KT Tunstall
Photo: MTV News

While American audiences are still discovering KT Tunstall's 2007 LP, Drastic Fantastic, the Scottish singer/songwriter says she isn't going to wait around for everyone else to catch up.

She has already started writing songs for her next record, and she'll be previewing one of them — a track inspired by a popular children's book — during her next U.S. headlining tour, which gets under way next month.

"It's called 'The Hidden Heart,' and it's basically about a tree that really doesn't like people," Tunstall told MTV News recently. "[It was inspired by] this brilliant kids' book that my [goddaughter's] got called 'The Giving Tree.' "

Written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein, the 1964 tome centers on the relationship a young boy shares with a tree in the forest. The pair become best friends, and the tree constantly provides the boy with what he wants and needs in life: branches to swing from, shade to sit under, apples to snack on and branches to build a house.

"The boy just takes bits from the tree to make himself happy, and finally, the tree's just an old stump, and the boy's now a man, sitting on a stump, and he's still not happy," Tunstall explained. "And the tree's like, 'Well, mate, I did my best — I've got no more to give.' The song's about people being ignorant, really."

Unfortunately, "The Hidden Heart" is the only new song Tunstall will be playing on her upcoming tour — which will be plugged-in, unlike her acoustic U.S. jaunt in May — because it's the only song she's come up with for the follow-up to Drastic Fantastic, which to date has sold 215,000 copies in the States.

"I'll be touring South America in October, and after that, I'll take some time off to travel," Tunstall said. "I never did the backpacking thing when I was younger, so I'm just going to disappear, travel for a few months and write some music. I can't wait to write the next record, though, to be honest. I won't be in the studio until next year."

She said she wants her next one to be "very rhythm-based" and promises her record will give "some big props to [the late] Bo Diddley, may his soul rest in peace."

Until then, her latest single, "Little Favors," is getting major radio airplay nationwide, introducing KT's sound to more potential American fans.

"It's a song on the album that I really had a good attachment with," she explained. "I think it's a signature tune off the album. I started writing it when I was 17, and it basically took me some years to get it to its current state. It's basically about teenage sex — when you meet that special someone, and there's that magical little space before you actually touch each other."

While she's not a huge name here in the U.S., Tunstall does have a big fan in Tibet: the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and political leader of the Tibetan people. Tunstall will be meeting "His Holiness" soon, she said, and she's excited about the encounter, to say the least.

"I've been invited to go meet him in Philly, and it's one of the biggest deals in my life so far," she said. "I'm absolutely delighted to be meeting him. Obviously, it's a very poignant time, with the Olympics coming up. I believe someone's making a documentary about what's going on, to educate people about his stance with Tibet, because I think the 'Free Tibet' stuff can be a little misleading and makes his life very difficult. He's being accused of being a separatist all the time, but he just wants to see peace between Tibet and China."

• KT Tunstall

White Stripes
Photo: Autumn De Wilde

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

11.13.07

Lindsay Lohan began her community service at an American Red Cross blood-services facility in a Los Angeles suburb on Monday, People reports. She reportedly arrived at noon, was greeted in the parking lot by members of staff and left at 7 p.m. Lohan must serve 10 days of community service as part of a plea deal she struck in August for her two DUI convictions. ...

Pete Wentz hosted a karaoke contest called "Viva La Karaoke" at his bar Angels & Kings on New York's Lower East Side on Monday night. Karaoke fanatics — including two MTV News producers — tried to impress the judging panel, which consisted of Wentz, designer Tommy Hilfiger and MTV News' Kim Stolz. The hodgepodge crowd included Ashlee Simpson, who was at her beau's side all night; Aussie rockers Jet; Travis McCoy from Gym Class Heroes; and Wentz's Fall Out Boy bandmate Patrick Stump, who serenaded the crowd with R. Kelly's "Space Jam" joint, "I Believe I Can Fly." When asked why he opted for the Kelly song, Stump spilled to MTV News: "That was the only one I knew we had in the karaoke machine." "He did a good job, it was pretty good," Simpson added. "It was funny to watch." ...

Surprise — Radiohead's break with EMI might not have been a clean one. According to the U.K.'s Guardian, the band's former label had been promoting Radiohead's back catalog through a misleading online ad that the label subsequently yanked. The paper reports that people Googling the band's name would encounter an ad reading "Radiohead - New Album 'Rainbow' now available as boxset," referring to the band's recent In Rainbows release, at the top of the search page. But the ad actually directed to the box set of the band's back catalog that is being issued by EMI subsidiary Parlaphone — not the In Rainbows box set the band is putting out. Both box sets are dropping in December at the same price, which led fans to question EMI's motives. "Parlophone were aware of the data source glitch and removed the link immediately," EMI publicist Chris Latham told the Guardian, to which Radiohead's spokesperson — who went unnamed — reportedly replied, "We accept that it was a genuine error and that it has been rectified." Radiohead announced Monday that In Rainbows will arrive in North America in physical form on January 1 via their own TBD Records, which is teaming with ATO Records Group for the release. ...

Beyoncé's planned show in Malaysia was canceled in September after Muslim groups protested her refusal to obey the country's strict dress code for performers. But could the singer also be too controversial for ... the U.S.? According to The Associated Press, some Las Vegas residents are fuming over a billboard of a bikini-clad Beyoncé, claiming the advertisement is too obscene. The ad is for local radio station KWNZ, and some are petitioning to have it taken down. "It's obscene," Pamela Keeney, one of the citizens who take offense to the ad, reportedly said. "I have my two little grandkids coming over here, and they don't need to be seeing that. You can change the channel on the TV, but you can't change that." KWNZ is standing by the billboard and has reportedly received the backing of city spokesman Chris Good. At this point, there are no plans to take down the billboard. ...

Hopefully Foxy Brown fans didn't get too excited when her upcoming album, Brooklyn's Don Diva, bumped up from its originally scheduled December 4 release date to November 20 a couple of months ago — the LP has now been shelved until next year. The jailed rapper's fourth effort is now due February 5. ... Maroon 5 have friends — and they've got photos to prove it. The band performed at the Palms Casino Resort over the weekend, drawing the likes of Avril Lavigne, Deryk Whibley, "Saturday Night Live" star Seth Meyers and more. Maroon 5 posted their personal snaps online. ...

Are you getting into the holiday spirit? So is John Mayer, apparently. The guitarist, whose Mayercraft Carrier Cruise Ship sets sail from Miami early next year, is putting together a December 8 concert that will feature three separate sets: an acoustic performance; songs by his John Mayer Trio; and a final segment that will revolve around Mayer's Continuum album and feature his entire band. Those planning to attend the show, which will benefit multiple charities and take place at Southern California's Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, are being asked to bring an unwrapped toy worth $10 or more to benefit Toys for Tots. ...

Beastie Boys, the Roots and R.E.M. are among the fleet of artists who will be docking at the Big Cypress Indian Reservation in the South Florida Everglades for the sixth annual Langerado Music Festival, set to happen March 6-9. Matisyahu, 311, Of Montreal, the National, Shout Out Louds, the Walkmen and others will also play at the throwdown, which will feature 80 acts on five stages. ... Common is hopping aboard the endorsement train — the Chicago MC has allied himself with Lincoln to help market the car company's 2008 Navigator and other brand initiatives. He will appear in TV, radio and print ads for the vehicle, with the first, simply dubbed "Common," debuting nationwide November 25 during NFL Sunday Night Football on NBC. Expect to see more tie-ins between Lincoln and Common's various projects — his concerts, hat lines, books, etc. He will also be appearing on behalf of the company at auto shows and dealer events. But rest assured, Common fans, he's taking on a good cause too: He will get together with fellow Chicago artists Office for a benefit concert to be held January 12 at the Windy City's House of Blues. The event, called the "Chicago Youth Owning Their Future Benefit Concert and Silent Auction," will raise money and awareness for the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship. Office are also slated to perform January 9 at Lincoln Park's Biograph Theatre, and the performance will be broadcast on Chicago Public Radio as part of a new series spotlighting local talent. ...

In between aimless drives around Los Angeles and trips to court for child-custody hearings, Britney Spears has found time to partner with the photo agency X17 to raise money for UNICEF by auctioning a signed copy of her new album, Blackout, on eBay. In a press release from the agency, Spears said, "I think it's important to give back, and with the release of Blackout, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to give the fans a chance to bid on something to help children everywhere." In other Brit news, Billy Ray Cyrus is the latest celeb to reach out to the troubled singer, according to In Touch. "Honey, you are welcome to a Nashville Thanksgiving at our house," he told the magazine. "We would love to be there for you and we care about you. ... Miley is a big fan and she wants to reach out too. We want her to know that's it's never too late to make things right." And in yet another Britney development, the album artwork for her recently released album, Blackout, might be even more controversial than was originally thought. According to TMZ, the hunky priest in whose lap Spears sits is an "International Male" model. The Catholic League had slammed Spears for the imagery late last month. ... Robin Thicke has canceled all the dates on an upcoming U.S. tour on doctor's orders. According to a note posted on the soul singer's Web site over the weekend, Thicke will have to reschedule the dates "due to doctor-ordered vocal rest until the end of the year." He had been scheduled to start the 14-date tour Sunday in Englewood, Colorado, and play clubs and theaters through a December 13 date in Long Beach, California. ...

A crowd of 1,000 Haitians carried Wyclef Jean on their shoulders through the streets of a slum and to a small-business project he helped establish on Monday, as the former Fugee visited the country for the first time since President Rene Preval named him a roving ambassador in January, AP reports. Jean met with legislators, went with model Petra Nemcova to a school and then spoke with businessmen and foreign ambassadors to plea for aid for the country. "We need all your money, we need all y'all's support, but let's put it to programs ... that teach kids how to move the country forward," he reportedly told the crowd. ... Is Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke too good for Paul McCartney? The former Beatle told the U.K.'s Channel 4 that Yorke denied his request to record a duet. "I asked Thom to do a duet, but he said he couldn't because he only felt happy working on his own and Radiohead's material," McCartney reportedly said. ...

