"Twilight" Soundtrack
Photo: Atlantic

After two weeks at #1, AC/DC's Black Ice — which has already broken the 1 million-sold barrier — has been bitten by the "Twilight" phenomenon.

The vampire flick opens next Friday, but before hitting the local cineplex, fans of the much-anticipated adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's novel hit their local record stores to pick up a copy of the movie's soundtrack, which features tracks by Muse, Perry Farrell, Paramore and Linkin Park.

The "Twilight" soundtrack debuts at #1 on next week's Billboard albums sales chart, having sold about 164,700 copies in its first week on store shelves. It becomes the year's third soundtrack to top the chart, following this summer's "Mamma Mia" soundtrack and the "Juno" set, which was released in 2007, but climbed to #1 in January. According to the latest sales totals compiled by Nielsen SoundScan, AC/DC's latest falls one spot to #2, with 159,500 week-three scans reported.

"Twilight" was among 17 new releases impacting next week's chart, and one of four to enter in the top 10. Following the soundtrack to "High School Musical 3: Senior Year," which holds at #3 with just under 110,000 sold, Hinder's Take It to the Limit bows at #4, after selling 81,400 units. Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli's Incanto opens at #8 with 62,200 copies scanned, and country star Brad Paisley's Play debuts at #9 with 53,700 sold.

Meanwhile, Pink's Funhouse drops three spots to #5, with 72,900 scans, while John Legend's Evolver falls two positions to #6, selling another 72,000 copies. T.I.'s Paper Trail holds for a second week at #7, thanks to almost 68,800 scans. Rascal Flatts' Greatest Hits, Volume 1 rounds things out at #10, with 39,100 sold.

A Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip enters the chart at #11, after selling 34,200-plus copies of his latest, Renaissance, while Sarah Brightman's Winter Symphony debuts at #38, with 13,500 sold. Shiny Toy Guns' Season of Poison follows at #47, with sales reported at 12,200, and rapper UNK's Second Season makes its debut at #104, with 5,200 copies sold. Travis' Ode to J. Smith follows at #122, with week-one sales reported at about 4,600, while Switchfoot's The Best Yet trails at #123, with 4,500 sold.

• AC/DC
• Paramore
• Perry Farrell
• Travis
• Switchfoot

Mariah Carey
Photo: Mariah Carey/Getty Images

Mariah Carey got a win in court last week when a federal judge decided that a copyright-infringement case against her had no merit. Singer Rachele Chafir had sued Carey in April 2006, claiming that Carey's hit "It's Like That" was copied from her song "Sexy" and lifted key pieces, including the music, for the chorus. Chafir, who copyrighted the song in 2004, claimed Carey had access to "Sexy" since it was available on a Web site, but U.S. District Court Judge Kimba Wood decided that wasn't proof Carey or her collaborators had gone to the Web site or lifted the material, which wasn't "strikingly similar" enough to be considered infringement. With "no genuine issues of material fact," Wood closed the case. "It was the right decision," Carey's lawyer Ilene Farkas told MTV News. "The record was clear in this case." Meanwhile, Carey is moving on with her yet-untitled follow-up to The Emancipation of Mimi, which her record label confirmed is now due December 4. ...

Going, going ... to Cooperstown. And with an asterisk on it. Baseball star Barry Bonds' record-breaking home-run ball, which was purchased two weeks ago in an online auction by hip-hop fashion mogul Marc Ecko, will be heading to the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum after all. Ecko bought the ball and launched a Web site giving fans the chance to vote on the ball's final destination: outer space or to Cooperstown, with or without an asterisk signifying Bonds' alleged steroid use in helping him become the all-time home-run king. The announcement was made Wednesday morning (September 26) on the "Today" show after a week of voting. According to Vote756.com, over 10 million votes were cast, of which 47 percent chose to send the tagged ball to the famed baseball museum. ...

The twisted saga of the investigation into the unsolved 1997 murder of the Notorious B.I.G. took another turn this week when Waymond Anderson, an inmate serving life for murder, recanted testimony in which he had implicated the Los Angeles Police Department in the rapper's murder. The Los Angeles Times reports that Anderson said in a recent deposition that he lied about LAPD involvement as part of a "scam" cooked up with two other convicts to get a big monetary settlement from the city of Los Angeles. Most shockingly, Anderson accused the rapper's family — which has filed a wrongful-death suit seeking damages from the city — and its lawyer of taking part in the scheme and offering to pay him a percentage of the settlement for false testimony against the LAPD. In the August 20 testimony, Anderson said he had never met the officers he implicated, despite earlier statements in which he described conversations with the two disgraced ex-LAPD cops. A lawyer for Biggie's family, Perry Sanders, called Anderson's allegations "100 percent, demonstrably false," adding yet another twist to the already-knotted-up story by saying that Anderson appeared to be changing his story at the behest of Chuck Philips, a Times reporter who has written extensively about the murder investigation and has questioned the theory of LAPD involvement. Phillips and the Times dismissed the allegations. ...

In other Biggie news, the recently released documentary "The Notorious B.I.G.: Bigger Than Life" follows the rapper's life from his early days to his death with interviews from many of the behind-the-scenes music-industry figures and friends who watched the rapper rise from a street-corner hustler to one of the biggest rap stars in the world. The film also features several minutes of previously unreleased footage shot by a bystander of the scene on the night Biggie was gunned down. The fan's video — which director Peter Spirer ("Beef," "Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel") said has been reviewed by authorities — doesn't capture the moment Biggie's car was shot at, but it does have audio of the shots and shaky footage of the chaotic aftermath. ...

Embattled football player Michael Vick is facing stricter release conditions after testing positive for marijuana earlier this month, The Associated Press reports. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson imposed the new conditions, which include restricting Vick to his home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. with electronic monitoring and making him submit to random drug tests. He was ordered to continue participating in substance-abuse and mental-health counseling. Vick was put under pretrial release supervision in July, and the restrictions included refraining from the use of narcotic drugs or other controlled substances. The Atlanta Falcons quarterback, who pleaded guilty in August to federal dogfighting charges, is awaiting sentencing December 10 — and Vick's violation of the conditions of his release could be taken into consideration by the judge. He faces up to five years in prison for the federal charges, and has been indicted on additional state charges in Virginia as well. ...

A second woman has filed a lawsuit against Lil Wayne over a melee that broke out during one of his shows at Morgan State University in Baltimore in October. According to an AP story, Carlisa Dixon said she was impaled on a metal pole after the crowd surged to snatch up money that was being tossed from the stage. Dixon is seeking $1 million from Wayne's record label and touring companies, and another $1 million from the university, claiming she underwent surgery for a puncture wound as a result of the crowd surge. A lawsuit was filed in August by another woman who claimed she was trampled in the same money-throwing incident. A spokesperson for Wayne could not be reached for comment at press time. ...

