Lindsay Lohan
Photo: Marsaili McGrath/Getty Images

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 is benefiting multiple charities, 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 on Chicago Public Radio on January 9 as part of a new series that will spotlight local talent and be hosted by music critics Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot. ...

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.

11.12.07

The trial involving Amy Winehouse's husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, has been delayed in light of allegations that he "perverted the court of justice," or the U.S. equivalent of obstruction of justice. He was back in court on Monday (November 12) for a brief hearing, and according to Agence France-Presse, he smiled throughout the session. The trial, previously slated to start Monday, has been adjourned until November 23, and Fielder-Civil — who was arrested last week following a raid on his and Winehouse's London home — is to remain in custody until then. Michael Brown, a 39-year-old who is supposed to stand trial with his friend Fielder-Civil, was not in court on Monday, and a judge issued a warrant for his arrest. BBC News also reports that James King, who was allegedly beaten by Fielder-Civil and Brown in June, was one of the men arrested last week, and that he has also been charged with the aforementioned crime. Fielder-Civil was remanded on technical bail. ...

Teeing with JT: Justin Timberlake has inked a five-year deal with the PGA Tour that will find him hosting a tournament in Las Vegas next year. "Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open," which will be played October 13-19, will help raise funds for the Shriners group, which provides medical care at no charge to children under 18 years old. The singer will play in a celebrity-golf game that week as well. "Raising money to better children's lives while playing golf? I can't think of a better way to pass the time," he said in a statement. ... Timberlake's visibility has also landed him on Barbara Walters' "10 Most Fascinating People of 2007" list, and they'll be seen chatting on an hourlong ABC special set to air December 6 at 10 p.m. ET. Former President Bill Clinton, Jennifer Hudson, Posh Spice and two surprise guests will also appear on the show. ... Could J.K. Rowling top Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore on a competing list, Time's Person of the Year? That's how the voting is shaping up on the Time Web site, although, as it indicates, the editors reserve the right to give the honor to the person of their choosing. Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are also in the running, and the December issue will be on sale December 21. ...

Radiohead have set the North American release date for In Rainbows. The album will hit stores January 1 through the band's own TBD Records (which, as expected, is teaming with ATO Records Group for the release), with "Bodysnatchers" and "Jigsaw Falling Into Place" as the first two singles. According to a press release, more information on the album and the band's tour plans will be announced soon. ... In case teens need an extra incentive to rack up credit-card debt, branded cards featuring Hilary Duff and Usher are on the way, according to Brandweek. Duff is getting a prepaid Visa gift card "aimed to show the young ones how to manage their pocket change (and learn about service fees)," according to the branding-news magazine, while Usher has a Debit MasterCard that features an empowerment message. The Platinum Plus Visa card devoted to Elvis Presley actually has a charitable aspect, as money from it goes to a foundation that helps homeless families. A Kiss credit card is available too. ...

Tom Morello, guitarist for reunited rockers Rage Against the Machine, serenaded some 3,000 people involved in the Hollywood writers' strike outside 20th Century Fox Studios in Century City, California, last week, the Los Angeles Times reports. ... Chiodos, Mindless Self Indulgence and Finch are among the first confirmed bands for next year's Bamboozle Festival, which is scheduled for May 3-4 at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Jack's Mannequin, Less Than Jake, Forever the Sickest Kids, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, I Am the Avalanche and the Starting Line have also been booked for the bill. ... Xzibit has signed on for a tour of duty in Oliver Stone's upcoming Vietnam movie, "Pinkville." The film revolves around the 1968 My Lai Massacre, during which 500 people — mostly women, children and the elderly — were killed by U.S soldiers. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the "Pimp My Ride" host will play a soldier who is convinced he acted ethically when he carried out his orders. ...

My Chemical Romance's Bob Bryar has issued a statement concerning the band's cancellation of a recent gig at the University of Maine, which had prompted school officials to consider legal action against the band. Late last week, the college's newspaper, The Maine Campus, announced that MCR would be paying the student government $20,500 in restitution fees for scrapping the October 27 show. The student government had previously said it would pursue legal action against the band unless it paid all expenses incurred by Monday, arguing that if it did not recoup the money, it would cost more than $2 from each student's activity fee. "We are very sorry about canceling our recent show in Maine. I have been having many problems with my wrists over the past few years," Bryar wrote in his statement. "They have been getting worse but I kept playing. I have seen many doctors to get some relief so I wouldn't have to stop playing. I guess I pushed it too hard this time. During our [recent] show at Maxwell's [in Hoboken, New Jersey], I got a golf ball-sized lump in my wrist, I started to not only have pain, but lose control and feeling in my fingers. I went through a process to control the swelling and attempted to play the show [opening for] Bon Jovi the next day. The Bon Jovi show was really bad for me — I was dropping sticks and could barely hit my drums. After that show, we decided I had to go get immediate treatment. I had to leave the tour. Being the stubborn person I am, I made a last-minute decision to give it another shot on the second Bon Jovi show. It didn't work, [and] we had to cut the set in half. We have a fill-in now as I am getting treatment. He learned the songs in one day." At press time, the identity of Bryar's fill-in was unconfirmed. ...

In a note posted on his Web site late last week, Kid Rock gave props to the head of his security team, Little Bear, for "finding a hidden camera in the dressing room at the show at the Myth Nightclub" in Minneapolis on Thursday night. "Little Bear, who runs SpyOps.net, discovered the device before the show and alerted the authorities, who are now investigating," Rock wrote. TMZ obtained photos of the alleged spycam from Little Bear that appears to indicate it was set up to broadcast on the Internet, but in a statement from the club released to the Star Tribune, the management explained, "The green-room camera in question is part of the venue's security aspect, available for viewing by head of security only ... Rock's allegation that there was some kind of Internet broadcast in progress is simply not true and without foundation." ...

The Broadway stagehands' strike isn't just affecting theatrical productions — Duran Duran's 10-night residence at New York's Ethel Barrymore Theatre has also been stymied by the protest. The band canceled its Saturday night show and moved its Monday and Tuesday gigs to the Roseland Ballroom. "We are really disappointed that we weren't able to finish up the run on Broadway, which has been in the planning for months," singer Simon LeBon said, according to BBC News. "However, we are relieved that there was somewhere else available to us so that we don't have to disappoint our fans by not playing." ... With Army of Anyone's future in doubt — the band, featuring former Filter frontman Richard Patrick and two former members of Stone Temple Pilots, is said to be on "hiatus" — drummer Ray Luzier has opted to handle drum duties during Korn's upcoming European tour, set to begin in early 2008. Luzier replaces Slipknot's Joey Jordison, who in turn replaced Terry Bozzio earlier this year, as the band's touring drummer.

• Pete Wentz's Bar Draws Jay-Z, Ashlee

• Lindsay Lohan
• Fall Out Boy
• Ashlee Simpson
• Beyoncé
• Britney Spears

Lindsay Lohan
Photo: Mark Mainz/Getty Images

Lindsay Lohan's father, Michael, will spend five days with the troubled starlet at a remote lodge in the Utah mountains as part of her recovery, People reports. The two saw each other for the first time in three and a half years when Michael visited Lindsay at the Cirque Lodge rehab center in early September. "It can only help her recovery," Lindsay's mother, Dina, told People in an e-mail of the visit, which is set to begin Tuesday morning. "It's time to mend. He is visiting Lindsay alone because we are giving her dad a chance to make amends." ...

Britney Spears may not have wowed audiences at the VMAs with her dancing, but fans are still apparently digging her music. Spears' current single, "Gimme More," sits atop the digital-sales charts on iTunes and is at #8 on the iPhone ringtone charts, just before former love Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack." ...

Heidi Montag has admitted to Us Weekly that she did indeed undergo breast augmentation and rhinoplasty earlier this year, as had been previously speculated. The "Hills" star told the magazine, "I've always been very insecure about my body. ... If I was with a guy and there was a girl next to me with big boobs, I would be like, 'Oh my God, he's looking at her!' ... I hated my nose too. I have my dad's nose, which is huge." Startlingly, Montag suggested the medical procedures might have mattered even more than life itself. "Right before I went in, I was like, 'What if I don't wake up? Oh, this is scary.' Then I thought, 'I don't care. If I don't wake up, it's worth it.' I just wanted it so badly." ...

Last week was all about partying for September birthday boys T.I., Young Jeezy and Lil Wayne. The three celebrated their birthdays several days ago at T.I.'s Club Crucial in Atlanta with a joint salute to themselves. On Friday, Wayne hosted his official 25th b-day party in Miami with a Harlem Renaissance-themed yacht party called the "Black and White Baller Bash." Diddy, T.I., Juelz Santana and Rick Ross were some of the 300 people cruising with Weezy F. Baby. And on Sunday, Young Jeezy went so fly with his birthday party that he held it in an Atlanta airplane hangar. T.I., Chingy, Jermaine Dupri, Ne-Yo and Yung Joc came out to that bash. ... Speaking of one of those partygoers, Juelz Santana is reaching out to the kids by joining the Stay in School Concert set to go down October 17 at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom. Jim Jones, DJ Cipha Sounds and Lil Mama are also participating in the event, which is being put on by the Entertainers 4 Education Alliance — a nonprofit helping provide at-risk youth with positive alternatives to negative behavior through education. ...