Linkin Park, Angels & Airwaves, Avenged Sevenfold and Bad Religion are among the acts that will take the stage for the first night of Los Angeles rock radio station KROQ's annual Almost Acoustic Christmas shows at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California. Paramore, Rise Against and Serj Tankian will also perform at the concerts, which are scheduled for December 8-9. ... Maroon 5 and Santana have joined the Dave Matthews Band, O.A.R. and other acts to help nonpartisan organization HeadCount try to meet its new goal of registering up to 200,000 new voters for next year's elections. Check out the list of all the artists supporting HeadCount and sign up to volunteer at the group's Web site, HeadCount.org. ... Would you like Shins with that? Wendy's will soon start bundling free downloads from Rhapsody with burger orders. The fast-food chain plans to give away more than 100 million downloads to people who buy medium and large combo meals, with the songs redeemable at Wendys.com. (Rhapsody is a joint venture with MTV Networks). ...

Metric have slapped together their first-ever DVD, "Live at Metropolis," and plan to roll it out February 12. The disc will showcase the Canadian indie-rockers' performance at Montreal's Metropolis concert hall during their tour in support of last year's Live It Out, and it will also include videos for the album's three singles: "Monster Hospital," "Poster of a Girl" and "Empty." iTunes will have an exclusive preview of the DVD starting in December — for 99 cents, fans will be able to get their hands on three audio tracks from the show, as well as the DVD trailer. ... And if you're a Metric fan in the New York area, you'll likely want to hit up Broken Social Scene's gig at Webster Hall on Wednesday. Metric's Emily Haines will join the band onstage — along with Dinosaur Jr.'s J. Mascis, Scott Kannberg (Pavement), Andrew Kenny (American Analog Set) and others — as it performs BSS songs and selections from core member Kevin Drew's recent Spirit If ... release. ...

Plain White T's plan to keep the momentum going with an upcoming U.K. run and a new album, Billboard reports. After Tom Higgenson and the gang play a series of headlining gigs overseas in January, they'll delve into their next effort, for which they have "about 17 ideas — eight or nine of them are pretty much full songs so far," he told the magazine. "As soon as we get a few days off I'll try to finish the rest of them." ... You're probably already acquainted with James Blunt — after all, he previously participated in VH1's "You Oughta Know" series — but just in case, he's signed up for the tour again. The upcoming "You Oughta Know" stretch will also feature Sara Bareilles, a 27-year-old singer/songwriter who scored big on iTunes with her debut, Little Voice, over the summer. The trek launches February 4 in Seattle and winds down March 4 in Atlanta. ...

Did he really want to hurt him? Troubled ex-Culture Club singer Boy George was charged with false imprisonment on Tuesday (November 13) after police said he allegedly chained a man to a wall in his London home. According to the Daily Telegraph, 28-year-old Norwegian escort Auden Carlsen claims that in April, George (born George O'Dowd), 47, invited him to pose for photographs in his apartment, where George grabbed and chained him. George was released on bail and is scheduled to return to court November 22. ... First Celine Dion teamed with former members of Evanescence for help writing her recently released new album, Taking Chances — and now comes news that the "Power of Love" singer has a secret affinity for ... AC/DC? "I've been a big fan of AC/DC for about 15 years or 20 years — the sound guys introduced me to [their music]," she told the U.K.'s The Daily Telegraph. "I like hard rock and, if I'm doing stadiums, I want the engineers to crank the sound system up high with rock and roll, heavy-metal music — it helps me to get the adrenalin rushing." ...

The stockholders of satellite radio XM voted on Tuesday to approve a merger with competing Sirius Satellite Radio with a preliminary account indicating that 99.8 percent of shareholders gave the marriage a thumbs up, according to a statement issued by XM. The U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission still has to approve the merger, which XM is confident will happen before the end of the year. ... MusicWorld, Canada's only remaining music chain, is closing its stores, according to CanWest News Service. The chain, which has been in bankruptcy, is liquidating its 72 stores, and has also announced a change in direction that will involve a stronger online presence and expansion into areas that don't involve music. The Canadian branch of U.K. company HMV is considering purchasing some of the stores, according to CanWest. Sales of CDs, music DVDs and other music items have reportedly dropped 20 percent since last year in the country. ...

Ministry have tapped Meshuggah as the main support act for their goodbye tour, which they're calling the "C U LaTouR." Hemlock are also on the bill for the trek, which kicks off March 28 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and wraps May 8 in Chicago. On a related note, Meshuggah have named their next record, which should be in stores early next year, obZen. ... Hard-rockers Taproot have finished recording their forthcoming LP, Our Long Road Home. "The title is a unique and expressive tribute to our newly found collective freedom of creativity as a band, with no strings attached," the band said in a statement. "It's a tribute to the casual and comfortable settings of being at home with friends and family — a place we love to be." ... Ozzfest 2007 veterans 3 Inches of Blood have booted drummer Alexei Rodriguez after he was allegedly involved in a physical altercation with Saxon drummer Nigel Glockler at the U.K.'s Hard Rock Hell festival over the weekend. The band apologized for Rodriguez's actions in a statement, adding that his actions are in no way "a reflection of our band. Alexei's behavior was appalling and completely unacceptable, and it is our decision to immediately remove him from the band." ...

Uncle Kracker is standing by his claim that he didn't sexually assault a woman in North Carolina, The Detroit News reports. The singer (real name: Matthew Shafer), who made the same assertion after being arrested on the second-degree forcible-sex-offense charge in August, also now says he regrets pleading guilty in September to a lesser charge of misdemeanor assault so he could avoid a trial. He told the News that the 26-year-old woman who was involved in the incident hit him first, and that the incident started when he bumped into her at a club after a concert. Authorities have maintained that Shafer put his hand up her skirt. "There was no sexual anything involved," Shafer told the News. "Assault is a far cry from sexual battery. You can either wait a year, spend 150 grand, go to trial, make more of a debacle out of it, or you can get it over with." In September, he was sentenced to 12 months of probation, ordered to undergo an alcohol assessment and was fined $1,500.

• Blinged-Out Ghostface Doll Isn't Just For Child's Play

• The White Stripes
• Amy Winehouse
• Ghostface Killah
• Beck
• KT Tunstall

Jimmy Eat World's <i>Chase the Light</i>
Photo: Tiny Evil Records

Twelve years ago, Louis Farrakhan's Million Man March descended on Washington D.C., in an effort to promote activism, volunteerism and voting among black men. This week, on a completely unrelated subject, many fewer new albums are hitting stores — perhaps in anticipation of October 23, which is shaping up to be an especially prolific Tuesday for new releases.

But just because there aren't a million new albums coming out, that hardly means we haven't found any to talk about this week. In fact, this week's lot of contenders, disparate as they might be, actually tie in quite nicely with each other.

Let's start with Jimmy Eat World, who are banking on their new single, "Big Casino," to mean big things for their new album, Chase This Light — the alt-rock vets went so far as to craft their album-release party as a faux casino night on Monday in Los Angeles. The band's last LP, 2004's Futures, went gold, as a matter of fact, so that could be a good sign of what's to come. Fans might want to pick up the iTunes version of the new disc, as it comes with two bonus tracks, although Insound and Smartpunk are offering a third tune as an extra.

While JEW are appearing at select outlets, two big-name artists are getting even more exclusive by putting out their new releases in just one store each. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' hefty "Runnin' Down a Dream" box set — loaded with three DVDs and a CD — is coming out via Best Buy only. It features Peter Bogdanovich's documentary, a soundtrack CD to the flick, a 30th anniversary concert, interviews with Eddie Vedder and Johnny Depp, and more.

KT Tunstall's new set isn't nearly as big as Petty's, but it's just as exclusive — you'll only find NBC Sounds of the Season: The KT Tunstall Holiday Collection at Target. The short CD, which costs $6.99, features six yuletide jingles: "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," "Sleigh Ride," "Mele Halihimaha (Christmas in Hawaii)," "Fairytale of New York," "2000 Miles" and "Lonely This Christmas." Elliott Yamin and Taylor Swift, who are also part of the NBC series this year, are getting similar releases this week.

The flood of Christmas releases continues with what might be the biggest release in the genre this year: Disney Channel Holiday. The disc features various artists — some girl named Miley; "High School Musical" pint-size powerhouses Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu and Monique Coleman; red-hot squads the Cheetah Girls and Jonas Brothers; Aly & AJ and more. The only artist who might have bigger holiday-release hopes is Toby Keith, although fans are going to have to throw down a few extra bucks for his two-CD A Classic Christmas. The country megastar's first holiday release in 12 years is divvied into contemporary and spiritual standards. Last but not least, Jars of Clay have finally molded their first Christmas album ever, if you can believe it. "O Little Town of Bethlehem," "Wonderful Christmastime" and "Hibernation Day" are among their Christmas Songs.

Speaking of surprising career firsts, R.E.M. have finally roused themselves to make a concert CD for the first time in their 27 years. The simply titled Live immortalizes their concert at the Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland, on February 27, 2005, in all its glory — the package has two CDs and one DVD, although the price tag is still likely to be relatively low compared to similar releases. Don't miss rare performances of "I Took Your Name" from 1994's Monster and "Ascent of Man" from 2004's Around the Sun, as well as the previously unissued "I'm Gonna DJ."

While R.E.M. mix the old in with the new on their concert package, Carlos Santana also made sure to keep his Ultimate Santana collection fresh. The collaboration-addicted guitar icon slaps three new ones onto the disc: Jennifer Lopez and Baby Bash join him on "This Baby's Fire," while Nickelback's Chad Kroeger croons on "Into the Night" and Tina Turner tags along for a reworking of "The Game of Love." ...

For her part, Angie Stone jammed with soul legends Betty Wright and James Ingram for two tracks — "Baby" and "My People," respectively — on her new LP, The Art of Love & War. Those partnerships are fitting, given that the album is dropping on the recently reactivated seminal soul label Stax. Stone wrote and co-produced most of the effort, which she actually recorded at Marvin Gaye's old Marvin's Room studio on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. In other soul news, Quannum has dug up the never-before-released first album by Chicago's Pieces of Peace, who disbanded in the late '70s. The group's self-titled album showcases its unique spiritual jazz-funk sound.

Ethiopian-born American newcomer Kenna dabbles in soul a little on his second outing, Make Sure They See My Face, which has been delayed numerous times. The 29-year-old artist — who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro after putting out his first album, New Sacred Cow, in 2003 — worked with the Neptunes on Face, which comes with a free ringtone and mobile-phone wallpaper. Tracks include "Daylight," "Phantom Always" and the first single, "Out of Control (State of Emotion)," which Mark Ronson debuted on his online East Village Radio show, "Authentic Sh--."

