Trapt

For The Record: Quick News On Britney Spears, Mario Vazquez, Eminem, Mariah Carey, Game, Tupac, Trapt & More

18 Aug 2005 05:45:00 EDT

Britney's shower everything she envisioned; 'Idol' dropout signs deal; Eminem sued by aunt and uncle.
By MTV News staff report

Britney Spears
Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Britney Spears scored a ton of gender-neutral presents at her baby shower on August 6, including a white wrought-iron bassinet, car seat, stroller, infant bathtub and lots of stuffed animals. "Everyone really outdid themselves," the singer told People magazine, which has a spread of photos from the scene in its next issue, out Friday. Only 19 guests attended the Moroccan-themed shindig, which was held under a bamboo tent set in front of Spears' Malibu, California, home. "It was so beautiful that throughout the entire night, I kept forgetting we were in my front yard," Spears told the mag. Friends and family were treated to gift bags containing the singer's Curious perfume as well as necklaces made from their own baby photos. It was "everything I envisioned," Spears said. ...

"American Idol" dropout Mario Vazquez has signed a deal with J Records, marking the first time the label has signed an "Idol" contestant who was not the winner or runner-up. Vazquez has just begun work on the as-yet-untitled album, which is due in the spring, according to the label. ... Eminem's week just keeps getting better. Just two days after announcing he'd be canceling the European leg of the Anger Management 3 Tour to permit his recovery from exhaustion, Marshall's aunt and uncle have filed a lawsuit against him. According to Kevin Green, the attorney for Em's relations, Jack and Betty Schmitt, "Marshall's looking to evict them from their house," one he had built for them three years ago in Mount Clemens, Michigan. Green said the couple uprooted from Missouri to do so, at Em's behest. The suit seeks more than $350,000 — the cost of the house — as well as money they claim their nephew owes them. "He told them, 'I'll pay you a salary for five years,' " said Green; the promised figure was an annual payment of $100,000. "He failed to do that. Betty and Jack support Marshall, but the main issue is the home. He promised he would transfer the [home's title over] to their name after one year, and he failed to do so as promised, and continues not to do so." ...

Mariah Carey, Destiny's Child and Diana Ross are headlining the World Music Awards, which will also include performances by Bon Jovi and Santana. The show, which will be televised in 160 countries, will take place at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on August 31 and will be broadcast Stateside September 13 on ABC at 9 p.m. ET. ... Game, Busta Rhymes, Twista and Trick Daddy are among the guests slated for Crazee and Confuzed, the debut album from Miami rapper Stacks, due in early 2006. Diddy is featured on the just-released first single, "MIA," a tribute to Miami, while Pharrell Williams, Scott Storch, Timbaland and Jazze Pha are among the album's producers. Director Gil Green (Lil Jon) just shot the video for "MIA." ...

On September 13, the nine-year anniversary of Tupac Shakur's death, a seven-foot bronze memorial statue of the rapper will be unveiled at the newly opened Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Afeni Shakur, Tupac's mother, will speak at the ceremony. A week later, the second album based on Tupac's poetry, The Rose, Vol. 2., will hit stores. Unlike the first, which featured readings of his poems, this compilation will see rappers like Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, the Outlawz and Digital Underground's Shock-G reworking the poetry into songs. ... Meanwhile, some rare Tupac concert footage is about to be released as well. The never-before-seen, uncensored "Tupac Shakur: Live at the House of Blues," shot in Los Angeles on July 4, 1996, is now due in early October, and will be released as both a DVD and UMD, which will play on the Sony PlayStation Portable game device. The performance includes guest appearances from Snoop Dogg, the Outlawz, Nate Dogg, Jodeci, Kurupt and Daz. ...

Teens who watch R-rated movies are likelier to smoke, drink and use drugs, according to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, which released the findings of a survey on the subject on Thursday (August 18). Twelve- to 17-year-olds who watch three or more R-rated movies per month are at more than four times the risk of substance abuse than those who do not watch R-rated movies. They're also nearly seven times likelier to smoke cigarettes, more than five times likelier to drink alcohol, and more than six times likelier to try marijuana. The phone survey, conducted from April through June, included 1,000 teens and 829 parents. ... Liz Phair, who is releasing her new album, Somebody's Miracle, on October 4, is planning a road trip to support it. She'll kick off the 23-date tour in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on October 6, and close it out in San Diego on November 16. Later this month, Phair is shooting the video for the first single, "Everything to Me," with director Phil Harder. ...

Bon Jovi are planning a world tour in November to support their ninth studio album, Have a Nice Day, due September 20. But before they hit the road, they're going to perform at the new Nokia Theater in New York's Times Square — they will be the very first act to do so — on September 19. The opening of the club will be a multimedia event, since Bon Jovi's performance will be broadcast live and on demand via AOL, aired live on XM Satellite Radio and simulcast to select movie theaters nationwide. Advance movie tickets are available online at BigScreenConcerts.com. ... Rock-radio faves Trapt are preparing to hit the road in support of their upcoming album, Someone in Control, due September 13. The 30-date tour kicks off September 22 in Chico, California, with fellow dude-rockers Blindside and Aphasia tagging along as openers. ...

08.17.2005

Don't expect Hilary Duff to play light teen roles forever — as her 18th birthday approaches, the singer hopes to dig in to meatier roles that would let her stretch her acting muscles. She says she's been holding onto a script for the past year that she'd love to see made into a movie, "but who knows if it's ever going to happen." The character she would play is "so cool and weird and messed up. It's not like she's a druggie, she's just different, she's just in her head, she's crazy," Duff said. "I think it would be good for girls to see that." She thinks the project will have to wait at least another year because it's not what people expect of her, and she thinks she needs to "ease into" roles like that. "This is a business, and you have to give people what they want to see," she said. "It's the smartest thing." ...