A man died at a Smashing Pumpkins concert in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Monday night in what police think may have been a crowd-surfing or moshing accident. The Canadian Press reports that Vancouver police say the man was unconscious when he was dragged out of the crowd at the Pacific National Exhibition Forum during the show and worked on by first-aid personnel on site before being transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police have ruled out foul play. ... The Voodoo Music Experience is shifting locations, but just slightly. The fest, to take place October 26-28, has a new site in New Orleans City Park to accommodate ongoing restoration and improvement of the park. The shift brings the fest closer to Tad Gormley Stadium, where Voodoo was first held in 1999. ...

Do you march to Nelly's beat? The rapper is cobbling together a marching band for his performance at the BET Hip-Hop Awards on October 13. Auditions will be held Sunday starting at 11 a.m. in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, New Orleans and St. Louis, and Nelly is looking for girls who can play drums, tri-toms, bass drum, tuba or trumpet. Prospective players need to know how to perform his song "Grillz" and move to the beat of the song while playing their instruments. Final auditions will be held October 8 in Atlanta, and those who can't make the auditions in person can post a one-minute video clip on Nelly's drum-line-audition site. ... If you've been doubting Swizz Beatz's fashion sense, think again — Gap has tapped the hugely popular producer for its spring ad campaign. ...

VH1 Rock Docs picked up its first Emmy win on Monday as "DMC: My Adoption Journey" earned the award for News & Documentary Emmy for Outstanding Arts & Culture Programming. The program, which revolves around the Run-DMC member's search for his birth mother, premiered in February 2006 and will re-air on VH1 on Saturday at 10 p.m. ... Have you already imported Babyface's Playlist into your own playlist? Then mark you calendar — the singer is putting together a tour in support of his recently released LP. Babyface will play a gig in the Philippines on October 13, followed by a stretch in Japan; after that he'll hit Oakland, California, on November 23, and Sparks, Nevada, the following day. ...

During a recent visit to "The Howard Stern Show," Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx spoke out about drummer Tommy Lee and his apparent departure from the band. He told Stern that Lee quit, and Sixx blamed the current legal problems the band is having with one of its former managers for the turmoil. Sixx said that, since Lee isn't the Crüe's frontman or chief songwriter, the band should be fine without him. He added that he harbors no ill will toward Lee. ... Snow Patrol keyboardist Tom Simpson was expected to appear in court in Glasgow, Scotland, on Tuesday to answer to drug-possession charges filed against him this summer. While the charges weren't dropped, the prosecution doesn't intend on taking "further action," meaning the charges will either have to be re-raised again or dropped altogether. ...

Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard's side project Brad are getting back together for a one-night-only show on October 17 at New York's Webster Hall. The benefit event will also feature Billy Bragg and be hosted by Tim Robbins. It is being held to support Woody and Marjorie Guthrie, and the 40th anniversary of the Huntington's Disease Society of America, which was founded by Marjorie. ... Puddle of Mudd aren't ones for Southern hospitality, apparently. Frontman Wesley Scantlin has been banned from Memphis' Graceland after hopping in the pool in Elvis Presley's mansion during a tour on Monday. ...

The Eagles will perform on an awards show for the first time when they take the stage at the Country Music Awards, which will air November 7 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. Carrie Underwood is also slated to perform. ... The Rolling Stones' recent tour didn't just carry the band to the top of Forbes' list of biggest-earning music acts — it landed them in the Guinness World Records, according to Reuters. The classic-rockers' A Bigger Bang tour took $437 million dollars to give them a new record, for the world's most successful music tour. ...

Killswitch Engage and Lamb of God will be teaming up for a late-fall co-headlining tour, which is set to kick off November 28 in Lowell, Massachusetts, with dates booked through December 17 in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. DevilDriver and Soilwork will open on all dates. ... Chris Cornell has added another round of dates to his North American tour, which began in the spring. He has booked another 28 gigs, meaning the trek will continue through November 23, when he's expected to perform at the Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. ...

A photo from Elton John's collection has been pulled from a British gallery where it was to be displayed over concerns by police that it might be child pornography. The photo — which was taken by award-winning American photographer Nan Goldin — shows two young girls, one with her legs spread apart, and was to be displayed at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in northern England before it was seized by police, according to London's Times Online. John released a statement, explaining, "The photograph entitled 'Klara and Edda belly-dancing' (1998) is one of 149 images comprising the 'Thanksgiving' installation by renowned U.S. photographer Nan Goldin ... The photograph exists as part of the installation as a whole and has been widely published and exhibited throughout the world [and] has been offered for sale at Sotheby's New York in 2002 and 2004, and has previously been exhibited in Houston, London, Madrid [Spain], New York, Portugal, Warsaw [Poland] and Zürich [Switzerland] without any objections of which we are aware."

09.25.07

While her fellow Black Eyed Pea Will.I.Am is hyping his new project, Songs About Girls, Fergie isn't slowing down with her own solo affair, last year's The Dutchess. The singer just shot a clip for the song "Clumsy" with directors Marc Webb (Diddy, the Pussycat Dolls) and Rich Lee (Chamillionaire, Dashboard Confessional). The surreal, humorous clip features Fergie falling head over heels — get it? — for love in various scenarios. ...

A House panel cast a congressional light on hip-hop lyrics on Tuesday (September 25), with David Banner and Master P giving sharply different views. The Associated Press reports that the latter rapper (real name: Percy Miller) told the Energy and Commerce subcommittee that he is determined to create clean lyrics. "I want to apologize to all the women out there. I was honestly wrong," he said of his prior material. Banner (real name: Levell Crump), on the other hand, defended his profane lyrics, saying, "Change the situation in my neighborhood, and maybe I'll get better." But while P and Banner didn't see eye to eye in terms of who is responsible for derogatory language in hip-hop, they agreed that the government shouldn't censor lyrics. "If by some stroke of the pen hip-hop was silenced, the issues would still be present in our communities. Drugs, violence, sexism and the criminal element were around long before hip-hop existed," Banner said. According to AP, the hearing was similar to the 1985 event in which late rocker Frank Zappa made a feisty appearance also railing against censorship. ...

Like the sound of the "Rocawear Arena" instead of the "Continental Airlines Arena"? Yeah, so does Jay-Z. The ambitious hip-hop mogul is bidding for the arena's naming rights, according to New Jersey's Star-Ledger. Although he is the co-owner of the New Jersey Nets and his Rocawar is a sponsor of the NBA team — which currently plays at Continental — sportswear maker Southpole has made the highest bid so far, $2 million. But there's a catch: The reason the name is up for grabs is because Continental is backing out of its deal with the arena, and both the Nets and hockey team the New Jersey Devils are planning to move to other venues. ...

Life isn't getting any easier for Britney Spears. Kim Robard-Rifkin, the reported woman whose car the singer hit in August — for which she was charged with two misdemeanors on Friday — has spoken out to CelebTV.com. "I was not surprised with the criminal charges — this is what happens when somebody hits your car and runs — especially when it is all caught on video," she said in a statement. Spears' former bodyguard Tony Barretto also spoke out on Monday, telling "Today" show host Matt Lauer that he had witnessed her using drugs on two occasions. While Barretto did not specify which drugs he supposedly saw her taking, he said both incidents occurred at a nightclub in Los Angeles, one at the table she was sitting at and the other in a private restroom. When Lauer asked him about a third incident in which he alleges to have seen her strung out in a Los Angeles hotel room, Barretto replied, "I did." ...

