Andy Samberg
Photo: Jesse Grant/ WireImage

It takes a lot of, um, guts, to name your first single "Ji-- in My Pants." But that's the plan for the unabashedly raunchy debut album from Lonely Island, the three-man musical wrecking crew led by "Saturday Night Live" It Boy Andy Samberg and his writing buddies, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer. The disc, Incredibad, is due out on February 10 and will feature some help from an impressive roster of heavy hitters, including T-Pain, Norah Jones, Jack Black, E-40, the Strokes' singer Julian Casablancas and, of course, Justin Timberlake.

With a mix of songs made famous in digital shorts on "SNL" over the years — including the Emmy-winning Timberlake collaboration "Di-- in a Box," as well as "Lazy Sunday" (co-starring Chris Parnell) and the Natalie Portman-assisted "Natalie Raps" — the album is meant to make you laugh, but Samberg said he wouldn't mind if you nod your head to it a bit too.

"We definitely wanted it to be a classic comedy album, but also one you put on more than once," Samberg told MTV News. "We've gone out of our way to make it musically pleasing. We started on a few songs that were not funny enough, for us, but they sounded pretty cool. And the bottom line for the project was, 'Is it going to be funny first and music second?' I think it's 95 percent music, and we hope people would throw it on and bump it."

The trio, who've been posting NSFW songs and videos on TheLonelyIsland.com for years, shared a home in Encino, California, over the summer and collaborated on the 14 tracks. Samberg said Universal Republic Records had been after the troupe to do an album since the "Lazy Sunday" digital short dropped on "SNL" in 2005. And, as Samberg told MTV News in 2006, the friends always did want to make an album.

"We finally had the free time to do it this summer," he said. Though some of the "SNL" songs have become instant classics, Samberg thinks there's an added value to the ones that never appeared on the show "because Jorma and Akiva aren't castmembers, and our songs normally require three dudes with very specific rap skills."

Though he was skimpy with the details, not wanting to ruin the surprise, Samberg did reveal that the album is heavy on hip-hop beats but has some of the signature new-wave goodness of songs like "Space Olympics" and the island vibes of "Ras Trent."

"Jorma makes a lot of the beats, but because we knew we had a set amount of time on this, we asked for any and all beats we could get," Samberg said. That resulted in a combination of homebrewed rhythms and professional help from reggae legends Sly & Robbie on "Ras Trent," as well as a few beats from Jurassic 5 turntable master DJ Nu-Mark and underground producer/DJ J-Zone, who has worked with everyone from Gnarls Barkley to Biz Markie and Pete Rock.

Samberg said he's particularly proud of the thump on the first single, "Ji-- in My Pants," which made its debut on the show last week with cameos from a mop-wielding Timberlake, checkout girl Jamie-Lynn Sigler and club hottie Molly Sims. "When I first heard that beat, it sounded like a Timbaland beat," Samberg said. "My first reference was a Missy Elliott club jam, and then we threw some generic Euro Brit dudes on top, because, to be honest, we don't have the chops to crush a Timbaland beat." The video, which features Taccone rapping alongside Samberg, was shot a week before the current "SNL" seasons started, and Samberg said he had "no intentions" of the Universal-funded clip making it onto the show, but once it played in dress rehearsal, the reaction demanded that it make it on air.

While Samberg admitted the three have an affinity for dirty jokes that end somewhere south of the equator, he said they tried not to make the album all locker-room humor. "I would hope that isn't our theme, but it was getting harder and harder to deny," Samberg said. "When we did 'Di-- in a Box' — and that's what most people know us for — it's an uphill battle from there."

Samberg promised that the album's T-Pain song, "I'm on a Boat," is "straight hip-hop," while the Jack Black tune, "Sax Man," finds the Tenacious D frontman singing his heart out. He also revealed that mellow torch singer Norah Jones (who appears on the tune "Dream Girl") is a "goofy girl" who loves comedy, and his normally dour buddy Casablancas shows some comedy chops that might surprise on "Boombox."

The record is also slated to feature Bay Area hip-hop legend E-40 on the song "Santana DVX," as well as the songs "Who Said We're Wack," "Punch You in the Jeans," "We Like Sportz," "Shrooms" and the "SNL" classic "Iran So Far" with Maroon 5's Adam Levine. There will also be an accompanying DVD, but Samberg said he couldn't talk about what would be on it yet because the terms are still being negotiated.

Samberg would love to take the show on the road, but for now, given his hectic schedule, that remains to be seen. "Some of us are more anxious to do it than others," he said. 

• Justin Timberlake
• T-Pain
• Timbaland
• Missy Elliott
• Norah Jones

My Chemical Romance's Gerard Way
Photo: Paul McConnell/ Getty Images

My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way got married over the weekend, his representative confirmed to MTV News on Wednesday (September 5). The Projekt Revolution tour, which featured the band, ended Monday in Englewood, Colorado, and Denver radio station 93.3 FM reports that Way married Mindless Self Indulgence bassist Lyn Z that evening at the venue, the Coors Amphitheatre. MSI were on the Projekt Revolution tour as well and are slated to support MCR on their European tour beginning October 30. ...

Lindsay Lohan attorney Alfred Gerisch filed a brief late last week supporting the starlet's request for the dismissal of all or part of a negligence suit that had been filed against her over an October 2005 car crash, according to Los Angeles TV station CBS 2. In the brief, Gerisch claimed Raymundo Ortega is using lies about Lohan being drunk at the time of the crash "as a battering ram to force a settlement." Gerisch cited as the evidence a police report that called Lohan an "innocent victim" and stipulated alcohol was not involved in the incident, although Ortega's attorney Robert G. Klein has called the document hearsay. A hearing on Lohan's motions is set for Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. ...

Busta Rhymes (real name: Trevor Smith) saw his trial postponed Wednesday after the prosecutor and the defense lawyer said they weren't ready to begin, The Associated Press reports. Instead, a judge ordered the rapper to appear in court November 7 for hearings on charges of attacking two men, driving drunk and driving with a suspended license. He previously rejected a deal that would land him in jail for a year. ...

Looking healthier than she had prior to her reported drug overdose and hospitalization last month, Amy Winehouse took the stage at Tuesday night's Mercury Awards show in England to sing "Love Is a Losing Game." It was the singer's first public performance since she announced the postponement of her fall U.S. tour and cancellation of her VMA appearance on doctor's orders to rest. ... Usher — who just remarried pregnant wife Tameka Foster on Saturday — is making another lifestyle change: He has put his five-bedroom in metro Atlanta's Country Club of the South community up for sale, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The asking price for the house — which Usher bought from L.A. Reid — is a cool $1.9 million. ...

A judge on Wednesday approved Jennifer Lopez's $545,000 arbitration award in a lawsuit against her first husband. Also in accordance with a court-ordered arbitrator's decision early last month, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael C. Solner issued a permanent injunction barring Ojani Noa from publishing negative details about the singer/actress. Lopez had filed the breach-of-contract lawsuit over Noa's plans to publish a tell-all book in which he was expected to claim Lopez had multiple affairs. Solner also told Noa to give Lopez all copies of materials related to the book, and denied his request for another 30 days to find a lawyer. ...

It sounds like fans aren't feeling the American Idols Live Tour this time around. Halfway through the outing, there were no sellouts for the first 30 shows on the tour, with only one date topping the 93 percent capacity mark — a gig in winner Jordin Sparks' home state of Arizona — Billboard Boxscore reports. Compare that to last year's tour, which boasted appearances from Taylor Hicks, Chris Daughtry, Katharine McPhee and Elliott Yamin — and had 17 sellouts in its first 30 dates and 10 shows with more than 93 percent capacity. Boxscore reports 14 of first 30 shows for the current tour were below 60 percent capacity and a gig in Birmingham, Alabama, was at an anemic 38.9 percent. ...

Bono, J.K. Rowling, Russell Simmons and — sure, why not? — Homer Simpson rub elbows with Bill Gates, President Bush and Oprah Winfrey on USA Today's most-influential-people list, which came out Tuesday. ... Master P is going Green — well, in a sense. The hip-hop mogul is joining forces with none other than Seth Green for "Play the Industry," a new role-playing video game with a hip-hop theme, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "Play the Industry" will feature a 3-D world and allow gamers to become a star hip-hop artist, athlete, power broker and more. A late 2009 release is being targeted. ...

Apparently $31 million isn't good enough for Rob Zombie. While the director's "Halloween" scared up a whopping figure at the box office over the weekend, he's "not going to do any more 'Halloween' movies, or any more remakes of any kind," he told EW.com. In fact, Zombie isn't even so sure he'll be sticking to horror when it comes to his recent deal with Dimension Films. "I signed up for two more pictures, but not two more 'Halloween' pictures. They're going to be original stuff — and I don't necessarily know that they're going to be related to the horror genre either.'' ... Daniel Radcliffe is "terrified" over the prospect of acting on Broadway. He told Reuters that "Equus" — for which he appeared nude in the London production — might open in New York late next year. "It will be amazing, but I will be terrified," the actor said of the prospect. "I would be very nervous because I think that [the audiences are] even more discerning than in London." ...