Lil Wayne and Fabolous' Monday (October 1) concert at the University of Florida, Gainesville, will help spread drinking and driving awareness, the campus' Independent Florida Alligator reports. A portion of the proceeds from the show will go to the Corey Dahlem Benevolent Fund, which was set up after the police officer was killed by a drunk driver following the school's basketball-championship game in the spring. ... Hold your breath: Kanye West has started a blog. He recently launched a blog on Kanye UniverseCity and has put up a clip of his recent performance on "Saturday Night Live," party pics, videos by Lupe Fiasco and Feist and more. ...

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony are doubling their fun with a joint tour, which launched Friday with a two-night stand in Atlantic City, New Jersey, but while the two are hoping their relationship helps their careers, Lopez's former flame Ben Affleck says their romance hurt his acting reputation. "It was probably bad for my career," he told Details of their relationship, which lasted from 2002-'04. "What happens is this sort of bleed-over from the tabloids across your movie work. I ended up in an unfortunate crosshair position where I was in a relationship and [the media] mostly lied and inflated a bunch of salacious stuff for the sake of selling magazines. And I paid a certain price for that." ...

Paula Abdul is getting ready for the seventh season of "American Idol," which starts in January — but she might be expecting something even bigger in the near future. She told USA Today that having children is "the next step in my life," adding that she would like to give birth "definitely within the next two years. I thought by now I'd have three grown children." Adbul, who has been roaming the country as part of the "Idol" auditions, also said: "With modern medicine, people are having kids in their 40s and even up until their late 40s. In their 50s, they're having their second child. If it doesn't happen naturally like that, I would always consider adopting." ... Pamela Anderson's application for a marriage license with former Paris Hilton beau Rick Salomon has been granted by Clark County, Nevada's Marriage License Bureau, according to The Associated Press. The license means the couple can get married any time during the next year. Anderson had previously been married to Kid Rock and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee. ...

Looks like the Spice Girls haven't lost their "girl power" — the reunited group's London concert, set for December 15 at the O2 arena, sold out in a mere 38 seconds, BBC News reports. Three more dates — for December 16 and 18 and January 2 — have been added to the reunion run and will be sold exclusively to fans via e-mail. ... Ghostface, Rakim and Brother Ali will hit the tarmac together as part of the inaugural Hip Hop Live! tour, which will span an October 29 gig in Los Angeles through a November 21 show in Philadelphia. The innovative show will find the rhyme-slingers backed by a 10-piece instrumental band, the Rhythm Roots Allstars. ... Nikki Sixx, Butch Walker, Felix Da Housecat, Howie B and Kelis have joined the international judging panel for the 2007 Diesel:U:Music Awards, which will take place Wednesday at London's Koko Club. They will vote based on music the participating artists uploaded at Diesel-U-Music.com. ...

Ex-Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo has opened up to Revolver about "Mourn," a "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott tribute track that appears on his band Down's latest album, III - Over the Under. "That's a very hard, hard song for me to really ... honestly, the song speaks for itself," he said. "It's about feeling isolated from my family in Texas, feelings about the obvious ... deep, deep, deep feelings every day. You know, I've been very quiet ever since [Dimebag's death], but it's all good. I decided a while ago that, yes, absolutely there is a proper time to mourn, and that he deserves a celebration of his life, and that's the path that I've chosen. Every action I do, I think of him. Every push-up I do, I think of him. Every time I hit a line, or I'm working in the studio, I can hear him saying, 'You can do better.' So that's what gets me through the hard times, the trying times, is his positivity." ...

Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello's alter ego, the Nightwatchman, has been named the support act for System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian's upcoming North American solo tour. Morello will play his own headlining date October 11 in Nashville and then join Tankian in Chicago (October 12), Toronto (October 14), Boston (October 15), New York (October 17), Philadelphia (October 18) and Atlanta (October 20). ... Deftones frontman Chino Moreno's Team Sleep side project will take to the road in November for a string of gigs. Joining them on the trek will be former From First to Last frontman Sonny Moore, Monster in the Machine and Strata. The tour kicks off November 29 in Orangevale, California, and continues through December 16 in San Francisco. ... The Mars Volta's next album won't drop until next year. Bedlam in Goliath, which had been planned for a fall release, has bumped to January 29 for unknown reasons. ...

Sylvester Stallone and the crew of his "Rambo" sequel, "John Rambo," witnessed firsthand the aftermath of horrific atrocities happening in Myanmar while filming the movie along the country's border, according to AP. "I witnessed the aftermath — survivors with legs cut off and all kinds of land-mine injuries, maggot-infested wounds and ears cut off," Stallone, who returned to the U.S. eight days ago, told the wire service Monday (October 1). "We hear about Vietnam and Cambodia, and this was more horrific." The actor left neighboring country Thailand before the Myanmar government began cracking down on pro-democracy protests last week. ... Nelson Mandela is planning a fifth AIDS awareness concert, for December 1 in Johannesburg, South Africa, AP reports. "I am very delighted that we are engaging the youth in schools, communities and through the media breaking the silence and stigmas around HIV and AIDS and making them realize that the power to beat the pandemic lies in their own hands," Mandela said in a statement. More than 30 to-be-announced international and local acts — and 50,000 concert attendees — are expected for the event, which is being held in conjunction with World AIDS Day. ...

Duran Duran are headed to Broadway. The English new-wave veterans will play a nine-show run at the Barrymore Theatre in New York during the first two weeks of November to promote the upcoming release of their Red Carpet Massacre album, which drops November 13. The group will play the entire LP — which features production from Timbaland and Danjahandz and a cameo from Justin Timberlake — each night, then sprinkle in some classic hits. Tickets will cost $75, $125 and $150. ... Add the Pipettes to the growing list of bands canceling U.S. treks due to visa problems — the British female pop trio has postponed a series of dates on its upcoming North American tour. The outing was originally set to start Tuesday in Chicago but will now launch October 25 in Los Angeles. ...

David Gilmour says he has no desire to reunite with his Pink Floyd bandmates, despite a recent European poll in which fans clamored for the band to do so. He claims he's focused on his solo career. "I can't see why I would want to be going back to that old thing," he explained recently to Rolling Stone. "It's very retrogressive. I want to look forward, and looking back isn't my joy. I don't know how one puts it, but going back into all that just wouldn't bring me joy. It's my time of life to be selfish — please myself." Last week, digital-music firm Music Choice published a poll in which 26 percent of respondents said Floyd top their list of bands they'd like to see reunite. ...

Tuesday could be a pivotal day in the ongoing war between the Recording Industry Association of America and rogue downloaders. According to Wired magazine, the RIAA will face off in a courtroom with a Minnesota mother in the first copyright jury trial that could set a precedent on the amount of proof a jury would have to consider to find a defendant liable for copyright infringement. The mother, Jannie Thomas, has adamantly claimed she did not download the 1,702 audio files she is accused of sharing on Kazaa in 2005. ...

The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art has closed "Thanksgiving," an installation of pictures by American photographer Nan Goldin that are owned by Elton John, at the singer's request amid a police investigation over whether a photo of two girls violates child-pornography laws, AP reports. ... A man who pleaded guilty in a plot to extort more than $1 million from Tom Cruise for the actor's stolen wedding photos was found dead in his home, according to an AP report. Investigators believe David Hans Schmidt, 47, who had been under house arrest and faced up to two years in federal prison, committed suicide. He was found dead in his home Friday afternoon after police noticed a tracker placed on him had not moved, and he had not checked in.

09.28.07

Beyoncé's planned concert in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has been canned amid protests by local Muslim groups, Billboard reports. The groups are reportedly upset that the singer has refused to obey the country's strict dress code for performers, although the November 1 concert's promoter, Pineapple Concert, did not give a reason for the cancellation in a statement issued Friday (September 28). Female performers are not allowed to show skin from the tops of their chests to their knees. In August, Gwen Stefani's concert in the country was also preceded by protests for the same reason — but she reluctantly abided by the guidelines, saying in a press conference before the show that she had made a "major sacrifice." ...

Ludacris, Yung Joc, Angels & Airwaves, Fabolous, Keyshia Cole, the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Busta Rhymes will hit the stage October 6 at Radio City Music Hall in New York for the Boost Mobile RockCorps volunteer show, to be hosted by Nick Cannon. The concert will act as a reward to 5,000 Big Apple volunteers who have carried out at least four hours of service in their community. Earlier in the day, Luda, along with pro skateboarder Terry Kennedy and snowboarder Keir Dillon, will join 100 NYC volunteers to revitalize Manhattan's DeWitt Clinton Park. ...

R. Kelly's child-pornography trial, which was to have started September 17 in Chicago, doesn't have a new start date in sight. In a status hearing on Friday, the only thing that was determined, according to the state's attorney's office, is the next status hearing date, for November 2. ... Owen Wilson is "doing really well," Ben Stiller told Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show on Friday. "I sort of like to protect his privacy, 'cause I feel like it's his own thing. But he's a really good friend of mine. He's an incredible guy, and I wish him as everybody does, all the best." The two actors were due to begin shooting "Tropic Thunder" this month, but Wilson dropped out of the flick following a suicide attempt in late August. His role has since been filled by Matthew McConaughey. ...