Sarah Silverman was surprised by the reaction that met her controversial VMA monologue, in which she flung derogatory insults at Britney Spears, among others, she told Us Weekly. Regarding one of her saltiest remarks — that Spears' kids "are the most adorable mistakes you will ever see" — Silverman replied, "The joke that everyone was upset about ... was the most innocuous joke. It never occurred to me that [it] would be deemed hurtful or over the line." She also told the magazine for its new issue, which streets Friday, "I don't want to get into feuds with girls half my age. I'm in it to be funny and not for the drama. It's embarrassing." ...

Look, up in the sky, it's a new Gnarls Barkley album! And as Cee-Lo recently told MTV News of the follow-up to St. Elsewhere, "It sounds otherwordly. ... It sounds like an original, if I do say so myself. The theme is progression and how there's a first time for everything. You just have to go for it." Beyond that, though, Cee-Lo didn't want to give up too much. Asked about collaborators, he demurred: "Danger Mouse is my special guest. He's my counterpart in the enigma of Gnarls Barkley." No duh — we meant, anyone else? "Let me continue to surprise you," Cee-Lo smiled. For those who caught Cee-Lo's take on Prince's "Darling Nikki" with the Foo Fighters at the VMAs, he wants fans to know that his performance at the show was supposed to be a surprise appearance with Amy Winehouse, "believe it or not." But since she had to bail from the show, he's saving that collaboration for a future appearance. ...

The Sex Pistols — who just tacked two more gigs onto their upcoming November reunion in London, according to BBC News — have another trick up their collective sleeve: A newly recorded rendition of their punk staple, "Anarchy in the U.K." The band entered the studio for the first time in 30 years to record the track, which will surface on "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock." ... As I Lay Dying clearly have more than a few gasps left — the metal band edged out Switchfoot, Jason Mraz and others to win the San Diego Music Award for Artist of the Year. AILD nabbed the same honor in 2005. ... Canadian singer/songwriter Patrick Watson and his band have pulled off an arguably more impressive feat: The Montreal quartet have nudged by Arcade Fire and Feist to land the Polaris Music Prize for Best Album. ...

Despite the recent head injuries sustained by guitarist Brent Hinds, Mastodon have booked a gig, opening for the Queens of the Stone Age on October 29 in Los Angeles. The band is also scheduled to appear at the Vegoose festival on October 27 in Las Vegas, where Hinds was jumped following Mastodon's performance at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. Police claim Hinds was attacked outside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on September 10 during an encounter with System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian and his friend William Hudson. According to police, Hudson assaulted Hinds, and Odadjian witnessed the incident. ... While at the VMAs, Mastodon told MTV News that they wrote their best song ever — even though it's not quite finished yet — while on the way to the big show. "It's pretty much the best record we've yet to write," guitarist Bill Kelliher said before singing a couple of the riffs with Hinds. "That's how it goes — du-duh-du-duh na-nah-nah. We wrote it in the car on the way over here, at least the intro of it. Part one. We're at the really beginning stages. It's going to be awesome, though. Everything we do is amazing." ...

The Game entered his expected not-guilty plea on Tuesday to three felony counts stemming from a pickup basketball game in Los Angeles in February. The rapper (real name: Jayceon Taylor) is free on $50,000 bail and has a pretrial hearing set for October 30. ... Jack Bauer might not be such a hero after all: Kiefer Sutherland was arrested early Tuesday morning for drunken driving in Hollywood, Reuters reports. The actor was pulled over after making an illegal U-turn and blew more than the .08 legal limit upon taking a breathalyzer test. He posted $25,000 bail at a Hollywood police station and is due in court on October 16. ...

The Phil Spector murder trial is in the hands of the jury now, but that hasn't stopped more bizarre developments from emerging in the case. According to AP, over the weekend, a threatening post appeared on a MySpace page possibly belonging to the music producer's wife, Rachelle. "I love Phil Spector!!! The Evil Judge Should Die!!!! Xoxo Chelle," read the post, a police spokesperson told the news outlet. The page, which features an image of Rachelle wearing a "Team Spector" tee, was referred to a sheriff's department unit that investigates such threats. The post has since been removed. ...

Amazon's new digital-music store is up and running, with songs going for 89 to 99 cents and albums selling for around $6-$10. The songs, which don't have copyright protections, can be burned onto CDs and copied to multiple computers. Record-label giants Universal and EMI, in addition to a flood of indie labels, are selling their songs through the site. ... A former trustee in James Brown's estate might have misappropriated up to $7 million of the late music legend's money, special administrators told a South Carolina judge on Monday. State Circuit Judge Jack Early told David Cannon, the former co-executor of Brown's will, to pay $400,000 and produce additional documents. Early also said Brown's family could pursue the claims. ...

The Cult will headline the fall installment of the Jägermeister Music Tour, which is set to launch October 17 in Pala, California, and run through mid-December, with the full list of dates coming soon. Rounding out the bill will be Vietnam, the Cliks and Action Action. ... Former L7 leader Donita Sparks is going out on her own with her debut solo effort, Transmiticate, due January 22. The effort, which will feature her new backing band, the Stellar Moments, shifts away from the grunge and metal sounds that defined L7 and tinkers with more pop and dance elements. ...

Fans of Los Angeles ska act Hepcat are mourning the passing of bassist Dave Fuentes, 36. While details are scarce, the band did issue a statement, saying, "We are sad to announce that our brother, beloved bandmate and amazing friend, David Fuentes, is no longer with us. He will be missed by everyone but especially everyone in the Hepcat family." He leaves a wife, Yohanna, and two sons, Andrew, 7, and Darren, 3. A memorial fund has been established to help his family. ... A special-effects technician working on the set of the Batman sequel "The Dark Knight" was killed when a truck carrying a camera platform rammed into a tree on Monday in London, AP reports. Filming was not taking place at the time of the accident, which is under investigation.

• Mariah Carey
• Notorious B.I.G.
• Lil Wayne
• The Smashing Pumpkins
• Killswitch Engage

Omarion's <i>21</i>
Photo: Sony

A quick glance at this week's Billboard albums chart shows not only what finished on top — R&B hunk Omarion's sophomore LP, 21 — but the large number of albums that sustained painful post-Christmas sales hits.

For the second time in his brief career as a solo artist, the ex-member of B2K scores himself a chart-topping opening, selling 119,000-plus copies of his latest. Omarion's first LP, 2005's O, also bowed at #1 but sold about 60,000 more units (see "Omarion's Solo Debut Tops Albums Chart").

As is the norm, record sales during the final week of the year took a serious nose dive again in 2006 — down from 12.7 million the previous week to just 4.9 million. Comparatively, during the same week last year, Jamie Foxx's Unpredictable occupied the #1 slot with close to 200,000 copies sold and overall sales dropped to 5.8 million from 13.6 million the week before (see "Jamie Foxx Bumps Mary J. Blige From Billboard's #1").

