Whitney Houston's <i>I Look To You</i>
Photo: Sony BMG

After seven years off the charts, Whitney Houston has proven she's still got it. The R&B diva will debut at #1 on next week's Billboard 200 albums chart with her comeback album, I Look to You. The LP notched 305,000 in sales last week (and 6,000 copies were sold before its official release), a strong showing that handily outperformed 2002's Just Whitney, which managed just 205,000 in its first week for a #9 debut.

There is plenty of company in the top 10 this week for Houston, according to numbers provided by Nielsen SoundScan, with five other debuts. Trey Songz comes in at a solid #3 with Ready (131,000). The Juggalos came out for makeup rappers Insane Clown Posse, whose Bang! Pow! Boom! is #4 (50,000). Hard-rockers Chevelle have a respectable debut at #6 with Sci-Fi Crimes (46,000), rapper Pitbull pulls into #8 with Rebelution (41,000), and emo rockers the Used hit #10 with Artwork (35,000).

Other than that, the rest of the top 10 is mostly unchanged: Miley Cyrus climbs up a notch to #2 with her Wal-Mart exclusive EP Time of Our Lives (153,000); Colbie Caillat drops four spots to #5 with her second album, Breakthrough (47,000); Kings of Leon bump down three spots to #7 with the still-strong Only by the Night (45,000) and Taylor Swift's equally indomitable Fearless holds at #9 (35,000).

Just outside the top 10, the Black Eyed Peas' The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies) falls to #11 (34,000) as it passes the platinum mark three months after its release. Classic rockers the Black Crowes land at #12 with their double live/studio disc Before the Frost ... Until the Freeze (32,000), and Young Chris debuts at #19 with Man I Want to Be (26,000).

It was a brief sojourn in the top 10 for English alt-popster Imogen Heap, whose Ellipse shed nearly 70 percent of its first-week business to drop 24 spots to #29 (15,000). The Josh Homme-produced third effort from the Arctic Monkeys, Humbug, got the cold shoulder, as it dropped more than 60 percent from its debut, swooning 35 spots to #50 in week two (10,000). And rapper Beanie Sigel's Broad Street Bully didn't have much punch, debuting at #77 (6,000).

Next week's charts should be on fire, with the chart debut of the Beatles reissues, Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3, and new ones from Boys Like Girls, Raekwon and Phish.

• Whitney Houston Previews I Look To You

• Whitney Houston Performs On "Good Morning America"

• Whitney Houston
• Trey Songz
• Chevelle
• The Used
• Pitbull

Bow Wow and Omarion at the 2007 Teen Choice Awards on Sunday
Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

There were surfboards and gleeful squeals aplenty Sunday night at the Teen Choice Awards — not to mention a whole lot of plugging going on from the stars MTV News caught up with on the red carpet at the event, which took place in Universal City, California. "American Idol" champ Jordin Sparks let it be known that even though she plans to record the majority of her yet-untitled debut after she wraps the Idols Live Tour at the end of September, she's still hoping to have it in stores on November 20. Actress Emmy Rossum promises that her upcoming album Inside Out will package "ambient pop ... in a really sexy, new and fresh way," and Bow Wow and Omarion said that their upcoming album Face Off will be a guest-star-heavy good time: "We just left Chicago, working with R. Kelly, and we still got to work with T-Pain, Timbaland, Lil Ronnie (who produced 'I'm a Flirt'), so we're definitely bringing the noise," Bow Wow said. "We got the chance to give people what they want: There's been a drought in the music, there hasn't been a lot of fun in music, so with the videos and everything, we're gonna do that." ...

(Catch up with Fergie, Bow Wow, Omarion, Jordin Sparks, Emmy Rossum and more at the Teen Choice Awards in these video clips.)

Vincent "Don Vito" Margera saw his first court date on two counts of sexual assault on a child once again pushed back on Monday (August 27) — to October 22. But the news wasn't all positive for Bam Margera's uncle, as he was hit with 12 counts of violating his bail-bond conditions. Pam Russell, a spokesperson for Colorado's Jefferson and Gilpin County district attorney's office, confirmed that each unspecified violation is a felony, but said she was not allowed by law to provide specifics on how Margera is alleged to have violated his bail. A hearing on the bond-violation charges is slated for September 5. Margera, 51, has been out on $50,000 bond since last year, when he was charged in the incident that allegedly involved inappropriate contact with two underage girls at a promotional event in Colorado. He was ordered to return to his home in Pennsylvania, submit to random urine tests, have no contact with children under 18 and supply his bond supervisor with his itinerary if he travels for business. Margera's attorney could not be reached for comment. In addition to a maximum of six years in prison on the assault charges, The Associated Press reported that he could face up to 18 months in prison for the bail violations. ...