For a guy who isn't planning to release an album anytime soon, Beck sure is busy. In addition to "Timebomb," the new track he pumped out last month, he's spruced up Philadelphia psych-rockers Dr. Dog's "The Girl" with a new remix. The song will appear on a Dr. Dog 7-inch in October, and the B-side will be a cover of the band's "Heart It Races" by Architecture in Helsinki. Dr. Dog will tour with Wilco starting Tuesday and ending September 21. ... Pop Montreal has put together a snappy lineup for its five-day stint October 3-7. The fest will host Hot Hot Heat, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Patti Smith, Black Mountain and more. ...

The annual Bridge School Benefit concert hosted by Neil Young at the Shoreline Amphitheatre near San Francisco will boast the usual mix of old friends and new faces this year, with unplugged sets from John Mayer; Metallica; Eddie Vedder with Flea and Jack Irons; Tom Waits with the Kronos Quartet; Tegan and Sara; Regina Spektor; Jerry Lee Lewis; and, of course, host Young. The shows will take place October 27-28. ... Warped Tour has come to a close — so naturally, it's time to move on to founder Kevin Lyman's other big shindig: next year's Taste of Chaos. Atreyu will headline the fest, with dates and additional acts to be announced in the coming months. ...

Closing arguments in the Phil Spector murder trial began Wednesday, with prosecutors delivering a multimedia presentation that traced the events leading up to the death of Lana Clarkson, the Los Angeles Times reports. The defense objected to part of the presentation, asking Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler to declare a mistrial, but he refused. The defense is due to begin its closing statements Thursday, and jury deliberations will likely begin Friday. ...

Jude Law was arrested outside his London home late Tuesday after allegedly attacking a photographer there, according to the U.K.'s Press Association. The actor voluntarily went to a police station after the incident, which is under investigation. ... Nicole Kidman was engaged to marry another man in between her marriages with Tom Cruise and Keith Urban, she divulged to Vanity Fair, although she did not identify the person. "I got engaged to somebody ... but it just wasn't right," she told the magazine for its October cover story. The actress also said she didn't have any regrets about marrying Cruise. My agents told me, 'Once you become Mrs. Tom Cruise, you do know your career is going to die.' I was appalled. I was like, 'Hello?' I'm in love, and I don't care if it's shooting myself in the foot. I'd much rather be married and have a family.' " ...

Legendary tenor Luciano Pavarotti, who has pancreatic cancer, is in very serious condition, according to AP. He has been suffering kidney problems and losing consciousness while recovering after a recent hospital stay. ...

New Model Army have scrapped their planned tour of North America due to visa complications. ... As the Strokes continue their hiatus, guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. announced on his MySpace blog last week that he is headed back into the studio to work on the follow-up to his solo debut, Yours to Keep. "I'm happy to say that at the end of October we are going in for round two," Hammond wrote. "We are going into Electric Lady Studios for five weeks to record the second record." Hammond said he plans to videotape some of the sessions and show the clips on his MySpace page.

09.4.07

In Style's readers have voted, and Justin Timberlake, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Fergie are among the sexiest stars in the constellation. TV and movie stars dominate the Sexy Portfolio, part of the magazine's 10th annual Sexy Poll, which garnered 50,000 votes on InStyle.com. Fergie is the only musician to get "hot-to-the-touch" status (her 14 fellow hotties include Terrence Howard, Isla Fisher, Ben Stiller and more). "Cleavage is in-your-face, a bare stomach is overt, but a bare leg is always sexy and appropriate," Fergie said, explaining her appeal. "I'm pretty out there in my videos, but in real life, I feel sexier when I'm more subtle. Josh [Duhamel, her boyfriend] agrees. It's better to be alluring than too available." Beyond the Portfolio, "Grey's Anatomy" won Sexiest TV Cast; Jolie earned Sexiest Movie Star Whose Va-Va-Va-Voom You'd Like to Steal; Pitt and George Clooney tied for Sexiest Reasons to Spend $10 on a Movie; Pitt and Jolie nabbed Sexiest Too-Hot Twosome; Timberlake got the Sexiest Troubadour badge. Beyoncé, Shakira and Carrie Underwood tied for Sexiest Girl Found on on iTunes. ...

(See Fergie, Terrence Howard, Ben Stiller and more make In Style's Sexy Poll.)

Britney Spears' lawyer says the singer has been cleared of recent complaints to child-welfare workers, People.com reports. "It does not appear [Los Angeles County] will pursue any action at this time," Laura Wasser said at a hearing in Spears' child-custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline. According to the site, there will be three more court hearings in the dispute this year, during which Federline's request for primary custody of sons Sean Preston and Jayden James will be considered. His attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan is seeking depositions from Spears' assistant, former nanny and others close to her. Meanwhile, Spears bodyguard Cesar Julio Camera has been officially charged with misdemeanor battery after wrestling with a pair of men who were trying to photograph the singer with her children in Las Vegas in July. ...

Owen Wilson has returned to his home in Santa Monica, California, after attempting suicide last week, Fox News reports. Director Wes Anderson — who collaborated with Wilson on September 28's "The Darjeeling Limited," as well as "The Royal Tenenbaums" and more films — talked to reporters at the Venice Film Festival on Monday, saying Wilson is "doing very well." "Owen wishes he could be with us," Anderson said. "We all miss having him. Obviously he has been through a lot this week. I can tell you he has been doing very well, he has been making us laugh. When he is ready he's going to speak for himself much better than any of us could." ...

Game (real name: Jayceon Terrell Taylor) will stand trial on three felony charges stemming from a pickup basketball game in Los Angeles in February, TMZ.com reports. His next court date is September 25. 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. The rapper, who is free on $50,000 bail, faces more than five years in state prison if convicted. ...

The full itinerary for Kelly Clarkson's rescheduled tour in support of My December will carry the singer through a 26-city outing. The trek begins with a string of three dates at the Beacon Theatre in New York (October 14-16) and also ropes in two home-state gigs, in Dallas and Houston. The seven-week tour — which replaces a scrapped summer tour — will have Clarkson playing more intimate theaters than the arenas she was originally booked into, including the Orpheum in Boston (October 23); Fillmore in Detroit (October 28); Paramount Theater in Denver (November 5); and the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on December 3. ... Take a seat, Amy Winehouse — Klaxons have scooted by the starlet and picked up the U.K.'s prestigious Mercury Prize for their debut, Myths of the Near Future. The band also nudged past the Arctic Monkeys, Jamie T and others. ...

Usher made it official again on Saturday. The 28-year-old singer married pregnant wife Tameka Foster, 37, in a large, glitzy ceremony in Atlanta a few weeks after the pair got officially hitched in a civil ceremony. People.com reports that 200 people attended the wedding at a 16th-century-style French chateau resort outside Atlanta. The lavish wedding came nearly a month after their previously scheduled wedding was called off at the last minute. ... Halle Berry is three months pregnant with her first child. She's due to have the baby, whose father is Berry's boyfriend Gabriel Aubry, on Valentine's Day. ... Tobey Maguire tied the knot with his fiancee, jewelry designer Jennifer Meyer, in Hawaii over the weekend, according to "Entertainment Tonight." Leonardo DiCaprio was among those who reportedly attended the ceremony. ...

Evanescence have sketched out new tour dates for the U.S. and Mexico. Amy Lee will take her troupe through Florida and Texas from October 23-31, then head to Mexico for three shows to be held November 3, 5 and 7. After that, they'll plow through the States from November 10-December 4. ...

Zac Efron denies that money is the deciding factor in whether he takes part in "High School Musical 3" — he says it's all about the script. The actor told People, "There's no feuding with 'High School Musical,' " and added, "If the script is good and if we all agree on a final script, then there's nothing that is going to hold us back from doing [a third installment]." ...

Hulk Hogan has spoken out on last week's car crash involving his son, Nick Bollea, saying he didn't think anyone had survived. "We were going to get something to eat and Nick paged me and said, 'Dad, I want to go early, because we don't have a table at the restaurant,' " he told TV's "The Insider" in an interview set to air Tuesday (September 4). "As I was going down our normal route, I saw this yellow car, and it happened to be twisted ... and there were ambulances there and police were there, and — bam — [I realized that] it was my car." Hogan also commented on his son's condition and that of John Graziano, the passenger who is still in critical condition. "Nick is doing good," Hogan said. "He's got a broken arm, some broken ribs, some neck problems and some stuff wrong with his knees, but he's hanging in there. He's living at the hospital with John. He's going to be OK, and John's going to be OK, and we're going to move forward." ...

The new single from Dave Matthews, the live favorite "Eh Hee," debuted Tuesday on iTunes. The video for the song, co-directed by Matthews, will be available as a free iTunes download for a week. The track, on which Matthews sings all vocals and plays all the instruments, is not tied to any upcoming release. ... PJ Harvey is planning two live performances around the release of her next album, White Chalk, which drops September 25. She'll perform October 10 at the Beacon Theatre in New York and October 15 at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. ...

DragonForce guitarist Herman Li performed with Tool during their August 22 gig at London's Brixton Academy. He performed a guitar solo in the middle of "Lateralus." ... H.I.M. and Bleeding Through will hit the road next month for a trek that is set to run through December. The first gig is booked for October 18 in Sayreville, New Jersey, the jaunt will wind down December 2 in New York. ... Bloodsimple have been forced to drop off the tail end of this year's Family Values Tour, as frontman Tim Williams needed dental surgery. The band's sophomore LP, Red Harvest, is slated for release October 9. ... Alice in Chains plan to immortalize their August 21 acoustic gig at the Rave/ Eagles Club in Milwaukee with a to-be-scheduled live release. During the show, the band performed "Heaven Beside You," "Angry Chair" and "Rooster," as well as a cover of Elton John's "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy." ... Tracks made famous by Stevie Wonder, Louis Armstrong and Aretha Franklin get a new shine on Frankie Valli's Romancing the '60s, due October 2. ...