Beck, Weezer and Oasis will headline Los Angeles radio station KROQ-FM's fifth annual Inland Invasion. Garbage, Jet, Bloc Party, the Arcade Fire, the Bravery, Cake, 311, Live and Madness will also perform at the event, scheduled for September 17 at the Hyundai Pavilion in Devore, California. ... Blingtones is launching a phone-only golf game featuring an animated Lil Jon aiming for a hole in one and sporting his best golf threads. The "Crunk Golf" game will take place in urban settings in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Jon's hometown of Atlanta. Four unique courses will be designed for each city: New York's course, for instance, will feature the King of Crunk teeing off a building rooftop, while in Miami he plays golf in the middle of the beach while bikini-clad women tan around him. ...

Michael Jackson was fined $10,000 on Wednesday (August 17) by a U.S. District Court judge in New Orleans for failing to have a lawyer present at a July hearing on sexual assault charges, The Associated Press reports. The civil case was brought by a man who claims to have unlocked repressed memories of Jackson molesting him during the 1984 World's Fair. Jackson has denied the charges, and his attorneys claim that the summons regarding the court date was lost in the shuffle because it arrived on June 13, the same day Jackson's child-molestation trial in California ended in an acquittal. ...

The previously postponed August 7 Ozzfest date, which was rescheduled to take place September 10 at Float-Rite Park in Somerset, Wisconsin, was canceled Tuesday night, according to the venue. The show was set for a do-over next month because of Ozzy Osbourne's continuing throat problems, but the concert's organizers ended up scrapping the date entirely because too many of the acts on the bill would have been unable to perform due to scheduling conflicts. Refunds are available at point of purchase. ... Less than a week after revealing that, after 10 years of headlining the Ozzfest, he'd be taking a break from next year's incarnation, Ozzy's looking for a guitarist to work with him on his next studio effort. A posting on the Ozzman's Web site is calling for "all interested parties" to send demos "showcasing their guitar skills" to a Beverly Hills, California, post-office box, but a spokesperson for Osbourne wouldn't reveal whether Ozzy's in need of a lead or rhythm guitarist. The search raises questions about the state of Osbourne's relationship with longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde, but according to Wylde's management, "Zakk will play with Ozzy until they are both in the grave." ...

Queens of the Stone Age really want to take their riotous rock show to the United Kingdom — honest. It's just that every time they announce a U.K. show, something goes terribly wrong. Like back in February, when frontman Josh Homme came down with a severe case of bronchitis, ending the band's U.K. tour. Or just last month, when a sold-out London gig had to be canceled when terrorist attacks shut down the city. And now, as the Queens prepare to play a rescheduled gig at London's Brixton Academy — and film it for an upcoming DVD — comes news that Homme had to have knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus. According to a spokesperson at QOTSA's label, Interscope, the Brixton show will go on according to plan, however. Let's hope so. ... Le Tigre's album This Island spawned so many remixes of "Nanny Nanny Boo Boo" and "After Dark" — from the likes of Peaches, Junior Senior, A Touch of Class and more — that the trio are going to compile the best makeovers. This Island Remixes is due out on Chicks on Speed Records in October. Meanwhile, Le Tigre are working with Missy Elliott on a remix of "Punker Plus" — the rapper's favorite on the band's album — and hope to release that separately. ...

Slipknot will launch their Subliminal Verses tour in Cincinnati on October 14, with As I Lay Dying and Unearth in support roles. The 23-date trek includes a Halloween date in New York. ... That's not Slipknot in Burger King's music-video-style commercial for chicken fries — that mask-wearing metal group is called Coq Roq. The confusion between the two, however, is about to be sorted out in court, as Burger King filed a lawsuit on Friday against Slipknot in Miami federal court, seeking a judgment that their use of the mock metal band "does not violate any rights, including rights of publicity or trademark rights" of Slipknot. A spokesperson for the band had no comment, and a rep for Burger King could not be reached by press time. ...

John Loder, whose London-based Southern Studios housed a recording studio and a record-distribution center for dozens of independent labels and artists, died Saturday of a brain tumor. Loder had been a vital proponent of independent music in the U.K. for more than 20 years, both behind the desk and in the studio, producing sessions for PJ Harvey, Fugazi, Ministry, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Bauhaus and many others. He was 59. ...

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For The Record: Quick News On Snoop Dogg, Trapt, Korn, Von Bondies, Guns N' Roses, Madonna & More

7 Sep 2004 06:41:00 EDT

Snoop Dogg's 213 Hit With Lawsuit
By MTV News staff report

213 (file)
Photo: Anthony Mandler

213 may have taken the easy way out when making the The Hard Way, according to DJ Battlecat. The producer behind tunes for Busta Rhymes, Brian McKnight, Xzibit, WC and Faith Evans filed a copyright-infringement suit against 213 members Snoop Dogg, Warren G and Nate Dogg and their record label on Thursday for allegedly using his work on three songs without permission. ...

Trapt will reissue their 2002 self-titled debut in the dual DVD/CD format on October 19. The set features a 5.1 surround-sound mix and videos for the songs "Headstrong," "Still Frame" and "Echo." Additional extras include live clips, a photo gallery and two bonus songs: "Lost in a Portrait" from the soundtrack to "The Punisher" and the B-side "Promise." ... A limited-edition version of Korn's imaginatively titled greatest-hits package, Greatest Hits, Vol. 1, will be released alongside the standard version of the album on October 5. The limited-edition disc comes with a DVD capturing the band's concert at New York's CBGBs earlier this year. ...

Auf Der Maur and the Von Bondies are heading out on the road for a co-headlining North American club tour beginning September 16 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Seventeen shows, including stops in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and Detroit, have been announced with more to come. ... A Guns N' Roses semi-reunion of sorts took place Sunday in Bologna, Italy, when guitarist Izzy Stradlin joined his old bandmates in Velvet Revolver onstage for the GN'R classic "It's So Easy." Stradlin left the band in 1991 and was replaced by Gilby Clarke. ...