Nicole Richie has enrolled in an alcohol-education program that will last 18 months, according to People. The socialite, who was arrested for driving under the influence in December, reportedly signed up for the SB 38 Alcohol Program on Wednesday. The program involves 52 hours of group counseling; in-person, biweekly interviews; and 12 hours of alcohol education. ... Richie probably won't be too happy to hear about Think Skateboards' fall line of decks. The line's "Jailbaits" series feature her mug shot — and Lindsay's and Paris' — with a thought bubble hovering over each of their heads: Inside the bubble is the phrase, "If only I could Think." ... Joey Fatone, no stranger to Britney Spears, has some words of advice for the troubled singer. "Britney, call me, come over to my house, come to Orlando [Florida], get way from it all ... it's a good thing to get out of L.A.," he recently told "Extra," adding that Spears needs "some time to really heal." Fatone admitted he hasn't seen her in a while, but all the same, he said, "I'm here for you, sweetheart." ...

With Jamie Foxx's "The Kingdom," a flick about a series of terrorist bombings in the Mideast, hitting theaters this weekend, it seems it was only a matter of time before the outspoken actor piped up with his views about U.S. intervention abroad. While promoting the film, he told MSNBC that he doesn't see an end in sight to the Iraq war — and that President Bush's big problem is that he lacks "charisma." "It's not the way America has handled the war, it's the way George Bush has handled it," the actor said. "I think George Bush and the guys that are there just don't have the charisma to pull off the things that they're trying to do. I can understand if you want to go to war, but how do you go to war? They go to war in a high-risk, high-return or high-risk, no-return ... situation. You'll be in Iraq for another 30 years. You can't get out." Foxx added that he's supporting presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama, but that he'll support whoever wins the Democratic nomination. ...

Uncle Kracker (real name: Matthew Shafer) was given a 60-day suspended sentence, 12 months of probation and a $1,500 fine after pleading guilty to an assault charge in a Wake County, North Carolina, court on Friday, local TV station NBC17 reports. He must also complete a substance-abuse assessment as part of the plea deal. Kracker was arrested in August on a second-degree forcible-sex-offense charge after an alleged incident at a downtown Raleigh nightclub called the Ess Lounge. He wound up facing a lesser charge in light of the plea deal. ... Kiefer Sutherland was formally charged with two misdemeanor drunk-driving counts on Friday in Los Angeles. The actor, who is on probation for a drunk-driving charge in 2004, could face up to a year and a half in jail. Sutherland was arrested Tuesday morning in Hollywood after police pulled him over for making an illegal U-turn. ...

U2's Bono accepted the Liberty Medal for his humanitarian work in Africa on Thursday night in Philadelphia, according to The Associated Press. Bono urged Americans to work toward solving the world's problems and spoke of those who are without freedom. "When you are trapped by poverty, you are not free," he said. "When trade laws prevent you from selling the food you grew, you are not free. When you are a monk in Burma this very week, barred from entering a temple because of your gospel of peace ... well, then none of us are truly free." Bono was presented with the award by last year's co-recipient, President George H.W. Bush, at the National Constitution Center. The award carries a $100,000 prize, which the rocker plans to donate to humanitarian organizations. ...

A new Radiohead Web site has popped up hinting that they might be planning a big announcement this weekend. Radioheadlp7.com is displaying a countdown clock, set to expire Saturday morning. Given that the lads have been leaving several coded messages on their Web site regarding their forthcoming seventh set, which they recently finished, some are speculating the new site will spill all of the beans on the outing. Only time will tell. ... Cat Power is blanketing her fans with cover songs again. The indie starlet has lumped together a sequel to her noted 2000 collection, The Covers Record, according to Billboard. The track list has yet to be revealed for Covers II which is due January 22. ...

Ryan Adams reportedly threw another in-concert tantrum, this time at a show Thursday night in Minneapolis, according to AP. The singer/guitarist was reportedly complaining throughout the evening about the sound monitors, at one point moving two of them and other equipment. About an hour and 10 minutes into the show, Adams said he'd be playing his last song and didn't come back for an encore, spurring concertgoers to boo. Four years ago, Adams gave an even more tumultuous performance, during which he also complained about the sound, at the city's First Avenue venue. ...

Evanescence have tapped Australian rockers Sick Puppies as the support act for their upcoming tour, which is scheduled to launch October 23 in Miami and run through December 4 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ... The reunited Sex Pistols have booked an invite-only gig in Hollywood. The band will take the stage at the Roxy Theatre on October 25 for a show that's being co-sponsored by Indie.103.1, the radio station Steve Jones DJs for, and "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock," which includes a newly re-recorded version of the Pistols' "Anarchy in the U.K." ...

Remember EMF? Well, as "Unbelievable" — or "crumbelievable" (so goes the Kraft commercial knockoff of the band's song) — as it may sound, the band will reunite for a London gig set for December 18. It will be the first time in five years the boys have performed together in a public forum. The band announced on its Web site that Pop Will Eat Itself's Richard March will take over on bass for original member Zac Foley, who died in 2002 from a drug overdose. ...

According to former Offenders drummer Pat Doyle, his former bandmate, bassist Mikey Donaldson, died in his sleep on Saturday in Barcelona, Spain. He was 46. An official cause of death has yet to be determined. "Mikey is universally regarded as one of the most innovative and inimitable masters of the bass guitar," Doyle said. "He played his Rickenbacker like it was an outsized rhythm guitar. Mikey pioneered an aggressive speed-picking style and liberal employment of bass chords that few have been able to emulate in the past 20 years. He will be sorely missed."

• Lindsay Lohan
• Britney Spears
• Lil Wayne
• Fabolous
• Kanye West

Amy Winehouse
Photo: Getty Images/ Stuart Wilson

First Amy Winehouse pulled out of shows in Norway and Denmark two weeks ago, then she pulled the plug on her V Festival appearances last week — now the U.K. starlet is shelving her remaining 2007 North American tour dates until next year. "Due to the rigors involved in touring, Amy Winehouse has been advised to postpone her upcoming September U.S. and Canadian tour dates," Winehouse's publicist said in a statement Tuesday (August 21), according to The Associated Press. "Amy's European and U.K. tour dates in October and November remain in place. Plans are being made to reschedule her U.S. tour for early 2008. Until then, Amy has been ordered to rest and is working with medical professionals to address her health." It is unclear whether the change in her North American tour plans will affect Winehouse's previously announced performance at the VMAs on September 9. ...

Forget 50 Cent — Kanye West considers Justin Timberlake his biggest rival. In an interview with XXL magazine for its October issue — which hits stands September 11 — Kanye called Justin his "biggest inspiration and biggest competition," adding that "he's the only other person that gets an across-the-board response and respect level — black radio, white radio. If Justin hadn't come out and killed the game, I can't say that my album, singles and videos would be on the same level that they're on. We push each other. I look at me and Justin like Prince and Michael Jackson in their day." ...

Award-show nominations and #1 records don't seem to be enough for Nelly Furtado this year, so the Canadian beauty decided to add directing to her lengthy list of 2007 accomplishments. Furtado recently made her debut behind the camera shooting a clip for the Loose song "Do It" with co-director Aaron A., her tour documentarian. The video was filmed on location in Detroit during a tour stop and included her dance team, among others. Furtado also announced that she will re-release Loose with bonus material — including her cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" — this fall. ...

Spike Jonze has launched a series of diary-style video interviews through online-broadcast network VBS.TV. The series will capture Jonze interviewing and traveling the world with various artists and entertainers, including the premiere guest, M.I.A. The set kicks off this week with a six-part episode that follows Jonze and M.I.A. around London and at the singer's various enclaves. An interview with Kanye West is scheduled to go live next week. ...

R. Kelly appeared Tuesday in a Chicago court where prosecutors and defense attorneys ironed out a few more details in the R&B singer's child-pornography trial before jury selection starts September 17. After the prosecution tried for a reversal, Judge Vincent Gaughan upheld his ruling that the media and public could view the sex tape that allegedly depicts Kelly having sex with an underage girl and is at the heart of the charges. Gaughan said he wouldn't reconsider his original ruling because the girl who prosecutors say is in the video isn't cooperating with investigators and denies that she's the person on the tape. Had she said she was, the judge would give her victim status and protect her from a public viewing. Instead, he ruled Tuesday that the state can't call her a "victim" but must instead call her an "alleged victim" or the "state's witness." To attempt to prove that she is in fact the girl on the tape, the prosecution wants to call an expert witness to testify that denial is a common issue with victims of child pornography, but the defense argued that the theory is not backed up by science. Judge Gaughan delayed ruling on this, as well as whether an expert could testify that the veins in Kelly's hand are consistent with those in the hand of the man in the video. He is expected to rule on those matters at the next hearing, on September 10. ...