Pete Doherty's drug case was postponed Tuesday after he failed to show up in court, Reuters reports. The case — which stems from the troubled rocker's recent arrest on suspicion of drug possession in London — was adjourned until October 2 after West London Magistrates Court heard he had checked himself into rehab. ... Bill Murray was dropping off people after a party when he was pulled over for speeding in a golf cart in Stockholm, Sweden, late last month, he said at the Venice Film Festival on Monday, The Associated Press reports. The police "asked me to come over and they assumed that I was drunk, and I explained to them that I was a golfer," he said. Authorities took a blood test after Murray refused to submit to a breathalyzer test, and he could face drunken-driving charges. ...

Bo Diddley was released from a hospital in Gainesville, Florida, on Saturday. The rock icon was hospitalized late last month after suffering a heart attack during a routine medical exam. ... Jeffrey Carter Albrecht, 34, who played keyboard for Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians since 1999, was shot and killed early Monday morning in Dallas while trying to kick in the door of his girlfriend's neighbor's house. The neighbor, who believed a burglar was trying to break in, fired a shot through the door around 4 a.m, according to AP. Albrecht, who had also played with Brickell's husband, Paul Simon, and who was prepping a solo album, died on the scene. No arrests had been made in the incident as of press time.

• Fergie, Terrence Howard, Ben Stiller Make In Style's Sexy Poll

• Amy Winehouse
• Bono
• Rob Zombie
• Taylor Hicks
• Katharine McPhee

Albert Hammond Jr.
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

When Albert Hammond Jr. is sitting on his couch, he's writing music. When he's on the road, he's writing. Even when he's in the bathroom, he's making notes.

The Strokes guitarist has been stockpiling his own material for years — and there was never any doubt in his mind that he'd one day release a solo album. Still, there were moments when Hammond's self-confidence withered a tad, challenging him during the recording of Yours to Keep, which hits stores Tuesday (March 6).

"I had things around me and people around me I admire that helped me get through it," he explained. One of those people, he said, was Ric Ocasek, the lead singer for seminal 1980s rockers the Cars.

"I played him some songs, and he said, 'I never knew you were such a great songwriter.' He also said that I'd be doing this forever, and I was like, 'I love you,' " Hammond added. "He's one of my biggest idols, and it was nice to hear it from someone who had nothing to gain, telling me he liked my songs."

Yours to Keep, which has been available in the United Kingdom, other parts of Europe and Japan since early October, was produced by Thin Lizard Dawn singer Greg Lattimer and recorded at New York's Electric Lady Studios. Hammond called on several other pals to contribute to the LP, including Sean Lennon, Ben Kweller, Jody Porter of Fountains of Wayne, the Mooney Suzuki's Sammy James Jr. and Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas. But despite all the help — and despite being sure he'd eventually release a solo LP someday — Hammond never expected to complete the project so quickly.

"I'd written these songs and, through other people, met [Lattimer], and I was like, 'Let's go in, record this one song I have, and we can use weird instruments, like a melodica and the toy piano,' and we just got along really well," he said. "The songs sounded great and all of my friends thought they sounded great, so we just sort of recorded another one, and another one, and the songwriting was just getting better and better, and all of a sudden, I had a record and a band [rounded out by drummer Matt Romano and bassist Josh Lattanzi]. And I was like, 'Wow, what the hell are we going to do with this?' Sure, I was excited, but now, it was like, 'How am I not going to do something with these songs?' "

Hammond said there were a number of inspirations behind the lyrics on Yours to Keep, a 12-song album that boasts "Cartoon Music for Superheroes," "101," "Call an Ambulance" and two bonus-track cover tunes: Buddy Holly's "Well ... All Right" and Guided by Voices' "Postal Blowfish."

"I just find certain cool things and phrases I like, that mean something to me, and I'd put things around it," he said. "Each song is like a different test for me. '101' is a song I wanted to write with a chorus that would repeat. I wrote it much differently than the other songs on the album. 'In Transit,' I just created a world around that one phrase. Some of the lyrics just came out of my ass, though."

With the Strokes on hiatus — following the conclusion of their U.S. fall tour, the guys announced there "are no plans at the moment" to work on their fourth album — Hammond figured the time was right to release Yours to Keep. He said the Strokes hiatus is well-deserved, as it followed more than a year of "hard touring."

Hammond is currently headlining his own tour and will continue doing so through March 21 in Columbus, Ohio. Then he'll hook up with Bloc Party and support them from March 23 in Chicago through March 31 in New York. Hammond is also booked as the musical guest for "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" on April 6.

Hammond added that none of the other members of the Strokes have plans to release their own solo outings, as far as he knows — but he'll continue to issue solo material in the future, as well as eventually work with the Strokes on the follow-up to 2006's First Impressions of Earth.

"The Strokes are a great, important band — all of us understand that," he explained. "When it comes time to make another record, we'll do that. But I will continue to release solo records, even if it isn't released and is just for me. I have to, and I already have a bunch of new material for a second record. When I finished this record, I wondered where the new stuff would take me, and it's taken me somewhere so surprising and amazing, that I have to make a second one. I can't not do it."

• Albert Hammond, Jr.
• The Strokes

Hilary Duff
Photo: Evan Agostini/ Getty Images

Hilary Duff's relying on neither her sister nor her boyfriend for help with her next album. While Haylie helped write songs on her debut, she's sitting out this time, as are Joel and Benji Madden, who had produced the three new songs on Hilary's Most Wanted greatest-hits collection. "They're working on their own album," Hilary explained. "I'm writing most of the stuff this time. It's kind of just Kara [DioGuardi, a frequent Hilary collaborator] and me writing, and then going in the studio and recording." While it's still "very early on," she said, she's going in a new direction, "more dancey ... but really hip-hop because we're using a lot of real instruments." "I don't know exactly how to explain what we're doing, but it's fun and funky and different, something new for me," she said. "It's really cool." In the meantime, Hilary has unveiled her newly designed Stuff by Hilary Duff fall collection, as well as HilaryOnRed.com, a new Web site for her fashion line. The site will feature a fashion show on Tuesday in which she'll offer up commentary while seven young runway models showcase each new look to the tune of the singer's new single, "Play With Fire." ...

"American Idol" hopefuls should bone up on the classics, if Simon Cowell's favorite songs are any indication of what he wants to hear in auditions. The judge, who shared his all-time favorites on BBC Radio 4's "Desert Island Discs," revealed eight top tracks — and only one, Daniel Bedingfield's "If You're Not the One," was released in the past 30 years. Tops for Cowell is Bobby Darin's "Mack the Knife," which he called "the best song ever made, ever produced, ever sung." Herb Alpert's "This Guy's in Love With You" is his pick for "sexiest song ever," while he named Charles Aznavour's "She" among "the most beautiful songs of all time." Cowell said he'd also choose to bring a mirror on his island adventure — "because I'd miss me." ...

Kate Hudson and the Black Crowes' Chris Robinson are separating after being married for six years, The Associated Press reports. The couple have a 2-year-old son, Ryder Russell Robinson. ... Travis Barker's ex Shanna Moakler is dusting herself off and hitting the dance floor next month for ABC's "Dancing With the Stars." The former Miss USA will be facing off against "High School Musical" star Monique Coleman; singers Willa Ford and Sara Evans; talk-show host Jerry Springer; football legend Emmitt Smith; actors Vivica A. Fox, Mario López, Harry Hamlin, Joe Lawrence; and conservative talking head Tucker Carlson in the ballroom-dancing competition, the third season of which premieres September 12. ...

Dancer/rapper/model Kevin Federline is a man of many hats, and now he's adding record executive to the mix. Federation Records, a joint venture between Federline and manager Dan Dymtrow, will release — you guessed it — K-Fed's own Playing With Fire as its inaugural LP. Federline's single "Lose Control" is scheduled to arrive at radio August 21, the morning after he performs the track as the closing act of the Teen Choice 2006 awards show. ... Joanna, fresh off Teen People's Rock & Shop Mall Tour, has been named the opening act for Nick Lachey's fall tour, which kicks off September 20 in Albany, New York. Joanna's debut, This Crazy Life, is due Tuesday, while her single "Let It Slide" is already at radio. ...

After shooting a special acoustic show for this week's performance night of "Rock Star: Supernova," the final eight rockers on the show hosted a mid-season party at their Los Angeles mansion. The finalists entertained guests with an impromptu jam session featuring Magni and Toby Rand dueting on U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name," Dilana (with help from Storm Large) delivering the Janis Joplin staple "Me and Bobby McGee" and Ryan Star debuting one of his own tunes. ... Former Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul is teaming up with Mudvayne's Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett, and Nothingface's Jerry Montano and Tom Maxwell, for a new project that has yet to be named. In a bulletin on Nothingface's MySpace page, Montano said the material that the new group has been working on "is amazing," and that the still-unnamed act's album should be out in the spring, followed by a U.S. tour. ...