A beer named after Madonna was created by U.K. brewers JW Lees to commemorate her visit to Manchester during her Re-invention Tour. According to those who've imbibed Material Girl Ale, it has a nutty flavor. ... More than 770 items from the estate of Johnny and June Carter Cash will be put up for auction at Sotheby's beginning September 14. The auction, which coincides with the one-year anniversary of the Man in Black's passing, features such items as stage-worn clothing, platinum records, handwritten lyrics and even the singer's 2002 Ford F-150 pickup. ... While writing and recording their next album, due next summer, 311 will release a concert DVD that relives March's 3-11 Day concert in New Orleans. The group plans to revisit the Big Easy next March 11. ...

9.03.2004

Oops, Britney Spears spit out her gum in public again and now you can reap the benefits. More than 20 eBay auctioneers are selling what they claim to be Spears' used chewing gum for prices ranging from 1 cent as an opening bid to $14,000 for the gum the pop star was supposedly chewing when she kissed Madonna at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. "My friend was working security and saw her spit one piece of gum in the trash," the seller says in the post. Fans can also purchase a used cigarette butt, for which the current high bid is $250. Not a Britney fan? Bid on gum chewed by Christina Aguilera (99 cents), Eminem ($1) or Jessica Simpson (99 cents). ...

Alicia Keys has just finished filming the video for her next single, "Karma." The singer shot part of the clip in the Dominican Republic, and part in New York, including a scene where she plays the piano on a subway platform. ... Al Franken will appear as the keynote speaker at this year's CMJ Music Marathon in New York. The writer/comedian/radio personality will deliver his speech (on a variety of topics, including politics, music, radio and activism) on October 14 to kick off the annual college-radio convention. Performers this year include Sonic Youth, ... And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Sparta, Clinic, the Faint, the Concretes, the Decemberists and more. ...

Homesickness doesn't seem to be one of Incubus' ills. The band, which has been on the road in support of A Crow Left of the Murder almost nonstop since the LP dropped in February, has added more dates to its world tour. A new, five-week leg begins October 10 in Pittsburgh. ... Liz Phair is going to help runners cool off in the inaugural Nike 26.2 Marathon with a post-race concert. The marathon takes place in San Francisco, starting and finishing right outside Golden Gate Park, on October 24 to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. ...

Slayer were forced to cancel a performance Wednesday in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, after frontman Tom Araya was reportedly rushed to an area hospital, suffering either from kidney stones or a bad allergic reaction. No official word has been given on Araya's condition. ... In happier Slayer-related news, the Jägermesiter Music Tour, which Slayer is scheduled to headline, has finalized its schedule. The trek, which also features Killswitch Engage and Mastodon, kicks off October 29 in Springfield, Missouri, and concludes on December 17 in Universal City, California. ... After four years of dating, three years of living together, a 3-year-old son and another baby on the way, Ben Harper and Laura Dern have gotten engaged. A wedding date has yet to be announced. ... Mix Master Mike, the Beastie Boys' resident DJ, has a new album on the way. Bangzilla!, out October 19, features hardcore turntablist creations such as "Full Range Earmuff," as well as tracks that cut together strings, keys and rhythms taken from hip-hop, orchestras and more. ... Stellastarr have one last show in New York this year — at the Roxy on Sunday — before they immediately start working on their second album. The band plans to stay in the studio through the remainder of 2004, and hopes to release the new album in the spring. ... The Mars Volta are dragging their Afros back into the studio to rework sections of their new album, Frances the Mute. The new studio sessions will push the release of the album — the follow-up to last year's De-loused in the Comatorium — back until early 2005. ...

Why should Sammy Hagar have all the Cabo Wabo fun? Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony is preparing to join the party as he and Hagar make plans to open Mad Anthony's Pepper Bar at the Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. According to a post on Anthony's Web site, the bar will feature "tasty and exotic chili pepper concoctions ... as well as other killer foods to wrap your lips around and light your bellies on fire." Gastronomically inclined fans can get involved by submitting creative recipes on Anthony's site for potential inclusion on the menu. ...

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New Releases: Janet Jackson, J-Kwon, Aerosmith, Dead Prez, Bob Dylan, Trapt, DJ Kay Slay, NKOTB & More

29 Mar 2004 09:21:00 EST

Mix LPs from Dirty Vegas, 'The O.C.' also on tap.
By Abbey Goodman

Janet Jackson's Damita Jo
Photo: Virgin Records

Janet Jackson's name hasn't been in the papers for a while, so we'll throw her a bone and mention that her new album, Damita Jo, arrives Tuesday, featuring the flirty first single "Just a Little While." Now, if only there was something she could do to get some publicity ...

Moving on, DJ Kay Slay’s The Streetsweeper Vol. 2: The Pain From the Game features songs by Eminem, 50 Cent, Cam'ron, Lil' Jon, David Banner, LL Cool J, Ghostface Killah and Scarface. And there's still more mixtape news: The first entry in The Trip, a new series of mix CDs compiled by guest musicians, is put together by Dirty Vegas, the group best-known for the dance single "Days Go By." The album includes U2's "Even Better Than the Real Thing," Tears for Fears' "Sowing the Seeds of Love," Run-DMC's "Walk This Way," Hall & Oates' "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" and Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On."

Music From "The O.C.": Mix 1 features the TV show's theme song, "California" by Phantom Planet, as well as "Move On" by Jet, "Caught by the River" by Doves and "The Way We Get By" by Spoon. New Kids on the Block's lead hottie Jordan Knight assembles the Kids' greatest hits on NKOTB: The Remix Album. It's got "the right stuff," including "Hangin' Tough," "Please Don't Go Girl," "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)" and "Step by Step." Also this week, Menudo graduate Robi Rosa returns to the game with Mad Love.