While Ronson's preview might have stirred things up for Kenna online, Thrice went whole hog by streaming their entire new album, The Alchemy Index: Vols. I & II: Fire & Water, on their MySpace page prior to the album's release. The conceptual project — overly conceptual, some say — revolves around the band separating its sound into distinct elements (or "elements," like fire, water, etc. — get it?). Still, the band also introduced new electronic sounds into its blend, especially with "Water," the second element (each of the four elements is supposed to act as an "EP," but they're being compiled as two CDs). In case that isn't elaborate enough, singer Dustin Kensrue went so far as to compose an original sonnet — organized in the traditional English structure and rhythmic fashion — for each element. Someone let us know when there's a CliffsNotes version available.

Song Title of the Week:

"Man With the Shovel, Is the Man I'm Going to Marry" from To Kill a Petty Bourgeoisie's The Patron

Album Cover of the Week:

Underworld's Oblivion With Bells

Other Notables:

Maritime's Heresy and the Hotel Chair
The Milwaukee band, which formed from the remnants of post-rock heroes the Promise Ring and Dismemberment Plan, has put out a pair of albums since they were born in 2003. But drummer Dan Didier said in a recent statement that the group's new one is "the first time it actually feels like we are a band. Before, members came and went and it never seemed to be a cohesive unit, but, for this record the four of us all started at square one together so the songs reflect all four of us." The album features "Guns of Navarone" — named after the same-titled 1961 movie — "With Holes for Thumb Sized Birds" and "Aren't We All Found Out."

Jessica Vale's Brand New Disease
Want to get inspired? Why not take a trip to the Balkan Peninsula? The alt-rock singer/songwriter focuses on her journey abroad on a new ballad, "Night in Sarajevo," but she also draws on her local New York environs heavily throughout her second disc. "The base sound level in New York is significantly higher than anywhere else in the world, 90 decibels to be exact, so it takes much more intense music to feel like one of making a statement," she said in an, uh, statement.

Various artists' Eyeball Awareness Vol. 1
Underground acts are coming together for a good cause this week, with the Number 12 Looks Like You, Baumer, New Atlantic and others pitching in for the first volume in a four-part series. The Eyeball campaign, which is being unveiled at the CMJ Music Marathon, is being staged to support "To Write Love on Her Arms," a nonprofit movement dedicated to finding hope and help young people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide.

New Releases:

· 9th Wonder - Wonder Years (Asylum)
· Admiral Twin - The Center of the Universe (Pop Collective)
· Cecilia Bartoli - Maria (deluxe-hardcover edition due same day; Decca)
· The Blakes - The Blakes (Light in the Attic)
· The Busy Signals - The Busy Signals (Dirtnap)
· Canadians - A Sky With No Stars (Ghost)
· The Capstan Shafts - Environ Maiden (Rainbow Quartz)
· Champion Kickboxer - Perforations (54-40 or Fight!)
· Stanley Clarke - The Toys of Men (Heads Up)
· Ryan Cohan - One Sky (Motema)
· Ben Forrest Davis - Roughs (Bird Song)
· Dooley-O - The Basement Tapes (Sound of Dissent)
· Fatal Flying Guillotines - Quantum F---ing (French Kiss)
· Ghastly City Sleep - Ghastly City Sleep (Robotic Empire)
· Gov't Mule - Mighty High (ATO)
· The Izzys - The Violent Bear It Away (Fat Man)
· Jars of Clay - Christmas Songs (Gray Matters)
· Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light (Interscope) [Buy Now]
· Jeru the Damaga - Still Rising (Ashenafi)
· Toby Keith - A Classic Christmas (two CDs; Show Dog Nashville)
· Kenna - Make Sure They See My Face (Star Trak/ Interscope) [Buy Now]
· Amy London - When I Look in Your Eyes (Motema)
· The Makes Nice - This Time Tomorrow (Frenetic)
· Eric Marienthal - Just Around the Corner (Peak)
· Maritime - Heresy and the Hotel Chair (Flameshovel)
· Moros Eros - Jealous Me Was Killed by Curiosity (Victory)
· Carlos Niño & Gaby Hernandez - La Voz Sabia De Los Cosmos (Alpha Pup)
· The Octopus Project - Hello, Avalanche (Peek-a-Boo)
· PJ Olsson - American Scream (CBS)
· Pieces of Peace - Pieces of Peace (Quannum)
· R.E.M. - Live (two CDs and one DVD; Warner Bros.) [Buy Now]
· Rob-O - Rhyme Pro (Sound of Dissent)
· Nate Schierman - Risk (Dummy Boy)
· Michael W. Smith - It's a Wonderful Christmas (Reunion)
· Snmnmnm - Crawl Inside Your Head (Unschooled)
· Soulsavers - It's Not How Hard You Fall, It's the Way You Land (Red Ink)
· Southeast Engine - A Wheel Within a Wheel (Misra)
· Steel Train - Trampoline (Drive-Thru) [Buy Now]
· Angie Stone - The Art of Love & War (Stax) [Buy Now]
· Taylor Swift - NBC Sounds of the Season: The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection (available exclusively at Target; Capitol)
· Take 6 - Greatest Hits (Rhino)
· Thrice - The Alchemy Index: Vols. I & II: Fire & Water (Vagrant) [Buy Now]
· Tierra - Greatest Love Songs (two CDs; Thump)
· Tiësto - In Search of Sunrise 6: Ibiza (two CDs; Black Hole)
· To Kill a Petty Bourgeoisie - The Patron (Kranky)
· KT Tunstall - NBC Sounds of the Season: The KT Tunstall Holiday Collection (available exclusively at Target; Capitol)
· Umphrey's McGee - Live at the Murat (two CDs; Sci Fidelity)
· Underworld - Oblivion With Bells (ATO) [Buy Now]
Read: "Underworld Release New 'Physical' Album Along With Internet Offerings"
· Jessica Vale - Brand New Disease (Explicit)
· Dan Wilson - Free Life (American)
· Elliott Yamin - NBC Sounds of the Season: The Elliott Yamin Holiday Collection (available exclusively at Target; Capitol)
· Various artists - Disney Channel Holiday (Disney)
· Various artists - The Cake Sale (Yep Roc)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· Gerald Albright - The Very Best of Gerald Albright (Rhino)
· Blue October - Foiled for the Last Time (two CDs; enhanced; Universal) [Buy Now]
· Tevin Campbell - The Best of Tevin Campbell (Rhino)
· The Casualties - The Early Years: 1990-1995 (Punkcore) [Buy Now]
· Charlie Cruz - The Best of Charlie Cruz (La Calle)
· Deee-Lite - The Very Best of Deee-Lite (Rhino) [Buy Now]
· Aretha Franklin - Rare & Unreleased Recordings From the Golden Era of the Queen of Soul (two CDs; Rhino)
· The Fray - Reason EP (Epic) [Buy Now]
· The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Live at Monterey (Experience Hendrix)
· Hinder - Extreme Behavior (with DVD; Republic) [Buy Now]
· Miki Howard - The Very Best of Miki Howard (Rhino)
· Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette - Live at Montreux (two CDs; ECM)
· Stacy Lattisaw - The Very Best of Stacy Lattisaw (Rhino)
· Bob Marley and the Wailers - Another Dance: Rarities From Studio 1 (Heartbeat)
· Mass Production - Firecrackers: The Best of Mass Production (Rhino)
· John Mayall - Live From Austin TX (New West)
· Meriwether - Make Your Move (Geffen)
· Midnight String Quartet - Rhapsodies for Young Lovers (Varèse Sarabande)
· Pylon - Gyrate (DFA)
· Patrice Rushen - Haven't You Heard: The Best of Patrice Rushen (Rhino)
· Santana - Ultimate Santana (Arista) [Buy Now]
· Luther Vandross - Love, Luther (four-CD box set; Epic) [Buy Now]
· Grover Washington Jr. - Anthology of Grover Washington Jr. (Rhino)
· Zapp & Roger - All the Greatest Hits (Rhino)
· Various artists - City of Dreams: A Collection of New Orleans Music (Rounder)
· Various artists - Creation Rebel: Trojan Re-Mixed, Re-Visioned, Re-Versioned (Trojan)
· Various artists - Home for Christmas: Voices From the Heartland (Rounder)
· Various artists - Summer Records Anthology 1974-1988 (Light in the Attic)

Music DVDs:

· AC/DC - "Plug Me In" (two-DVD box set; limited-edition version with three DVDs also available; Epic)
· Foreigner - "Alive & Rockin' " (Eagle Vision)
· The Jimi Hendrix Experience - "Live at Monterey" (Experience Hendrix)
· John Mayall - "Live From Austin TX" (New West)
· Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - "Runnin' Down a Dream" (box set with three DVDs and one CD; exclusively at Best Buy)
· Dar Williams - "Live at Bearsville Theater" (Razor & Tie)

Digital Releases:

· Rhythm King and Her Friends - The Front of Luxury (Kitty-Yo)
· Various artists - Eyeball Awareness Vol. 1 (Eyeball)

Coming Attractions:

October 23:
· Seether - Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces (Wind-Up) [Preorder]
Read: "Seether Frontman Won't Respond To Amy Lee's Attack: 'I Just Refuse To Lower Myself To That Level' "
· Serj Tankian - Elect the Dead (Serjical Strike/ Reprise) [Preorder]
Read: "System Of A Down Frontman Serj Tankian On Intimate Solo LP: 'I Believe In It' "
· Carrie Underwood - Carnival Ride (Arista)

October 30:
· Avenged Sevenfold - Avenged Sevenfold (MVI also available; Warner Bros.) [Preorder]
· Backstreet Boys - Unbreakable (deluxe digipak also available; Jive) [Preorder]
· Mario - Go (J) [Preorder]
Read: "Mario Gets Back To Making Music With Akon, Timbaland, Neptunes"

November 6:
· Angels & Airwaves - I-Empire (Geffen) [Preorder]
Read: "Angels & Airwaves' Revolution Has Begun — Just Wait 29 Years, Tom DeLonge Insists"
· Chris Brown - Exclusive (deluxe edition comes with DVD; Jive) [Preorder]
Read: "Pharrell, Will.I.Am Joining Chris Brown's Exclusive Club"
· Jay-Z - American Gangster (Roc-A-Fella) [Preorder]
Read: "Jay-Z's American Gangster: A Guided Tour By Jigga, Jermaine Dupri, Pharrell And Others"

• Jimmy Eat World
• KT Tunstall
• Kenna
• R.E.M.
• Thrice

Kanye West onstage at Live Earth in East Rutherford, NJ
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — "You all came to this concert," Melissa Etheridge opined midway through a smoldering evening set at the Live Earth concert in Jersey, "because you are Americans."