Another day, another problem for Foxy Brown. The troubled rapper is being accused of lying to police during a traffic stop on Wednesday in suburban Mahwah, New Jersey. According to Bergen County's The Record, Brown (born Inga Marchand) was pulled over for talking on a cell phone and failing to stop at a stop sign while driving her SUV. After a check found that the car's registration had been suspended, Brown, 27, reportedly gave officers a different version of her real name and a birth date that was a year off. When the information didn't come up, Brown then gave her correct information, at which point the officers found out that her license was suspended. She was taken to police headquarters and given seven traffic tickets and released. The traffic tussle came one day after Brown was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a New York neighbor with a BlackBerry. But still, Brown has some good news to help take her mind off things — according to the New York Post, she said outside a store in New York earlier this week, "I'm getting married in September. I'm pregnant." ...

With Jane's Addiction on ice and his latest project, the Panic Channel, without a label deal, Dave Navarro has taken up a new side gig: porn-movie director. The guitarist has shot a feature-length adult film titled "Dave Navarro: Broken," the first in a series of flicks to be directed by celebrities. The film for Teravision — owned by adult star Tera Patrick and rocker husband and former Biohazard member Evan Seinfeld — is due September 27 and features an all-star cast of porn actors and actresses (Victoria Sin, Spyder Jonez, etc.). ...

Ben Lee really likes the new Against Me! album, New Wave. In fact, the Australian pop singer likes it so that he has posted a song-for-song cover album on his MySpace page and blog that are available for download or streaming. He's even cooked up his own cover for the effort, Ben Lee Sings Against Me! New Wave — it replaces the fearsome panther on the Florida punk band's original with a less ferocious kitty cat. ...

Devra Robitaille, one of Phil Spector's ex-employees, testified Tuesday that he once threatened her at gunpoint when she attempted to leave his house. The scenario is similar to the ones outlined by four additional women during the music producer's murder trial. After the defense announced it was conditionally resting its case — and that Spector would not be taking the stand during the trial — the prosecution called Robitaille as a rebuttal witness, contrary to the wishes of the defense. She recalled being in Spector's house during a party in which he became heavily intoxicated, after which she said she was going to go home. "He said no and locked the door," testified Robitaille, who added that she had a romantic relationship with Spector. "I remember standing in the lobby with a door in front of me, and when I turned, there was a gun pointed at my temple. ... It was like a long-barreled shotgun." She added that Spector repeated three times, " 'If you leave, I'll blow your f---ing head off.' " Robitaille said he eventually put down the gun and let her leave. ...

Some Lollapalooza footage — of performances by LCD Soundsystem and the Black Keys — finally went up on AT&T's Blue Room site last week, following the revelation that its webcast of the festival featured several edits of anti-President Bush comments made by Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder. Clearances are still being sought for Pearl Jam and other artists, while Lupe Fiasco's comments against Bush — which were also reportedly edited — have not been posted. ...

Five people were arrested early Sunday morning at a campground near the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington, following the Warped Tour performance at the venue Saturday night. The Associated Press reported that sheriff's deputies were called out to the campground following reports of a person being injured at another nearby campground. When officials arrived, they reportedly saw a number of campers involved in fights and a comfort station with portable toilets and sinks that had been set on fire. Some of the 400 campers in the area allegedly set additional fires and pelted deputies with beer bottles, cans and rocks, shattering the windshield of a fire truck with debris. Those incidents led to five arrests for obstructing a law-enforcement officer, disorderly conduct and intimidating a public servant. ...

Additional shows for Van Halen's first tour in more than 22 years — with original frontman David Lee Roth — have been added in Philadelphia (October 3); Detroit (October 20); and Washington, D.C. (November 1). Tickets for the previously announced gigs went on sale over the weekend, and fans snatched them up fast — sellouts were reported in at least five markets so far. ...

Pete Doherty — who was arrested on suspicion of drug possession in London early Monday morning — was released Tuesday because authorities didn't get him to court on time. The charge of breaching bail conditions that he was facing has been dropped as a result of the technicality. ...

The Jacksonville, Florida, chapter of the NAACP is protesting an editorial cartoon that criticized the "no snitchin' " street mantra and ran in the Friday edition of The Florida Times-Union. The image shows a black man wearing a "Don't Snitch" T-shirt, holding a smoking gun and standing over a gunshot victim. Behind him are two children, one a girl with dreadlocks who also wears a "Don't Snitch" shirt and says, "I didn't see nuttin'." In the cartoon, the man responds, "Now that's a good little ho." The comic, which is captioned "The new rule of law!," also has a billboard in the background with an image of a rapper holding a gun below the words "rap your life away," with BET and Warner Music Group called out at the bottom of the billboard. According to local TV affiliate NBC12, on Sunday, a Times-Union editorial-page editor apologized for the "bad judgment" in using the word "ho" in the cartoon. "The object of the cartoon was to comment on the rise of a no-snitching culture, something that is widely in the news today," Mike Clark explained.

08.20.07

Lily Allen had some choice dirty words for President Bush and U.S. immigration on Saturday during her performance at the V Festival in Stafford, England. "This next one is about people who are awkward on the train, U.S. immigration officials and George Bush in general," she said before the song "Everything's Just Wonderful." The outburst, in which she referred to Bush as a "f---ing c---," came just days after Allen was forced to scrap U.S. dates and an appearance at the Video Music Awards in light of the revocation of her working visa in the U.S. "I've been banned from America. That's nice. Oh well, that means I can't go back there. Good," Allen said, according to MTV UK. ...

Wanna hang in the recording studio with Timbaland? The winner of MTV's charity eBay auction will be flown to Las Vegas, stay at the Palms Casino Resort for three days (September 7-9) to check out the VMAs, and hit the Palms studio with the mega-producer as well. Other items up for bid include VMA gift bags, poker-table felt and other memorabilia. Head to the auction — all proceeds of which go to the Staying Alive Foundation, which helps young people fight AIDS and HIV — before it ends Monday (August 20). ...

Good news if you've been digging Talib Kweli's new collabo with Justin Timberlake, "The Nature" — the track will appear as a bonus on Kweli's Ear Drum, due Tuesday. ... "They gonna mix it with Biggie, it was all a dream!": Keyshia Cole's tour rolled through New York on Sunday, with the singer performing at the Nokia Theatre. As one of the highlights, she brought out Missy Elliott and Lil' Kim to perform their hit "Let It Go." Newcomer J. Holiday opened. ...

It's not exactly Lilith Fair, but Avril Lavigne, Fiona Apple and Sheryl Crow will anchor the first-ever Girlfrenzy, a daylong concert that will revolve around female artists and take place October 27 at Irvine, California's Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. Colbie Caillat, Antigone Rising and Sara Bareilles will also perform. ... The Friday premiere of "High School Musical 2" on the Disney Channel drew an estimated 17.2 million viewers, making it the most-watched basic-cable program in history. The first flick attracted 7.7. million in 2006, while the record was previously held by a "Monday Night Football" game that was watched by 16 million in 2006. ...

Gwen Stefani has stapled a seven-date West Coast leg onto her Sweet Escape tour. Sean Kingston will open for the singer when she hits Las Vegas (October 26); Tuscon, Arizona (October 29); San Diego (October 30); Stockton, California (November 1); Oakland, California (November 2); and Phoenix (November 8-9). ... Want to look just like Jessica Simpson? A recently launched e-commerce site, Seen On!, has more than 500 products associated with the actress. ...

We all know Kevin Federline the cocky rapper, but how about Kevin Federline the cocky rocker? That's the role Britney Spears' ex will play on the next season of "One Tree Hill" — he'll be the frontman of fictional band No Means Yes. ... Veronica Mars — er, Kristen Bell — is also doing the guest-appearance thing. She'll appear on a multi-episode arc on "Heroes" in October. ...

Dr. Dre is suing Death Row over the rights to his classic multiplatinum album, The Chronic. The producer/rapper (real name: Andre Young) filed a suit in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Los Angeles on Wednesday in which he claims he created, produced and was the primary performer on the album's master recordings. In 1992 — before the album's November release — Dr. Dre gave Death Row a license to distribute the LP in trade for royalties. Four years later, he gave up his 50 percent ownership interest in the label, agreeing to give it the copyright as long as he continued receiving royalties. In 2000, Dre told Death Row he was overturning the agreement and wanted the copyright back after the label failed to pay him royalties. In the new lawsuit, he says he made good on his part of the original, and that the label and the Chapter 11 trustee involved with the label's bankruptcy case are violating his rights as the owner of the copyright by continuing to distribute The Chronic without his authorization. Dre wants the bankruptcy court to declare that the 1992 and '96 agreements have been rescinded, and force the label and trustee to pay restitution and restore the copyrights to him. Lastly, he's asking for a permanent injunction that would prevent Death Row from offering the copyrights for sale in the future without his written approval. ...

Method Man has agreed to visit 15 New York high schools to warn students about the dangers of drugs as part of a plea deal he reached earlier this year on a marijuana-possession charge. The Associated Press reported that the "How High" star (born Clifford Smith) is thrilled to give the talks, according to his lawyer, who added, "he's never been in trouble before. He's not a stereotypical rapper." Meth was arrested May 17 after toll-booth workers on the Brooklyn, New York, side of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel reported smelling marijuana smoke coming from his SUV. ...