Virtually every album on this last chart of '06 experienced some sort of sales decline, with Mos Def's Tru3 Magic being one of the sole exceptions. The album — which Geffen rushed into stores after it was leaked online — failed to chart last week after selling just 1,087 copies but finishes at #151 this time around with 10,000 scans — representing an 816 percent spike in sales, according to the latest SoundScan totals.

Omarion's 21 was one of seven new releases to crack Billboard's top 200. Switchfoot's Oh! Gravity debuts at #18 with 63,000 scans; the band's 2005's effort, Nothing Is Sound, opened at #3 with 131,000 sold, while 2003's The Beautiful Letdown took #85 with 14,000 copies snatched up.

At #100 this week is 15 Years on Death Row, a two-disc compilation that sold 14,400 copies and features classic cuts from Dr. Dre, 2Pac, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Warren G and Nate Dogg. Meanwhile, Family Values Tour 2006, another collection featuring the likes of Korn, Deftones, Stone Sour and Flyleaf, follows at #102, selling 14,300 units. Rocky Balboa: The Best of Rocky, a greatest-hits comp surrounding Sylvester Stallone's epic boxing series, comes in at #109 with 13,700 in sales, while The Best of N.W.A. finishes at #143, selling 10,300 copies. And finally, Matisyahu's No Place to Be bows at #146 with 10,200 units scanned.

Following Omarion at #2 this week is Akon's Konvicted, which sold another 112,000 copies its seventh week in stores. Climbing 24 spots to #3 is the soundtrack to the motion picture "Dreamgirls," which sold 104,000 copies and features the film's stars Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy. Last week's #1, Nas' Hip Hop Is Dead, falls three places to #4, with sales reported at 101,000 and change, and Young Jeezy's The Inspiration pops up at #5 with close to 92,000 sold.

The Now That's What I Call Music! 23 collection, boasting contributions from Justin Timberlake, Fergie, Snoop Dogg, Christina Aguilera and others, finished at #6 with 89,000 copies sold. That's followed at #7 by the Eminem-helmed 22-track Shady Records compilation The Re-Up, which notched 84,000 scans.

Timberlake remains in the top 10 with his FutureSex/LoveSounds, checking in at #8 with nearly 83,000 units flying off store shelves. Ciara's Evolution occupies the chart's #9 position with 79,000 scans, while the soundtrack to the Disney Channel original series "Hannah Montana" rounds out the top 10 with 78,000 copies sold. Total sales of that disc, however, were down from the previous week by 78 percent.

• Omarion
• Mos Def
• Akon
• Switchfoot
• Dr. Dre

Eminem
Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

Eminem will host a New Year's Eve countdown Sunday via his Shade 45 channel on Sirius Satellite Radio. The show, which runs from 8-10 p.m. with several replays on Monday, will feature the rapper "stating the facts and playing the tracks," including 25 of his favorite hip-hop songs. "This is not THE definitive top-25 list, because that's just too damn hard! But, these 25 songs are definitely up there as my favorites," Em said in a statement posted on the Shade 45 site. ...

The Soul Patrol is taking it to the streets. "American Idol" victor Taylor Hicks will hit the road in late February for a run of U.S. gigs in support of his self-titled debut. The trek gets underway February 21 in Jacksonville, Florida. And while Hicks told MTV News earlier this month that the tour would "hopefully last 10 years," so far dates have been scheduled through an April 27 show in Kansas City, Missouri. ...

John Legend will celebrate his 28th birthday Thursday night (December 28) at Stereo in New York. Kanye West, Amerie and Fonzworth Bentley are expected to turn out for the party. ... The lineup for this year's Cornerstone Festival is starting to take shape. The Christian-music-centered fest is scheduled for June 25-30 in Bushnell, Illinois, and will feature Underoath, Switchfoot, Emery, Flyleaf, Anberlin, the Almost, Disciple and Spitfire.

Arcade Fire fans who had planned to download the band's charity single "Intervention" from the iTunes store early Thursday morning ended up with a surprise — two days early — when the track "Black Wave/ Bad Vibrations" was uploaded instead by mistake. "I guess it is sort of charming that we can send the wrong song to the whole world with the click of a mouse," frontman Win Butler said in a post on the band's Web site. Proceeds from this week's sales of "Intervention" (and "Black Wave/ Bad Vibrations") will benefit Partners in Health (PIH.org), an organization supporting community-based initiatives to fight poverty and disease. "Our little bump in the road hasn't changed that," Butler said. ...

Clearly a lot of people got iTunes gift cards and new iPods for Christmas, because so many of them tried to use the iTunes store over the holiday that there were widespread reports of error messages and download times approaching 20 minutes for a single track. According to an Associated Press report, stressed-out users began posting urgent help messages on Monday and Tuesday on Apple's tech forum for iTunes complaining that they either couldn't log in to the site or were told the system couldn't process their requests for song and video downloads. Apple Computer would not comment on the slowdown, and it was unclear how many people were affected. Online market researcher Hitwise reported that the slowdown could be attributed to the fact that more than four times as many people visited iTunes on Christmas than at the same time last year. ...

Flogging Molly can't wait to get the party started: The Irish folk punks are kicking off their St. Patrick's Day-themed Green 17 Tour on February 22 in Los Angeles. The 18-date outing comes to a close March 17 in Phoenix. ... Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Spocket note has also lined up his first '07 tour. He'll set out to do the solo-acoustic thing February 7 in Santa Barbara, California, and stay on the road through March 4 in Annapolis, Maryland. ...

2007 will be a banner year for "The Simpsons," with a long-awaited big-screen adventure finally hitting theaters, so the animated Springfield residents are starting the year on the right foot with a slew of New Year's resolutions. Realist Homer vows to lose 10 pounds — and gain it back by Valentine's Day. Marge wants to improve her cooking ("I resolve to finally learn how to make pancakes that don't stick to the pan") thanks to some prodding from Bart. And Krusty and Comic Book Guy aim a bit higher, with the clown promising to come up with jokes that are fresher than his 40-year-old standbys and the nerd resolving to date a woman. Good luck, guys.

12.27.2006

Three days after his death at age 73, soul legend James Brown's body will return to the place where the singer made his stage debut, New York's Apollo Theater. According to The Associated Press, the public will be allowed to view Brown's body on Thursday at the legendary Harlem venue, followed by a private burial Friday in Brown's hometown of Augusta, Georgia. Another public ceremony will follow a day later at Augusta's James Brown Arena. Variety reports that Spike Lee has signed on to direct a biopic about Brown that is tentatively scheduled to begin in 2008. Brown played an active role in the project's development and gave producers access to his music rights. ...