Aerosmith's Honkin' on Bobo is a covers album of blues standards by such artists as Muddy Waters, Mississippi Fred McDowell, and even Fleetwood Mac (with one exception: the group's own "The Grind"). And in other blues news, Eric Clapton releases Me & Mr. Johnson, an album that covers bluesman Robert Johnson's songs.

J-Kwon makes the scene with Hood Hop, Dead Prez remain RBG: Revolutionary but Gangsta and Lil' Flip says U Gotta Feel Me. Meanwhile, Bob Dylan's Bootleg Series Vol. 6: Live at Philharmonic Hall drops alongside the Final Straw, Snow Patrol's latest LP.

Out Tuesday, March 30:

Aerosmith - Honkin' on Bobo (Columbia)
Read: "Blues Album Makes Aerosmith Feel Like Kids Again"
Buy Now: Honkin' on Bobo (Columbia)
Michael Bublé - Come Fly With Me (143/Reprise)
Shirley Caesar - Be Careful of the Stones You Throw (Liquid 8)
Eric Clapton - Me & Mr. Johnson (Warner Bros.)
Clutch - Blast Tyrant (DRT)
Dead Prez - RBG: Revolutionary but Gangsta (Columbia)
Buy Now: RBG: Revolutionary but Gangsta (Columbia)
Destiny - The Tracy Chapter (LifeForce/Victory)
Dirty Vegas - The Trip (Family)
Buy Now: The Trip (Family)
DJ Kay Slay - The Streetsweeper Vol. 2: The Pain From the Game (Columbia)
Read: "Mixtape Mondays: DJ Kay Slay, G-Unit, Usher, Kanye West, Brandy"
Bob Dylan - Bootleg Series Vol. 6: Concert at Philharmonic Hall (Sony)
Final Word - Fools Like You (Indecision)
Fragile State - Voices From the Dustbowl (Bar de Lune)
J-Kwon - Hood Hop (Arista)
Read: J-Kwon Out To Shock With 'Tipsy' Remix, Rips Omarion For 'Stealing' Beat"
Buy Now: Hood Hop (Arista)
Janet Jackson - Damita Jo (Virgin)
Read: "Janet Jackson Making Sexiest Album Yet, Producer Says"
Buy Now: Damita Jo (Virgin)
Jordan Knight - NKOTB - The Remix Album (Empire Musicwerks)
Tracy Lawrence - Strong (DreamWorks Nashville)
Toby Lightman - Little Things (Lava)
Lil' Flip - U Gotta Feel Me (Sucka Free/Columbia)
Charles Lloyd and Billy Higgins - Which Way Is East (ECM)
Raul Malo, Pat Flynn, Rob Ickes and Dave Pomeroy - The Nashville Acoustic Sessions (CMH)
Gordon McGilvery - All in the Family (Canyon)
The Minus Tide - Anakuklosis (Action Driver)
Gerry Niewod - Facets (Native Language)
No Turning Back/The Deal - Split(Reflections)
Noxagt - The Iron Point (Load)
Omar - Best by Far (Spun)
Pepper - In With the Old (Volcom Entertainment)
Phat Phunktion - You and Me (Nardis)
Pitbull Daycare - Unclean (Cleopatra)
Robi Draco Rosa - Mad Love (Columbia)
Runner & the Thermodynamics - Runner & the Thermodynamics (Ace Fu)
Snow Patrol - Final Straw (A&M)
Sometree - Moleskine (Magic Bullet)
Soulfly - Prophecy (Roadrunner)
Maylay Sparks - Graymatter (BBE/Rapster)
Tanya Stephens - Gangsta Blues (VP)
Talla 2XLC - Tranceology (Hypnotic)
Clark Tenakhongva - Hear My Song, Hear My Prayer (Canyon)
Texas Terri Bomb - Your Lips ... My Ass (TKO)
Thug Lordz (Yukmouth and C-Bo) - In Thugz We Trust (West Coast Mafia)
Trapt - EP (Warner Bros.)
Buy Now: EP (Warner Bros.)
UPO - The Heavy (Nitrus)
Aaron Watson - The Honky Tonk Kid (EMM)
Various artists - Africanism Vol. II (Defected/Africanism)
Various artists - DJ Garth: Revolutions in Sound (Grayhound)
Various artists - Fast Lane (Trouble on Vinyl/MRI)
Various artists – "Home on the Range" soundtrack (Walt Disney)
Various artists - L'Apericlub Saturday Night Sessions (Bar de Lune)
Various artists - Music from "The O.C.": Mix 1 (Warner Bros.)
Various artists - Park Hyatt Tokyo Airflow (Milan)
Various artists - Pianostrings Tribute to Billy Joel (Tribute Sounds)
Various artists – "The Prince & Me" soundtrack (Hollywood)
Various artists - Pure Dance Party Vol. 2 (UBL)
Various artists - Secret Life of Trance 2004 (Bulletproof/MRI)
Various artists - Smooth Jazz Tribute to the Steve Miller Band (Tribute Sounds)
Various artists - The String Quartet Tribute to Dido (Vitamin)
Various artists - A Tribute to Counting Crows (Tribute Sounds)
Various artists - A Tribute to Jonny Lang (Big Eye)
Various artists - A Tribute to Stone Temple Pilots (Tribute Sounds)
Various artists - A Tribute to Van Halen (Tributized)
DVD: Shakira - Live and Off the Record (Epic)
DVD: Simply Red - Home: Home in Sicily (Milan)
DVD: Barbra Streisand - The Concert: Live at the MGM Grand (Columbia)

April 6:
- Barry Manilow - 2 Nights Live (BMG)
- Paul Oakenfold - Greatest Remixes (Topaz)
- Tamia - Still (Elektra)
April 13:
- Various artists - "Kill Bill 2" soundtrack (Maverick)
April 20:
- Hanson - Underneath (3CG)
May 4:
- Kimberley Locke - One Love (Curb)
  Read: " 'American Idol' Finalist Kimberley Locke Is Radio's '8th Wonder'"
Related Artists
- Janet Jackson
- J-Kwon
- Aerosmith
- Dead Prez
- Bob Dylan

SnoCore Gig Will Keep Trapt Trapped In Their Tour Bus

28 Jan 2004 09:45:00 EST

But they don't mind — they're happy to keep playing shows.
By Corey Moss, with additional reporting by Joe D'Angelo

Trapt's Chris Brown (file)
Photo: MTV News

When it comes to touring, Trapt admit to being spoiled.