Britney Spears' and Kevin Federline's lawyers appeared at a last-minute hearing on Monday to discuss a Department of Child and Family Services child-abuse investigation and the former spouses' child-custody battle. According to a Los Angeles Superior Court clerk, the hearing was closed to the public and held in the judge's chambers, with documents on both sides filed soon thereafter. The documents remain sealed while the judge determines whether they may be released to the public. According to a source in Federline's camp, he could end up with temporary custody of his two children with Spears, Sean Preston and Jayden James. There's no word yet on who filed the complaint that prompted the DCFS investigation, the third the pop singer has faced since having children — the first was prompted when she was photographed driving without a car set for Sean Preston, the second when the child fell out of his high chair. The custody battle will continue September 4. ...

In the meantime, Spears' former manager Larry Rudolph doesn't want to be involved in the child-custody dispute for fear that he might have to reveal certain information about the singer, People reports. Ryan Seacrest said on his "On Air With Ryan Seacrest" radio show on Monday morning that he was in contact with Rudolph over the weekend and that the lawyer "doesn't want to have to go under oath and talk about certain things that might hurt [Spears]." In related news, the singer was cleared by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals after questions were raised about a leg injury sustained by Spears' Yorkshire terrier. The group said Spears had been cooperative and that the dog received proper medical attention. ...

Authorities unearthed the remains of two more dogs that had been buried in the backyard of DMX's residence in Cave Creek, Arizona, and discovered a half-pound of what they believe to be illegal narcotics, Maricopa County sheriff's office spokesman Captain Paul Chagolla told MTV News on Monday. At a press conference on Saturday, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said more information regarding the raid will be released Tuesday. ...

Nick Bollea, Hulk Hogan's 17-year-old son, was discharged from a hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Monday morning after being involved in a car accident the previous evening. Police said Bollea, who was featured in VH1's "Hogan Knows Best" reality series, was driving his Toyota Supra at a high speed along state Route 60 when he lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a raised median at 7:30 p.m. in Clearwater. The car reportedly flipped over, and the rear of the vehicle collided with a palm tree. Bollea and one of his car's passengers, 22-year-old John Graziano, were airlifted to the Bayfront Medical Center following the crash. The nature of both Bollea's and Graziano's injuries was not immediately known, but a police spokesperson characterized them as serious. Graziano remains under the hospital's care in critical condition. Alcohol is not believed to have played a role in the accident, but police continue to investigate the crash. No criminal charges have been filed. "My son Nick and a friend were involved in a car accident last night," Linda Hogan said in a statement reportedly obtained Monday by TMZ.com. "Nick suffered minor injuries and has been treated and released from the hospital. At this time, his friend John Graziano remains hospitalized. Nick is currently at the hospital with John and his family. His sole concern is for the well-being of his friend. On behalf of my family, we ask that your thoughts and prayers be with John and his loved ones." ...

The White Stripes have a full fall ahead, as they plan to continue to back their recent Icky Thump LP with additional touring. But that's not stopping the tireless Jack White from giving some love to his other project, the Raconteurs, as well. He and bandmate Brendan Benson posted a humorous and slightly enigmatic exchange on their band's Web site on Monday morning, letting slip a few details about the follow-up to last year's Broken Boy Soldiers. "The 'Teurs have a lot of new songs in the works people, the writing and structure of them has dissipated and reinvigorated and many times over since we came home from our last shows," the post read. "The new songs are coming together strong, I hate to even attempt to describe them." ...

The Cure have put the brakes on their planned September/October tour in North America, deciding instead to push it to April/May. "The schedule as it stands only gives us a couple of weeks to finish our new double album before we hit the road again, and we know this just isn't enough time to complete the project to our total satisfaction," the band said in a statement posted on its site, TheCure.com. Tickets purchased for the originally scheduled shows will be honored. ... Phil Spector's top lawyer, Bruce Cutler, announced Monday that he is leaving the case due to a "difference of opinion between Mr. Spector and me on strategy," according to AP. Spector later told reporters that it was his decision for the attorney to leave, saying Cutler "shouldn't do the closing argument because it wouldn't be in my best interest to stay on. He agreed. ... I thought he would be a target with the judge and prosecutors and that he wouldn't be taken as seriously as he should. With his television show, he wasn't here as much as he should have been." Defense lawyer Roger Rosen is taking over as Spector's top lawyer. Also on Monday, the defense called two witnesses — Lana Clarkson's friends Jennifer Hayes-Riedl and Elizabeth "Punkin Pie" Laughlin — to reiterate their testimony. Defense lawyers also started showing jurors e-mails recently extracted from the hard drive on the deceased actress' computer. In the messages, Clarkson detailed her depression over her acting career and turning 40, and wrote about her use of pain pills and alcohol. ...