The twin sister of Eminem's ex-wife, Kim Mathers, is in police custody after allegedly attempting to kidnap her son, AP reports. Kim Mathers, who is the legal guardian of her sister's 7-year-old, filed a parental-kidnapping complaint on Tuesday. Mathers' sister — whose name was not released by police — was arrested after she fled a local gas station. The boy has been returned to Mathers' custody. ... A former Sprint Nextel employee has filed a lawsuit claiming that she was fired unjustly for hiring Ludacris to perform at a company event — even though her boss was aware of her activities. According to the Kansas City Star, Elizabeth Henry said she was given permission to secure talent for a Las Vegas party. Henry said her boss green-lit two entertainers, Luda and LL Cool J. After booking 'Cris, however, Henry alleges that she was interrogated for five hours, despite assuring management that Luda would perform according to "PG-13 standards," and was fired later that same day. "Her boss approved it and didn't think anything of it until somebody said, 'Hey, have you ever listened to their music?' " Henry's lawyer, Brendan J. Donelon, told the newspaper. Sprint officials had not released a comment as of publish time. ...

Willie Nelson and Jessica Simpson are re-forming an onscreen family bond for "Blonde Ambition," according to The Hollywood Reporter. Nelson, who co-starred as Uncle Jesse to Simpson's Daisy Duke in 2005's "The Dukes of Hazzard," will play her grandfather in the "Working Girl" update. ... Look out, Cameron Diaz — JoJo's got an eye on your man. In the spring issue of Seventeen Prom, the singer encourages girls to get out there and ask someone to the prom ("This is 2006, babe ... I'm all for being the one to initiate") and admits her own dream date. "Well, I knew it was unattainable, but I always thought Justin Timberlake was so cute, especially when he was in 'NSYNC and had that blond Afro. He gets finer with age!" ...

Jessica Alba and Johnny Depp top a poll of fantasy New Year's Eve dates, with Scarlett Johansson and George Clooney also ranking high in the Blockbuster Inc. survey. And while they want beautiful stars holding their arm when 2007 arrives, respondents said they were more interested in hanging out than hooking up. Seventy percent of those polled said their pick was someone who would be fun to spend time with, and only 15 percent admitted to choosing someone they'd want to kiss at midnight. ...

Before heading on a two-week trek through Australia in late March, Dave Matthews Band will headline a two-night stand at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas on March 23 and 24. The Fray will open the Vegas shows. ... TV on the Radio have mapped out a 28-city tour that will kick off March 1 in Providence, Rhode Island. Opening acts have not been confirmed, but are expected to be named in the coming weeks. The tour will run through an April 21 stop in Poughkeepsie, New York. ... Brand New will hit the road this spring for a U.S. headlining run that launches March 15 in Buffalo, New York, and wraps up April 25 with a show in Philadelphia. ...

Two new untitled demo tracks from Evanescence drummer William "Rocky" Gray's Soul Embraced side project have been posted to the band's MySpace page. Gray plays guitar for the Little Rock, Arkansas, outfit, which is fronted by his brother-in-law Chad Moore and features Living Sacrifice's Lance Garvin on drums. The band — which released its The Fleshless EP in 1999, followed by the LPs For The Incomplete (2000), This Is My Blood (2002) and Immune (2003) — is compiling material for its next studio effort. ...

An album cover signed by all four members of the Beatles — as a gift for George Harrison's sister Louise — sold Friday at an auction in New York for more than $115,000, AP reports. The winning bidder was not identified, but the sale set a record for a signed Beatles album purchased at a public sale. On the cover of the copy of Meet the Beatles, the Fab Four's first U.S. release, Harrison had written above his signature, "To Lou with love from 'Brother'!!" while John Lennon wrote, "To Lou many love from John Lennon X." ...

Want to pre-order Norah Jones' forthcoming Not Too Late? Well, you've got many options. iTunes is sweetening the deal with five tracks from her iTunes Live Session; Amazon if offering an exclusive live video performance of "Rosie's Lullaby," one of the tracks featured on the artist's third release; and getting the set through Walmart.com will grant you instant access to the first single, "Thinking About You." ... Winger fans unite! The founding members of the hair-metal band will take flight for their first tour in more than 10 years on Sunday in Pittsburgh. Winger, which recently issued Winger IV, will end the six-week U.S. jaunt on March 9 in Houston.

• Eminem
• Taylor Hicks
• John Legend
• Underoath
• Switchfoot

Omarion's <I>21</I>
Photo: Sony Music

Well, Axl Rose didn't make good on his holiday promise: delivering Chinese Democracy before the end of the year. But a few artists — and by "few" we mean "not many" — are rushing in their efforts before last call ends in 2006. Omarion, Matisyahu, Switchfoot and the rest of the Forget-Me-Nots are hoping you haven't put your year-end top-10 lists in ink just yet.

But while those artists will be duking it out in the CD racks this week, expect another item to soak up a lot of the attention: Good Charlotte's "Fast Future Generation" DVD. The band is hoping consumers pick up the long-awaited flick when they make their post-Christmas returns Tuesday (December 26) — after all, fans have been waiting for the film since it premiered at Sundance way back in January.

While we won't know for another week who's going to be entering 2007 with a smile and who'll be mumbling "good riddance, 2006" under their breath, we do have some new year's resolutions to offer each of them:

Good Charlotte's "Fast Future Generation" DVD: No, this isn't their take on "Fast Food Nation" — it's a rockumentary immortalizing the band's 12-day tour through Japan in September 2005. Stitching together concert footage with the Madden brothers and the gang on the streets of Tokyo and beyond, the DVD was directed by Nylon magazine Editor in Chief Marvin Scott Jarrett. Featured songs include "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," "The Anthem" and "Predictable," sung in Japanese.

New Year's Resolution: Get that Good Morning Revival LP out in March — with or without exclamation point.

Omarion's 21: The gist of the ex-B2K singer's new LP is that he's all grown up, but there's actually a second implication to the title: It's the highest number in blackjack, a game the classily dressed O appears ready to play on the album cover. Pre-release contests involved a phone call from O and autographed copies of the CD, but everyone will be able to enjoy production by Pharrell and Bryan-Michael Cox, as well as songs like "Made for TV," "Ice Box" and "What Are We Doing."

New Year's Resolution: Don't forget to bring copies of 21 on the road during the Scream Tour with Yung Joc and Ne-Yo.

Matisyahu's No Place to Be: If Israel is no place to be, then why are you releasing a CD/DVD package immortalizing your concert there? Why, Matis, why? Well, actually, the audio portion of the set encompasses four new studio recordings and three fresh remixes, while the 90-minute video has a show shot in Tel Aviv coupled with interviews and street performances the Hasidic MC staged in Jerusalem. The CD boasts a few production luminaries too: dance-hall kings Sly & Robbie, avant-garde master Bill Laswell and even a remix churned out by Texas' esteemed Swishahouse rap label.

New Year's Resolution: Maintain kitsch factor while not becoming a jam-band-festival mainstay and addressing the Israel/Palestine conflict without ticking too many people off. Now that's called walking a tightrope.

Switchfoot's Oh! Gravity: "Like a puppet on a monetary string/ Maybe we've been caught singing/ Red, white, blue and green/ But that ain't my American dream." That's not a bad stanza from singer/songwriter Jon Foreman, and one you'll hear on "American Dream," featured on his band's sixth LP. The San Diego quartet is hoping production by Tim Palmer (U2, Pearl Jam), executive production by Steve Lillywhite (U2, Dave Matthews Band) and songs like "Faust, Midas, and Myself" and "Burn Out Bright" do the trick.