Having spent most of the summer abroad, the Strokes will return to North America later this month to kick off a string of live shows. The band has four gigs set in Mexico between August 30 and September 3, and will play Toronto on September 10. The Strokes mark their return to the U.S. with a September 12 performance in Boston and have headlining shows scheduled in Ithaca, New York (September 17); Norfolk, Virginia (September 19); Pompano Beach, Florida (September 24); Kansas City, Missouri (October 1); Albany, New York (October 6); and Hampton Beach, New Hampshire (October 8). The Strokes will also open for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers in Chicago (September 14-15); Gainesville, Florida (September 21); Atlanta (September 22) and Los Angeles (September 26). ... Brooklyn, New York, rockers TV on the Radio are hitting the road in support of their upcoming album, Return to Cookie Mountain, which is due September 12. The 25-date North American trek kicks off September 14 in New Orleans and comes to a close November 21 in Philadelphia. The tour includes stops at the Austin City Limits Music Festival on September 16 and a two-night stand at New York's Irving Plaza on November 17 and 18. ...

The Used claim the album they've been recently working on will be "the best record we have ever written." In an online post, bassist Jeph Howard described the writing process as "amazing ... I'm really so stoked." The band has written 22 songs, and Howard explained that "the record is coming along better than ever and we all feel more strongly about the Used than we ever have." No word yet on when the LP will surface. ... More dates have been revealed for Atreyu's upcoming trek with From First to Last, Every Time I Die and Chiodos. The tour will hit San Diego on October 6; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on October 15; Seattle on November 14; and Hollywood on November 20. ... Dates for Eighteen Visions' upcoming tour with Bullet for My Valentine, Escape the Fate and Drop Dead, Gorgeous are beginning to trickle out. The run will be making stops in Dallas (September 22); Austin, Texas, (September 23); Houston (September 24); Lake Buena Vista, Florida (September 27); and St. Petersburg, Florida (September 29). Additional stops will be announced in the coming weeks. ...

Last week's foiled terrorist plot targeting U.K.-to-U.S. flights has made traveling by plane a pain — just ask Snow Patrol. Two of the band's gigs — an Auburn, Washington, show scheduled for last Saturday and a Portland, Oregon, performance on last Sunday — were scratched when just two members of the five-man band were able to cross the Atlantic in time for the performances. "Continued delays and problems securing new flights have made it impossible for [frontman Gary Lightbody, drummer Jonny Quinn and bassist Paul Wilson] to arrive in time for the concerts," the band said in a statement. "Snow Patrol regrets any inconvenience or disappointment it has caused its fans." There's no word yet on when the band will reschedule the missed gigs, but the Patrol expect to make the show they have scheduled for Tuesday in Boston. ... The Rolling Stones have canceled a concert scheduled for Monday in Valladolid, Spain, after Mick Jagger was ordered to rest his voice. The singer has laryngitis, the band said in a statement, while a spokesperson for the show's promoter said the gig isn't likely to be rescheduled. "I am very sorry to be canceling this show," Jagger apologized to ticket holders in a statement posted on the band's Web site. "I always love playing in Spain, but unfortunately, I have no other choice." ... Boy George reported for duty at New York's Department of Sanitation on Monday (August 14) at 7.a.m., and was soon sweeping up trash and leaves from city streets before a crowd of journalists and photographers, AP reports. The singer, who was ordered to perform community service after pleading guilty to reporting a false incident earlier this year, quickly began to clash with the media. "Go home," the former Culture Club frontman told reporters. "This is supposed to be making me humble. ... I just want to do my job."

08.11.2006

Jessica Simpson is asking fans to help determine the second single from her new album A Public Affair, due August 29. Fans can listen on her Web site and vote between "If You Were Mine," "The Lover in Me," "I Belong to Me," "B.O.Y.," "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" and "I Don't Want to Care." ...

As Beyoncé's September 5 B'Day draws nearer (her actual birthday is one day earlier), the singer has "Ring the Alarm" set as the second single from her second solo album. The video for "Alarm," directed by Sophie Muller (Shakira, No Doubt), is scheduled to premiere this month. ...

A judge denied a bid by the family of Notorious B.I.G. to expand its wrongful-death lawsuit against the city, The Associated Press reported Friday (August 11). The family requested last month that the lawsuit also include claims that an on-duty police officer was at the site where the killing occurred, but U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper denied the motion. Cooper said there was "no admissible evidence that [the officer] was on duty ... at the scene of the murder." ...

Tego Calderón has firmed up an August 29 release date for his Atlantic Records debut, The Underdog/ El Subestimado. Reggae king Buju Banton and reggaetón guru Don Omar are among the guests. ... Wyclef Jean is teaming up with Asian pop star Sun. The Fugees rapper is producing the singer's next album. ...

NBA star Ron Artest, fresh off touring with Fat Joe, will release his debut hip-hop album, My World, on October 24. Mike Jones and Allure are among the guests. ... Aly & AJ's "Chemicals React" has been translated into the Sims' native language of Simlish for "The Sims 2: Pets," due October 17. A video for the track is featured on the group's new deluxe edition of Into the Rush. ... Actress/model Jaime King is the new face for Jay-Z's Rocawear line, joining supermodel Naomi Campbell. She is currently featured with Naomi and Jay in the fall holiday ad campaign, which was shot in Aspen, Colorado. "Jay-Z thinks they are two females that represent the Rocawear lifestyle," a Rocawear rep said. ...

New York's Radio City Music Hall is big, but not big enough to contain all of Harry Potter's fans. Millions missed out on J.K. Rowling's juicy question-and-answer session earlier this month at the "An Evening With Harry, Carrie & Garp" charity event benefiting the Haven Foundation and Doctors Without Borders. MTV News gave the scoop on Rowling's talk last week (see "J.K. Rowling Reveals Further Details About Final 'Harry Potter' "), but if you want to experience it for yourself — along with readings by Stephen King and John Irving — the event is being streamed in its entirety on Friday at Video.MSN.com. Select highlights will be available on demand starting Saturday. ...

When Paris Hilton first created her watch line, she designed a limited-edition selection of luxury timepieces priced in the $100,000 range — fair for an heiress, but a little out of regular folks' reach. Now Hilton and Abazias Diamonds are branching out with a ready-to-wear range of watches priced from $138-$230 with style names including Love Horseshoe, Naked Eyes and Bikini — that one has two faces. ... A previously unreleased solo track from Dave Grohl is among the songs featured on the soundtrack to "Rising Son, the Legend of Skateboarder Christian Hosoi," due November 14. New Slightly Stoopid and Murs songs are also included, alongside contributions from Queens of the Stone Age and Gnarls Barkley. ... Kanye West isn't the only star lending his shine to the Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang fall tour. Dave Matthews Band and Van Morrison are joining the Stones as openers for select dates of the band's latest North American leg. DMB will support the group's Seattle (October 17) and El Paso, Texas (October 20), stops, while Morrison will open in Vancouver, British Columbia (November 3), and Oakland, California (November 5). West's previously announced opening spot for the Stones in Halifax, Nova Scotia, will be boosted by performances by Alice Cooper and Sloan. ...

Portishead's Geoff Barrow is a bit of a thorny curmudgeon — and he's the first to admit it. After fans suggested that au courant beatmaker Danger Mouse produce the long-awaited follow-up to Portishead's self-titled sophomore disc, issued in 1997, Barrows took to the band's MySpace blog to scoff at the idea (in poorly written fashion). "I'd rather poo in my mums suday roast than have Danger Mouse produce a Portishead record, no offence like," he wrote. A few days later, cooler heads prevailed when he appeared contrite — or at least somewhat. "Just to let you know after my rants the other day that were reported about a certain producer. I dont rate myself better or above anyone else. It was purely in responce to a message that suggested he should produce our album and also to be honest I'm a grumpy old f--- who hates everything and Gnarls Barkley." ... "Sleep Well, Drive Carefully: On the Road with Death Cab for Cutie" will kick off Starz Cinema's monthly music series. The documentary, directed by Justin Mitchell and featuring a backstage peek at life on tour, will air August 28 at 10 p.m. ... Jane's Addiction, Mastodon, Seemless, Codeseven and the Fall of Troy are among the artists whose music will be featured in the Xbox 360 game "Saints Row," which will land in stores August 29. ...

New York indie-rockers the Walkmen just released their third album, A Hundred Years Off, in May. But during the arduous recording of that disc — in their downtime — the 'Men recorded another LP: an entire reworking of Harry Nilsson's classic 1974 album Pussy Cats (produced by John Lennon). The note-for-note re-creation, Pussycats Starring the Walkmen, is due October 24. ... Connecticut hardcore stalwarts Hatebreed will be forced to skip the last date on this summer's Ozzfest. Hatebreed are missing the August 13 show in West Palm Beach, Florida, due to a death in bassist Chris Beattie's family. "[Beattie's] grandfather George had become ill and subsequently passed away yesterday," a statement from the band read. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Chris, his family and those who were close to George. May he rest in peace. Please understand our circumstances." ... And now an indie-rock riddle: What do you get when you add a member of Destroyer and the New Pornographers (Dan Bejar), the singer of Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown (Spencer Krug) and a founder of Frog Eyes (Casey Mercer)? The answer is Swan Lake. The newly formed group will release its debut full-length, Beast Moans, on November 21. The 13-track disc was produced by the bandmates and friends — who are also former roommates.