A motley crew of opening acts will help Bon Jovi christen Newark, New Jersey's Prudential Center on October 25-November 10. My Chemical Romance (October 25-26), Big & Rich (October 28 and 30), Gretchen Wilson (November 1 and 3), Daughtry (November 4 and 7) and the All-American Rejects (November 9-10) will help the NJ native sons do the honors. ... Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose will make a guest appearance on the debut solo album from former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach. Angel Down will hit stores November 20 and feature Rose on two tracks: "(Love Is) a B---hslap" and a cover of Aerosmith's "Back in the Saddle." ... The soundtrack to Rob Zombie's "Halloween" is set for release Tuesday and will feature 24 tracks, including Nazareth's "Love Hurts," Rush's "Tom Sawyer" and the Misfits' "Halloween II." ...

Pete Doherty was arrested on suspicion of drugs after being pulled over in a car with two other people in east London early Monday morning (August 20), following Babyshambles' Sunday performance at the V Festival. The three are in police custody at a London station. A magistrate warned Doherty earlier this month that he would face prison if he didn't prove that he was trying to stop using drugs. ... Emo rockers Piebald have called it quits. According to a statement from the band, the pop-punks will pack things up as soon as their current tour concludes September 7 in Englewood, Colorado. No reason was given for the breakup, but the statement claims, "This is a time of new beginnings, positive vibes and a congratulatory nod to the past. There has been talk of a few shows to give the band an official sendoff, but as of yet, those shows are not booked and unknown." ...

Police have charged some of the more than 80 people arrested during last week's Ozzfest stop at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey, with "unruly behavior in the mosh pit." The individuals were charged with assault if they flailed their arms or legs in a way that police felt would hurt others. Meanwhile, in the wake of the arrests and two deaths that occurred at the venue during the show, the PNC Bank Arts Center has announced a total ban on alcohol outside the venue, according to the New Jersey Star-Ledger. The first show affected, a Velvet Revolver gig Friday night, found most patrons refraining from the typical hard-charging tailgating that usually goes on in the parking lot before shows at the venue, which has seen 500 arrests this season. ...

Uncle Kracker gave a statement to People magazine about being arrested on a second-degree forcible-sex-offense charge in North Carolina on Friday. "It's regrettable that someone would make this kind of allegation, not only because it's not the kind of thing I'd do, as the father of three girls, it's the kind of thing that I wouldn't stand for," the former Kid Rock DJ and solo singer said. "Anyone can say anything about anybody but it doesn't make it true or correct. This is one of those cases. I'm saddened that anyone might think I'm capable of this sort of thing." Kracker (born Matthew Shafer), was arrested early Friday morning after an alleged incident at a downtown Raleigh nightclub called the Ess Lounge; he was released later that day on $75,000 bond. Saturday night, Kracker took the stage in his hometown during a show by pal Kenny Chesney to duet on the tune "When the Sun Goes Down."

• Van Halen 'Jump' Headfirst Into Reunion Tour

• Amy Winehouse
• Kanye West
• Justin Timberlake
• Foxy Brown
• Ben Lee

Lloyd Banks (file)
Photo: Appio

Roc-A-Fella had better watch its back: 50 Cent is developing a dynasty of his own.

With skills to match the G-Unit's main man, Lloyd Banks will follow in 50's footsteps by debuting at #1 on the next Billboard 200 albums chart. Last week Banks sold more than 433,000 copies of his debut, The Hunger for More, according to SoundScan figures released Wednesday (July 7).

And though as a collective, the G-Unit's Beg for Mercy debuted with fewer sales than either rapper's debut, considering it hit shelves at the same time as Jay-Z's The Black Album and Tupac's Resurrection, the 376,000 copies it sold is nothing to scoff at.

While certainly impressive — only five other albums had greater first-week sales in 2004 — Banks' draw can't touch that of 50, whose Get Rich or Die Tryin' moved more than twice that number after its first week in stores last year. Still, since then, no other hip-hop artist has had a better first week.

Banks' massive debut might surprise some, but the man himself is through being fazed with his success. "I didn't know, but 50 knew," Banks said. "He told me it was gonna happen, so I could be cocky and feel confident in every move we made. I never was shocked because it's hard to be shocked when somebody's telling you, 'We're gonna look to the corner and jump out and they gonna mob you and run up to you for autographs.' "

Usher's Confessions remains at #2 for a fourth consecutive week after selling more than 148,000 copies during its 15th week in stores. Brandy's Afrodisiac bows at #3 with more than 131,000 copies sold. The R&B singer's fourth album was produced mostly by Timbaland and includes the hit single "Talk About Our Love," which features Kanye West.

Lil' Wayne's fourth album, Tha Carter, makes a big splash at #5 with more than 116,000 copies sold. It's a notch higher than the perch his last album, 2002's 500 Degreez, sat upon after its first week, though that album sold some 25,000 more copies.

With their Curiosa touring festival less than three weeks away, the Cure land at #7 after selling more than 90,000 copies of their self-titled 13th album. The Dave Matthews Band's live CD/DVD The Gorge, the group's fourth concert album since its last studio LP, 2001's Everyday, caps off the top-10 debuts at #10, having sold more than 83,000 copies.

The rest of the top 10 finds Jadakiss' Kiss of Death dropping three to #4 (with more than 122,000 copies sold); the Beastie Boys' To the 5 Boroughs slipping three to #6 (91,000); Gretchen Wilson's Here for the Party moving from #6 to #8 (87,000); and the soundtrack to the country's top box-office draw, "Spider-Man 2," dropping two spots to #9 (84,000).

Country duo Big & Rich will continue their steady climb, placing at #13 with Horse of a Different Color, which enjoyed a 33 percent spike in sales last week. The pair's forward strides are offset by JoJo's stumbles. In her second week, the teen-pop singer's self-titled debut plummets from #4 to #17. That's still better to than the 57 percent hit taken by Wilco, whose A Ghost Is Born dives from #8 to #31.

Feedback, an eight-track covers EP by veteran prog-rockers Rush, takes the #19 spot, while Breaking Benjamin's second album, We Are Not Alone, lines up right behind at #20.

Other notable debuts include Atreyu's The Curse at #32; Slum Village's Detroit Deli: A Taste of Detroit at #37; Uncle Kracker's Seventy Two & Sunny at #39; Maroon 5's 1.22.03 Acoustic EP at #46; Akon's Trouble at #52; Goodie Mob's One Monkey Don't Stop No Show at #85; Midtown's Forget What You Know at #109; Earshot's Two at #127; and Tiger Army's Tiger Army III: Ghost Tigers Rise at #146.

For more on Lloyd Banks, check out the feature "Nipping At 50 Cent's Heels."

• Lloyd Banks
• Usher
• Lil Wayne
• Jadakiss
• The Cure

Brandy (file)
Photo: Appio

This week's bundle of new releases is ruled by R&B and hip-hop heavy hitters.

G-Unit member Lloyd Banks has made appearances on albums by Eminem, 50 Cent, Mobb Deep and Mya and was crowned the 2003 Mixtape Artist of the Year — all before releasing an album of his own. We'll see what his future holds after his solo debut, The Hunger for More, lands this week.

Brandy's fourth album, Afrodisiac, was produced by Timbaland and Kanye West. The LP deals predominantly with losing love (her divorce) and finding it (her new boyfriend, L.A. Clipper Quentin Richardson) and how each has made her stronger. New Orleans rapper Lil' Wayne weighs in with his fourth studio effort, Tha Carter, which follows the former Hot Boy's last disc, 2002's 500 Degreez.

On the rock front, British goth legends the Cure release their 13th studio album — self-titled, oddly enough — which is the band's first release since 2000's Bloodflowers. Things are looking brighter for Uncle Kracker, who proclaimed in 2002 that he was No Stranger to Shame. The rocker, who cut his teeth on the turntables behind Kid Rock, releases Seventy Two & Sunny this week. Kid Rock acted as executive producer, while Kenny Chesney and Poison's Bret Michaels lend vocals to select tracks.

Philadelphia's Burning Brides release their second album, Leave No Ashes, the follow-up to 2001's Fall of the Plastic Empire; Concrete Blonde release Mojave, the follow-up to 2002's reunion disc, Group Therapy; and Canadian rock staple the Tragically Hip release their 10th album, In Between Evolution.

Also out this week are new releases from Orange County punk veterans the Vandals (Hollywood Potato Chips), New Jersey punks Midtown (Forget What You Know), Arizona punks Authority Zero (Andiamo), Detroit rappers Slum Village (Detroit Deli: A Taste of Detroit), and Sweden's the Concretes (The Concretes).