New Year's Resolution: Stay spiritual but distance themselves from soft Christian artists like Matt Redman and Steven Curtis Chapman, who also have LPs dropping this week. This is another tightrope, albeit a slightly thicker one thanks to the success of acts like P.O.D.

Various artists' The Family Values Tour 2006: Feeling Korny? Look no further than the CD and DVD surrounding this year's umpteenth metal festival, which features them alongside loud-rocking partners Deftones, Flyleaf, Deadsy, 10 Years, Dir en Grey and Stone Sour. The CD features those much-discussed guest-vocal appearances paid by Deftones' Chino Moreno, Stone Sour's Corey Taylor and Army of Anyone's Robert Patrick during Korn's sets, while the DVD chips in dressing-room footage, bandmember chats and outtakes.

New Year's Resolution: Perform in an airborne jet. Get a street named after them. Record "Unplugged." Oh wait, they did all that this year. New resolution: Get some rest.

N.W.A's - The Best of N.W.A: The Strength of Street Knowledge: Seventeen classics by the trailblazing rappers are cobbled together to celebrate the group's 20th anniversary. But the real news here is the deluxe edition: It's hitched with a bonus DVD corralling unreleased interviews with Ice Cube and DJ Yella, not to mention a spicy unissued clip capturing Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Yella and MC Ren arguing in the studio. Videos and "street" versions of four tracks cap off the disc.

New Year's Resolution: Go spelunking for more unreleased songs to tack onto future collections and reissues.

Various artists' 15 Years on Death Row: Tangentially related to the above — both packages feature epistles by noted writer Soren Baker — this one culls 13 previously released tracks by Tupac, Snoop and Dr. Dre. The deluxe version of this release also has a DVD, but all 14 clips have already seen the light of day.

New Year's Resolution: See above.

Gang Starr's Mass Appeal: The Best of Gang Starr: Also featuring notes by Baker and also available in deluxe form with a DVD, this set pulls together two songs originally released on soundtracks, so there's at least something rare here. The DVD has 11 videos by the hip-hop duo.

New Year's Resolution: Sigh — see above again.

Incognito's Bees + Things + Flowers: Just when you thought there wasn't any lovin' left for acid jazz ... London's long-running jazz/soul/funk project sinks its teeth into songs by Earth, Wind & Fire, Roy Ayers and America this time around, chalking up three new songs and fresh versions of four vintage Incognito tracks while they're at it. A 16-piece string section ices the cake.

New Year's Resolution: Try not to be so incognito.

Song Title of the Week:

"Fearfully and Wonderfully Made" from Matt Redman's Beautiful News

New Releases:

· Incognito - Bees + Things + Flowers (Narada Jazz) · Matisyahu - No Place to Be (with DVD of live material; Epic/Or/J-Dub) [Buy Now] · Omarion - 21 (Epic/ Sony Urban) [Buy Now] Read: "Boy To Man: Omarion Grows Up On The 'Personal' 21" · Matt Redman - Beautiful News (Sparrow) · Switchfoot - Oh! Gravity (Columbia) [Buy Now] Read: "Life, Death, Social Entropy? Switchfoot Get Weighty On Oh! Gravity" · Various artists - The Family Values Tour 2006 (Firm)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· Steven Curtis Chapman - Now & Then (Sparrow) · Barbara Cook - Legends of Broadway (Sony Classics) · Earth, Wind & Fire - Beautiful Ballads (Columbia/Legacy) · Enigma - Love Sensuality Devotion: The Remix Collection (Virgin/ EMI Music Catalog Marketing) · Gang Starr - Mass Appeal: The Best of Gang Starr (deluxe edition with DVD also available; Capitol/ EMI Music Catalog Marketing) · John Hammond - Southern Fried (Water) · Julio Iglesias - Romantic Classics (Burgundy) · Gladys Knight - Beautiful Ballads (Columbia/Legacy) · Isley Brothers - Beautiful Ballads, Vol. 2 (T-Neck/Legacy) · Patti LaBelle - Beautiful Ballads (Epic/Legacy) · Angela Lansbury - Legends of Broadway (Sony Classics) · N.W.A - The Best of N.W.A: The Strength of Street Knowledge (deluxe version with DVD also available; Capitol/Priority) [Buy Now] · O'Jays - Beautiful Ballads (Epic/Legacy) · Bernadette Peters - Legends of Broadway (Sony Classics) · Chita Rivera - Legends of Broadway (Sony Classics) · Stevie Ray Vaughn & Double Trouble - The Real Deal Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (Epic/ Sony Legacy) · Various artists - 15 Years on Death Row (two CDs; version with DVD also available; Death Row) · Various artists - Rocky Balboa: The Best of Rocky (Capitol)

Music DVDs:

· Good Charlotte - "Fast Future Generation" (Epic/Daylight) Read: "Good Charlotte's 'Future' And Jennifer Aniston's 'Friends' Get Sundance Started" · Guns N' Roses - "DVD Collector's Box" (MVD Video) · Various artists - "The Family Values Tour 2006" (Firm)

Coming Attractions:

January 2: · Carly Simon - Into White (Columbia) · Unwritten Law - The Hit List (Rocket Science) [Buy Now] · Various artists - L-Tunes: Music From and Inspired by "The L-Word" (Columbia)

January 9: · Green Day - 1,039/ Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (enhanced; Reprise) and Kerplunk (Reprise) [Buy Now] · Mario - Go! (J) [Buy Now] · Mos Def - Tru3 Magic (Geffen) [Buy Now]

January 16: · America - Here & Now (Burgundy) · The Smithereens - Meet the Smithereens! (Koch) · Various artists - "Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls" soundtrack (Atlantic)

• Good Charlotte
• Omarion
• Matisyahu
• Switchfoot
• N.W.A.

Switchfoot
Photo: Jeremy Cowart

According to Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman, the band's forthcoming album, Oh! Gravity, is a conceptual work, but not in the typical sense. Instead of building the LP's 12 tracks around a common theme, Foreman said the record is about what's been going on in his life and what's been on his mind. Like, say, his theory of social entropy.

"In the physical world, there's a force called entropy, which basically means that everything moves toward a lower state of order," he explained. "Your car will fall apart. Your house will decay. Everything will die eventually. And I think that's something we have socially as well — whether it's divorce, or the lack of our ability to keep peace or even the partisan politics going on right now. We are constantly falling apart on a social scale. Somewhere in there is the idea that good things happen to bad people, not bad things happen to good people."

If that sounds slightly confusing, don't worry. Foreman says it will all make sense once you've heard Oh! Gravity, which lands in stores December 26. Switchfoot compiled the effort from more than 60 songs they'd stockpiled over the years and then refined in the studio.

Unlike 2005's Nothing Is Sound, which the band recorded while touring, Gravity was tracked in a studio close to where the San Diego band lives, with producer Tim Palmer (U2, James) and executive producer Steve Lillywhite (U2, Talking Heads). This, says the singer, will also be evident to the listener.

"We had a blast making this record," said Foreman. "You can hear what the environment was like during the creative process when you listen to a record. You can tell what was going on and what they were thinking and what they were drinking. That all comes through in the tracks."

