - Chasing the Sun (Vanguard)
  
• Nicki Jaine - Nicki Jaine Live (self-release)
  
• Billy Joel - 12 Gardens Live (two CDs; Columbia)
  Buy Now: 12 Gardens Live (Columbia)
  
• Etta Jones - Don't Go to Strangers (Prestige)
  
• Keb' Mo' - Suitcase (Epic)
  
• Dayna Kurtz - Another Black Feather (Kismet)
  
• Blaine Larsen - Rockin' You Tonight (BNA)
  
• Lil Weavah - Underground Music (BCD)
  
• Mardo - New Gun (House of Restitution)
  
• The Del McCoury Band - The Promised Land (McCourey Music)
  
• Allison Moorer - Getting Somewhere (Sugar Hill)
  
• Morning 40 Federation - Ticonderoga (M80)
  
• Mr. Lif - Mo' Mega (Definitive Jux)
  
• The Playwrights - English Self Storage (Sink and Stove)
  
• Priestess - Hello Master (Red Ink)
  
• Joshua Radin - We Were Here (Columbia)
  
• The Residents - River of Crime (Cordless)
  
• Reyes Bros - Ghetto Therapy (Lightyear)
  
• Roses Are Red - What Became of Me (Trustkill)
  
• Satyricon - Now, Diabolical (enhanced; Century Media)
  
• Shadows Fall - Fallout From the War (Century Media)
  Buy Now: Fallout From the War (Century Media)
  
• Skinless - Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead (Relapse)
  
• Small Sins - Small Sins (Astralwerks)
  
• Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped (Geffen)
  Buy Now: Rather Ripped (Geffen)
  
• Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope (two-CD limited-edition version also available; Sire/ London/ Rhino)
  Buy Now: Begin to Hope (Geffen)
  
• Spektr - The Near Death Experience (Candlelight)
  
• Strays Don't Sleep - Strays Don't Sleep (Hybrid)
  
• Three Days Grace - One X (enhanced; Jive)
  Buy Now: One X (Jive)
  
• The Vibration - Amarilla (Sink & Stove)
  
• Waking Ashland - Telescopes (enhanced; Immortal)
  
• Widespread Panic - Earth to America (Sanctuary)
  
• David Wilcox - Vista (What Are Records)
  
• Trent Willmon - A Little More Livin' (Sony Music Nashville)
  
• Zao - The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here (limited edition with bonus DVD also available; Ferret)
  
• Various artists - Sound of Superman (Rhino)
  
• Various artists - "The Break-Up" soundtrack (Hip-O)
  
• Various artists - "Waist Deep" soundtrack (Def Jam)
  

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

• Yolanda Adams - Praise & Worship (Verity/ Legacy)
  
• Virginia Bell Armstrong - Praise & Worship (Verity/ Legacy)
  
• Boston - Boston and Don't Look Back (deluxe digipaks; Epic/ Legacy)
  
• Toni Braxton - The Collection (La Face)
  Buy Now: The Collection (La Face)
  
• Brandi Carlile - On Tour (Red Ink)
  
• Twinkie Clark - Praise & Worship (Verity/ Legacy)
  
• Commissioned - Praise & Worship (Verity/ Legacy)
  
• Daryl Coley - Praise & Worship (Verity/ Legacy)
  
• Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis - The Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis Cookbook, Vol.1 (Prestige)
  
• Miles Davis All Stars - Walkin' (Prestige)
  
• Joan Jett and the Blackhearts - Fit to Be Tied: Great Hits by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (enhanced; Blackheart)
  Buy Now: Fit to Be Tied: Great Hits by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (Blackheart)
  
• Jerry Lee Lewis - Legends of American Music: Jerry Lee Lewis - A Half Century of Hits (three-CD box set; Time Life)
  
• Barry Manilow - Live (two-CD special edition; Arista/ Legacy)
  
• Jack McDuff - The Honeydripper (Prestige)
  
• The Replacements - Don't You Know Who I Think I Was?: The Best of the Replacements (Rhino)
  Read: "Replacements — Well, Some Of Them — Reunite For New Songs"
  Buy Now: Don't You Know Who I Think I Was?: The Best of the Replacements (Rhino)
  
• RuPaul - Reworked (Ruco)
  
• Richard Smallwood - Praise & Worship (Verity/ Legacy)
  
• Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend (two-CD special edition; Volcano/ Legacy)
  Buy Now: Girlfriend (Volcano/ Legacy)
  
• Various artists - The State I'm In (Hip-O)
  
• Various artists - The Very Best of Praise & Worship (Verity/ Legacy)
  