• Vinnie Paul
• The Strokes
• The Used
• Snow Patrol
• Boy George

Kanye West
Photo: Dave M. Benett/Getty Images

Kanye West took the prize for Best Solo Artist at this year's ShockWaves NME Awards, held in London on Thursday, while the Strokes were designated the Best International Band. More than 80,000 people cast votes for the prizes, which are picked by the British music magazine's readers. The evening's biggest winners were the Arctic Monkeys, who were named Best New Band as well as Best British Band and scored the Best Track prize for their song "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor." Franz Ferdinand took home the award for Best Live Band, and the Kaiser Chiefs' Employment was honored as the year's Best Album. Madonna scored Sexiest Woman, while Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins won the Worst Dressed award and James Blunt's Back to Bedlam earned the award no one wanted: Worst Album. "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" was chosen as Best Film. ...

"Goblet of Fire" has earned more than just the affection of NME readers; it's also racked up $600 million in international box-office receipts, making it only the fifth film to do so. According to Variety, the latest "Harry Potter" film joins "Titanic" (which has grossed $1.2 billion worldwide), "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" ($750 million), "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" ($657 million) and "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" ($616 million) in the list of films that have crossed the $600 million barrier. ... On Friday (February 24) a Detroit judge granted a request by Red Light District Video to delay a decision in a case involving Kid Rock until March 23. On Tuesday lawyers for Rock won a temporary injunction barring RLDV from distributing a sex tape involving their client, former Creed frontman Scott Stapp and four women. While the lawyers were hoping that U.S. District Court Judge John Feikens would grant their request for a permanent injunction on Friday, RLDV had retained the services of a Detroit-area attorney and will now have until the 23rd to present their case. ... The Gorillaz have slated their "Demon Days Live" DVD for a March release. The disc captures moments from the group's five-night stand at the Manchester Opera House, when 'Rillaz mastermind Damon Albarn played the Demon Days album in its entirety and was joined onstage by De La Soul and Ike Turner. The DVD includes full-screen visuals, created specifically for the Manchester shows by Gorillaz illustrator Jamie Hewlett. ...

Former "American Idol" hopeful Jennifer Hudson — who'll be making her feature film debut alongside Beyoncé and Jamie Foxx in "Dreamgirls" — has been named ShoWest's Female Star of Tomorrow, Variety reports. Hudson, who's recording an album that'll hit stores in 2007, will claim the honor at the closing night banquet during this year's annual ShoWest convention in Las Vegas on March 16. Hudson's in good company, as past recipients of ShoWest's Star of Tomorrow prize include Heath Ledger, Hilary Swank and LL Cool J. ... On Thursday, Apple's iTunes Music Store sold its billionth downloadable song to Alex Ostrovsky of Michigan. Ostrovsky was unaware that his purchase of Coldplay's "Speed of Sound" would afford him much more than an opportunity to crank the volume, but according to The New York Times, that $0.99 earned him a 20-inch iMac, 10 iPods and a $10,000 gift card for more downloads. Apple is also going to set up a scholarship at the Juilliard School in his name. ... English rockers Test Icicles have quickly gone from NBT to D.O.A. The bandmembers announced Tuesday that they're calling it quits, canceling in the process the U.S. tour that was scheduled to begin March 1. Guitarist Rory Atwell said in a longwinded statement, "In our current state of disrepair it was never going to happen and if we did try and make it happen it probably would have led to something much worse happening and the three of us disappearing somewhere near Utah never to be seen again, or something like that." The band's debut album, For Screening Purposes Only, came out in late January. ...

The body of a man found in a Brentwood apartment February 5 has been identified as Todd Kevin Wallace, the 44-year-old paparazzo who was facing assault charges stemming from an incident with actress Reese Witherspoon. According to The Associated Press, the coroner's office confirmed his death Thursday, but the cause of death is still under investigation pending toxicology results. Wallace was charged with assault and battery following an incident at Disneyland involving Witherspoon and one of her daughter's friends; he was alleged to have hit a 5-year-old girl in his attempts to snap a shot of Witherspoon, who refused to have her picture taken. In December, a warrant was issued for Wallace's arrest when he failed to turn up for a bail hearing. ... The Walkmen are set to release the follow-up to 2004's indie-riffic Bows + Arrows with A Hundred Miles Off on May 23. In addition to the 12-track disc, the band also recently re-recorded Harry Nilsson's 1974 collaboration album with John Lennon, Pussy Cats; the new version, Pussy Cats Starring the Walkmen, is due later this year. The band is scheduled to follow up their Coachella appearance with a full-blown U.S. tour. ...

To My Surprise, the side project of Slipknot percussionist Clown, have been booked for this year's South by Southwest Festival. The band will take the stage of Exodus in Austin, Texas, on March 16 before heading overseas to Europe for a spate of festival appearances. A North American tour is in the works for this fall. ... H.I.M. will soon shoot a video for the track "Killing Loneliness" with director Nathan Cox (Queens of the Stone Age, Staind). The clip will feature an appearance by noted tattoo artist Kat Von D, whose work has been featured on the reality series "Miami Ink." ... Haste the Day have grown by one. Stephen Keech was named the band's new singer, replacing Jimmy Ryan, who left the ranks three months ago for personal reasons. Keech was introduced as the group's newest member onstage in Denver Thursday night. Haste the Day are currently on the road with Bleeding Through and Every Time I Die. ... Bay Area rockers Stroke 9 will be hitting the road in late March, in support of their latest offering, Café Cuts. The 9 have lined up 18 gigs in all, beginning March 23 in San Juan Capistrano, California. The tour will hit Detroit, Baltimore, San Francisco, and Philadelphia before finishing up in Chicago May 21.

02.23.2006

R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe, Bright Eyes and Public Enemy's Chuck D are among the artists slated to appear at "Bring 'Em Home Now," a March 20 concert to benefit the anti-war organizations Veterans for Peace and Iraq Veterans Against the War. The concert — to be held on the third anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq — will take place at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom and also feature a speech by activist Cindy Sheehan. Other artists scheduled to perform include Rufus Wainwright, Fischerspooner and Peaches. Tickets for the "Bring 'Em Home" benefit range from $28-$150, but if you can't afford it, you'll still be able to at least hear the show: Janeane Garofalo will broadcast her Air America Radio program, "The Majority Report," live from the Hammerstein. ...

Before kicking off their latest tour Friday in their hometown of Bakersfield, California, Korn will have a street in the city named after them. Mayor Harvey Hall will unveil Korn Row at a 3 p.m. ceremony. ... Gorillaz are upping their animated ante by launching a game for cell phones in April. The four bandmembers will be represented in a game whose graphics aim to blend old-school, arcade-style visuals with the band's already-established look and artwork. For more information about the mobile game, go to MrGoodLiving.com/Gorillaz. ... Nominees for the sixth annual Jammy Awards — which honor "artists who thrive in the live music environment" (read: jam bands) — were announced Thursday. Tennessee rockers My Morning Jacket are among the leaders with three nods, although Widespread Panic, the Allman Brothers Band and Ryan Adams will be vying for awards as well. The hardware will be handed out during a concert/awards show to be held April 20 (4/20, dude!) in New York at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden. For more information visit Jammys.com. ...

O.A.R. will tour college campuses across the country beginning March 29 at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, and ending April 26 at the Northern University of Illinois in DeKalb. The video game "MLB '06: The Show," for which O.A.R. contributed an original track called "Of a Revolution," is sponsoring the trek. ... She Wants Revenge, who recently entered the Billboard albums chart at #38, have signed on to open for Depeche Mode on their North American spring tour. Dates have yet to be confirmed, but the outing is slated for April and May. ... "Rock of Ages," the Los Angeles musical that pays homage to hair metal and stars Tenacious D's Kyle Gass, has been extended through March 18. Beginning March 2, the show will move from the Vanguard to the larger RenMar Studios in Hollywood. ... Mudvayne will headline Tampa, Florida, radio station 98Rock's Livestock 15 on April 29. Set for Festival Park in Zephyrhills, the bill will also feature Staind, Rob Zombie and Saliva. ...

Jewel will headline the pre-race show for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Auto Club 500 at California Speedway on Sunday. Fox will televise the event. ... The Vines have settled on Vision Valley as the title for their forthcoming disc, due in stores April 4. The album will feature 13 tracks, including "Anysound," "Nothins Comin" and "Futuretarded." ... A new line of Jerry Garcia-inspired teas will hit premium tea shops and gourmet food stores starting next week. Called J. Garcia Artisan Teas, there are five blends in all named after the late Grateful Dead guitarist. A portion of the proceeds from the teas will benefit DrawBridge, a nonprofit that provides art supplies for children in homeless shelters. The teas in the Garcia line are Morning Brew, Shady Grown, Magic Herb, Spirit of Sage and Jerry Cherry. ... SideOneDummy Records will celebrate their 10-year anniversary March 22, 24 and 25 with a series of show at the Key Club in Los Angeles. Flogging Molly, Gogol Bordello and MxPx are among the acts scheduled to perform. ... The Accident Experiment, former P.O.D. guitarist Marcos Curiel's new band, will finally release their debut, United We Fear, in May. The band will promote the record with a performance at South by Southwest. ...