(Check out behind-the-scenes footage, on-the-ground coverage, fan reactions, videos and more on MTV's new You R Here blog; watch Alicia Keys, Kelly Clarkson, John Mayer and more chat with John Norris at the NJ concert; and see performance pics of Rihanna, Linkin Park, Jack Johnson and more.)

That's one way of looking at it. You could probably also argue that plenty of the 60,000 or so people who made their way out to Giants Stadium on Saturday (July 7) were concerned citizens of the world, plunking down their hard-earned cash to make a statement that the real fight against global warming begins today (though this is probably wishful thinking).

Or perhaps everyone was just here to have a good time, to watch a bunch of bands, get sunburned, throw back some adult beverages and chuck footballs around the parking lot (this is probably reality).

Because, really, for all the pre-show discourse (from both sides of the aisle) about just what the point of Al Gore's Live Earth concert series was, the biggest surprise on this Saturday in the Meadowlands was that no one — not the fans, the bands — seemed to know either (see "A Globe Divided? Reaction To Live Earth Is Decidedly Mixed").

Sure, there were plenty of enthusiastic speeches from the musicians (the aforementioned Etheridge, Alicia Keys, etc.) and the assembled celebs, scientists and politicians, but there was also a whole lot of silence, particularly from some of the marquee acts. Kanye West — usually not one to keep quiet about anything — said nothing about climate change; local gods Bon Jovi seemed pissed that they were limited to a 20-minute set; and the Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan only spoke to plug his band's new album.

Still, the speeches that were made were greeted with a bizarre level of enthusiasm from the crowd (Live Earth no doubt marked the first time in history that 60,000 people in New Jersey gave famed primate expert Jane Goodall a standing ovation), and the entire upper deck was teeming with pro-environment banners and T-shirts. Then again, it was also teeming with shirtless, passed-out dudes and their bikini-clad better halves.

It was a little bit surreal, a little bit inspiring and a little bit awesome. Part Woodstock, part Wango Tango, Live Earth certainly didn't feel like a once-in-a-generation event. But, then again, with an anticipated audience of 2 billion worldwide, and concerts on all seven continents, maybe it was.

So for those who cared about ending global warming, about being part of something greater than themselves, and about seeing Kevin Bacon or Cameron Diaz making speeches, there was plenty to be happy about. And for those who came just to see a lineup that rivaled any rock-radio fest, there was a whole lot (a whole, whole lot) to get pumped about, too.

Like KT Tunstall, who made the most of her early-afternoon set and led the crowd in an honest-to-goodness wave before rattling off her hit "Suddenly I See." Or Alicia Keys and Keith Urban's raw take on the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter."

Fall Out Boy bounded about with glee, Akon — truly the hitmaker's hitmaker these days — packed just about everything into his set (and didn't body-slam a single fan). The crowd bugged out when he took his shirt off, and there was an even funnier moment during his set when fans kept chanting the dirty version of "I Wanna Love You," even though he was trying to sing the clean version. And Etheridge, whose set consisted of only one long jam, managed to bring the fire and brimstone with her condemnations of President Bush.

Alicia Keys was soulful and sexy, putting a whole lot of heart into songs like "If I Ain't Got You." Kelly Clarkson rocked hard, and Kanye wheeled out a full string section (dressed in silver space suits, no less) to fancy up his set.

Then there was Bon Jovi, who could've broke wind in a bag and the hometown crowd woulda eaten it up (case in point, they even cheered the band's country-tinged new stuff, which sounds like bad John Mellencamp). To see the band rock NJ is akin to witnessing the pope give a mass in the Vatican.

The Smashing Pumpkins brought sheer volume (and that album plug), former Pink Floyd mastermind Roger Waters brought the hits (and an inflatable pig), and the Police — aided by a fiery cameo by West, who broke from his earlier silence and spat verses about finding "new leaders to follow" and changing the world — brought the house down.

But as 60K filed out, you had to wonder: Did any of this make a difference? Were any minds and hearts changed? And does that even matter?

Well, on a day in which so many spoke so loudly about those very concerns, perhaps the best answer of all was provided by Fall Out Boy's eternally silent drummer, Andy Hurley, who, when asked by MTV News' John Norris if Live Earth mattered, stopped, then cracked a smile.

"I don't know, man. I mean, I got into politics because of Rage Against the Machine," he said. "So music can change people's minds. We'll see what happens."

Guess we will.

Wish you had been there? We have Live Earth covered: Watch the show, see reports from the scene, submit your concert photos and video, make a pledge to stop the climate crisis and more at MTV's Live Earth site.

• Live Earth In 60 Seconds
• Live Earth: We're In This Together

• Live Earth Performances, 07.07.2007

• Kanye West
• Alicia Keys
• Fall Out Boy
• Melissa Etheridge
• The Police

Photo: MTV News

• Fall Out Boy
• KT Tunstall
• Akon
• Taking Back Sunday
• John Mayer

JoJo celebrates her 16th birthday with "Seventeen" magazine
Photo: MTV News

Think your 16th birthday was sweet? JoJo got the royal treatment Thursday night when Seventeen threw a bash for her at the boutique Carnaval in New York's East Village. The event was also held to honor the pop prodigy for gracing the magazine's prom issue cover. Her fans, along with a fab fashionista — Heatherette designer Richie Rich — sang "Happy Birthday" as she blew out the candles on four raspberry-and-chocolate-vanilla mousse cakes. On Friday night (December 15), JoJo will hit the stage at Z100's Jiggle Ball at Madison Square Garden. ...

(Check out pics from JoJo's b-day bash right here.)

A Los Angeles police officer who filed a lawsuit claiming sexual misconduct against a former deputy chief is also charging she was targeted by the same official after he allegedly confiscated her computer containing critical information about the investigation of the Notorious B.I.G. murder case. According to the Los Angeles Times, a probe has been launched by the internal investigation arm of the Los Angeles Police Department to look into both matters. Attorney Bradley Gage, who is representing Sergeant Ya-May Christle in her case, is also one of several lawyers who sued the city and police department on behalf of the estate of the late rapper. Police Chief William J. Bratton issued a statement saying his precinct will comply with the investigation and turn over all relevant documents requested. ...

The final album recorded by D12's Proof, Time a Tell, will be released next year, according to The Detroit News. The 18-track effort by the rapper, who was killed during a dispute at a Detroit nightclub on April 11, was written and recorded in a single day in January. The LP will be released via Iron Fist Records, the label founded by Proof. ... Ex-Phish major-domo Trey Anastasio is facing a variety of charges after a police officer pulled him over early Friday morning in a town in upstate New York near the Vermont border, The Associated Press reports. Police are charging him with possession of a controlled substance, driving while intoxicated and — because he was driving with a suspended license — third-degree aggravated unlicensed vehicle operation. Police found painkillers and an anti-anxiety drug that was prescribed to someone else in his vehicle. Anastasio was released and will appear in court at a later date. ...

In just 35 minutes, Muse sold all 150,000 tickets to the massive concert they have planned for London's Wembley Stadium on June 16. An additional 42,000 tickets have been sold for the recently added show to be held the following day at the same venue. Muse are the first band announced to play Wembley since it was rebuilt. ... The Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang tour was the highest-grossing one of the year, according to Billboard. Tickets for the trek, which started in August 2005 and lasted until November 25, 2006, amounted to about $437 million. Second was Madonna, whose Confessions tour made $195 million and was the top-grossing trek ever by a female artist. ... The Nintendo Wii has been a smashing success, but not in the way the company had intended. After a rash of reports of the straps breaking on the wandlike game controllers, causing them to fly off user's hands and smashing TV screens, Nintendo announced Friday that it would recall and replace 3.2 million straps for the unit's controllers. According to AP, the worldwide recall will replace the current slim strap with a beefier one, costing the company several million dollars. ...

Linkin Park guitarist Brad Delson recently donated 36 electric guitars to Little Kids Rock, a program providing free instruments and instruction for public school students. Delson hand-delivered the guitars to Los Angeles' Nightingale Middle School. ... The Roots — who were recently nominated for two Grammys — are heading to South Africa for the first time as part of their ongoing world tour. The group is taking an unusual approach, following its Thursday performance on a flatbed truck in Johannesburg with shows in Cape Town on Friday and Durbin on Saturday. In February, the Roots will come back to North America for a three-month outing with Lupe Fiasco. That jaunt begins February 1 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and concludes with a two-night stand in Philadelphia on April 3-4. The collective is off to Australia after that. ...

The Internet was atwitter late Thursday night thanks to one phone number: (866) NEON-BIBLE. Why? That's the way the Arcade Fire chose to debut "Intervention" — the first song from their hotly anticipated new album, due in March on Merge Records. Fans who called the toll-free number were greeted with the sound of a creaky organ followed by a voice telling them to enter extension 7777 to hear "an important message from the founders of the Neon Bible program." After dialing the extension, "Intervention" — which has been a staple of the band's live set for a few years — plays. Influential BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe played the song on the air Thursday night. Friday morning, several music blogs began, um, "reporting" that the Arcade Fire's new album will be called Neon Bible — though a spokesperson for Merge told MTV News there is no album title yet, and the band is still mastering the record in London. ...

Ozzy Osbourne fans can expect to see the self-proclaimed Prince of Darkness on tour this spring, wife and manager Sharon Osbourne said during a recent appearance on the "Dr. Phil" show. Ozzy has been working on a pair of albums, the first due in February. The second will serve as the soundtrack to his long-in-the-works musical about Russian monk Grigori Rasputin. ... Meanwhile, Jack Osbourne is among the stars of the new CBS reality series "Armed & Famous," which follows five celebrities through the police academy and on patrol in Muncie, Indiana. "CHiPs" star Erik Estrada, "Jackass" wild man Jason "Wee-Man" Acuña, La Toya Jackson and WWE wrestler Trish Stratus are also featured. ...