Madonna and her family are planning to head back to Israel in September — and this time Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher and possibly Bruce Willis are expected to go participate in the trek, The Jerusalem Post reports. The celebrities will join thousands of Kabbalah Center students for the 10-day High Holiday pilgrimage, which begins with Rosh Hashanah (September 12-14) and ends with Yom Kippur (September 21-22). The paper reports that the press will be asked to keep its distance from the celebrities after Madonna — who only plans to go to the first few days of the event — was hounded by media when she made a similar visit three years ago. ... Kevin Smith is no stranger to TV — from subbing for Roger Ebert on "Ebert & Roeper" to cropping up on "Veronica Mars," he's definitely made his presence known on the small screen. Now the "Clerks" director is set to helm episodes of "Heroes: Origins" — a spinoff of the action show — "Reaper" and "Battlestar Galactica." Smith told AOL TV he's especially excited about "Battlestar": "It's cool, but it is scary because it is like, 'What the f---?' I can't bring anything to that show." ...

Matt Costa is putting off his second album a bit longer — Unfamiliar Faces, produced by No Doubt's Tom Dumont, has shifted to January 15. But the California singer/songwriter is staying busy — he's tacked onto his schedule a handful of dates opening for Modest Mouse: Monday (Portland, Oregon); September 10 (Salt Lake City); September 14 (Santa Barbara, California); and September 15 (Las Vegas). ... Rousing indie-rockers the Hold Steady and Art Brut are ganging up for NME's Rock 'N' Roll Riot Tour, which will hit the States this fall for the first time. The run stretches from an October 21 gig in Providence through a November 21 concert in New York. ... My Bloody Valentine are close to signing a deal that would reunite the seminal shoegazer band for a performance at next year's Coachella in April — and a subsequent tour to boot, TheDailySwarm.com reports. The band hasn't been active for a dozen years, but reports have suggested that a new album might be in the works.

08.24.07

Jordin Sparks doesn't have a name for her debut album yet, but she's got a release date set in stone: November 20. In anticipation of the 19 Recordings/ Jive disc, the "American Idol" champ drew back the curtains on her first single on Friday, debuting "Tattoo" on AOL's Pop Eater blog. The track hits radio Monday. Sparks told The Associated Press that the effort was partly modeled after one of her own idols, Kelly Clarkson — but that she's a bit nervous to be following in the wake of Clarkson and Carrie Underwood's success. "They've risen the bar so high and I'm like, 'I hope I can reach it,' " she said. "Hopefully [my LP will] sell well and people will like it." ...

The runner-up to Sparks, Blake Lewis, is following suit — he just signed to 19 Recordings/ Arista and is planning to drop his first album late this year as well. Hit-maker du jour J.R. Rotem is already on board for the effort. ...

It's no McDonald's parking-lot tour, but Missy Elliott will be featured in a new Doritos ad campaign debuting September 17, Billboard.com reports. In the clip, she is seen working on a new song and snacking on Doritos Collision, different-flavored chips that spur her to fuse a little country into her hip-hop track. A contest to be held on SnackStrongProductions.com will allow visitors to create their own mash-ups using Elliott's track, although the prizes have yet to be determined. The site also features a help section in which Elliott will give tips. ...

Listen up, punk-rockers: Unreleased and rare tracks by Panic! at the Disco, Gym Class Heroes, the Used, Cute Is What We Aim For, Sparta, Head Automatica and more fill up Press Play: Volume 1, a new comp that was put together by Photo Finish and Alternative Press. A portion of the proceeds from the September 25 release will go to the Keep a Breast Foundation, a nonprofit organization that fights breast cancer. ...

The Disney Channel will air a special dance-along version of "High School Musical 2" on September 8 at 8 p.m. ET, People reports. Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens and other castmembers will instruct viewers on how to mimic their dance moves during the opening and closing numbers. ... Russell Simmons has stepped down from his post as CEO of Phat Fashions, the company he founded in 1992 that spawned Phat Farm clothing. "I leave the division and the brand in great hands. There are so many things I want to achieve, and this is the appropriate moment for me to move on to my next business venture," the hip-hop mogul said in a statement. ...

Mos Def is sounding off about José Padilla, the Guantánamo detainee who was convicted earlier this week of supporting terrorism. "We all know the history of insufficient evidence or testimony under duress — at the very least, legal circumstances that demand some sort of reinvestigation ... basically saying these people are not the criminals they're being made out to be," he told The Associated Press on Thursday. Mos Def will participate this weekend in the 10th annual Black August benefit concert at New York's Nokia Theatre. The event serves to create awareness about people who its organizers, the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, believe have been unfairly convicted — Talib Kweli, Saigon and Dead Prez are also on the bill. ...

Music, martial arts and chess ... how could members of the Wu-Tang Clan not be involved? RZA and GZA are participating in the Hip-Hop Chess Foundation's first-ever Chess Kings Invitational, set for October 13 at the San Francisco Design Center. The rappers will talk on the tournament's Life Strategies panel about how music, martial arts and chess — activities the organization uses to promote nonviolence — have affected their lives. ...