The forthcoming outing, Foreman says, is merely the next step in Switchfoot's evolution as songwriters. "It's really interesting when you watch the creative growth of a band like the Beatles or Led Zeppelin, because they came out with so many records in short spurts of time, and you can actually see where they're coming from a lot better than, say, a band that releases one record every six years," he said. "It's a real treat to be able to put out two records in two years, so people can witness our growth."

Switchfoot had so much material to pull from because they're always writing — on the road, at home, in the studio. In fact, some of the material on Gravity was written before the recording sessions for Nothing Is Sound wrapped. For Switchfoot, crafting tunes has become less a vocation than a therapeutic pursuit.

"Some people keep a journal, but I write songs," Foreman said. "Most of these songs began as existential questions about why we're here and trying to make sense of the planet. I used to think that was kind of an obvious place to start, but then you realize that any good song has to start there to some extent."

Creating this album, Foreman says, was also about control. "Sometimes I feel like control is this illusion we have — we all think we have control, but in reality, life can end at any second," he said. "But we do have control over who determines our self-worth, and if we're letting other people determine what we think of ourselves, that's a really dangerous place to be as an artist because suddenly you're totally vulnerable. This record was about not really caring what people think anymore, getting back to the roots of who we were as a band and experiencing the joy of playing music for the heck of it, because I feel like that's when you're making your best stuff."

Earlier this month, the band shot a video for the album's title track with director P.R. Brown (Audioslave, Buckcherry). Foreman wouldn't say much about the video's concept, but revealed it was shot in front of a green screen and incorporated several of the aesthetic elements from Oh! Gravity's artwork.

Switchfoot are currently on a 29-date tour of intimate venues that will wrap November 22 in Las Vegas. Moses Mayfield has been tapped as opening act (see "Switchfoot Slipping On Tour Boots Again As Gravity Approaches").

• Switchfoot

Switchfoot
Photo: Sony

It was just last year that San Diego rockers Switchfoot released Nothing Is Sound, which has gone on to sell more than 352,000 copies. And fans won't have to wait much longer for more.

The band's sixth studio outing, Oh! Gravity, will be released December 26, just missing the pre-holiday shopping season but just in time for the exchange rush (see "Switchfoot Pull Off Surf Tourney But Are Careful About Diving Into New LP").

The band enlisted knob-turner Tim Palmer (U2, James) to co-produce the effort, with Steve Lillywhite (Iggy Pop, Talking Heads) sitting in the executive producer's chair. Lillywhite also helmed the track "Awakening." In all, the album will boast 13 cuts, including "American Dream," "In This Life," "Amateur Lovers," "Circles," "Faust," "Yesterdays," "4:12," "Burn Out Bright" and "Let Your Love." The title track will be the first single from the disc.

On September 19, Switchfoot will release a fresh digital track, "Dirty Second Hands."

Of course, no album release would feel complete without the requisite tour leading up to the big day. Switchfoot plan to hit the road October 17 in Bakersfield, California, for a 29-date tour of intimate venues that will wrap November 22 in Las Vegas.

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

• 10/17 - Bakersfield, CA @ Fox Theater
• 10/18 - West Hollywood, CA @ The Roxy
• 10/19 - Sacramento, CA @ Crest Theatre
• 10/20 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
• 10/21 - Boise, ID @ The Big Easy
• 10/23 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
• 10/25 - Chicago, IL @ Metro/ Smart Bar
• 10/26 - Minneapolis, MN @ Quest Club
• 10/27 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
• 10/28 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
• 10/30 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
• 11/1 - Holland, MI @ Hope College
• 11/2 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
• 11/3 - Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
• 11/4 - Lancaster, PA @ The Chameleon
• 11/5 - Scranton, PA @ Tink's
• 11/7 - Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa
• 11/8 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
• 11/10 - Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Music Hall
• 11/11 - Jacksonville, FL @ Freebird Live
• 11/12 - Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
• 11/13 - Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
• 11/14 - Atlanta, GA @ Roxy Theatre
• 11/16 - Nashville, TN @ War Memorial Auditorium
• 11/17 - Little Rock, AR @ The Village
• 11/18 - Tulsa, OK @ Cain's Ballroom
• 11/20 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theatre
• 11/21 - Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
• 11/22 - Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues

• Switchfoot Rock Surf, Stage At 2006 Switchfoot Bro-Am

• Switchfoot

Switchfoot's Tim Foreman at the 2006 Switchfoot Bro-Am
Photo: Benny Ek

BEVERLY HILLS, California — So how far along are Switchfoot on their next record?

"Well, we know it's a girl," singer Jon Foreman deadpanned recently.

He jokes, but Switchfoot's albums are in many ways their babies, and they're treating their next one with extra-special care. As a daycare center might say, they boast an impressive 5-to-1 ratio.

"We're all cutting [tracks] at the same time in a room, just five guys playing rock and roll," Foreman said. "We definitely have a lot more work ahead of us, but it's taking shape real nicely."

Foreman is the kind of songwriter who's always working, so the band entered its San Diego studio with some 50 ideas to navigate through for the follow-up to 2005's Nothing Is Sound (see "Switchfoot's New LP, Surf Contest Affected By Instability")

So far, Switchfoot have been working alone, but last week the band brought in producer Tim Palmer, whose credits include U2 and Pearl Jam.

"It felt like a good fit," Foreman said. "We've been a band for so long you want someone who can take it to the next level and get you across waters that you wouldn't be able to swim across yourself. We can only get it so far."

It's too early for Foreman to describe the music, but he says the band's been open to more experimenting.

"We've always tried to listen to a song with an open mind and not dive into it thinking we have to paint every song blue or green or red," Foreman explained. "We're making sure every song has its own color and feel."

Switchfoot are shooting for a late 2006 release date. In the meantime, the band is balancing its recording schedule with a few summer tour dates: June 11 (Sacramento, California); June 17 (Nashville); and June 24 (Arlington, Texas).

The group also hosted its second annual Bro-Am surf tournament on Saturday benefiting the Casa de Amparo youth shelters. The event combined celebrity surfing with a concert featuring Switchfoot, Tristan Prettyman, Years Around the Sun and surf legend Tom Curren.

(Check out photos from the 2006 Switchfoot Bro-Am)

"It's amazing to think that the community's just rallying around these kids, and we're proud of it," Foreman said.

• Switchfoot Rock Surf, Stage At 2006 Switchfoot Bro-Am

• Switchfoot

Britney Spears
Photo: Jive

Despite reports that Britney Spears' upcoming episode of "Will & Grace" has been canceled after protests from the American Family Association, an organization that, according to its Web site, "exists to motivate and equip citizens to change the culture to reflect Biblical truth," the show will still go on — just not as previously detailed. The description of Spears' character as a conservative Christian who wants to do a segment on cooking called "Cruci-fixins" on Jack's talk show was premature, NBC said Monday (February 6). "Some erroneous information was mistakenly included in a press release," the network clarified, stressing that the April 13 episode has yet to be written. ...