Out Tuesday, June 29:

• Akon - Trouble (Universal)
• Alexisonfire - Watch Out (Equalvision)
• Atreyu - The Curse (Victory)
• Authority Zero - Andiamo (Lava/Atlantic)
• Baby Bash - Ménage a Trois (Empire Musicwerks)
• Lloyd Banks - The Hunger for More (G Unit/Interscope)
  Read: "Lloyd Banks: Nipping at 50 Cent's Heels"
• The Big Screen - Yours Today, Mine Tomorrow (Undecided/Victory)
• Brandy - Afrodisiac (Atlantic)
  Read: "Brandy Album Preview: Singer Opens Up On Afrodisiac — Or Does She?"
• Breaking Benjamin - We Are Not Alone (Hollywood)
• Burning Brides - Leave No Ashes (V2)
• Concrete Blonde - Mojave (Eleven Thirty)
• Concretes - The Concretes (Astralwerks)
• Cottonbelly - NYC Sessions 1993-2004: X Amounts of Niceness (Wrong/Red Dance)
• The Cure - The Cure (I Am/Geffen)
  Buy Now: The Cure (I Am/Geffen)
• Eric Darius - Night on the Town (Higher Octave)
• Dave Matthews Band - Live at the Gorge (RCA)
• Earshot - Two (Warner Bros.)
• Emerson Drive - What If? (DreamWorks Nashville)
• Forty-Fives - High Life High Volume (Yep Roc)
• From First to Last - Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Body Count (Epitaph)
• Goodie Mob - One Monkey Don't Stop No Show (Goodie Mob/Koch)
• IQ - Dark Matter (Inside Out)
• Jing Chi - 3D (Tone Center)
• Lafayette Gilchrist - The Music According to Lafayette Gilchrist (Hyena)
• L'Arc en Ciel - Smile (Tofu/Red Ink)
• Christopher Lawrence - All or Nothing (Kinky Beat/Pharmacy Electronic)
• Ramsey Lewis Trio - Time Flies (Narada Jazz)
• Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter (Universal)
• Jesse Malin - The Heat (Artemis)
• Eleni Mandell - Afternoon (Zedtone)
• Marah - 20,000 Streets Under the Sky (PHIdelity/Yep Roc)
• Melee - Everyday Behavior (Sub City)
• Midtown - Forget What You Know (Columbia)
• Kevin Moore - Ghost Book (Inside Out)
• Mr. Complex - Twisted Mister (Raptivism)
• Neurosis - The Eye of Every Storm (Neurot)
• Joe Nichols - Revelation (Universal South)
• Reverend Horton Heat - Revival (Yep Roc)
• Chris Robinson & the New Earth Mud - This Magnificent Distance (Vector)
• Nina Sky - Nina Sky (Universal)
• Slum Village - Detroit Deli: A Taste of Detroit (Capitol)
• Something for Kate - The Official Fiction (Red Ink)
• Squad Five-0 - Late News Breaking (Capitol)
• Stockholm Syndrome - Holy Happy Hour (Terminus)
• Swingin' Utters - Live in a Dive (Fat Wreck Chords)
• Gary Taylor - Eclectic Bohemian (Thump)
• Tiger Army - III: Ghost Tigers Rise (Hellcat/Epitaph)
• Time in Malta - Alone With the Alone (Equalvision)
• The Tragically Hip - In Between Evolution (Zoë/Rounder)
• Tres Chicas - Sweetwater (Yep Roc)
• Umphrey's McGee - Anchor Drops (SCI Fidelity/Hanging Brains)
• Uncle Kracker - Seventy Two & Sunny(Lava)
  Buy Now: Seventy Two & Sunny (Lava)
• Unearth - The Oncoming Storm (Metal Blade)
• Dave Van Ronk - ... And the Tin Pan Bended and the Story Ended ... (Smithsonian Folkways)
• Vandals - Hollywood Potato Chips (Kung Fu)
• Venomous Concept - Retroactive Abortion (Ipecac)
• Bobby Watson - Horizon Reassembled (Palmetto)
• Keller Williams - Stage (SCI Fidelity/KW Enterprises)
• Ray Wilson - The Next Best Thing (Inside Out)
• Dwight Yoakam - Dwight's Used Records (Koch)
• Various artists - "America's Heart & Soul" soundtrack (Hollywood)
• Various artists - BET Award '04 Nominees (UTV/UME)
• Various artists - "CSI: Miami" soundtrack (Hip-O/UME)
• Various artists - Hopelessly Devoted to You Vol. 5 (Hopeless)
• Various artists - "Edgeplay: A Film About the Runaways" soundtrack (Hip-O/UME)
• DVD: Pato Banton & Reggae Revolution - Spreading the Good News Live (Music Video Distributors)
• DVD: Hammerfall - One Crimson Night (2003) (Nuclear Blast)
• DVD: Kris Kristofferson - Breakthrough (Oh Boy)
• DVD: Placebo - Soulmates Never Die - Live in Paris 2003 (Astralwerks)
• DVD: Threshold - Critical Energy (Inside Out)

July 6:

• Poco - Indian Summer (Lemon Records)
• Runaways - Flaming School Girls (Cherry Red)
• Angie Stone - Stone Love (J Records)
  Buy Now: Stone Love (J Records)

July 13:

• Jimmy Buffet - License to Chill (RLG)
• Roots - The Tipping Point (Geffen)
• They Might Be Giants - Spine (Zoë)

July 20:

• Faces - Five Guys Walk Into a Bar (Rhino)
• Hives - Tyrannosaurus Hives (Interscope)
  Read: "Hives Album Preview: Out Of The Garage, Into The Laboratory"
• Ashlee Simpson - Autobiography (Geffen)
  Read: "Ashlee Simpson Is Not Trying To Be Like Her Sister"

• Lloyd Banks
• Brandy
• The Cure
• Lil Wayne
• Uncle Kracker

Uncle Kracker
Photo: MTV News

LOS ANGELES — Turns out that Uncle Kracker's no stranger to joy, either.

While 2002's No Stranger to Shame, featuring the melancholy smash single "Drift Away," lived up to its title, Stranger's follow-up will flip the mood.

"I'm gonna have a little more fun this time around," Kracker said recently. "The last record wasn't so fun, but this record will be, whether I like it or not."

Kracker spent a few weeks in December in the studio and plans to work on the album until January 22, when the Twisted Brown Trucker Band will launch its latest tour with Kid Rock in Michigan. The DJ's as-yet-untitled third solo album will be released in summer or fall. On June 3, he will join country star Kenny Chesney's Guitars, Tiki Bars + A Whole Lotta Love Tour through September 10, visiting mostly outdoor venues.

"I go in with a couple of ideas and then do everything else kinda on the fly, whatever feels good that day," Kracker said of his approach to recording.

Rock will stop by for some studio sessions, but where the music will end up is anyone's guess. Besides their respective solo careers, Rock and Kracker have also been working on a much-discussed side project (see ).

"We were working on this other [Butthole Surfers'] Locust Abortion Technician, Mr. Bungle-y kinda stuff, but it probably will never see the light of day," Kracker said. "But it's fun."

Between both of their studios, Kracker believes he and Rock are sitting on hundreds of unheard songs.

"What ends up on my records is ridiculous compared to what's sitting around," he said. "There's so much, it's almost a shame. But I think our kids, or somebody, will dig it later on."

Still, Rock recently discussed another Kracker-related side project.

"We would like to make an old-school hip-hop record," he said, "that fun old-school hip-hop I used to enjoy as a kid. Who knows when that'll happen? But I hope it does."

Would that project have any guest producers or rappers?

"Kracker talked about getting this great producer, Kid Rock, for the record," Rock deadpanned. "Then I talked about this great songwriter, Uncle Kracker. We thought we'd get those guys. Am I talking about myself in third person? Yes I am."

• Uncle Kracker

Britney Spears is getting closer to announcing a release date for her fourth album, but the NFL may have prematurely announced one for her. The NFL Web page promoting the singer's upcoming appearance at a September 4 season kickoff concert in Washington, D.C., noted in three places that Britney's upcoming album would drop November 18. Those mentions have since been removed, but Britney's official Web site, having long gone without an update, has new information on it this week, including a line about the album coming out in November. Spears' label, Jive, has yet to announce or confirm an official release date. ...Aerosmith, meanwhile, have been added to the NFL kickoff festivities. The Boston band joins Spears as well as previously announced performers Mary J. Blige and Aretha Franklin, who'll sing the national anthem. ...

If you've ever wondered why and how a song gets stuck in your head, psychiatrists at Dartmouth College now have an answer. A team led by Dr. Petr Janata have identified the rostromedial prefrontal cortex — it's the spot just below the middle of your forehead — as the site where long-term, short-term and emotional memories come together in a vicelike grip. The Dartmouth docs did MRI scans of blood flow in that area while playing scales for test subjects — scales that resembled, we presume, that damn hook from "Jenny From the Block." ...

Clay Aiken's debut album, due this fall, will be self-titled, according to his publicist, clearing up rumors of other names. ... What could be more exciting than seeing Uncle Kracker's face go round and round at 100 mph? Kracker and Franky Perez have teamed up with NASCAR, and two cars will race in the two-day Chevy Rock & Roll 400 emblazoned with the artists' likenesses, logos and album covers. The event takes place September 5 and 6 at the Richmond International Raceway, in Richmond, Virginia. Both artists will also perform trackside, along with Sugar Ray, Trapt and Hootie and the Blowfish. ...