Muse have plotted a handful of September dates with Juliette and the Licks: Seattle (September 9); Portland, Oregon (September 10); Orem, Utah (September 12); Dallas (September 16); Morrison, Colorado (September 18); Mesa, Arizona (September 20); and Irvine, California (September 21). Muse will also hit the San Diego Street Scene on September 22. ... Ben Kweller just squeezed out a new seven-track live EP, Ben Kweller: Live and Solo at the Artists Den, that was recorded December 13 at New York's Solo House. The disc of rarely performed songs is available now at digital outlets. ...

System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian will shoot a video for "Praise the Lord, Pass the Ammunition," from the rocker's solo debut, Elect the Dead, at an undisclosed venue in Hollywood next week with director Greg Watermann (Mudvayne, Lamb of God). Extras are needed for the video — those interested in auditioning can e-mail Watermann at serjvideo@gregwatermann.com. ... The track list for Thrice's upcoming LP The Alchemy Index: Vols. I & II - Fire & Water has been revealed. Fire will boast six cuts, including "The Messenger," "Backdraft" and "Burn the Fleet"; Water will also contain six tunes, among them "Open Water," "Night Diving" and "Kings Upon the Main." Look for the discs to hit stores October 16. ...

A writer/producer who worked on "In Living Color" and created Nickelodeon's "Roundhouse" is suing the Walt Disney Company, claiming it stole his idea for "Hannah Montana," Reuters reports. In the suit, Morris Taylor "Buddy" Sheffield says he pitched Disney Channel executives the idea for a kids' show about a high school student who leads a secret life as a pop star. Sheffield also claims Disney could owe him and his production company millions in lost profits and damages, and he wants compensation for legal fees. A Disney Channel spokesperson told the news service the network had no comment. ...

Kirsten Dunst's penthouse suite at a hotel in Manhattan, New York, was robbed earlier this month, according to court records obtained by AP. Thieves got away with a $13,000 handbag, cell phone, $2,500 in cash, an iPod, two digital cameras and ID cards belonging to the actress, who had been in the city to shoot scenes for her upcoming flick "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People." One suspect was arraigned Wednesday on burglary and grand-larceny charges, and is being held on $50,000 bond. ...

Hellyeah — the band featuring members of Mudvayne, Pantera and Nothingface — are on the hunt for a dozen women they'd like to act as their "Hellyeah girls." The winners will be featured in the band's 2008 calendar — to enter, contestants need to post an audition video to Break.com and send a link to the clip to hellyeahtv@gmail.com. ... The Dillinger Escape Plan will headline a U.S. tour this fall set to kick off October 4 in Cleveland, Ohio. Just five dates have been confirmed, but more will be announced in the coming weeks. The trek will also feature A Life Once Lost, Behold ... the Arctopus and Genghis Tron. Dillinger's forthcoming LP, Ire Works, lands in stores November 13. ...

The resurrected Jesus & Mary Chain are heading back to the studio to record their first studio album in nine years. The band will also treat four West Coast cities to more concerts: Las Vegas (October 20); Anaheim, California (October 22); Los Angeles (October 23) and San Francisco (October 26-27). ... Queen guitarist Brian May has finished his doctorate in a crazy little thing called astrophysics — he was awarded his Imperial College qualification on Thursday in London. May had been an astrophysics student before joining the band 37 years ago but dropped out as Queen became successful. His thesis? "Radical Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud." ...

Ted Nugent is at it again. The controversial right-wing rocker went on a profanity-spewed tirade at a concert last week, according to video footage posted on LiveLeak.com. With machine guns in his hands, a camouflaged Nugent yelled, "Obama, he's a piece of sh--, and I told him to suck on my machine gun. ... And then I was in New York. I said, 'Hey Hillary, you might want to ride one of these into the sunset.' " He also went off on Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer before saying, "Any questions?" and shouting, "Freedom!"

• Bow Wow, Omarion, Fergie At Teen Choice Awards
• DMX's House Raided; 12 Pit Bulls Removed

• Fergie, Lauren Conrad, Chingy, Kelly Clarkson, More On The 2007 Teen Choice Awards Red Carpet

• Bow Wow
• Omarion
• R. Kelly
• The White Stripes
• Raconteurs

T.I.
Photo: Evan Agostini/ Getty Images

T.I. candidly discusses his relationship with the mother of his kids, Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, in the August issue of Vibe, which is set to hit newsstands next week. The Atlanta rapper confirmed to MTV News in May that he and Cottle had broken up, but the couple have since reconciled and, as T.I. put it in the Vibe interview, "she means to me what my mother meant to me as a kid." He added, "Somebody that you know is consistently there, has your best interests at heart, and if ain't nobody else there in the world, [she] gon' be there. [Tiny's] filled that spot in my life." ...