The Go! Team will trek across the States beginning March 15 at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. Dates in Washington, D.C., New York, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Las Vegas will follow before the band hits Coachella April 30. ... Secret Machines will release their new record exclusively to online retailers for several weeks beginning February 28. Ten Silver Drops, featuring first single "Alone, Jealous and Stoned," is due in stores April 18. Former Afghan Wigs singer Greg Dulli will release the fourth album under his Twilight Singers moniker May 16. Powder Burns will feature appearances from Joseph Arthur and Ani DiFranco. ... Nothing like five 10- to 13-year-old kids singing "Whip It!" Devo have created a kids' group called Devo 2.0 that will debut with a CD and DVD on March 14. ... Police guitarist Andy Summer has signed a deal with U.K. publisher Portrait/ Piatkus to write his memoir, "One Train Later." Summer's autobiography is due later this fall and will include his early days in the London music scene to his superstar heyday with the Police. ... The Charlatans UK will release their new album, Sympatico, May 2. Steering away from their typical Brit-rock dance/techno vibe, the new disc will instead consist of light, upbeat reggae tunes. The Charlatans will perform at South by Southwest on March 18 and kick off a headlining trek after the album's release.

• Kanye West
• The Strokes
• James Blunt
• Franz Ferdinand
• Madonna

Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance
Photo: David Teuma/Getty Images

Feeling charitable? Need a suitably gothic-looking blazer for that upcoming spring formal? Well, you're in luck. My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way has designed a limited-edition suit jacket, and all profits from the sales will benefit Boarding for Breast Cancer, a nonprofit organization that aims to increase awareness about breast cancer among young women and men. Only 600 of the "Prom Knight" blazers were made, and they're currently up for sale at SmartPunk.com. Way describes them as "something casual yet formal ... kind of sleek. Something a gentleman would wear to a duel." ...

Suge Knight filed a $106 million lawsuit Thursday against imprisoned drug kingpin Michael Harris and a number of his lawyers, according to The Associated Press. Knight claims he was a victim of a fraudulent lawsuit settled last year, in which he was ordered to pay nearly the same sum to Harris' wife Lydia based on her claims that Knight defamed and defrauded her. In the new suit filed in Los Angeles Federal Court, Knight claims Lydia Harris only posed as the plaintiff while her husband — who has said he helped fund the creation of the Death Row label — was the real mastermind behind the original suit. Knight insists that since Harris had already settled a 1996 lawsuit against Interscope Records that included both Knight and Death Row, it protects him from ever being sued by Harris again. ...

Shakira, Don Omar, Daddy Yankee, Frankie J and Marc Anthony are among the artists in the running for the 2006 Billboard Latin Music Awards. Yankee scored the most nods — 10 — including best artist and Hot Latin Song of the Year, while Mexican pop group RBD are named in nine categories, including Latin Pop Album of the Year, Duo or Group. Shakira came in close behind with eight nods. Yankee and Don Omar will square off for Reggaeton Album of the Year. The awards will be handed out April 27 and air live on Telemundo. ... More than 200 artists will make their way back to the Big Easy for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, which runs from April 28-30 and May 5-7. The first weekend of the six-day event will feature Dave Matthews Band, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Ani DiFranco and Yolanda Adams, while the second weekend will host Jimmy Buffett, Lionel Richie, Paul Simon, Keith Urban and a special appearance by Fats Domino, who was aided by a rescue team when Hurricane Katrina's floodwaters left him trapped. Tickets are available now. ... Rapper-turned-producer Kwamé (Will Smith's "Switch") has a packed year ahead. He's got tracks in the works with Christina Aguilera, Janet Jackson, Chingy, Method Man and Mya, with whom he worked for "that rock-star appeal with that real hard-edge hip-hop on the bottom of it," he said. For Aguilera, Kwamé brought in a 60-piece orchestra. "We did a real soulful mid-tempo ballad, very energetic at the same time," he said. ...

British singer/songwriter James Blunt, who will be performing at Coachella, has lined up 18 dates as part of an early-spring North American club tour. The trek will begin in Washington, D.C., March 13 and ends April 6 in San Francisco. The Boy Least Likely To and Sierra Swan have signed on as the supporting acts. ... Much-buzzed Montreal quartet Wolf Parade have a similar game plan. Already confirmed to appear at Coachella on April 30, the band will hit Boston, New York, Philadelphia and a handful of other cities earlier in the month. ... The Strokes continue to add dates to their upcoming trek with the Eagles of Death Metal. The tour's New York launch has been extended from one to three nights, — March 1, 3 and 4 — and the band has booked gigs in Las Vegas (March 22), Anaheim, California (March 25); Universal City, California (March 30); Detroit (April 13); and Cleveland (March 14). ... Bloc Party will play shows in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (April 25);Tempe, Arizona (April 27); and Las Vegas (April 28) before their Coachella appearance April 30. The Go! Team are opening the Vegas show. ... Former Cure keyboardist Roger O'Donnell will release his second solo album, The Truth in Me, May 16. Jimmy Tamborello of the Postal Service is remixing the first single, "The Truth in You." ...

DFA, the remix team whose James Murphy is better known as LCD Soundsystem, will release a collection of remixes called The DFA Remixes - Chapter One April 4. Gorillaz, the Chemical Brothers and Fischerspooner are included on the album, while a Chapter Two due in the summer will include Nine Inch Nails, Goldfrapp and the Rapture. ... The Prodigy are playing select U.S. dates in March to support their recently released hits collection, Their Law: The Singles 1990-2005, which features "Firestarter," "Breathe" and "Smack My Bitch Up." The tour will include stops in New York on March 22; Washington, D.C., on March 23; and Miami's Ultra Music Fest on March 25. ... Elvis Costello, who is currently working on an album with legendary New Orleans musician Allen Toussaint, is planning a spring tour with local symphonies to support his live album My Flame Burns Blue, due February 28. The album was recorded at the Hague in the Netherlands with the Metropole Orkest and includes a bonus disc with a 45-minute suite from Il Sogno, Costello's first full-length orchestral work. ... Sick of It All's next album, Death to Tyrants, will land in stores on April 18, following a two-week run with the Dropkick Murphys. That tour kicks off March 1 in New York with dates running through March 16 in Boston. ...

Queensrÿche have rolled out a string of late summer/ early fall dates as part of a U.S. trek that'll keep the band busy through mid-October. The tour kicks off August 25 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, and will hit Chicago, New York, Denver, Dallas, San Diego and Los Angeles before winding down October 14 in Seattle. ...Golf enthusiasts Collective Soul and Hootie & the Blowfish will headline and Mike Mills of R.E.M. will host the second Drive for Show, Rock Fore! Dough concert. It will take place April 4 in Augusta, Georgia, where the Masters Tournament is happening at the same time. Better Than Ezra and Emerson Hart of Tonic will also perform at the benefit for the First Tee of Augusta, which provides learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development through the game of golf. ... The long-awaited posthumous DVD from experimental punk band Refused will hit U.S. stores April 15. Called "Refused Are F---ing Dead," the DVD was assembled by the band's former guitarist Kristofer Steen and documents Refused's final European and American tours, as well as the band's acrimonious collapse. ...

02.16.2006

Two weeks after 29-year-old bodyguard Israel Ramirez was shot and killed on the New York set of a Busta Rhymes video, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly continues to express frustration at the lack of cooperation from witnesses in the investigation. In a press conference on Wednesday, Kelly accused Rhymes of withholding information about the murder of his bodyguard and said the failure of several potential witnesses to talk has hung up the investigation, according to The Associated Press. "I'd think he'd be knocking on the door," Kelly said of Rhymes. "If your employee's murdered in front of you, you think you might want to talk to the police." Witnesses may be called in front of a grand jury if they keep stonewalling, Kelly said, adding, "I find it quite disturbing. This individual was shot in front of a lot of people." A police spokesperson had no update on the investigation into the February 5 shooting, which occurred outside a crowded soundstage being used to film the video for the remix of Rhymes' single "Touch It." ...

It appears that the British tabloids might have jumped the gun by reporting that Coldplay are calling it quits. The whole thing started Tuesday night when frontman Chris Martin told the audience at the Brit Awards (sort of the U.K. equivalent of the People's Choice Awards), "It's going to be a few years before you see us again ... People are fed up with us — and so are we." Most of the British press took this to mean that the band was actually splitting up, and they reported thusly, sending Coldplay fans worldwide into a tizzy. But according to the band's label, Capitol Records, the reports are not true. "Coldplay are not quitting," read a statement by the label. "They are on the road until July, when their 16-month X&Y world tour ends in Japan. They will then continue working on new material." ... Speaking of the Brit Awards, Kaiser Chiefs and crooner James Blunt helped Coldplay take home the major prizes. Former British Army captain Blunt won Best British Male and Best Pop Act for his debut, Back to Bedlam, the bestselling album in Britain last year. The Kaiser Chiefs snagged Best British Group, Best British Rock Act and Best British Live Act. Coldplay won Best British Single for "Speed of Sound" and Best Album for X&Y. Madonna won Best International Female and Green Day got the Best International Group and Best International Album for American Idiot, while Kanye West won Best International Male. The show featured performances from Prince, Coldplay, Gorillaz and West. ... A spokesperson for Madonna said Thursday (February 16) that the singer has received recent treatment for a hernia, but that she's doing "absolutely fine." According to Reuters, the spokesperson said Madonna "had a minor procedure for a hernia," but wouldn't elaborate on when the operation took place or how serious the condition was. ...