"For 10 or 11 months [last year], it was our own headline tour the whole time," singer Chris Brown said recently, "so we feel best when it's just us out there and just our fans.

"I mean, doing tours with other bands is great — we love to do radio festivals, where there's other bands playing and we get to see people we haven't seen for a while — but really we just like it when we're out at a club, there's 2,000 people and they're all going crazy. We can see each one of them and we can connect with them in that way and just do that every night. That's when we're at our best."

On the band's next outing, the annual SnoCore festival, Trapt get the best of both worlds. The Southern California rockers are headlining a series of club shows, but they also get to travel with three other bands — Smile Empty Soul, Finger Eleven and Strata — along with giant video screens projecting the extreme antics of free-riding snowboarders. The two-month outing kicks off March 4 in Washington, D.C., and wraps up April 17 in Houston.

Trapt are eager to start recording their second album (see "Trapt Feel The 'Echo' Of An Ex"), but they have no complaints about being on the road for so long.

"We've been touring nonstop and it's just a dream come true," Brown said. "We started with 50 fans a night and now it's 2,000, 3,000 a night. ... And we have to keep touring as long as the record's doing good and as long as there's fans who haven't heard the first one. So as long as that's going on, we're going to keep on going and that will give us time to write an even better second record. It's just more songs to choose from."

Before SnoCore, Trapt will finish three Canadian dates with Nickelback and Three Days Grace, followed by two other headlining shows in Canada and two in Northern California (February 20 in Santa Cruz and February 21 in Palo Alto).

SnoCore dates, according to Trapt's management:

3/4 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
3/5 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero/Balcony Bar
3/6 - Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
3/9 - Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance
3/10 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall
3/12 - Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
3/13 - Portland, ME @ State Theatre
3/14 - Hartford, CT @ Webster Theatre/Underground
3/19 - Syracuse, NY @ Action Sports Center
3/22 - Toledo, OH @ University of Toledo
3/28 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
3/30 - Sauget, IL @ Pop's
3/31 - Russellville, AR @ Arkansas Tech. University
4/8 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
4/9 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
4/10 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave/Eagles Ballroom
4/17 - The Woodlands, TX @ C.W. Mitchell Pavilion

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Trapt

For The Record: Quick News On Michael Jackson, Alex Lifeson, Ruben Studdard, Trapt, Colin Farrell, Beyonce & More

13 Jan 2004 05:29:00 EST

Michael Jackson (file)
Photo: CNN

Studio estimates on Sunday had "Big Fish" topping the box office a few hundred thousand dollars ahead of "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," but final numbers Monday put the finale of the epic hobbit trilogy at #1. "The Return of the King" has now been the most popular movie in the U.S. for four straight weekends. ...

The judge who will preside over the Michael Jackson trial has made his first ruling — no cameras will be allowed in the courtroom. Judge Rodney Melville has yet to rule on a second motion, to unseal certain court documents such as the search warrant, the alleged victim's affidavit, and the list of items seized during the search at Neverland. Jackson's attorney Mark Geragos filed a motion opposing the media's request to unseal the documents, so Melville is now allowing the defense to take a look a the documents before he decides if the media gets a peek as well. His ultimate decision is expected Friday at the arraignment. ...

In a move that surprised the music industry Tuesday, Antonio "L.A." Reid was forced out as president and CEO of Arista Records. Reid was one of the more popular executives in the business and was responsible for stewarding the careers of artists like Outkast, Usher, Pink, TLC and Avril Lavigne. One of the motivating factors behind the move could be the impending merger between Sony and BMG, which owns Arista, RCA/J Records and Jive. ... Jadakiss, members of the Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep, Carl Thomas, Fat Joe and Jaheim will all be appearing at this year's Mixtape Awards. The ceremony takes place Wednesday in New York at an undisclosed location. ...

Rush fans are being told to cool it by Sheriff Don Hunter, who's investigating Alex Lifeson's arrest for aggravated battery on a law-enforcement officer, among other offenses, on New Year's Eve. In an article in Florida's Naples Daily News, Hunter asked fans to stop verbally attacking his personnel, the hotel where the incident took place and the community. Lifeson's arraignment is scheduled for January 26. ... "Sesame Street" will be the most musical road in town this spring when Norah Jones, Ruben Studdard, Cher and Harry Connick Jr. drop by the children's program, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary. In a tribute to the sometimes vowel, Jones will sing the parody "Don't Know Why 'Y' Didn't Come." ...

Like Russell Crowe, Keanu Reeves and Kevin Bacon before them, Juliette Lewis and Colin Farrell are the latest actors to get into the music game. Lewis and her band the Licks, which features ex-Hole drummer Patti Schemel, played the Whisky A Go-Go in Los Angeles on New Year's Eve and are in the process of recording an EP with the help of Svengali-come-lately Linda Perry. Farrell, meanwhile, performs a cover of "I Fought the Law," a tune popularized by the Bobby Fuller Four in 1966, on the soundtrack to his film "Intermission." The flick hits theaters March 19, while the soundtrack, which also features contributions from U2, Ron Sexsmith and the Thrills, is due March 16. ... Trapt will headline the annual SnoCore package tour, scheduled to begin March 4 in Washington, D.C. Smile Empty Soul, Finger Eleven and Strata, a new band whose debut album is due this summer, will serve as openers. In addition to the music, the two-month trek features giant video screens projecting the extreme antics of free-riding snowboarders. ...