Have Britney and Kevin's divorce proceedings hit a snag? People reported that a source close to Federline told the magazine K-Fed is holding off from signing the final papers because he is concerned about Spears' recent behavior. The couple reached an agreement in March that would extend their current arrangement of joint legal and physical custody of their two sons. But the source told People that reports of Spears partying post-rehab have spurred Federline to make sure that the divorce arrangement would make it easier for him to potentially limit her access in case her behavior troubles him in the future. ...

Japanese kids sporting witch costumes and waving magic wands checked out the Tokyo premiere of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" on Thursday. "Japanese fans are the best!" said Daniel Radcliffe, who was cheered by the masses, The Associated Press reported. ...

Eve was sentenced to three years' probation and ordered to wear an electronic-monitoring device after pleading no contest to a DUI charge on Thursday (June 28), according to "Entertainment Tonight." She must also go to 10 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and enroll in a three-month alcohol program. The monitoring device tests for alcohol intake on an hourly basis. ...

Phil Spector was weaker than actress Lana Clarkson, who could have shot him more easily than he could have shot her, forensics expert Vincent DiMaio testified on Thursday in the music producer's murder trial, AP reported. DiMaio said Clarkson probably fired the gun in "a spontaneous reaction of some sort. Stupid. Based on alcohol." Deputy District Attorney Alan Jackson grilled the defense witness for more than two hours, accusing him of "cherry-picking" and "manipulating" facts. Pointing at Spector, DiMaio said, "Look at Mr. Spector. He has Parkinson's features. He trembles." ...

Beastie Boys have stretched out their upcoming tour in support of The Mix-Up, adding extra gigs in Boston (August 5), New York (August 10), Denver (August 17), Los Angeles (August 20) and San Francisco (August 24). ... Cartel are also shipping out for a trek surrounding their eponymous August 21 CD. The band shoves off from Chicago on August 20 and sticks to the tarmac until an October 10 gig in Charlotte, North Carolina. ...

Wyclef Jean, Cassie, Michael Strahan, James Blunt, Leonardo DiCaprio and a host of other celebs joined club and restaurant proprietor Unik Ernest on Wednesday night to celebrate his birthday at Gin Lane and PM in Manhattan, New York. The festivities, sponsored by Fed Ex and Klipsch Audio, kicked off with a private dinner and auction for Ernest's foundation, Edeyo. For the auction, Tommy Hilfiger donated tickets to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Dream Concert he, Russell Simmons, Quincy Jones and others will be staging at Radio City Music Hall on September 18 — the event will feature Stevie Wonder, Robin Thicke and more. After that, DJ Juske took over at the afterparty, where Steve Nash, Rebecca Gayheart and Phillip Bloch were spotted. ...

Johnta Austin has penned tracks for everyone from Mariah Carey to Enrique Iglesias, and now he's getting some payback via guests on his first-ever solo release, Ocean Drive. Mary J. Blige — whose "Be Without You" collaboration with Austin and others earned them a Grammy — partners with him on "Hood Love"; Jadakiss lends support on "Turn It Up"; and DJ Unk spots Austin on the album's first single, "Video." ...

Korn's Family Values Tour is expanding with a second stage, set to feature Five Finger Death Punch, Invitro, Twin Method and other to-be-announced acts. It will also host a "Guitar Hero II" competition, with eight finalists facing off in each city the trek hits. The tour embarks July 20 in St. Louis and ends September 2 in Irvine, California. ... The Used have been forced to pull out of their remaining June shows and all their July shows, including a Warped Tour run, while singer Bert McCracken has surgery on a node on one of his vocal cords. According to a post on the band's Web site, in addition to the surgery, McCracken's doctors have advised him to rest without singing, after which he is expected to make a full recovery in about five weeks. The band hopes to hit the road again in September. In the meantime, the Used have launched a new application on their homepage that allows fans to make a ringtone out of any song on their three studio albums. ...

Coheed and Cambria have reportedly recruited the Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins to play drums on their new album, No World for Tomorrow. The band is working on the LP with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has worked with the Foos in the past. The album, which is set for release this fall, is the last chapter in the ongoing saga of Coheed and Cambria Kilgannon, the main characters in a story that wraps all the band's concept albums into one. ... Robert Plant has dismissed rumors that Led Zeppelin will play a one-off reunion show for a memorial concert honoring Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, who passed away late last year. Reports have insisted that Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones would enlist John Bonham's son Jason for the gig — they recruited him for Atlantic's 40th anniversary gig in 1988 — but Page claims he hadn't heard anything about the rumored reunion, adding, "If there was one, then there wouldn't be enough doctors to support it." ...