According to a post on Metallica's Web site, the band has recruited Rick Rubin (Slayer, Jay-Z, Red Hot Chili Peppers) to produce its forthcoming studio LP. The news is accompanied on the site by several pictures of Metallica in the studio with a shoeless Rubin. ... How would you like to spend an hour in the studio with Snoop Dogg? That stellar VIP experience is just one of the more than 50 items up for grabs in the "Housewarming for Habitat" celebrity auction benefiting the victims of the Gulf Coast hurricanes. Starting Monday on eBay (eBay.com/ColdwellBanker), bidders can score everything from a guitar signed by A Perfect Circle to seats for a taping of "American Idol" and tickets to the "Miami Vice" movie premiere. All proceeds will go toward rebuilding homes destroyed by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. ... Def Jam honcho Jay-Z needs a theme song for his New Jersey Nets, the NBA franchise he owns with real-estate developer Bruce Ratner. This week Jay launched a contest that will give novice rappers a chance to write and record the tune. If you win the competition, co-sponsored by Sprite and New York radio station Hot 97, you'll get a chance to hang with Jay and perform the cut at a Nets home game. A recorded version of the track will also go out over the PA at all the team's home-court showdowns. Submissions will be accepted through March 5 and must be recorded on either a CD or cassette tape. More information on where to send your track can be found at Hot 97's Web site. ...

On Wednesday an appeals court refused to reinstate an order giving Michael Jackson sole custody of his two children with ex-wife Debbie Rowe. According to a Reuters report, the court ruled that a judge did not properly handle the proceedings in a case in which Rowe signed away her parental rights in 2001 to Jackson's two oldest children, Michael Jr. and Paris. Rowe convinced a Los Angeles Superior Court judge to overturn the child-custody agreement in 2004 on legal grounds, citing accusations of child molestation against Jackson and his association with the Nation of Islam, whose members briefly provided security for the singer during last year's trial. ... Maureen Yancey — the mother of late hip-hop producer Jay Dee, who took care of him during his lengthy battle with lupus — has asked that any donations intended for the family be sent to a fund that has been set up in her name. For detailed information about where to send your gift, hit up J Dilla's label at StonesThrow.com. ... LL Cool J, John Legend, Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, Robert De Niro, Whoopi Goldberg, Chaka Khan, the Bacon Brothers, Tony Bennett, Smokey Robinson, Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess, Chris Botti and New York Giant Tiki Barber will perform songs from Motown's golden era March 15 during "Hollywood Meets Motown." The benefit will raise funds for the Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health and the Entertainment Industry Foundation's National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance. Katie Couric co-founded the NCRA, and the center was named in honor of her late husband. Tickets for the benefit, which will take place at the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria in New York, are available through the Entertainment Industry Foundation's Web site. ... My Morning Jacket and Ben Folds will headline the 30th annual Rites of Spring Music Festival April 21 and 22 on the Vanderbilt University campus in Nashville. Gov't Mule, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony are also on the bill. ...

Lisa Marie Presley has walked down the aisle for the fourth time. The singer recently swapped vows with her guitarist and music producer, Michael Lockwood, in a traditional Japanese wedding in Kyoto, Japan, her publicist Paul Bloch revealed to The Associated Press on Thursday. Presley's mother, Priscilla, first hubby Danny Keough and their two children — daughter Riley and son Benjamin — were all included in the intimate ceremony. ... Nicky Hilton is debuting the fall/winter season of her clothing line during the Atlanta Women & Children's Market and the Atlanta International Bride & Special Occasion Market. Hilton's showcase takes place March 24. ... Nickelback lead this year's pack of nominees for the Juno Awards, Canada's Grammy equivalent. The band has six nominations, including Album of the Year for All the Right Reasons and Single of the Year for "Photograph." Diana Krall and Michael Bublé scored five nods apiece (both are in the running for Artist of the Year), and Neil Young received three nominations. Simple Plan will duke it out with Krall, Bublé, the 'Back and Celine Dion for the Juno Fan Choice Award, while 50 Cent's The Massacre, Black Eyed Peas' Monkey Business, Coldplay's X&Y, Gwen Stefani's Love, Angel, Music, Baby and Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway will contend for the International Album of the Year Juno. The Arcade Fire were nominated in the Songwriter of the Year category, while Hot Hot Heat, Tegan and Sara, the New Pornographers, Broken Social Scene and Metric will vie for Alternative Album of the Year honors.

• My Chemical Romance
• Daddy Yankee
• Shakira
• James Blunt
• The Strokes

The Strokes
Photo: RCA

The Strokes haven't changed much since the last time they toured the U.S. two years ago. They're still rocking the same grossly unkempt coiffures, the same tight-fitting jeans, that same New York City swagger, and they're still big fans of nicotine. Of course, the Strokes didn't just spend the last two years sifting through thrift-store clothing bins — they kept themselves busy in the recording studio, and earlier this month, released their third album, First Impressions of Earth. Now, they're going to take those songs to the people.

This past fall, the band pledged it would make a return to the road following the release of First Impressions of Earth (see "Secretive Strokes To Spread Love Over The Airwaves In 'Juicebox' Clip"). And the Strokes are making good on that promise, with a 17-date U.S. club tour that kicks off in the rockers' hometown on March 3.

No openers have been announced for the trek, which winds down in Minneapolis on April 11.

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

• 3/3 - New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
• 3/6 - Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
• 3/8 - Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
• 3/10 - Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theatre
• 3/11 - Tulsa, OK @ Cain's Ballroom
• 3/14 - Austin, TX @ Stubb's Barbeque
• 3/15 - Houston, TX @ Verizon Wireless Theater
• 3/17 - Grand Prairie, TX @ Nokia Theatre
• 3/19 - Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
• 3/21 - Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Amphitheatre
• 3/24 - San Francisco, CA @ Concourse
• 4/2 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Ballroom
• 4/4 - Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
• 4/7 - Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom
• 4/8 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
• 4/10 - Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Club
• 4/11 - Minneapolis, MN @ Orpheum Theatre

• The Strokes

Mary J. Blige's <i>The Breakthrough</i>
Photo: Geffen

Since the release of Mary J. Blige's latest offering, The Breakthrough, and Jamie Foxx's second studio LP, Unpredictable, the two R&B artists have waged a fierce battle for the coveted top spot on Billboard's albums chart.

According to the latest SoundScan figures, sales of just over 118,000 copies secured Mary J.'s The Breakthrough a week-four coup, dropping Foxx's Unpredictable to #2. Foxx's LP sold over 103,000 copies, nudging total sales of the album past the 1 million mark. Blige previously bested the Oscar-winning actor in the first round by a 130,000-copies-sold margin, but Foxx turned the corner and took back-to-back #1s during weeks two and three.

Blige and Foxx's Billboard tussle has had its fair share of spectators, but none have had what it takes to intervene. The Breakthrough and Unpredictable were the only two albums on this week's Top 200 to crack 100,000 scans. The closest challenger to the Blige/ Foxx reign was America's newest "Idol," Carrie Underwood. Her debut, Some Hearts, climbs two chart positions this week to finish third with 77,000 copies sold. Newlywed Eminem's Curtain Call: The Hits slips one spot to #4 with 76,000 copies flying off shelves. And Notorious B.I.G.'s Duets: The Final Chapter jumps from #7 to #5 with just over 52,000 sales.

The usual suspects round out Billboard's Top 10: Mariah Carey's The Emancipation of Mimi holds the chart's #6 slot with 50,000 copies sold; Nickelback's All the Right Reasons follows at #7 with sales nearing 48,000; Chris Brown's self-titled debut surges four spots to #8 with just under 47,000 scans; Black Eyed Peas spend a third-straight week at #9 with sales of 40,000 and change for their Monkey Business; and the career-spanning The Legend of Johnny Cash collection claims this week's #10 with nearly 40,000 discs sold.

Sales of the Strokes' First Impressions of Earth plunged 65 percent its second week in stores. The New York band's third LP slipped from #4 to #18 with 31,000 copies sold.

It wasn't the most remarkable week for debuts, but several newcomers did manage to infiltrate Billboard's latest albums chart. Orange County, California, hardcore act Bleeding Through's The Truth was the highest-charting of this week's newcomers, finishing at #48 with sales of 17,000 plus. The self-titled debut from New York rockers Morningwood opens at #102 with close to 9,000 scans. The soundtrack to "Underworld: Evolution," which features contributions from My Chemical Romance, Hawthorne Heights, Slipknot and Alkaline Trio, follows at #106 with over 8,000 copies sold. And the soundtrack to the Disney Channel Film "High School Musical," featuring a bonus track from B5, debuts at #143 with 6,500 copies sold.

Check out the feature "Throwback With Mary J. Blige" for more on Blige's musical Breakthrough.

Head to on Overdrive to get up close and personal with Mr. Unpredictable.

• Mary J. Blige
• Jamie Foxx
• Carrie Underwood
• Eminem
• Notorious B.I.G.

Jamie Foxx's <i>Unpredictable</i>
Photo: J-Records

Though the Strokes had a solid first week with First Impressions of Earth, they couldn't unseat sales king Jamie Foxx, who holds #1 on the Billboard albums chart with Unpredictable.

Foxx's second album, Unpredictable was once again the nation's strongest retail performer despite a 34 percent drop, netting sales of more than 131,000 during its third week of release. The disc spends its second week at #1 after jolting Mary J. Blige's The Breakthrough from the top spot on the previous chart. The Breakthrough sticks at #2 with sales of 118,000 plus — enough to push total sales of the disc over the 1-million-sold mark. Eminem's Curtain Call: The Hits also stays put, holding #3 with 109,000 copies sold.