Kurtis Blow Jr., the son of the hip-hop pioneer, is taking after his old man. The 18-year-old MC is working on his debut album, which is expected in April. Blow Sr., meanwhile, is working on a documentary film, "The History of Hip-Hop." ... Cee-Lo's Cee-Lo Green Is the Soul Machine has been pushed back to March 16. Timbaland produced the first single, "I'll Be Around," while the Neptunes, Organized Noize, Jazze Pha and DJ Premier also produced tracks. ...

Disturbed guitarist Dan Donegan became a father in late December. His daughter, Maya Jean, was born in Chicago to Dan and his girlfriend. "She's got big wisps of a full head of black hair," Disturbed frontman David Draiman said. "She's very cute and he's very, very happy." ... Thrice will launch a U.S. tour with screamo bands Poison the Well, My Chemical Romance and Moments in Grace on March 17 in Latham, New York. The trek, which will begin after Thrice return from their world tour, ends in Ventura, California on April 8. ...

Diana Ross' lawyers indicated Monday that the singer will accept a plea deal on drunken driving charges in Tucson, Arizona. Ross earlier pleaded not guilty in Tucson City Court, but under the new arrangement she will change her plea and avoid a trial. ... Nominees for the British answer to the Grammy Awards, the Brit Awards, were announced Tuesday. David Bowie and Dizzee Rascal are among the artists up for Brit Male Solo Artist of the Year, while the Darkness, Sugababes and Radiohead are among the nominees competing for British Group of the Year. The Brits are taking a look across the pond as well, as Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera are among the artists up for international recognition. The awards show takes place February 17 in London. ...

Kid Rock has extended his North American tour through March 6 in Memphis, Tennessee. The 19-show trek kicks off January 22 in Saginaw, Michigan. ... Slipknot have returned to producer Rick Rubin's Hollywood Hills studio to record a final three or four songs for the follow-up to their 2001 album, Iowa, the band posted on its Web site. The post added that singer Corey Taylor will be laying down vocals for at least the next couple weeks. The record is tentatively scheduled for summer. ...

Detroit rapper and onetime FOE (Friend of Eminem) Royce Da 5'9" is releasing a new studio album on February 24 called Death Is Certain. Production comes from Gang Starr's DJ Premier, who produced the album's first single, "Hip-Hop," as well as Carlos Broady, who once worked as one of P. Diddy's original "hitmen" producers. ... So-Called Chaos, Alanis Morissette's follow-up to 2002's Under Rug Swept, now carries an April 12 release date. The album's first single, "Everything," is expected to surface in early April. ...

The inaugural Lepcon, a Def Leppard fan convention, is set to take place May 15 at Las Vegas' Sahara Hotel and Casino. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Raven Drum Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by drummer Rick Allen that offers educational programs in American Indian arts. ... Rolling Stone magazine cofounder Jann S. Wenner will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year in the non-performer category. Wenner is among the Rock Hall's founders. ... Skid Row's drummer Phil Varone has left the band for "personal reasons," a post on the band's Web site said. The band will announce his replacement soon. And before the end of the month, the group will film a video for "Ghost," from its latest album, Thickskin. ...

01.12.04

On what would have otherwise been her honeymoon, Britney Spears spent her post-marriage/annulment days in Miami filming promos for her upcoming Showtime concert special. The program is a live, full-length concert from the Miami stop of her Onyx Hotel Tour. The concert, which will be shot on HDTV, will air March 28 at 9 p.m. ET, and will be tape-delayed on the West Coast. ...

Clay Aiken spent Saturday afternoon at his alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, only he wasn't there just to watch the game against East Carolina. At halftime the "American Idol" star, dressed in a green Charlotte jersey with his name on the back, presented a check for $20,000 to the school and performed "The Way" and "Invisible." Charlotte won the game 81 to 65. ...

Slick Rick's first show after being held in custody by immigration officials for nearly a year and a half was postponed just two days before it was set to take place January 9 at Brooklyn, New York's Southpaw club. The eye-patched MC will instead re-emerge onstage January 23 at the Knitting Factory in Manhattan. Rick will also open Chris Rock's string of shows at Madison Square Garden, beginning January 28. ...

At a conference over the weekend, Myles Brand, president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), expressed disdain for a series of television ads featuring Snoop Dogg promoting Nokia cell phones. Nokia was the title sponsor of college football's Bowl Championship Series Sugar Bowl game on January 4. Brand felt the commercials, in which Snoop solicits the viewing public to help him find out who swiped the national championship trophy using their Nokia phones, to be "inappropriate" for the collegiate atmosphere. He didn't specify if it was the commercial's content or Snoop's presence that caused him concern. ... The English royals need to brush up on their knowledge of heavy metal history. Prince Charles sent Ozzy Osbourne a bottle of Scotch as a get-well gift, unaware that the recovering rocker has had his problems with alcohol in the past. Osbourne is doing well after being seriously injured in an ATV accident last month. Ozzy's wife, meanwhile, will return to her talk show, "The Sharon Osbourne Show," on Monday (January 12) for the first time since the accident. ...

Nick Lachey had better get used to having panties thrown his way. He's set to play Tom Jones and sing "It's Not Unusual" on the March 14 episode of NBC's "American Dreams." Also appearing in the episode is Liz Phair, who'll perform "Walk in the Room" as Jackie DeShannon. Both artists are slated to tape their parts January 21. A week after their episode airs, Jason Mraz will adopt his best Dion for a rendition of "Ruby Baby," while Fefe Dobson will be remade as Tina Turner, tentatively to sing "River Deep, Mountain High." Mraz and Dobson are scheduled to tape their episode February 4. ...