Craigslist.org is a lot of things to a lot of people: message board, roommate finder, matchmaker, etc. And soon it can add "documentary" to its string of descriptors. "Craigslist: The Movie" traces the lives of people who posted listings for wants ranging from husband to backing band to poodle on one day, August 4. Director Michael Ferris, a San Francisco-based actor, hopes to enter the 90-minute movie into next year's Sundance Film Festival. Craigslist was started in 1995 by former programmer Craig Newmark. Since debuting in San Francisco, it now serves 23 cities and receives 1.2 million postings a month. ...

Metallica, Linkin Park, the White Stripes, Marilyn Manson, Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Used, Sum 41, Good Charlotte, Audioslave and Evanescence are just some of the bands nominated for the 2003 Kerrang! Awards. The ceremony will take place on August 21 in London. ... Hoobastank have announced dates for their club tour with Die Trying and Letter Kills. The new slate of shows starts in San Antonio, Texas, on August 20 and finishes up September 27 in Salt Lake City. ...

N.E.R.D., O.A.R., Talib Kweli and Slightly Stoopid have added a New York date to their Sprite Liquid Mix Tour — they will be performing at the Summerstage site in Central Park on September 13. ... String Cheese Incident are suing Ticketmaster for attempting to halt direct ticket sales to fans. A lawsuit filed Wednesday in Denver requests a court order barring the country's top concert-ticket retailer from anti-competitive practices. ...

S.T.U.N. will shoot their first video on Wednesday in Los Angeles for "Annihilation of the Generations." Joakim Ahlund, who helmed Refused's "New Noise" video, will direct. ... Milo is heading back into the studio. Seminal Los Angeles punks the Descendents are working on their sixth studio album, the follow-up to 1996's Everything Sucks, which they hope to release in March. Descendents offshoots All will also drop new records next year — two albums, in fact. The first will consist of all new songs, while the second will be composed of experimental instrumentals. ...

Female Japanese rock trio Shonen Knife have lined up their first Stateside trek in five years. The three-week jaunt, beginning October 8 in San Jose, California, and ending in Detroit on Halloween, is in support of their latest album, Candy Rock, which was released in Japan in May. Shonen Knife formed in 1981 and 10 years later toured the U.S., opening for Nirvana. ... Pop-rock quartet the Shins will drop their second album, Chutes Too Narrow, October 21. The follow-up to 2001's Oh, Inverted World will be preceded by first single "So Says I," to be released September 23. Following their performance at the annual Bumbershoot festival in Seattle on August 29, the band will begin a three-week tour in New York on September 2, and wrap things up in their hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, on September 24. ...

Blooze rockers Danko Jones are preparing to drop their second album, We Sweat Blood, October 6 overseas, with a North American availability expected shortly thereafter. The band is currently filming a video for the LP's first single, "I Want You," in their hometown of Toronto. Despite hailing from Canada, the trio do not have a North American label deal. They're signed to Sweden's Bad Taste Records. ...

08.06.03

A strange clash of artists is set to appear on the soundtrack to the vampire flick "Underworld," which hits theaters September 19. The Damning Well, the eclectic combo of former Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland, Filter's Richard Patrick, A Perfect Circle drummer Josh Freese and Nine Inch Nails' Danny Lohner, lead the charge with "Awakening," followed by the equally inventive teaming of David Bowie with Tool/APC's Maynard James Keenan and the Red Hot Chili Peppers' John Frusciante on "Bring the Disco King." The LP, due September 2, also features contributions from Skinny Puppy, Finch and Concrete Blonde's Johnette Napolitano. ...

Metallica and Missy Elliott both saw their albums earn multiplatinum status in the RIAA's most recent monthly distribution of awards. Luther Vandross, Madonna and Beyoncé all witnessed their discs go platinum, while Radiohead, Matrix Reloaded: The Album and the "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" soundtrack all went gold this month. Finally, Led Zeppelin's DVD collection of rare footage was certified 10-times platinum. ...

Lumbering guitar rockers Monster Magnet are currently in pre-production for their new album, tentatively titled Radiation Day. The disc will be recorded in Los Angeles and produced by Joe Barresi and frontman Dave Wyndorf and will be released in early 2004. ... After the Donnas' European tour, which begins September 22 in Hamburg, Germany, and ends October 17 in London, the ladies will begin working on a new album, due next year. ...

Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, who will both release albums on August 19, are hoping to promote their projects together. "Our ultimate dream is to be able to tour together," Simpson said recently. "It's hard in this business, when you're married, to make time for each other, so it would be nice." ... Probot, Dave Grohl's self-produced side project on which he plays the instrumentals while his favorite heavy metal frontmen belt it out, is now due sometime in November. The likes of Motörhead's Lemmy, Mercyful Fate's King Diamond and Soulfly's Max Cavalera have been working with Grohl on the project. ...

Raven-Symone, the former child star of "The Cosby Show," has recorded several songs with 3LW's Kiely Williams and Adrienne Bailon for the soundtrack to their upcoming Disney Channel movie, "Cheetah Girls," due Tuesday. Raven, who stars in her own Disney Channel show, is also in the studio now working on her third solo album. "I love the words of alternative, I love the feeling that you get when you listen to new soul, I love the popularity and head boppin' you get from R&B, so I wanna incorporate all of that," she said. ... Scottish band Travis will follow up 2001's The Invisible Band with 12 Memories in October. Their fourth LP will be preceded by the first single, "Re-Offender." ...

Eleven years after founding Phat Farm, Russell Simmons is at it again. The hip-hop mogul plans to launch another clothing line, called Def Jam University, in the spring. The men and women's sportswear collection will premiere at the annual Magic Marketplace trade show in Las Vegas, August 25-28. ... Mexican pop singer and actress Thalia Sodi also has a clothing, accessories, and housewares line bearing her name. The Thalia brand began arriving in Kmart stores last week. ...

Starsailor's "Silence Is Easy," one of the last songs the legendary Phil Spector produced before being arrested in connection with the murder of actress Lana Clarkson, will be released in the U.K. as a single on September 1. The song is the title track to the English band's second album, which will drop September 15 overseas and is tentatively scheduled for a January release in the U.S. ... Singer/songwriters Elvis Costello, Pete Yorn, Jesse Malin and Billy Bragg are a few of the artists contributing to the double album Light of Day: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen. Proceeds from the sale of the album, due September 2, will benefit the Parkinson's Disease Foundation (www.pdf.org) and the Kristen Ann Carr Fund, which grants money for cancer research and assists those suffering from the illness. ...

After they return from their European tour, the hyperkinetic Blood Brothers will kick off another U.S. tour. The launch is September 10 in Minneapolis, and dates run through October 17 in their hometown of Seattle. Cursive will open all shows. ... Hot on the heels of receiving two MTV Video Music Awards nominations for his video "Freetime," Kenna will be joining Fischerspooner on the road for their fall tour, which begins in September. Kenna's currently opening up for Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan. ...

Counting Crows will release a greatest-hits album showcasing the past 10 years of their music. After wrapping up their co-headlining tour with John Mayer in early September, the Crows will hit the studio to record some new cuts for the yet-untitled album. ... The John F. Kennedy Center has announced the recipients of the 26th annual Kennedy Center Honors. James Brown, actress Carol Burnett, country legend Loretta Lynn, director Mike Nichols and violinist Itzhak Perlman will be honored at the December 7 Honors Gala, which President Bush will attend. ...

On Tuesday, veteran DJ Keoki will release a new mix album, Keokiclash, featuring tracks from Felix Da Housecat, Chicks on Speed and others. Wilmer Valderrama, of "That '70s Show," plays Keoki in the upcoming movie "Party Monster," in theaters September 5. "It's amazing story, very twisted and dark," the actor said recently. ... Blackalicious' Gift of Gab, Jurassic 5's Cut Chemist and skateboarder Tommy Guerrero are featured on the latest solo album from Lyrics Born, of the San Francisco hip-hop duo Latyrx. Titled Later That Day, the project is due in September. ...

Verve Remixed 2, the follow-up to last year's collection of remixes of classic jazz tracks, is due September 9. The album includes Felix Da Housecat (Nina Simone's "Sinnerman"), Dan the Automator (Willie Bobo's "Fried Neckbones and Some Home Fries") and Miguel Migs (Ella Fitzgerald's "Slap That Bass"), among others. ... Beth Hart's follow-up to Screamin' for My Supper, which included the single "L.A. Song," is due October 21. The album is titled Leave the Light On, named after the first single, which is due at radio outlets in late August. ...

Gateway Inc. keeps stepping farther and farther away from only making personal computers. According to the Associated Press, Gateway is now selling its own portable digital music players at $130 with 128 megabytes of storage space, equaling about two hours of music in MP3 format. ...

• Britney Spears
• Clay Aiken
• Evanescence
• Talib Kweli
• Uncle Kracker

Metallica
Photo: Elektra

They can play faster, sound rougher, take an extended hiatus, and even lose a longtime member, and still Metallica can't seem to do any wrong in the eyes of their fans.

Despite an abbreviated sales week, St. Anger, Metallica's first album of new material in five years, sold more than 417,000 copies in its first week, according to SoundScan, to top next week's Billboard albums chart. When it became apparent that the songs had been leaked online before the original June 10 release date, Elektra Records pushed up the album's availability five days to June 5 (see "Metallica To Unleash Their Anger Earlier Than Planned").