Stephen Colbert and Decemberists multi-instrumentalist Chris Funk will compete in a guitar solo contest on "The Colbert Report" on Wednesday. The contest stems from a feud Colbert started when he accused the band of riding his coattails with a contest that asked fans to contribute animated footage for the Decemberists' new video. ... They Might Be Giants, Harry Shearer ("The Simpsons," "For Your Consideration") and "Late Show With David Letterman" musical director Paul Shaffer are among those converging at New York's Canal Room on Friday for Judith Owen and Harry Shearer's Holiday Sing-Along, put on by Shearer and his wife. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Tipitina's Foundation to aid the rebuilding of New Orleans' music culture in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

12.14.2006

Rihanna, Ludacris and KT Tunstall have been added to ABC's "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2007." All three acts will perform at Nokia Theatre Times Square in New York. In the meantime, Lady Sovereign has hopped onto the roster for "MTV Goes Gold: New Year's Eve 2007," for which she'll join other performers Nas, Gwen Stefani, Ciara and more. The show airs live December 31 at 11 p.m. ET, with a tape delay on the West Coast. And last but not least, Ruben Studdard is playing a free New Year's Eve show in Hawaii. The Honolulu Symphony will join the "American Idol" winner for the event, dubbed Gospel Goes Classic. ...

Kelis hosted Trace magazine's 10-year anniversary bash Wednesday night at Room Service nightclub in Manhattan. The R&B vixen was joined by her husband Nas, "Project Runway" winner Jay McCarroll and current Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera as they all toasted to the cultural mag reaching its diamond mark. Kelis, Snoop Dogg, supermodel Iman and Mya are set to appear in Trace's 10-year anniversary issue. ...

Harry Potter has a home in Georgia after all, The Associated Press reports. On Thursday (December 14), the state's Board of Education upheld a Gwinnett County school board decision denying a mother's request to have the volumes removed from library shelves. "It's mainstreaming witchcraft in a subtle and deceptive manner, in a children-friendly format," said Laura Mallory, the mother in question. She might challenge the board's ruling. ... Trick Daddy is hosting Christmas toy drives in Miami on the next two Saturdays in conjunction with his Trick Luvs Da Kids Foundation. Pitbull will also be in attendance. ...

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt aren't done adopting children, the actress told "Good Morning America" on Thursday, according to AP. "Now the questions are more when you have a mixed-race family, do you balance the races so there's another African person in the house for Z? So there's another Asian person in the house for Mad?" Jolie said, referencing Zahara and Maddox, two of the couple's three children. ... Katt Williams pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed weapon and was sentenced to three years of probation on Thursday, AP reports. The Los Angeles judge also told him to pay restitution but gave him credit for the three days he spent in jail early last month. ...

Taking Back Sunday have recorded a version of "12 Days of Christmas" for AOL Sessions. A fan-made animated video is also circulating. ... Editors have released an EP of remixed tracks from The Back Room exclusively on iTunes. The U.K. rockers are currently recording their proper follow-up. ... The ultra-rare copy of The Velvet Underground & Nico that was "won" by a hoax bid last week is about to be up for auction on eBay once again. The LP, which was to be sold for $155,000, was expected to be back on the site Thursday afternoon. ...

After months of legal wrangling, a federal judge ruled Wednesday that "Alpha Dog" — a crime thriller starring Justin Timberlake — can be released in theaters January 12 despite objections from murder suspect Jesse James Hollywood, on whom the movie is based. According to The Hollywood Reporter, an attorney for Hollywood said he will file an appeal on the ruling based on his belief that releasing the film will make it impossible for his client to get a fair trial. The film, which also stars Bruce Willis and Sharon Stone, changes the characters' names, but Hollywood's attorney is concerned that the big-screen retelling of his client's alleged kidnapping and murder of California teen Nicholas Markowitz over a $1,200 drug debt could taint a jury pool. ...

According to a post written on Nine Inch Nails' Web site, not only is Trent Reznor hard at work on a new NIN album, but it's "possible" he's finished already. "We begin mixing in January," Reznor wrote on NIN.com. "Juggling fifteen all-new tracks around. Testing sequences. No leftovers from [2005's] With Teeth. Highly conceptual. Quite noisy. F---ing cool." ... Less than a week after an album's worth of demos she recorded as a gift for her pal Dave Sitek were leaked to the Internet, Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O has weighed in on the situation. Her take: "Sh-- happens." Writing on the YYYs' site, O took the high road — as opposed to Sitek, who practically wished karmic castration on those responsible for the leak of the KO at Home album. She said she felt "a little grossed out" by the idea of her song sketches hitting various file-sharing sites but shrugged the whole thing off and even ended her post with some advice for curious fans. "If you happen to get your mits on one of those old demos ... my personal favorites and the only ones I would have released for anyone to enjoy [are] 'Pumpkin' and 'Snakes and Worms,' " she wrote. "The rest I would have pitched or buried." ...

Slash and Chris Robinson were among the guests who popped up onstage with Jet at a Los Angeles club show over the weekend. Former Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones also took part in the show, which ended in an all-star jam of the Faces' "Ooh La La." ... Army of Anyone will headline the 2007 installment of the annual SnoCore Tour, which kicks off in Houston on January 18. Hurt have been tapped to open. Dates are currently scheduled through February 8 in Hartford, Connecticut, with a full run of shows to be announced in the coming weeks. ... Hinder have rolled out a whole host of tour dates for the coming year. Two dozen stops have been scheduled from January 13 in Ketchum, Idaho, through February 23 in St. Petersburg, Florida. Black Stone Cherry and Finger Eleven will open on most of the dates. ...

Yoko Ono alleges that her chauffeur threatened to release private audiotapes and photographs and to kill her and her son, Sean Lennon, if she didn't give him $2 million, The New York Times reports. Koral Karsan, 50, who worked for Ono for 10 years, was arrested at his home in Amityville, New York, on Wednesday and was charged with attempted grand larceny, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. Following his arrest, Karsan claimed that Ono had fabricated the charges to stop a sexual harassment suit. Police said the charges followed a confrontation with Ono in her apartment on Friday, in which Karsan presented Ono with a list of his complaints along with a photo of her in her pajamas and a tape that contained her "personal opinions on people and events." During a meeting on Tuesday, Karsan met with Ono's lawyer and allegedly demanded $2 million and threatened to kill Ono, Sean Lennon and himself if his demands were not met.

• JoJo Celebrates Her 16th Birthday With "Seventeen" Magazine
• Remembering DeShaun 'Proof' Holton: 1973-2006

• JoJo
• Proof Of D-12
• Notorious B.I.G.
• Muse
• Linkin Park

Ludacris at the Grammy nominations press conference on Thursday
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

It's good to be the queen. Just ask the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, Mary J. Blige, who was on cloud nine Thursday morning (December 7) after racking up eight Grammy nominations related to her album, The Breakthrough.

"I feel so good about the eight nominations," a humble-sounding Blige said after helping to announce some of the other artists up for Grammys this year (see "Mary J. Blige, Chili Peppers Top Grammy Nominations List"). "Man, The Breakthrough has truly been an album that has helped so many people. 'Be Without You' connected with people because it's about how hard relationships can be. But at the end of the day, if you love someone you want to work it as long as they're respecting you. And that's real."

Obviously Grammy voters agreed, giving "Be Without You" four nominations, including the coveted Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Blige was trailed by a large entourage and horde of reporters on Grammy morning, graciously answering questions and repeatedly expressing her surprise at the bounty of nominations for the album, which has sold almost 4 million copies in the U.S. alone.

But not even Blige's enthusiasm could match that of British-Army-captain-turned-sensitive-balladeer James Blunt, who was so jazzed about his five nominations — which include Song of the Year and Record of the Year for his inescapable hit "You're Beautiful," and Best New Artist and Best Male Pop Vocal for his debut, Back to Bedlam — that he was jokingly contemplating quitting while he's ahead.

"I'm in a state of shock," said a grinning and clearly excited Blunt. "It's a surprise to me, but a great surprise and a huge honor. I'm gonna retire." Trying to explain the allure of his international chart-topping hit, Blunt said, "I guess it's a song most people can relate to. We've all looked at some stranger along the way and caught eyes and wondered, if time and place would have been different, what might have been." Though the diminutive, unassuming Blunt was sometimes overlooked by the mob rushing to interview Blige, Ludacris and Justin Timberlake — although the latter split early after taking offense to a question about his ex Britney Spears — he took solace by bonding with some fellow British citizens.

Fellow U.K. newcomer Corinne Bailey Rae was equally surprised, describing as "surreal" the feeling of hearing her name called three times, though she seemed almost as impressed at meeting some of the marquee nominees. "I just didn't expect it," she said of her nods for Record of the Year and Song of the Year (both for "Put Your Records On") and Best New Artist. "I've had a great morning. I've met Mary J. Blige for the first time in my life. I met Justin Timberlake and they know my album, which is crazy."

By now, Ludacris must be getting used to seeing his name on these lists, whether it's for his film work in "Crash" or his 12 previous Grammy nominations. "Come on man, you know it feels damn good to be recognized by the Academy!" Luda said. "We up early this morning for a reason, 'cause I'm not much of a morning person, but it feels good." Energized by the competition in the Best Rap Album category — where he'll face off against Lupe Fiasco, Pharrell, the Roots and fellow Atlantan T.I. — Luda had his game face on when he said, "There's some good competition, but that's what it's all about."

While talking to MTV News, the rapper was handed a cell phone so he could take a call from label boss L.A. Reid, who congratulated him on his four nominations. "I had to bring it for the home team!" he told Reid.

Slightly less confident about her prospects was Scottish newcomer KT Tunstall, who lamented her fierce competition in the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance category. "I was slightly disappointed with [how tough the competition is]," she said. "I was like, 'Sheryl Crow, Christina Aguilera ... great!' But we'll see, we'll see ... "

• Grammys Red Carpet: Fire-Starters

• The 49th Annual Grammy Nominees
• Justin, Ludacris, Amy Lee And More Announce The 49th Annual Grammy Nominees

• Mary J. Blige
• Ludacris
• James Blunt
• KT Tunstall

Mary J. Blige at the 49th annual Grammy Awards nominations on Thursday
Photo: Lester Cohen/ WireImage.com

It's definitely turning out to be Mary J. Blige's year.