• Various artists - "Dead Man Walking" soundtrack (special edition with DVD; Columbia/ Legacy)
  

Music DVDs:

• Arcturus - "Shipwrecked in Oslo" (Season Mist)
  
• The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band - "40th Anniversary" (Classic Rock)
  
• Chris Brown - "Chris Brown's Journey" (with CD; Jive)
  
• J.J. Cale - "To Tulsa and Back: On Tour With J.J. Cale" (Time Life)
  
• DMX - "Ride or Die" (Allumination)
  
• Extreme - "Videograffitti: The Definitive DVD" (A&M)
  
• John Fogerty - "The Long Road Home in Concert" (Fantasy)
  
• The Gipsy Kings - "Live at Kenmore House in London" (Liberation Entertainment)
  
• Jimi Hendrix/ Otis Redding - "Jimi Plays Monterey/ Shake! Otis at Monterey: The Criterion Collection" (Criterion)
  
• No Doubt - "Live in the Tragic Kingdom" (Interscope)
  
• Rush - "Replay X 3" (three DVDs and one CD; Mercury/ Universal)
  
• Therion - "Celebrators of Becoming" (six DVDs; Nuclear Blast)
  
• UB40 - "Live" (Eagle Vision)
  
• Wu-Tang Clan - "Legend of the Wu-Tang: The Videos" (CMV/ Loud/ RCA/ Legacy)
  
• Neil Young - "Heart of Gold" (two DVDs; Paramount)
  
• Various artists - "Dave Chappelle's Block Party" (widescreen edition also available; Universal)
  
• Various artists - "Monterey Pop: The Criterion Collection" (Criterion)
  

Coming Attractions:

June 20:

• Fefe Dobson - Sunday Love (enhanced; Island)
  Preorder: Sunday Love (Island)
  
• Nelly Furtado - Loose (Geffen)
  Read: "Nelly Furtado Hooks Up With 'Distant Cousin' Timberlake, Emerges With 'Sexy' Song"
  Preorder: Loose (Geffen)
  
• Keane - Under the Iron Sea (Interscope)
  Read: "Keane Nearly Followed Breakthrough With A Breakup"
  Preorder: Under the Iron Sea (Interscope)
  
• Madonna - I'm Going to Tell You a Secret (with DVD; Maverick)
  Preorder: I'm Going to Tell You a Secret (Maverick)
  
• Pearl Jam - Live at Easy Street (J)
  
• Obie Trice - Second Round's on Me (Aftermath)
  Read: "Eminem Denies Retirement Rumors; Currently Hard At Work On Obie Trice LP"
  Preorder: Second Round's on Me (Aftermath)
  

June 27:

• Björk - Surrounded (seven-DualDisc box set; Rhino)
  
• Dashboard Confessional - Dusk and Summer (Vagrant)
  Read: "No Reggae Emo, But New Dashboard LP Owes A Lot To Jamaica"
  Preorder: Dusk and Summer (Vagrant)
  
• Lostprophets - Liberation Transmission (Columbia)
  Read: "Lostprophets Enlist Metallica Producer But Leave 'Chugga-Chugga' Metal Behind"
  Preorder: Liberation Transmission (Columbia)
  

July 4:

• Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways (Lost Highway)
  
• Rise Against - The Sufferer & the Witness (Geffen)
  Buy Now: The Sufferer & the Witness (Geffen)
  
• Hans Zimmer - "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" soundtrack (Disney)
  

• Busta Rhymes
• No Doubt
• Chris Brown
• Shadows Fall
• Sonic Youth

Regina Spektor (file)
Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

NEW YORK — In every great endeavor, there is a point of no return -- a moment where you can either choose to press on, or peel off and fall by the wayside.

And that's kind of what happened during Regina Spektor's show at the Bowery Ballroom on Wednesday night. Although standing in the audience for the singer's sold-out homecoming gig was by no means a Homeric effort, it was a pretty monumental undertaking. After all, she did play for almost three freaking hours.

The bail-out point occurred about two-thirds of the way through her sprawling 30-song set, as she was putting the final vocal flourishes (a series of yelped "C'mon, Daddy"s) on "Carbon Monoxide," one of a mere handful of tunes she played from her major-label debut, Soviet Kitsch (see "Regina Spektor Brings Her Soviet Kitsch To U.S. With A Hand From The Strokes"). As the final notes from her red grand piano faded out, there was a lusty round of applause, followed by an equally lusty silence ... since by this point the packed room at the Bowery was now about a third less packed. Spektor glanced up from her keys, paused for a minute to survey the room, and giggled to herself. Then she launched into another song.