With shipments of more than 117 million copies, Elvis Presley has resumed his place as the King. Presley, who would have turned 69 Thursday, is the top-selling solo artist in U.S. history, according to the RIAA. Presley bumped Garth Brooks, who cracked the 100-million mark in October 2000, from the position. Meanwhile, "Tribute," an 11-hour documentary on the rock pioneer, is in the works. ... Hip-hop forefather Grandmaster Flash will officially announce the formation of his newly founded label January 26 at the MIDEM music conference, which will take place January 25-29 in Cannes, France. Called Adrenaline City Entertainment, the label will look to sign artists from all genres. ...

Former Smiths frontman Morrissey's first new album in nearly seven years, You Are the Quarry, is expected to drop in April. Among the roughly 30 songs recorded for the follow-up to 1997's Maladjusted are the tentatively titled "Teenage Dad On His Estate" and "Don't Make Fun of Daddy's Voice." ... The fifth annual Coachella Festival will be held May 1-2 at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, California. Last year, the Beastie Boys and Red Hot Chili Peppers headlined a lineup of more than 75 artists. ...

Before R.E.M. drop their new studio album at the end of the year, fans can get their fix for Athens' finest on "Perfect Square," a live DVD recorded July 19 in Germany. Performances of favorites such as "Man on the Moon," "Losing My Religion" and "Orange Crush" are among the highlights of the 23-track disc, which is set for release February 23 in the U.K. There's no word yet on a domestic release. ... Bassist John Mark Bechtel has resigned from Systematic, the California band that was first to sign to Lars Ulrich's Music Company label. Bechtel, who replaced Nick St. Dennis in 2002, played on the band's second album, 2003's Pleasure to Burn. …

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Trapt Feel The 'Echo' Of An Ex

5 Jan 2004 09:12:00 EST

Band's new video stars Michelle Trachtenberg of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer.'
By Corey Moss

Trapt
Photo: MTV News

UNIVERSAL CITY, California — Trapt's upcoming "Echo" video stars singer Chris Brown's new friend, Michelle Trachtenberg of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," but the story portrayed is based on experiences with his ex of four years.

"It starts off with a guy who is with a girl and he thinks she's cool, but he's not really into her so much 'cause he's always thinking about the girl who he really wants," Brown explained at KROQ-FM's recent Almost Acoustic Christmas. "He always sees the one he really wants in his imagination and he wishes that she was there. So when he sees her he goes to touch her and she's not really there."

The girl he really wants is his ex, and in the video, shot at the end of December by Meiert Avis (U2, Bruce Springsteen), Brown goes to a party with his new girlfriend, only to recall a similar date from a few years ago. He eventually sees his former lover at the party, but she too is with someone else.

"She's trying to do the same thing you're doing when you're going out with some girl, to get over it and to move on," Brown continued. "All they really want to do is just go away and forget about it, just close their eyes and go, but the thing is, the reality is stuck in your head and that's what's keeping them from doing it."

Trapt wrote the music for "Echo" just before entering the studio to record their self-titled debut, which features one of the most-played singles of 2003, "Headstrong" (see "Trapt Succeed By Being Headstrong, Wish Their Lighting Guy Would Wash"). Brown penned the lyrics, including the chorus, "I need to let go, let go, let go, let go of this pride ... Until this echo, echo, echo, echo can subside," soon after, in the wake of a fight with his ex.

The couple were struggling to rekindle their relationship, but since they were neighbors, they had watched each other try to move on with others.

"We were in Santa Barbara in college, we had beers everywhere and debauchery and all that, and I saw that and you get jealous and do all that kind of stuff," Brown said. "It's just hard, it's like you can either just forget about it and move on if you want to keep the second one going or you have to call it quits because you can't keep badgering someone about the past. So, that's what the song's about, just being torn between being able to let everything go and wanting to be able to do that, but at the same time just kinda having a hard time doing it and having a stalemate there."

The "Echo" video, the follow-up to "Still Frame" (see "Look Out, Tony Robbins — Trapt Delivering More Musical Motivation"), will be released in late January. Afterward, Trapt are eyeing "Made of Glass" or "Stories" as a possible fourth single.

"There's plans for maybe a fifth, we're just ... playing it by ear," Brown said. "We're definitely not going to take too long to make a second record. That's the one thing that we promised our fans, that we're going to continue to make music and keep it going and keep touring."

Trapt wrote some new material during a couple of weeks off in December and are hoping to have several dozen more tracks completed before entering the studio.

"We definitely have a direction," Brown said. "The second album is kinda about just going out there and trying to find who you are, trying to find what you really want out of life."

The band has not yet thought about producers but hopes to record sometime in 2004. Touring, however, is still the priority. Brown and cohorts will play some Canadian shows with Nickelback in January, followed by a headlining trek in the spring.

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Trapt

Look Out, Tony Robbins — Trapt Delivering More Musical Motivation

7 Jul 2003 07:59:00 EDT

'Still Frame' follows up hit single 'Headstrong.'
By Joe D'Angelo

Trapt
Photo: Micah Smith

When it's time to leave the stage for good, Trapt singer Chris Brown could easily parlay his skills as a songwriter into a career as a motivational speaker.

"Still Frame," the second single from the band's self-titled debut, details the frustration of working toward a goal but feeling like you're not much further along than when you started.

"It's about putting your heart and soul into something and pushing real hard, but just feeling like you're not getting anywhere," Brown said of the tune, which just began surfacing at radio. "You're kind of just stuck in one place. You can't move forward, you can't move backward; you're just stuck.

"Thinking back to the time when you were younger and you had your future figured out and you knew exactly what you wanted to do," he continued, "but as you get older you see how much harder it gets. The closer you get to something, the more you see the reality of how far away you are from it."