The titanic metallers' previous albums Reload (1997) and Load (1996) also debuted at #1, with sales of 417,000 and 680,000, respectively. Their double covers LP, Garage Inc., came in at #2 in 1998, with sales of more than 426,000.

Newly tarted-up Jewel will follow Metallica at #2 with 0304. The shift to dance-pop on her fourth LP didn't change her first-week take that much, however. 0304's total of 143,000 is just 3,000 more than what its predecessor, This Way, pulled in its opening week two years ago.

Fans responded to Train's decree "Calling All Angels," allowing the band's third album, My Private Nation, to place at #6. The follow-up to 2001's double-platinum Drops of Jupiter sold more than 86,000 copies.

Train will be trailed on the chart by country quartet Lonestar, whose first greatest-hits collection sold more than 86,000 copies to come in at #7.

Featuring 50 rare and unreleased tracks from skate-punk scenesters such as the Used, Less Than Jake, Simple Plan, NOFX and others, the double LP Warped Tour 2003 will take the #21 spot; while Sugar Ray's In the Pursuit of Leisure will drop in at a disappointing #29. With its fifth album the band will make its poorest chart showing since its 1997 breakthrough LP, Floored. John Mellencamp's Trouble No More, consisting of covers of blues and folk tunes by Robert Johnson, Woody Guthrie and Son House, among others, will find a home at #31.

Albums that complete next week's top 10 are 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin', which moves a spot down to #3 (98,000) and cracks the 5 million mark in the process; Evanescence's Fallen, also taking a step back, at #4 (90,000); the soundtrack to "2 Fast 2 Furious," advancing three places to #5 (88,000) with a 13,000-copy boost to coincide with the film's release; the soundtrack to "Lizzie McGuire," slipping two spots to #8 (80,000); former top LP Led Zeppelin's How the West Was Won sinking eight places to #9 (75,000); and Kelly Clarkson's Thankful falling from #4 to #10 (74,000).

On the heels of their performance at the MTV Movie Awards, T.A.T.U.'s 200 KM/H in the Wrong Lane will make a significant leap forward. A medley that merged "All the Things She Said" with their latest single, "Not Gonna Get Us," helped almost double the album's weekly sales and push it from #127 to #71.

With the momentum of a cover of "Drift Away" featuring Dobie Gray, who himself had a top 10 hit with the song in 1973, Uncle Kracker's No Stranger to Shame has been advancing steadily up the chart. Having vacated placements in the #138 and #116 spots, the second solo album by Kid Rock's DJ will re-enter the top 100 at #92.

Other notable chart debuts include Ultimate Smash Hits, featuring contributions by Avril Lavigne, P. Diddy and Pink, at #55; Americana singer/songwriter Gillian Welch's Soul Journey at #107; Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan's solo debut at #127; Dolly Parton's Ultimate Dolly Parton at #130; and the Eels' Shootenanny! at #145.

• Metallica
• Jewel
• Train
• The Used
• t.A.t.U.

Uncle Kracker
Photo: Atlantic

Uncle Kracker is no stranger to the road. As a member of Kid Rock's entourage he's played with a who's who of alt-metal bands, and as a solo artist he's rocked the house with Sugar Ray and others.

So perhaps in an effort to keep things fresh and challenging, Kracker has booked a tour with Counting Crows.

Eleven shows have been scheduled so far, starting in Asbury Park, New Jersey, on November 12. Kracker's second album, No Stranger to Shame, came out September 24 and debuted at #43 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Counting Crows' latest, Hard Candy, came out July 9 and debuted at #5.

Uncle Kracker/Counting Crows tour dates, according to Lava Records:

• 11/12 - Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Park Convention

• 11/15 - Lowell, MA @ Tsongas Arena

• 11/17 - Ithaca, NY @ Cornell University

• 11/19 - Toledo, OH @ SeaGate Convention Center

• 11/20 - Oxford, OH @ John D. Millett Hall

• 11/22 - Columbus, OH @ Ohio State University

• 11/23 - East Lansing, MI @ Michigan State University

• 11/25 - Minneapolis, MN @ Northrop Auditorium

• 11/29 - Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theatre

• 11/30 - St. Louis, MO @ Fabulous Fox Theater

• 12/10 - Universal City, CA @ Universal Amphitheatre

• Uncle Kracker

Elvis Presley
Photo: EPE, Inc

Although Elvis Presley "left the building" for good some 25 years ago, the King has made his way back into record stores in a big way.

Elvis 30 #1 Hits, a best-of compilation featuring such favorites as "Hound Dog," "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Jailhouse Rock," as well as JXL's remix of "A Little Less Conversation" that became a World Cup hit in the U.K. this summer, will grace the top of next week's Billboard 200 albums chart after having sold more than half a million copies its first week in stores, according to SoundScan figures released Wednesday (October 2). Contrary to the advertising slogan attached to the album, "Before anyone did anything, he did everything," Presley never had an LP debut in the #1 position on the albums chart ...until now. The King's collection also reigned supreme on charts in 16 other territories, including the U.K., Canada, France, Australia, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates.

Elvis' return will keep the Dixie Chicks' Home at the #2 position, with weekly sales of more than 133,000 copies, and Avril Lavigne's Let Go at #3, totaling at 124,000 copies. The current #1 album, Disturbed's Believe, will drop three spots to #4, having sold more than 117,000 copies, less than half of its previous chart-topping total.

India.Arie's second album, Voyage to India, will make its chart debut at #6, with more than 109,000 in sales. The neo-soul diva's follow-up to last year's Acoustic Soul was met with high expectations and its first single, "Little Things," apparently didn't come up short.

Post-modern poster boy Beck will land at #8 with his seventh album and first in almost three years, Sea Change, while Peter Gabriel's Up, the successor to his soundtrack to the Australian indie film "Rabbit-Proof Fence," which was released in April, will make its chart debut at #9. Nas' The Lost Tapes, composed of hardly stale leftovers from 1999's I Am ... and last year's Stillmatic, will find itself at #10, with more than 70,000 copies sold in its first week out.

Nelly's Nellyville will take a step back to #5 and Eminem's The Eminem Show will take two to #7 to round out the top 10.

The deepest dives in next week's top 20 come courtesy of Ludacris' posse Disturbing Tha Peace, whose Golden Grain will drop six spots to #12, and Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 10, which will move the same distance down to #20. 

Spiritual MC Pastor Troy's fifth album, Universal Soldier, will represent the Dirty South at #13, with more than 52,000 copies sold, while the soundtrack to "Brown Sugar," which features contributions from Mos Def, Common and the Roots, who also appear in the film about the hip-hop industry, will enter the chart at #18.

Ryan Adams' Demolition, the improper follow-up to last year's Gold, will place at #28. Constructed of songs from unreleased studio sessions following the recording of Gold, Demolition, featuring first single "Nuclear," moved more than 27,000 copies.

Kid Rock DJ Uncle Kracker's No Stranger to Shame, his second solo album, will come in at #43, thanks to first single "In a Little While," whose video features Kracker's friend and labelmate Willa Ford.

Lifehouse's Stanley Climbfall did more falling than climbing after debuting last week at #7. The band's follow-up to 2000's No Name Face will drop 23 spots to #30, while its weekly total was cut by approximately 65 percent, from almost 75,000 to more than 26,000.

Enrique Iglesias' Quizas also shows a tremendous lack of staying power, as the Spanish-language album will plummet to #52 with a 19,000 weekly tally, after debuting at #12 with more than 48,000 copies sold. A reissue of John Mayer's first EP, Inside Wants Out, doesn't fare much better. After fans without it snatched up enough copies for a #22 debut, it will slide down to #86.

Other notable chart debuts include country star Travis Tritt's Strong Enough at #27; Jackson Browne's first studio LP in six years, Naked Ride Home, at #36; Queen's three-disc best-of Greatest Hits I, II & III: The Platinum Collection at #48; the soundtrack to "Once More With Feeling," the musical episode of TV's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," at #49; dark-side troubadour Steve Earle's Jerusalem, featuring the controversial "John Walker's Blues," at #59; Chicago's double album The Very Best Of: Only the Beginning at #63; Southern rappers UGK's fifth album, Side Hustles, at #70; firearm-fixated Tech N9ne's Absolute Power at #79; the "Sweet Home Alabama" soundtrack, featuring Jewel covering Lynyrd Skynyrd's title track and a new song from Avril Lavigne, at #97; "Jackass" affiliates CKY's Infiltrate-Destroy-Rebuild at #99; B-Legit's confessional Hard 2 B-Legit at #111; Bonnaroo Music Festival 2002, a live LP captured during this summer's jam-band festival, at #117; trance duo Underworld's A Hundred Days Off at #122; former Old 97's frontman Rhett Miller's Instigator at #126; rootsy rockers Tonic's Head on Straight at #141; Primus bassist Les Claypool's solo foray, Purple Onion, at #145; and nü-metallers Project 86's third album, Truthless Heroes, at #146.

• Elvis Presley
• Dixie Chicks
• India.Arie
• Beck
• Nas

Uncle Kracker Flipbook

• Uncle Kracker