Fresh from winning nine Billboard Music Awards last week, Blige was the top nominee for the 49th annual Grammy Awards announced Thursday morning (December 7), with eight nods related to her aptly titled album, The Breakthrough.

Following close behind with six nominations were the Red Hot Chili Peppers, whose Stadium Arcadium garnered six nods, including Album of the Year, for which they'll vie against fellow multiple nominees the Dixie Chicks, Gnarls Barkley, John Mayer and Justin Timberlake.

Blige was nominated in most of the major R&B categories, including Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song, Record and Song of the Year for "Be Without You"; Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for her duet with U2 on "One"; R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Love Changes" (with Jamie Foxx); Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for "I Found My Everything"; and Best R&B Album.

The Chili Peppers were close behind with nominations for Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Best Rock Song and Short Form Music Video for "Dani California," as well as Best Rock Album and Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package for Stadium Arcadium.

Though they were largely shunned by country radio due to their political outspokenness, the Dixie Chicks were embraced by the Recording Academy, with nods for Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Song and Record of the Year (for "Not Ready to Make Nice"), in addition to Album of the Year and Country Album for Taking the Long Way.

The Academy voters spread the wealth this year, handing out multiple nominations to a number of singers and bands, including five each for Blunt, the Dixie Chicks, John Mayer, Prince, Gnarls Barkley's Danger Mouse, producer Rick Rubin and Black Eyed Peas member and producer Will.I.Am. Right behind with four each were Beyoncé, songwriter Bryan-Michael Cox, Gnarls Barkley, T.I and Timberlake, whose second solo album, FutureSex/LoveSounds, earned an Album of the Year nomination, as well as Best Pop Vocal Album nods and a Best Dance Recording notice for "SexyBack." Timberlake also earned a Best Rap/Sung Collaboration nomination for "My Love" with T.I.

Former "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood has become a major country star, and her album, Some Hearts, is one of the year's top sellers, having sold 3.7 million copies, according to SoundScan. She earned nods for Song of the Year, Best Country Song and Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "Jesus Take the Wheel," as well as a Best New Artist notice (where she'll go up against Chris Brown, Imogen Heap, Corinne Bailey Rae and Blunt).

Getting a surprisingly low number of nominations was Bob Dylan's acclaimed Modern Times album, which had been tipped as a frontrunner (given the past Grammy love shown to the folk legend). Dylan came away with just three: Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance and Best Rock Song for "Someday Baby" and Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album. He was shut out of the major categories.

And though her debut is just now catching fire in the U.S. after entering the U.K. charts at #1 in February, jazzy British singer Corinne Bailey Rae made some serious noise in her first year of Grammy eligibility, including a spot in the Record of the Year race for her song "Put Your Records On," which will be up against Blunt's "You're Beautiful," Blige's "Be Without You," the Chicks' "Not Ready to Make Nice" and Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy."

Rubin was honored in the Producer of the Year, Non-Classical category for his work on albums by Johnny Cash, the Chili Peppers, the Dixie Chicks and Neil Diamond. He'll face off against Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley, the Rapture), Howard Benson (Hoobastank, Flyleaf, Papa Roach) and Will.I.Am (Blige, Fergie, Timberlake, Busta Rhymes, Sergio Mendes).

Christina Aguilera was recognized for her ambitious double album, Back to Basics, with a Best Female Pop Vocal Performance nom for "Ain't No Other Man," a category that will pit her against Pink ("Stupid Girls"), Natasha Bedingfield ("Unwritten"), Sheryl Crow ("You Can Close Your Eyes") and newcomer KT Tunstall ("Black Horse and a Cherry Tree"). Aguilera was also nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album.

One of the most interesting categories is shaping up to be Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal. The eclectic nominees include the Black Eyed Peas ("My Humps"), indie darlings Death Cab for Cutie ("I Will Follow You Into the Dark"), the Fray ("Over My Head [Cable Car]"), Keane ("Is It Any Wonder?") and the Pussycat Dolls ("Stickwitu").

Nelly Furtado got some love in the Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals race for her duet with Timbaland on "Promiscuous," Madonna earned a pair of notices in the Best Electronic Dance Album and Dance Recording categories, Beck's vocals on "Nausea" snagged him a Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance bid, and "Steady, as She Goes" by White Stripe Jack White's other band, the Raconteurs, is up against Coldplay ("Talk"), U2 & Green Day ("The Saints Are Coming"), the Chili Peppers ("Dani California") and the Fray ("How to Save a Life") for Best Rock Performance By a Duo or Group with Vocal.

The Best Alternative Music Album category pits a trio of relative newcomers against a pair of vets, with the Arctic Monkeys, Gnarls Barkley and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs taking on the Flaming Lips and Radiohead's Thom Yorke. Some hip-hop categories also feature a mix of veterans and young stars going at it, with Best Rap Solo Performance pitting Busta Rhymes, Mos Def and Missy Elliott against T.I. and Lupe Fiasco; and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group featuring a square-off between the Roots, Outkast, Nelly, Ludacris and Chamillionaire. The Best Rap Album contest also features the Roots, Ludacris and Fiasco, who will go up against Pharrell and T.I.

And even though he's been off the radar for most of the past year, past Grammy winner Eminem earned two nominations in one category (for a pair of songs with very similar names): "Smack That," his duet with Akon, and "Shake That" (featuring Nate Dogg) both got the nod for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.

The awards, for albums released between October 1, 2005, and September 30, 2006, will be handed out on February 11 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Selected List of Grammy Nominations

Record of the Year
· Mary J. Blige - "Be Without You"
· James Blunt - "You're Beautiful"
· Dixie Chicks - "Not Ready to Make Nice"
· Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"
· Corinne Bailey Rae - "Put Your Records On"

Album of the Year
· Dixie Chicks - Taking the Long Way
· Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
· John Mayer - Continuum
· Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium
· Justin Timberlake - FutureSex/LoveSounds

Song of the Year
· Mary J. Blige - "Be Without You" (Mary J. Blige, Bryan-Michael Cox and Jason Perry, songwriters)
· James Blunt - "You're Beautiful" (James Blunt, Amanda Ghost and Sacha Skarbek, songwriters)
· Dixie Chicks - "Not Ready to Make Nice" (Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Emily Robison and Dan Wilson, songwriters)
· Corinne Bailey Rae - "Put Your Records On" (John Beck, Steve Chrisanthou and Corinne Bailey Rae, songwriters)
· Carrie Underwood - "Jesus Take the Wheel" (Brett James, Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson, songwriters)

Best New Artist
· James Blunt
· Chris Brown
· Imogen Heap
· Corinne Bailey Rae
· Carrie Underwood

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
· Christina Aguilera - "Ain't No Other Man"
· Natasha Bedingfield - "Unwritten"
· Sheryl Crow - "You Can Close Your Eyes"
· Pink - "Stupid Girls"
· KT Tunstall - "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree"

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
· James Blunt - "You're Beautiful"
· John Legend - "Save Room"
· John Mayer - "Waiting on the World to Change"
· Paul McCartney - "Jenny Wren"
· Daniel Powter - "Bad Day"

Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal
· Black Eyed Peas - "My Humps"
· Death Cab for Cutie - "I Will Follow You Into the Dark"
· The Fray - "Over My Head (Cable Car)"
· Keane - "Is It Any Wonder?"
· Pussycat Dolls - "Stickwitu"

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
· Tony Bennett and Stevie Wonder - "For Once in My Life"
· Mary J. Blige and U2 - "One"
· Sheryl Crow and Sting - "Always on Your Side"
· Nelly Furtado and Timbaland - "Promiscuous"
· Shakira and Wyclef Jean - "Hips Don't Lie"

Best Pop Vocal Album
· Christina Aguilera - Back to Basics
· James Blunt - Back to Bedlam
· Elvis Costello/ Allen Toussaint - The River in Reverse
· John Mayer - Continuum
· Justin Timberlake - FutureSex/LoveSounds

Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal
· Coldplay - "Talk"
· The Fray - "How To Save a Life"
· The Raconteurs - "Steady, as She Goes"
· Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Dani California"
· U2 and Green Day - "The Saints Are Coming"

Best Hard Rock Performance
· Buckcherry - "Crazy Bitch"
· Nine Inch Nails - "Every Day Is Exactly the Same"
· System of a Down - "Lonely Day"
· Tool - "Vicarious"
· Wolfmother - "Woman"

Best Metal Performance
· Lamb of God - "Redneck"
· Mastodon - "Colony of Birchmen"
· Ministry - "Lies, Lies, Lies"
· Slayer - "Eyes of the Insane"
· Stone Sour - "30/30-150"

Best Rock Song
· Bob Dylan - "Someday Baby" (Bob Dylan, songwriter)
· The Killers - "When You Were Young" (Brandon Flowers, Dave Keuning, Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vannucci, songwriters)
· Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Dani California" (Flea, John Frusciante, Anthony Kiedis and Chad Smith, songwriters)
· Snow Patrol - "Chasing Cars"
(Nathan Connolly, Gary Lightbody, Jonny Quinn, Tom Simpson and Paul Wilson, songwriters)
· Neil Young - "Lookin' for a Leader" (Neil Young, songwriter)

Best Rock Album
· John Mayer Trio - Try!
· Tom Petty - Highway Companion
· Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers
· Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium
· Neil Young - Living With War

Best Alternative Music Album
· Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
· Flaming Lips - At War With the Mystics
· Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
· Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones
· Thom Yorke - The Eraser

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
· Beyoncé - "Ring the Alarm"
· Mary J. Blige - "Be Without You"
· Mariah Carey - "Don't Forget About Us"
· Natalie Cole - "Day Dreaming"
· India.Arie - "I Am Not My Hair"

Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
· John Legend - "Heaven"
· Ne-Yo - "So Sick"
· Prince - "Black Sweat"
· Lionel Richie - "I Call It Love"
· Luther Vandross - "Got You Home"

Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals
· George Benson and Al Jarreau - "Breezin' "
· Jamie Foxx (featuring Mary J. Blige) - "Love Changes"
· Chaka Khan, Gerald Levert, Yolanda Adams and Carl Thomas - "Everyday (Family Reunion)"
· Sly & the Family Stone, John Legend, Joss Stone with Van Hunt - "Family Affair"
· Prince and Támar - "Beautiful, Loved and Blessed"

Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance
· Anita Baker - "Christmas Time Is Here"
· George Benson and Al Jarreau (featuring Jill Scott) - "God Bless the Child"
· Mary J. Blige (featuring Raphael Saadiq) - "I Found My Everything"
· Sam Moore (featuring Billy Preston, Zucchero, Eric Clapton and Robert Randolph) - "You Are So Beautiful"
· Temptations - "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)"

Best Urban/Alternative Performance
· Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"
· Sergio Mendes (featuring Erykah Badu and Will.I.Am) - "That Heat"
· Sergio Mendes (featuring the Black Eyed Peas) - "Más Que Nada"
· Outkast - "Idlewild Blue (Don't Chu Worry 'Bout Me)"
· Prince - "3121"

Best R&B Song
· Mary J. Blige - "Be Without You" (Johnta Austin, Mary J. Blige, Bryan-Michael Cox and Jason Perry, songwriters)
· Prince - "Black Sweat" (Prince, songwriter)
· Beyoncé (featuring Jay-Z) - "Deja Vu" (Shawn Carter, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Beyoncé Knowles, Makeba, Keli Nicole Price and Delisha Thomas, songwriters)
· Mariah Carey - "Don't Forget About Us" (Johnta Austin, Mariah Carey, Bryan-Michael Cox and Jermaine Dupri, songwriters)
· India.Arie - "I Am Not My Hair" (Drew Ramsey, Shannon Sanders and India Arie Simpson, songwriters)

Best R&B Album
· Mary J. Blige - The Breakthrough
· Jamie Foxx - Unpredictable
· India.Arie - Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship
· Prince - 3121
· Lionel Richie - Coming Home

Best Contemporary R&B Album
· Beyoncé - B'Day
· Chris Brown - Chris Brown
· Janet Jackson - 20 Y.O.
· Kelis - Kelis Was Here
· Ne-Yo - In My Own Words

Best Rap Solo Performance
· Busta Rhymes - "Touch It"
· Missy Elliott - "We Run This"
· Lupe Fiasco - "Kick, Push"
· Mos Def - "Undeniable"
· T.I. - "What You Know"

Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
· Chamillionaire (featuring Krayzie Bone) - "Ridin"
· Ludacris and Field Mob (featuring Jamie Foxx) - "Georgia"
· Nelly (featuring Paul Wall, Ali and Gipp) - "Grillz"
· Outkast - "Mighty 'O' "
· The Roots - "Don't Feel Right"

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
· Akon (featuring Eminem) - "Smack That"
· Beyoncé (featuring Jay-Z) - "Deja Vu"
· Eminem (featuring Nate Dogg) - "Shake That"
· Jamie Foxx (featuring Ludacris) - "Unpredictable"
· Justin Timberlake (featuring T.I.) - "My Love"

Best Rap Song
· Yung Joc - "It's Goin' Down" (Chadron Moore and Jasiel Robinson, songwriters)
· Lupe Fiasco - "Kick, Push" (Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, songwriter)
· Ludacris (featuring Pharrell) - "Money Maker" (Christopher Bridges and Pharrell Williams, songwriters)
· Chamillionaire (featuring Krayzie Bone) - "Ridin" (Anthony Henderson, J. Slainas, O. Salinas and Hakeem Seriki, songwriters)
· T.I. - "What You Know" (A. Davis & Clifford Harris, songwriters; Donny Hathaway, Leroy Hutson and Curtis Mayfield, songwriters)

Best Rap Album
· Lupe Fiasco - Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor
· Ludacris - Release Therapy
· Pharrell - In My Mind
· The Roots - Game Theory
· T.I. - King

[This story was originally published at 12:53 p.m. ET on 12.7.2006]

• The 49th Annual Grammy Nominees
• Justin, Ludacris, Amy Lee And More Announce The 49th Annual Grammy Nominees

• Mary J. Blige
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Justin Timberlake
• James Blunt
• Carrie Underwood

50 Cent
Photo: Paul Hawthorne/ Getty Images

50 Cent is in the clear. On Friday (October 27), a judge dismissed a copyright-infrigement lawsuit that accused him of lifting the opening line to "In Da Club" from Luther Campbell's "It's Your Birthday," according to The Associated Press. A district judge ruled that the phrase was a "common, unoriginal and noncopyrightable element of [Campbell's] song," therefore not protected by copyright. Campbell previously told MTV News he had nothing to do with the lawsuit. ... And in related news, 50 will spend part of his Halloween at the Baychester Community Center in the Bronx, New York, talking with children about the benefits of healthy living. The effort is being sponsored by VitaminWater. ...

Christina Aguilera will stage a show in front of a small audience at a "super-secret location" somewhere in Los Angeles on November 6, according to an announcement made through her Baby Jane fan club. The first 50 fan-club members who RSVP to contests@babyjanefanclub.com by 9 a.m. ET on Monday will be admitted, along with one guest each. Go to BabyJaneFanClub.com for more details. ...

While her spokesperson denied that she's treating an eating disorder, Nicole Richie has checked into a treatment facility to address her inability to gain weight, according to a Reuters report. The actress, whose rail-thin appearance has drawn attention from celebrity magazines since she underwent a dramatic weight loss several years ago, is "working with a team of doctors and specialists whose focus is nutrition," according to spokeswoman Nicole Perna. "It is important to Nicole that she achieves this goal in a healthy way as this is not a treatment for an eating disorder." Richie has recently acknowledged that she is not happy with how skinny she looks and has said the stress over her recent breakup with former fiance DJ AM has affected her eating habits. Richie's admission to the unidentified facility has delayed production of the current season of "The Simple Life." ...

A judge has postponed the legal challenge against Madonna's adoption of a 13-month-old Malawian baby until November 13. According to AP, the hearing was pushed back to let the coalition of 67 human-rights groups gather more evidence over their claims that laws were bent to allow the adoption of David Banda. The groups are seeking an injunction to block Madonna's interim order that would allow her to have custody of the baby. And after initially saying he didn't realize Madonna was taking permanent custody of his son, Banda's father, Yohane, criticized the human-rights groups and asked them to "leave my son alone." Madonna's lawyer told the judge that no laws had been broken. ... Ali Lohan, Lindsay's sister, will release her debut album, Lohan Holiday, November 21. The collection includes the single "I Like Christmas," as well as classics like "Jingle Bells" and "Silent Night." ...

In an unexpected twist, this year's "American Idol" third-place finisher, Elliott Yamin, is touring with Little Memphis Blues Orchestra, Taylor Hicks' former band. LMBO followed Hicks on the American Idols Live Tour this summer and began playing with Yamin in the process. ... Meanwhile, semifinalist Brenna Gethers has joined the Atlanta funk group the Bomb Squad. Gethers recently returned from a tour opening for Ruben Studdard. ... KT Tunstall has finished a video for "Suddenly I See," the follow-up single to "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree." ... Ricky Martin has been added to the list of performers for the seventh annual Latin Grammy Awards, scheduled for Thursday at Madison Square Garden in New York. Tenor Andrea Bocelli will join Shakira and others as well. ...

The Bravery have titled their second album The Sun and the Moon. It's due in early 2007. ... The Panic Channel, the new band featuring former Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro and drummer Stephen Perkins, will perform an acoustic set November 15 at Dragonfly in Hollywood. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection and the Free Speech Coalition. ... One day after From First to Last announced that they'd continue touring without injured frontman Sonny Moore at the microphone, the band has revealed it's been booted from the World Champions trek. The tour features Atreyu, Every Time I Die and Chiodos and is scheduled to run through November 19 in Las Vegas. "We did everything possible to stay on this tour," read a statement from the band. FFTL had planned to enlist Chiodos frontman Craig Owens to fill in for Moore, but that plan "was disregarded, and as our crew was setting up for the show in Worcester, Massachusetts, we were informed that we were being kicked off of the tour. Understand that it was not our choice to leave this tour. We were forced to leave." ...

He's had a leech attached to his eye, been bulldozed by a WWE star and even exposed himself on the red carpet. So what's left for Steve-O to do? Corrupt Orange County, California's upstanding youth, of course. Steve-O will guest on an episode of "The O.C." that's set to air November 9. The "Jackass" star plays a new friend that Seth Cohen (Adam Brody) meets in Mexico. "I get drunk and drag Seth off to get a tattoo with me," Steve-O told MTV News. ... The members of late guitar god Jimi Hendrix's family have been battling each other for years over the rights to his music and image. Now they have a new target: the estate of Hendrix's one-time manager, Michael Frank Jeffrey. On Thursday, a private bidder paid $15 million for the rights to songs such as "Hey Joe," "Purple Haze" and "Foxy Lady" by Hendrix at an auction on behalf of Jeffrey's estate. But a company owned by the musician's family, Experience Hendrix, said it will sue to prove it owns the songs, according to Reuters. "Whoever bought this bought themselves the right to be a litigant," said an Experience Hendrix spokesperson. "It will be contested instantly." Experience Hendrix says it owns all rights to the music and recordings of the guitarist. ...

OK Go are releasing their first full-length DVD on November 7. The disc, which will come packaged with a re-release of their 2005 album, Oh No, will include the videos for "Here It Goes Again" and "A Million Ways," along with a documentary about the making of the album and a 2000 performance that originally aired on the local cable TV show "Chica-go-go." The band kicks off a U.S. tour Sunday in Los Angeles that's scheduled to wrap up November 30 in Houston. ... Incubus have booked their first North American tour in two years, kicking off January 5 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and ending February 11 in Los Angeles. The band will be promoting their sixth studio album, Light Grenades, due November 28. ... Metric singer Emily Haines will begin a 17-date North American tour to promote her solo album Knives Don't Have Your Back on January 4 in Montreal. The Toronto vocalist will hit cities including Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Chicago and Seattle before the trek wraps up January 23 at Los Angeles' El Rey Theater. ... The soundtrack to "Fast Food Nation" — the upcoming Richard Linklater film adaptation of the best-selling book by Eric Schlosser — will feature tracks by Spoon, Friends of Dean Martinez, the Capitol Years, Nortec Collective and Dr. Dog. The film hits theaters nationwide November 17 and the soundtrack is due December 5.