"Still Frame" was one of three songs that appeared on the first demo the bandmembers recorded around the time they dropped out of college, a decision that also fed the song. Brown, guitarist Simon Ormandy, bassist Peter Charell and drummer Aaron Montgomery had been serious about starting a band for some time, but it wasn't until then that their passion progressed into an actual vocation.

"We had to prove that we weren't retards for dropping out of school," Brown said. "There was a lot of pressure on us to do this song."

If the members once felt stagnant, Trapt are in anything but a holding pattern now. First single "Headstrong" has been a rock radio staple for weeks, and the Southern California quartet have been touring nearly nonstop since the release of Trapt, which has sold more 445,000 copies, according to SoundScan.

Even if Trapt have gotten past their "Still Frame" phase, Brown has a simple solution for anyone finding themselves in that predicament: listen to the determined "Headstrong."

"You just keep pushing," he said. "You just keep going. If you keep pushing at every obstacle that gets in your way, you'll make it after a while."

Trapt's tour schedule lightens up in the middle of the month, but they won't be resting on their laurels. Instead, they'll be thinking about the video for "Still Frame," which Brown said Marcos Siega (P.O.D., Blink-182) has expressed interest in directing.

If Brown has his way, recently shot performance footage will be combined with still photos of fans in their everyday lives — at home, work, school, etc. The pictures would be pasted on every bit of wall space in a bedroom where the band would also be seen performing. As the camera zooms in on one of the photos, it will come to life, starring the fans who submitted the shot.

Meeting the faces behind the photos is Trapt's top priority when they take to the road. "We're just trying to do as many shows as we can and meet as many fans as we can," Brown said.

Trapt tour dates, according to Warner Bros. Records:

7/11 - Saint Helens, OR @ Columbia Meadows
7/19 - New York, NY @ Randall's Island
7/21 - State College, PA @ Crowbar
7/22 - Boston, MA @ Axis
7/24 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
7/25 - Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
7/26 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Rolling Rock Town Fair
7/27 - Dewey Beach, DE @ Bay Center
7/29 - N Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
7/31 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
8/1 - Tampa, FL @ Masquerade
8/2 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room
8/3 - Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House Of Blues
8/6 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's
8/7 - Cleveland, OH @ Agora Ballroom
8/8 - Columbus, OH @ Promo West Pavilion
8/9 - Detroit, MI @ Harpo's
8/10 - Indianapolis, IN @ Knights of Columbus
8/28 - Pueblo, CO @ Events Center
8/29 - Lincoln, NE @ Bob Devany Sports Center

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Trapt

Trapt Succeed By Being Headstrong, Wish Their Lighting Guy Would Wash

29 Apr 2003 07:53:00 EDT

Band's LP filled with Incubus-meets-Nickelback melodies that are winning them new fans.
By Jon Wiederhorn

Trapt
Photo: Micah Smith

When singer Chris Brown and bassist Peter Charell were in high school in Northern California, they'd get together and obsessively jam. By junior year, they had gotten pretty good, so they decided to form a band.

There was just one major problem — they needed a name. After bouncing around various ideas, they chose Trapt because it captured the frustration and tension they felt in a world that didn't understand their metal ways.

"I used to get in trouble for stupid things," Brown said. "Being a naive high school kid, I felt like the world and the PTA moms and the cops were against me and were trying to hold me down."

Today, Brown admits the moniker was chosen for a childish reason, but as Trapt (Brown, Charell, guitarist Simon Ormandy and drummer Aaron Montgomery) developed and began playing shows and recording their own independent CDs, the name seemed more appropriate. Not only were they writing aggressive songs about the struggles of young adulthood, they were being met with rejection from the music industry, they were broke and getting broker, and their parents were no help at all.

"They thought we were crazy," Brown recalled. "They were like, 'Well, if you're determined to do this, you're not gonna get any money from us. You're gonna have to find your own way around.' "

Eventually the band's energetic performances started attracting attention, and after a particularly good gig in 2000 at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, they were signed to Immortal. Shortly after, however, the label lost interest, as did the next major that courted the band. It wasn't until 2002 that Trapt landed a record contract that stuck.

The eponymous album that surfaced from the deal is energized and radio-friendly, packed with driving guitars and lighter, more reflective moments, and filled with the kind of Incubus-meets-Nickelback melodies that are winning them new fans.

The first single, "Headstrong," is about the forces of adversity that threatened Trapt at every turn and the stubborn determination they exhibited in the face of such pressure.

"People were trying to mold us and push us a certain way as a band, and the song was pretty much our backlash against that," said Brown, adding that the urgent lines for the chorus were improvised in the studio. "When we were working on the song, [I was so angry] I just started singing, 'Back off, I'll take you on/ Headstrong to take on anyone.' Everyone struggles to get where they want to be. They key is to be headstrong and keep pushing forward and not let anyone push you off your path."

The next single, "Still Frame," expresses even more emotional turmoil. The track was written shortly after the band moved to Los Angeles in quest of a record deal, and while the lyrics were penned in 15 minutes, the music was agonized over in an environment that resembled a war zone.

"We had all dropped out of school and didn't know what was going to happen," Brown said. "A lot of people were saying [complimentary] things to us and then not meaning them, and we felt lost. We couldn't go forward or backwards. We were stuck in the same place and we got really insecure and took our anger out on each other. We worked all night going back and forth on the riffs and yelling at each other."

With a record on the shelves, a strong radio hit under their belts and tours lined up through the summer, Trapt aren't going to have to worry about landing day jobs any time soon. However, they don't measure success in terms of gold records and sold-out tours.

"This is all pretty new for us, so we just want to keep playing shows and meeting all our fans," Brown said.

"I think we'd feel pretty successful if we could get our lighting guy to take a shower once a week," drummer Aaron Montgomery quipped. "That would be great."

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