Depeche Mode singer David Gahan is readying his second solo album. Hourglass is due to land in stores this October and follows 2003's Paper Monsters. The album will be more electronic than his first effort, and Gahan said the music exudes an "urgency ... and a feeling of spontaneity." ... Who knew Michael Moore and Sacha Baron Cohen were mutual admirers? In an interview with AP, the "Sicko" director said Baron Cohen told him at the Toronto International Film Festival that Moore had given him the courage to carry out his confrontational antics through his Borat character. "If he says I was an inspiration for those things, I now have to up the ante for him," Moore said. ...

A federal grand jury indicted former boy-band mogul Lou Pearlman on five bank-fraud charges on Wednesday, claming that he defrauded a bank out of $20 million. AP reported that Pearlman was indicted on three counts of bank fraud, and single counts of mail and wire fraud, for allegedly getting millions in bank loans using documents from a fake accounting firm. He is expected to be transferred from California to Florida in two weeks to face the charges. ... Even Apple's competitors are getting in on the iPhone action. eMusic, the second-biggest digital-music service behind iTunes, has cheekily offered Apple boss Steve Jobs a free lifetime subscription to its service for his new iPhone. The move came as a thank you for Jobs' recent decision to remove digital-rights management software from some of iTunes' offerings; all of eMusic's songs are DRM-free. Also, in honor of Friday's iPhone unveiling, eMusic is offering 35 free tracks to anyone who signs up for a trial run of their service at eMusic.com/phone.

06.27.07

Usher has more than just a new album on his plate — he's about to become a father for the first time. In a statement the singer and his fiancee Tameka Foster issued to The Associated Press on Wednesday (June 27), the couple said: "We are extremely excited at this point in our lives planning our wedding and the joy that comes with expecting our first child together. We hope people will be happy for us and respect our privacy during this happy period in our lives." The baby, which is due in the fall, will be the fourth child for recently divorced stylist Foster. ...

Ready to Scream? Dates have been announced for this year's Screamfest, which will feature T.I., Ciara, Yung Joc, Lloyd and T-Pain. The jaunt begins August 3 in New Orleans, continues through the rest of the month and ends with a pair of shows September 1-2 at Universal City, California's Gibson Amphitheatre. ...

Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Barack Obama phoned in to New York hip-hop radio station Hot 97 on Wednesday to chat it up with jock Angie Martinez on her afternoon show. Although the Illinois politician didn't waver too far from his campaign platform — better education, better health care and more jobs — he did reveal his musical playlist. "I'm old-school and generally I'm more of a jazz guy," he told Martinez. "But having said that, I'm current enough that on my iPod I got a little bit of Jay-Z, a little bit of Beyoncé. A little bit. I don't want to pretend I know as much as my [children]. I'm falling behind rapidly." ...

Fall Out Boy, Jennifer Lopez, Fergie, and Usher will perform at the fourth annual Fashion Rocks concert, which is scheduled for September 6 at Radio City Music Hall as part of New York Fashion Week. "Entourage" star Jeremy Piven will host the event, which will also feature appearances by Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood, Alicia Keys, Avril Lavigne, Ludacris and more. ... Andre 3000 is dropping a batch of songs Tuesday — but don't expect to hear him singing all of them. The Outkast member picked 14 songs he wrote and produced for "Class of 3000" — the Cartoon Network show that revolves around Sunny Bridges, a character he voices — and bundled them for the soundtrack. The tracks feature the voices of kids and characters from the series, including Bridges. ...

It was diva night Tuesday at the BET Awards, where "Dreamgirls" co-stars Beyoncé and Jennifer Hudson each took home two trophies. B won Best Female R&B Artist and Video of the Year for "Irreplaceable," and Hudson snagged Best New Artist and Best Female Actress. Ne-Yo won Best Male R&B Artist, Gnarls Barkley got Best Group, T.I. again won Best Hip-Hop Artist and "The Last King of Scotland" star Forest Whitaker won Best Male Actor. Other winners included Ludacris (for his collabo with Mary J. Blige, "Runaway Love"), Birdman and Lil Wayne (Viewer's Choice for "Stuntin' Like My Daddy") and Diana Ross (Lifetime Achievement). The show also featured tributes to James Brown and Gerald Levert, as well as performances by Hudson (with Jennifer Holliday), Erykah Badu, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland with Eve and 50 Cent. ...

The sheriff who was criticized for briefly allowing Paris Hilton to leave jail for house arrest explained his actions just hours after Hilton was released from jail on Tuesday. According to a Reuters report, Sheriff Lee Baca suggested that he made the controversial move because he feared for Hilton's life. While he did not explicitly say Hilton had been in danger of harming herself, Baca said, "I think we all in this room know something about suicide. As the sheriff of this county, I'm not going to let any inmate die in our jails if I know something that can be done that solves the medical problem. ... What's worth more? Serving time in the county jail for driving on a suspended driver's license or a person losing their life?" A spokesperson for Hilton would not comment on Baca's remarks. ...