She was probably giggling because at this point — roughly 11:45 p.m. — most of the industry-heavy crowd had fled, leaving only Spektor's extremely loyal (and extremely vocal) fans, many of whom were still clutching bouquets of flowers meant for their favorite Russian-born/Bronx-bred singer/songwriter.

And those fans were treated to quite a show, as Spektor drew heavily on material from her two previous albums — the self-released 11:11 and Songs — and from her days spent as a coffeehouse troubadour. The set offered an interesting glimpse into her evolution not only as a lyricist, but also as a musician — the older tunes tended to be either straight-ahead jazzbo patterings (the upright bass-supported "Rejazz," the a cappella opening number "Eight Miles High") or quirky spasms (the playful "Loveology," the boozy "Bartender"). A few of her older songs were given added backbone from her bassist and cellist, but too often Spektor was reduced to "girl-with-piano" status.

On newer tunes, though, she exuded a childlike energy, banging a drumstick on a stool to provide the backbeat for "Poor Little Rich Boy," sending her voice soaring on "The Ghost of Corporate Futures" and then nearly disappearing behind her microphone during "Ode to Divorce." Her playing, too, was dynamic and forceful, as she bashed the keys on a frantic version of "The Flowers." Perhaps the greatest compliment one could pay to Kitsch producers Gordon Raphael and Alan Bezozi was that they simply stayed out of the way.

And inevitably, comparisons were whispered among the members of the audience: Spektor is Tori Amos on the piano, Suzanne Vega in the pipes and Kate Bush all the way through.

Kind of like a 9-year-old chess champ, she leaves you befuddled, yet wanting to know more. And while many members of Wednesday night's audience did bail before things ended — many scratching their heads — you can bet that right now there's a whole lot of happy Spektor fans posting reviews of the show on blogs all across the world. As with all great endeavors, half the fun is living to tell the tale.

For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports.

• Regina Spektor

J. Lo's <I>Rebirth</I>
Photo: Sony

Fittingly enough, for her latest release, Rebirth, Jennifer Lopez looked to the past, bringing back folks who worked on her first album, On the 6.

J. Lo's new album, her first since 2002's This Is Me ... Then, is largely a straight-up dance music effort with a few ballads thrown in for good measure. Rebirth also includes a collaboration with Fat Joe.

Operating at a much lower energy level is the new album from Jack Johnson, In Between Dreams. The Hawaii resident and surf aficionado brought the island's laid-back vibe to the album with the inclusion of the slack guitar, and he added some pop inflections on tracks like the first single "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing."

Quirky Russian songstress Regina Spektor releases her piano-driven Soviet Kitsch, while 21st-century prog-rockers the Mars Volta let loose their second album, Frances the Mute.

Also hitting stores this week are albums by Doves (Some Cities); Amos Lee (Amos Lee); and Judas Priest (Angel of Retribution).

Meanwhile, one album that was slated to hit stores next week will arrive on shelves a few days ahead of schedule. 50 Cent's Massacre, originally set for a February 15 release, then a March 8 release, is actually coming out Thursday after being leaked onto the Internet and the streets. The album finds the rapper lashing out at Fat Joe, Nas, Kelis, Ja Rule and Shyne.

Out Tuesday, March 1:

• Jessi Alexander - Honeysuckle Sweet (Columbia)
• Solomon Burke - Make Do with What You Got (Shout! Factory)
• C-Universum - C-Universum (54º40' or Fight!)
• Jim Camacho - Stalker Songs (TMG)
• Coralie Clement - Bye Bye Beauté (Nettwerk)
• Deveroa Chyba - Do Stran (54º40' or Fight!)
• Mark Dignam - Box Heart Man (Times Beach)
• Doves - Some Cities (Capitol)
• Kathleen Edwards - Back to Me (Rounder)
• El Pus - Hoodlum Rock (Virgin)
• Julie Gold - The Girl I Found (Gadfly)
• Half-Handed Cloud - Thy Is a Word, and Feet Need Lamps (Asthmatic Kitty)
• Hip Hop Hoodios - Agua Pa' La Gente (Jazzheads)
• Lily Holbrook - Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt (Narada)
• Ivy - In the Clear (Nettwerk)
• Shooter Jennings - Put the 'O' Back in Country (Universal South)
• Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams (Universal Motown)
  Read: "Jack Johnson Takes It Easy On New LP, Gets Into Curious George's Head"
  Buy Now: In Between Dreams (Universal Motown)
• Judas Priest - Angel of Retribution (Epic)
  Read: "Judas Priest Reborn With Retribution, Revisit Classic Sound"
  Buy Now: Angel of Retribution (Epic)
• Amos Lee - Amos Lee (Blue Note)
• O'Donel Levy - In the Name of Love (Room 302)
• Jennifer Lopez - Rebirth (Epic)
  Read: "Fat Joe Nearly A No-Show To Flow With J. Lo"
  Buy Now: Rebirth (Epic)
• The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute (Universal Motown)
• Matt Bianco featuring Basia - Matt's Mood (Decca)
• Eric Matthews - Six Kinds of Passion Looking for an Exit (Empyrean)
• Montag - Alone, Not Alone (Carpark)
• Norma Jean - O God the Aftermath (Solid State)
• O'2L - Doyle's Brunch (Peak/Concord)
• Jamie O'Neal - Brave (Capitol)
• Judith Owen - Lost and Found (Century of Progress)
• Pentaphobe - Sa'iyr: A Tribal Metamorphosis (Ark 21)
• Ragz Mo' Rocka - Rising of the Phoenix (3:33 Records)
• Kurt Rosenwinkel - Deep Song (w/Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman) (Verve)
• Tom Russell - Hotwalker (HighTone)
• Kate Ryan - Stronger (Fuel)
• David Singer and the Sweet Science - The Stars Burn Out (Engine Studios)
• Soel - Memento (Warner Bros.)
• Some Other Place - To Be Continued (54º40' or Fight!)
• Regina Spektor - Soviet Kitsch (Warner Bros.)
  Read: "Regina Spektor Brings Her Soviet Kitsch To U.S., With A Hand From The Strokes"
  Buy Now: Soviet Kitsch (Warner Bros.)
• Marvin Stamm & Ed Soph - The Stamm/Soph Project Live at Birdland (Jazzed Media)
• Ronan Tynan - Ronan (Universal Classics)
• The Vacancy - Heart Attack (A-F)
• Waawe - All Fabulous Things Turn Out to Happen (54º40' or Fight!)
• Phil Woods - Groovin' to Marty Paich (Jazzed Media)
• Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings - Just for a Thrill (Fuel)
• Savina Yannatou - Sumiglia (ECM)
• Various artists - Soundtrack to "Be Cool" (TVT Soundtrax)
• Various artists - Soundtrack to "Million Dollar Baby" (Varese Sarabande)
• Various artists - Soundtrack to "Robots" (Virgin)
• DVD: Soulfly - "The Song Remains Insane" (Roadrunner)

March 3:

• 50 Cent - The Massacre (Aftermath)
  Read: "50 Cent Album Preview: Even 'Great' Can Look Like Falling Off"
  Buy Now: The Massacre (Aftermath)

March 8:

• Black Label Society - Mafia (Artemis)
  Read: "Zakk Wylde Rips Blind Followers On 'Just Another Black Label Society Record'"
  
• Kasabian - Kasabian (RCA)

March 15:

• Daft Punk - Human After All (Virgin Records)
• Kaiser Chiefs -- Employment (Universal)
  Read: "Kaiser Chiefs 'Predict A Riot,' Music Press Predicts Franz Ferdinand-Like Success"
  
• Various artists - Now That's What I Call Music! 18 (Sony)

March 22:

• Bloc Party - Silent Alarm (Atlantic)
• Moby - Hotel (V2/BMG)
  Read: "Moby Takes Aim At Nick And Jessica With 'Beautiful' "
  Buy Now: Hotel (V2/BMG)
• Queens of the Stone Age - Lullabies to Paralyze (Interscope)
  Read: "New Queens Of The Stone Age Album: The Inside Scoop"
  Buy Now: Lullabies to Paralyze (Interscope)

• Jennifer Lopez
• Jack Johnson
• The Mars Volta
• Regina Spektor

Lollapalooza 2007

• Amy Winehouse
• Ben Harper
• Cold War Kids
• Motion City Soundtrack
• Muse

Pearl Jam, Amy Winehouse, Lupe Fiasco, M.I.A., More At Lollapalooza 2007

• Pearl Jam
• M.I.A.
• Daft Punk
• Perry Farrell
• Against Me!

Bonnaroo 2007 Performances

• The National
• Lily Allen
• Damien Rice
• Regina Spektor
• Damian "Junior Gong" Marley

MTV.com Exclusive: Coachella '07

• Amy Winehouse
• Interpol
• Björk
• Perry Farrell
• Red Hot Chili Peppers

Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Amy Winehouse, More At Coachella 2007

• Arctic Monkeys
• The Jesus & Mary Chain
• Stephen Marley
• Satellite Party
• Jane's Addiction

MTV.com Exclusive: Regina Spektor Photos 07.08.2005

• Regina Spektor

You Hear It First: Regina Spektor

• Regina Spektor