First Impressions of Earth, the Strokes' first album in more than two years, opens at #4 with first-week sales of more than 88,000. The band's previous offering, 2003's Room on Fire, also debuted at #4, but sold about 38,000 more copies. Is This It, the Strokes' 2001 debut, failed to chart after its first week on store shelves, netting just 1,911 scans.

Carrie Underwood's Some Hearts retains Billboard's #5 position, with sales nearing 81,000. Mariah Carey's The Emancipation of Mimi climbs two spots to #6 with 74,000 scans, nudging total sales of the pop diva's comeback album to more than 5 million. Notorious B.I.G.'s Duets: The Final Chapter falls three to #7 this week, with just under 74,000 copies carried out of record stores.

Kelly Clarkson climbs four spots — and back into the top 10 — claiming the chart's #8 slot, thanks to 64,000 in sales for her Breakaway. The Black Eyed Peas' Monkey Business follows at #9 with nearly 63,000 copies sold, while Nickelback round out the top 10 after selling over 58,000 copies of All The Right Reasons — just enough to help the album eclipse 2 million in total sales.

One of the week's biggest gainers was the soundtrack to "Brokeback Mountain," Ang Lee's Golden Globe-nominated film about the secret romance between two cowboys. The disc, featuring songs by Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Rufus Wainwright and Linda Ronstadt, surged 35 percent with 6,000 copies sold. The album finishes the week at #190 on the chart.

Head to MTV News RAW: Jamie Foxx on Overdrive to get up close and personal with the chart champ.

Check out the feature "Throwback With Mary J. Blige" for more on Blige's musical Breakthrough.

• Jamie Foxx
• The Strokes
• Mary J. Blige
• Eminem
• Carrie Underwood

The Strokes
Photo: Colin Lane

Different Strokes: The cover of the new Strokes album, First Impressions of Earth, depicts a cosmic image not unlike what the beginning of the universe looked like — according to sources, anyway. But it's hardly a back-to-basics effort for the band, which, along with producer David Kahne (Sugar Ray, Fishbone), journey to a galaxy far, far away to explore big ideas and expansive sounds. As if a garage ever existed! Fans who didn't pre-order the disc through the band's Web site — which would have earned them a free "Juicebox" 7-inch — should be on the lookout for the First Impressions deluxe edition, which'll have some enhanced stuff that's so cool we can't even tell you about it. Songs include: "15 Minutes," "Electricityscape" and "Vision of Division."

MOST Wanted OST: One wouldn't expect Happy Madison's slapstick flick "Grandma's Boy" to have a taste-making soundtrack, but that's exactly what Adam Sandler and friends had in store for the companion, which is in stores now. The set features recent material by Paul Wall, Bloc Party, the Futureheads, Fischerspooner, VHS or Beta and Aphex Twin, plus an original song by Kool Keith and a selection from the indomitable Spin Doctors.

The Buzz Is Strong With This One: British hopefuls the Editors made a big splash in their homeland with 2005's The Back Room, but before that record finally gets a Stateside release in April, the band is slipping out a two-part single in the U.K. "Munich Pt. 1" has a cover of Stereolab's "French Disko" on the flip side, while "Munich Pt. 2" is backed by "Find Yourself a Safe Place," a remix of "Munich" by Cicada and a video for the song of the same name. Both could prove to be rather collectible if the British press is right about the Editors (hint, hint).

More Morricone: Mere weeks after Ipecac breathed new life into film composer Ennio Morricone's canon with a two-disc archival compilation "Crime and Dissonance," Sony Classical hath bequeathed another related catalog release: Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone, now made available in the hyper-quadraphonic Super Audio Compact Disc format. Think you might be a classical-music audiophile trapped in an R. Kelly fan's body? This disc should tell you one way or the other.

Behind the Rappers: Dying for some new Kanye and 50 Cent goods, but without all that singing and stuff? Might want to feast your eyes on "Hip Hop Uncensored, Vol. 6: Ready to Sign," an hour-long DVD that guides you along the roads that led the budding rappers to the big time. Also among the bevy of featured rappers is Lil Jon, Young Buck, Lloyd Banks, David Banner, Jadakiss, Juelz Santana, Jim Jones, Mike Jones and Cassidy.

New Releases:

• 16 Braz - The Transition (Aryell Global)
• Ian Allen - Nova's Lounge (Mia Mind Music)
• Jimmy Amadie - Let Groove (TP Recordings)
• Beast With 2 Backs - The Sharpest Spires (So Snug)
• Tina deVaron - Water Over Stones (IMAH)
• Macka Diamond - Money-O (Greensleeves)
• Eric Durbin - Welcome to Mercytown (Fillerup)
• Imagination Movers - Eight Feet (Red Room)
• Elliott James - Cinematic Life (Wateree)
• JNM - Unaffiliated (JNM)
• Angelo Latona - Unveiled (Mia Mind Music)
• Max Lucado - Cure for the Common Life: Living in Your Sweet Spot (Thomas Nelson Pub.)
• Mato Luka & the Sound - Love in a Tornado (PPL/TCI)
• Donald Miller - Through Painted Deserts (Thomas Nelson Pub.)
• Nat - Hidden Adjenda (two CDs; Natalac)
• The Oak Ridge Boys - You'll Never Walk Alone (Laserlight)
• Leslie Ruiz - Leslie Ruiz (Whitaker House)
• Karen Savõca - In the Dirt (Alcove)
• Spicehouse - Tomorrow Is the Answer (Blue City)
• The Strokes - First Impressions of Earth (deluxe edition due same day; RCA)
  Read: "Secretive Strokes To Spread Love Over The Airwaves In 'Juicebox' Clip"
  Buy Now: First Impressions of Earth (RCA)
• Jennifer Terran - Full Moon in Three (Grizelda)
• Triple - Triple (Backroom)
• Mary Sue Twohy - Songs to Hang on Stars (Azalea City Recordings)
• L. Zaide - Planet Chill: Memoirs of a Jazz Band (Rebel Phi)
• Various artists - Best of Zydeco (Mardi Gras)
• Various artists - Disco Inferno: Disco's Greatest Hits (Laserlight)
• Various artists - Moments of Love: Ultimate Love Songs (Style)
• Various artists - Reggaeton Con Rakata (Madacy Latino)
• Various artists - Tributo a Juanes (St. Clair Entertainment Group)
• Various artists - "Grandma's Boy" soundtrack (Epic)
• Various artists - "Mrs. Henderson Presents" soundtrack (Sony Classical)
• Various artists - "Shopgirl" soundtrack (Reincarnate Music)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

• Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong - Love Songs (Laserlight)
• Go West - Greatest Hits Live (Laserlight)
• Level 42 - Greatest Hits Live (Laserlight)
• Bob Marley - Kaya and Soul Shakedown Party (Laserlight)
• The Pointer Sisters - Greatest Hits Live (Laserlight)
• Sarah Vaughan - Great Lady of Jazz (Laserlight)
• Yo-Yo Ma - Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone (SACD; Sony Classical)
  Buy Now: Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone (SACD; Sony Classical)
• Various artists - Classic Soul: Greatest Hits (Laserlight)
• Various artists - Crooners: The Love Songs (Laserlight)
• Various artists - Greatest Hits of the '80s: A Decade of Great Music (Laserlight)
• Various artists - Sultry Soul (Laserlight)
• Various artists - Surfin' USA: Greatest Surfin' Hits of All Time (Laserlight)
• Various artists - "Pink Panthers and Other Spy Themes" soundtrack (St. Clair Entertainment Group)

DVDs:

• Various artists - "All Star Swing Festival" (Delta)
• Various artists - "Hip Hop Uncensored, Vol. 6: Ready to Sign" (Nutz)

Coming Attractions: January 10:

• Morningwood - Morningwood (Capitol)
  Buy Now: Morningwood (Capitol)
• We Are Scientists - With Love and Squalor (Virgin)
• Various artists - "Underworld: Evolution" soundtrack (Lakeshore)

January 17:

• Aaron Carter - Come Get It: The Very Best of Aaron Carter (Jive)
  Buy Now: Come Get It: The Very Best of Aaron Carter (Jive)
• Say Anything - Say Anything ... Is a Real Boy (J)
• Too Short - Pimpin' Inc. (with DVD; Up All Night)

January 24:

• Cat Power - The Greatest (Matador)
• P.O.D. - Testify (Atlantic)
• Yellowcard - Lights and Sounds (with DVD; Capitol)
  Read: "Yellowcard Move To New York, Write LP About Hating Los Angeles"
  Buy Now: Lights and Sounds (Capitol)

• The Strokes
• Editors
• Yo-Yo Ma
• Kanye West
• 50 Cent

Little Steven's Underground Garage Festival 08.14.2004

• The Strokes
• Iggy Pop

The Strokes Photos

• The Strokes

The Strokes live at the BG Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, CA October 21, 2003

• The Strokes

• Interpol
• Calla
• Le Tigre
• Longwave
• The Natural History

2002 KROQ Weenie Roast

• Puddle Of Mudd
• Papa Roach
• Rob Zombie
• Jimmy Eat World
• System of a Down

The Strokes Photos

• The Strokes