10.26.2006

It looks like Valentine's Day might come a week (or so) early for Fall Out Boy fans, in the form of a brand-new album. According to a spokesperson for the band's management, FOB's follow-up to From Under the Cork Tree is tentatively scheduled to hit stores on February 6. There's still no title or track list for the new disc, but earlier this month, bassist/mouthpiece Pete Wentz told MTV News that roughly a dozen songs will make the final cut, and that the album will feature guest appearances from Panic! at the Disco guitarist Ryan Ross, New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert and "a couple" of the band's friends from the hip-hop world. ...

The Saturday concert Mariah Carey was planning to stage in Hong Kong has been scrapped due to poor ticket sales and what promoters called Carey's "unreasonable demands," according to The Associated Press. The show was set to be held outdoors near the city's financial district, but promoters said only 4,000 tickets had been sold. ... Ciara celebrated her 21st birthday at Manhattan, New York's Club Marquee Wednesday night — and gave more than she received. The singer/dancer offered a treat to the crowd when she gave an advance screening of her new video "Promise" to a room full of celebs, including Busta Rhymes, LeToya Luckett and DJ Clue. The sexy clip, the first from her forthcoming album Ciara: The Evolution, features the singer flaunting her "Goodies" a bit more than in the past. Directed by Diane Martel (Ashlee Simpson, John Legend), the video is set to debut on MTV Friday. ...

Lollapalooza is digging its heels into Chicago's Grant Park. The festival will return to the outdoor venue August 3-5 in 2007, according to a post on the Lolla Web site, and remain there until at least 2011. ... A new HBO series hosted by Eurythmics co-founder Dave Stewart will set sail with its first episode, "Bono and the Edge: Off The Record," November 24. The series, co-executive produced by Interscope Geffen A&M Chairman Jimmy Iovine, will spotlight musicians explaining the story behind their songs. Its regular run will begin in January. ... My Chemical Romance are the first act confirmed for the next Bamboozle festival, set for May 5-6 at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Tickets go on sale November 24, and the next major artist announcement is expected November 22. Last year's installment of the annual festival included performances by Fall Out Boy, Thursday, Taking Back Sunday and AFI. ... Expect to see Tenacious D and Snow Patrol performing at the American Music Awards, which will be broadcast November 21 at 8 p.m. on ABC. ...

The forthcoming "Tony Hawk's Project 8" video game, which hits stores next month, will feature a track from Plus-44 called "Lycanthrope." But fans of the Blink-182 offshoot may be more excited to learn that they'll be able to navigate the game's skate parks as drummer Travis Barker. ... Lance Bass' boyfriend, Reichen Lehmkuhl, says he and the former 'NSYNC singer have been facing threats spurred by his new memoir about being gay in the military, "Here's What We'll Say: Growing Up, Coming Out, and the U.S. Air Force Academy." "We have to be very protective," former Air Force captain and "Amazing Race" winner Lehmkuhl, 32, told "Inside Edition." "I am not going to hide. ...There are threats that come in from people who do not want me to be so public and expose what is going on in the military." ...

Part of former "American Bandstand" host Dick Clark's massive rock-memorabilia collection will be auctioned off December 5 and 6 in New York, Reuters reports. Items up for sale will include the microphone Clark, 76, used for 31 years while hosting the show along with one of Paul McCartney's four Hofner left-handed basses, one of Bruce Springsteen's guitars, a beaded glove worn by Michael Jackson and a bustier with black tassels worn by Madonna on her first tour. Part of the profits of the auction will go to the T.J. Martell Foundation, which raises funds to battle cancer, leukemia and AIDS. ...

The Who's Pete Townshend bailed on Howard Stern Wednesday morning. The rocker was scheduled to appear on Stern's Sirius Satellite Radio show — which can be heard free today at Sirius' Web site, promoting the company's new Sirius Internet Radio service — with bandmate Roger Daltrey. The two musicians were inside a studio in London, and the interview was to be conducted via satellite feed. Townshend split after hearing Stern and the gang discussing what topics they'd like to address with the guitarist — including his sexuality and the child-pornography allegations he faced in 2003 — leaving Daltrey behind. ... From First to Last frontman Sonny Moore, who underwent surgery this summer to remove a nodule from his vocal cords, went back under the knife recently for a second procedure to "smooth out" his pipes. Doctors have advised the singer to rest his voice, but the band will finish out the remainder of the World Champions Tour with Atreyu, Every Time I Die and Chiodos; the trek runs through November 19 in Las Vegas. Chiodos mainman Craig Owens will be replacing Moore on vocals, while Moore will play guitar for the band's entire set. From First to Last are planning to write material this winter for their forthcoming major-label debut, which should see a summer 2007 release. ...

Five years after '80s new-wave icons Duran Duran reunited, the group is splintering again. Guitarist Andy Taylor quit the band during the U.S. leg of their world tour after his relationship with the group became "unworkable," according to a message posted on the band's site. A session guitarist will replace Taylor on the tour. ... Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon will screen her road movie, "Perfect Partner," Friday and Saturday at Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey. Gordon, who collaborated with filmmakers Phil Morrison ("Junebug") and Tony Oursler on the film — which stars Michael Pitt ("Last Days") — will join husband/bandmate Thurston Moore plus Jim O'Rourke, Ikue Mori and Tim Barnes to perform the soundtrack live. The event kicks off at 7:30 p.m. each night, and tickets are $35. Check out PeakPerfs.org for further details.

• 50 Cent
• Christina Aguilera
• Madonna
• KT Tunstall

KT Tunstall
Photo: MTV News

Singer/songwriter KT Tunstall has a unique background, but she's not willing to play up her past just to get a leg up on the competition.

"Basically, I was adopted when I was a baby. My maternal grandmother was Cantonese, so I'm a quarter Chinese and half Irish and a quarter Scottish and raised by English parents living in Scotland," she said. "But I'm not going to sit here and say that it all affects me and my music, because it doesn't. The only thing I know about being Asian is that my hair is black and my eyelashes are straight and I have strange eyebrows."

It's an answer that only hints at Tunstall's straight-shooting approach to music and life. She's candid about her childhood (dad is a physicist and mom a teacher, and "they weren't into music at all") and her formative years spent idolizing David Bowie and Patti Smith. And she doesn't try to romanticize her time spent at London's Royal Holloway College and the years spent kicking around the Scottish music scene, all of which led to her first album, Eye to the Telescope, released in the U.K. last year.

"It was my first record, and I didn't really know what I was doing," she said. "Basically, I was just drawing on my past, on my parents encouraging me to take lessons in any instrument I wanted to learn, and the fact that even though I had a lot of friends at school whose parents were doctors and their brothers were doctors, somehow I didn't end up as a doctor."

Whatever the case, Telescope was a success, scoring a trio of hit singles and earning Tunstall a Brit Award for Best British Female Solo Artist. And it's slowly earning her a fanbase on this side of the Atlantic too (Telescope has sold more than 134,000 copies since it was released here in February), which is a bit difficult for Tunstall to wrap her head around.

"We've been spending the majority of the time in the States playing gigs. I did a solo tour before Christmas, and now we're doing full-band shows," she said. "And it's been amazing. And a bit weird. We'll find ourselves in someplace like Annapolis, Maryland, and the gig is packed, and we just sit there going, 'How did all you people know?' "

A lot of the success is probably due to the video for her debut single, "Black Horse & the Cherry Tree," which is getting airplay on mtvU. And much like everything Tunstall has done, the story behind the song is about as humble and straightforward as she is.

"The song wasn't originally on the album, but I got a spot on [British TV show 'Later With Jools Holland']. Nas was supposed to be on it, and his father — who was playing trumpet on the song — was ill, so Nas dropped out and gave 24 hours' notice," she said. "So I got a phone call asking if I wanted to come fill the spot. I was on tour playing distorted clarinet and tin box in my friend's punk-folk band, so I had to fly back to London. And my label asked me what I wanted to play, and I thought, 'Well, your newest song is always your best song,' and I had just written 'Black Horse,' so I just decided to play that.

"I had been playing it to audiences in coffee shops for about three months, and people had liked it, but I never got any standing ovations from the latte drinkers. But I went on the show, and I totally nailed it," she said. "And I was on the show with the Cure, Jackson Browne, Anita Baker, the Futureheads and Embrace, and the next day I win, like, 50 percent of the Internet viewers' poll, and I was like, 'Was the Cure button broken?' "

Plans for a second Stateside single are in the works, and while "Suddenly I See" has emerged as a front-runner, things are less clear when it comes to the matter of shooting a video.

"For all my videos, my record company will go, 'So do you have any ideas for your videos?' and I would say, 'Yeah, we should do this and that,' and it's this great story, and they'll go, 'Well, that's great. But what we're going to do is hire this director who's got this great idea!' " she said.

"I've got this idea for a video that would star [Flaming Lips frontman] Wayne Coyne and Tom Waits and Beck, and they would all be on a ship, and there would be a secret room in the bowels of this ship. All of them would go down there and they'd say they found something, but you'd never know what it was, but it'd be something very important down there. Now I've just got to convince all of them to be in the stupid thing."

• Highlights From South By Southwest 2006

• KT Tunstall

Paramore, Lil Wayne, More At Virgin Mobile Festival 2008

• Lil Wayne
• Paramore
• Lupe Fiasco
• Wilco
• Bloc Party

T In The Park Festival 2008 In Kinross, Scotland

• Panic at the Disco
• Kate Nash
• Amy Winehouse
• The Ting Tings
• R.E.M.

Jay-Z, Amy Winehouse, Duffy & More Play Glastonbury Fest

• Amy Winehouse
• Jay-Z
• Richard Ashcroft
• Duffy
• Leonard Cohen

Justin, Ludacris, Amy Lee And More Announce The 49th Annual Grammy Nominees

• Justin Timberlake
• Mary J. Blige
• Evanescence
• Chris Brown
• Ludacris

Nelly Furtado, KT Tunstall, More At Guess' 25th Anniversary Gala

• Nelly Furtado
• KT Tunstall
• Natasha Bedingfield