Mariah Carey says that the reason you'll hardly ever see her eating in public is that she likes to do that in bed instead. The singer tells Marie Claire (she's the mag's March cover) that she's not trying to be a "skinny twig," but she's "bad with the weight thing." "I go up and down really quickly, because I am a muscular person. People don't know that I have [well-defined biceps] and these could easily become weird bodybuilder arms," she said. People also don't know that she wears a bib when eating. "I am just like, 'Whatever, nobody is looking at me for once!' That's why I don't really like to eat in public. When people say, 'Mariah never eats in public,' I'm like, 'You're right.' " ... Sheryl Crow's engagement to seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong is off. The couple, who'd been dating for more than two years, announced their engagement last fall. "After much thought and consideration, we have made a very tough decision to split up," a statement from the couple reads. "We both have a deep love and respect for each other, and we ask that everyone respect our privacy during this difficult time." ...

Fall Out Boy are returning to "One Tree Hill" this month for sweeps. In an episode called "Just Watch the Fireworks," the band plays a breast-cancer benefit concert at Tric at the request of Peyton (played by former "TRL" VJ Hilarie Burton). The episode airs February 15 at 8 p.m. on the WB. ... A collaboration between Ghostface and Doom and two tracks from Xzibit's group Strong Arm Steady are among the highlights on a new compilation from Brooklyn, New York, indie hip-hop label Nature Sounds, due April 4. Titled Natural Selection, the album also features Raekwon, Chamillionaire, Ras Kass, Pete Rock and Masta Killa. ...

Switchfoot will return to the road for a late-winter club run starting on February 15 in Bakersfield, California. Only seven dates have been confirmed so far, and more are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. The band has planned stops in New Orleans; Orlando, Florida; Las Vegas; Austin, Texas; Tucson, Arizona; and Baltimore. ... New Jersey rockers Thursday are going with A City by the Light Divided as the title of their forthcoming album, which is scheduled for a May 2 release. The record's first single, "Counting 5-4-3-2-1," should hit rock radio airwaves next month. ...

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are giving fans a little treat to nibble on while they wait for the band's new album, Show Your Bones, due March 28. In addition to unveiling the colorful red, yellow and purple-tinged album art for the follow-up to 2003's Fever to Tell, the New York trio have posted a stream of their new single, "Gold Lion," on their Web site, a day before the track is set to hit the iTunes music store. Two remixes of the single, produced by rapper Diplo and their own guitarist Nick Zinner, are slated for release on February 21 on iTunes ... Moby told a crowd gathered at PETA's fashion-week bash in New York on Friday that he feels like he's a "dilettante," because while he does what he can for animal rights, the activist group does "all the heavy lifting." Moby was one of several feted for their work for the cause, in his case, for promoting vegan recipes during the holidays. Pam Anderson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Alan Cumming, Le Tigre and Nick Zinner were among those congratulating Moby, as well as Nellie McKay and Al Sharpton, who were also honored for their help in PETA's campaigns. ...

Al Lewis, the man who'll forever be known as "Grandpa Munster," died Friday night at the age of 82, according to New York radio station WBAI-FM, where Lewis hosted a weekly radio show. Lewis, who worked as a circus performer before doing time as a vaudevillian actor, got his start in television during the 1960s, first as Officer Leo Schnauzer on "Car 54, Where Are You?" Between 1964 and 1966, he played Grandpa — the hot-tempered father-in-law to Fred Gwynne's Herman Munster — on "The Munsters." In 1998, Lewis staged a failed bid for the New York governorship — he was the Green Party's candidate, and lost to incumbent George Pataki. ... British prog-rockers Th' Faith Healers will reunite in March for five shows, the first time the influential band will have performed together in 10 years. The brief tour kicks off in Austin, Texas, on March 17. ...

02.03.2006

Paris Hilton's lost some of her property because of a payment dispute for her storage bill at a Los Angeles warehouse, and now an agent is offering to sell her locker's contents to the media — including 18 diaries, videotapes, computers, furniture, clothing, sex toys and photographs. David Hans Schmidt is offering the goods in an auction with the bidding beginning in the millions, even though he claims to have bought the contents at a public auction in December for $2,775. Hilton insists through her rep that the property still belongs to her, and that she's been victimized. They're threatening legal action against anyone in possession of the items. ...

Nick Lachey will release a song called "What's Left of Me" as the first single from his forthcoming, as-yet-untitled solo album. The song will be released online next week. ...

Simon Cowell has created a new "American Idol"-like reality show in search of a Las Vegas act. Cowell will executive produce but not serve as a judge on the show, set to debut on NBC in the summer. ... Madonna, who attended Jean Paul Gaultier's Paris fashion show last week, is having him design the costumes for her next tour, according to Women's Wear Daily. ...

Courtney Love appeared in a Los Angeles court Friday to present a progress report in her drug case, which noted that she had completed the house-arrest portion of her rehab sentence. The singer addressed the court, telling the judge she was grateful for the court's patience and that she feels like she's made a full recovery. Love's next progress report is scheduled for May 5, but she won't be required to appear. ...

Time to bust out the mini-grill. Houston rapper Paul Wall and wife Crystal are expecting a little champ of their own, according to his publicist. The couple, who married in October, will welcome their first child — a boy they will name William — in May. ... Maroon 5 guitarist James Valentine made a surprise onstage appearance Thursday at the kickoff of Rilo Kiley singer Jenny Lewis' solo tour at the Vista Theater in Los Angeles. Lewis' acoustic set also featured backup singers the Watson Twins and singer/songwriter Johnathan Rice, and included most of the tracks from her just-released Rabbit Fur Coat, including a stripped-down version of the title track. ...

Before Guns N' Roses, Axl Rose moved through a number of Los Angeles rock bands, including the early '80s group Rapidfire — with whom Rose recorded for the first time. GN'R fans have long wondered what became of those early recordings, which were put to tape in 1983 for a five-track demo. According to Rapidfire's Web site, those songs — "Ready to Rumble," "All Night Long," "The Prowler," "On the Run" and "Closure" — are now being mixed, "in preparation for their release." There's no definitive street date yet for the recordings, but the packaging will purportedly feature pre-tattoo photos of Axl. ... The late Tupac Shakur will be immortalized by Madame Tussauds in Las Vegas. Tupac's wax personification — shirtless and complete with bandana and tattoos — will be unveiled on April 5. ...

'NSYNC's Lance Bass is excited that his movie "Lovewrecked" — which he co-produced and has a cameo in — got picked up by the Weinstein Company. He wrote on his MySpace page, "Looks like it will be out this summer!" "Lovewrecked" stars Amanda Bynes and was directed by Randal Kleiser ("The Blue Lagoon," "Grease"). "This movie is his next 'Blue Lagoon,' " Bass wrote, "so lots of skin. Don't worry, it's PG-ish, moms!" ...

• Britney Spears
• Mariah Carey
• Fall Out Boy
• Ghostface Killah
• Switchfoot

Young Buck
Photo: Jason Campbell

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

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

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

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

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

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

09.29.2005

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Young Buck
• Dr. Dre
• Bright Eyes
• Switchfoot
• Elliott Smith

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