A former medical examiner testifying for Phil Spector's defense said Wednesday that Lana Clarkson was an aging actress who was out of work and battling depression and health problems — and that after studying her e-mails, medical records and other evidence, he concluded her death was a suicide. Vincent DiMaio said Clarkson had broken her wrists in an accident in 2002; that she had been taking Vicodin; that she wrote to one of her doctors that she "was at the end of her rope and could not function"; and that she noted in an August 21, 2002, day planner entry, "First sober day." DiMaio also debated the prosecution's reconstruction of Clarkson's death on Wednesday. He disagreed with the contention that bruises on her tongue were caused by a gun being forced into her mouth, saying expanding gases from the gunshot were the likely cause. He also refuted the notion that Clarkson's body had been moved, presumably by Spector; DiMaio argued that the pressure of gunshot gases can cause a body to move after death. ...

The lineup for the free Live Earth show on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will include Lenny Kravitz, Pharrell, Macy Gray and a host of homegrown talent. Meanwhile, the gig planned for Istanbul, Turkey, has been axed, reportedly due to a lack of interest and too few sponsors. One of the event's co-founders, former Vice President Al Gore, has announced that he will attend the New Jersey leg of the worldwide environmental awareness event on July 7. ... Shadows Fall will be playing a not-so-secret MySpace Secret Show Thursday at Pearl Street in Northampton, Massachusetts. The bill also features the Probates, the Uncomfortables and Hot Black. ...

Morrissey has canceled concerts this week in Northampton, Massachusetts, and Philadelphia due to a throat infection. A half-hour into his show in Boston Tuesday night the singer was unable to continue performing — he had already explained to the crowd that he was ill, saying, "Unfortunately it will not just be the emotions cracking tonight but my voice as well." His tour is scheduled to resume Saturday night in New York. ... In addition to a slate of U.S. dates in support of his self-titled 2006 album, Ben Kweller has announced a three-night run at Southpaw, in Brooklyn, New York, during which he'll play a different record straight through each night. It will be Sha Sha on July 30, On My Way on July 31 and Ben Kweller on August 1. ...

Foxy Brown, who was cited for missing a probation meeting on Friday, showed up four hours late for a probation meeting Tuesday. According to New York's Daily News, the rapper arrived with five bodyguards and, in a move that riled other ex-cons, was hustled in and out by security guards helping her avoid photographers. ... Don't go to your doctor saying you have "video game addiction" symptoms just yet. On Wednesday, the American Medical Association chose a milder measure over a previously prepared report that would have encouraged the term to be included in a manual of psychiatric witnesses, according to AP. "While more study is needed on the addictive potential of video games, the AMA remains concerned about the behavioral, health and societal effects of video game and Internet overuse," AMA President Dr. Ronald Davis said. "We urge parents to closely monitor children's use of video games and the Internet."

• T.I. And Twista Grill Up Smokin' Summer Clips

• Beyoncé, 50 Cent, Jennifer Hudson, More At The 2007 BET Awards
• "Dreamgirls"

• T.I.
• Wyclef Jean
• Cassie
• Usher
• Coheed and Cambria

Maroon 5
Photo: Octone

Last week, Linkin Park's Minutes to Midnight usurped Norah Jones' Not Too Late as the year's best-selling first-week performer, with sales clocked at nearly 623,000 — a tough total to top. And this week, although Maroon 5 gave it the old college try, their It Won't Be Soon Before Long didn't quite make the grade — although its 429,500 copies sold did top Jones' first-week total of 405,000, becoming 2007's second-best-selling debut.

It Won't Be Soon Before Long is Maroon 5's second LP and its first to debut at the top of Billboard's weekly albums sales chart, according to the latest SoundScan totals. The band's debut, 2002's Songs About Jane, failed to chart in its first week in stores, but has sold more than 4.3 million units to date, powered by the group's relentless touring. Maroon 5 ran away with next week's coveted title, despite competition from the Prince of Darkness himself (Ozzy) and Young Jeezy's latest project, USDA, which features partners in crime Slick Pulla and Blood Raw.

Ozzy Osbourne's Black Rain enters the chart at #3, having sold close to 152,000 copies during its initial week at retail, and is followed at #4 by Young Jeezy Presents USDA: Cold Summer, which scanned around 95,000 units. (Ozzy's 2001 LP Down to Earth bowed at #4 with 152,500 sold, while 1995's Ozzmosis sold 127,000 copies to also open at #4.) Another newcomer to this week's chart — of which there were a total of 19 — closes out the week at #5 on sales of 92,000: the latest from Utah punk outfit the Used, Lies for the Liars (kinda funny to have USDA and the Used right next to each other on the chart).

Sandwiched at #2 between Maroon 5 and Ozzy is last week's #1, Linkin Park's Minutes to Midnight, which suffered from a 68 percent second-week sales slump but still racked up another 197,700 in sales. Climbing four places to #6 this week is the self-titled debut from "American Idol" season-five finalist Chris Daughtry's eponymous rock troupe, selling more than 74,000 copies; the disc enjoyed a 45 percent spike in sales, probably boosted by the singer's appearance on the show last week. Michael Bublé's Call Me Irresponsible falls four spots to #7 with 62,000 copies scanned, while Carrie Underwood's Some Hearts returns to the top 10, climbing four positions to #8, also with an assist from her "Idol" performance. Avril Lavigne's Best Damn Thing drops to #9 with sales of 48,000, and rounding out the top 10 is Ne-Yo's Because of You.

With 34,700 copies leaving the nation's music stores this week, the Hans Zimmer-helmed soundtrack to "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" makes its Billboard debut at #14, while Trill Entertainment Presents: Survival of the Fittest, a compilation album featuring the work of rappers Foxx, Lil' Boosie and Webbie, bows at #17. The Bravery's new one, The Sun and the Moon, opens at #24, having scanned around 21,800 copies, and checking in at #40 with 14,500 sold is the Beach Boys' retrospective set The Warmth of the Sun.

Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong's solo offering A Poet's Life claims the chart's #59 slot with 10,600 units snatched up — which is quite impressive when you consider the entire effort was made available for free download prior to the CD release. Meanwhile, right behind Tim at #60 is the latest from Christian rockers Hillsong United, All of the Above. Amber Pacific's Truth in Sincerity debuts at #64, selling to the tune of nearly 10,000, and opening at #68 is the National's Boxer, with around 9,400 sold.

Rapper Ca$his' County Hound EP bows at #106 on 6,700 copies sold, and coming in at #127 is Erasure's Light at the End of the World, which scanned more than 5,800 units. Hip Hop Lives, a collaborative album from KRS-One and producer Marley Marl, enters the chart at #140, selling 5,100 and change, while Joan "One of Us" Osbourne's Breakfast in Bed comes in at #160 on sales of 4,500. At #193, with 3,800 copies scanned, is the third installation in the Ultra Weekend compilation series — a two-disc set featuring the remixed likes of Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, Pink, Tiësto and Danity Kane. And lastly, coming in at #195, is the latest from R&B thrush Amel Larrieux, Lovely Standards, which sold 3,700 units in its first week on store shelves.

• Maroon 5: What Sophomore Slump?
• MTV News RAW: Maroon 5
• MTV News RAW: Linkin Park

• Maroon 5
• Linkin Park
• Ozzy Osbourne
• Young Jeezy
• Norah Jones

Fall Out Boy's <I>Infinity on High</I>
Photo: Island Def Jam

It's been a slow year so far for rock fans, with a best-of Unwritten Law CD and new Shins effort among the most prominent releases so far in 2007. Now it's finally time to strap on the guitars: With nary a rapper in sight — save Jay-Z, who drops a verse on the new Fall Out Boy album — this week is all about the rock.

Doing It Up Right: Say what you will about Fall Out Boy, but they sure do know how to sweeten a deal. In the wake of their Infinity on High being leaked online, the band promised to reward fans who actually buy the set with online access to a live EP, Leaked in London, that was just recorded January 29. But the pop-punk princes aren't stopping there: A limited-edition deluxe digipak comes with five tarot cards and an exclusive booklet cover, while fans who preordered have been treated with an exclusive pack of five buttons.

Party On: Believe it or not, there's actually a second-degree connection between FOB and this week's other heavyweights, Bloc Party. Infinity on High features guest guitar licks by Ryan Ross of Panic! at the Disco — last year, Bloc bailed from a tour with that same band. The sophomore hipsters are feeling less generous than FOB, though: Fans who preordered A Weekend in the City have received only a bonus remix of the song "The Prayer," and the CD itself is frill-free. The album — which lead singer Kele Okereke has called "the living noise of a metropolis" — includes "Song for Clay (Disappear Here)," "Hunting for Witches" and "Waiting for the 7.18."

Get Used To It: One of the most annoying ways record labels try to make an extra buck is by releasing a band's live CD and DVD separately — sometimes at different intervals and sometimes without warning. On that count, fans of the Used have nothing to worry about: The pop-punk group's Berth contains both the CD and DVD versions of its 2005 headlining show in Vancouver, British Columbia. Better yet, the Used have stuffed the package with videos, making-of features and clips of them answering fan questions — and if you order Berth through TheUsed.net, you'll get a T-shirt too.

Snoop Dogg piped up a month ago with a new cut on the "Arthur and the Invisibles" soundtrack, and now he's contributing a fresh slice to another musical companion disc — albeit to a slightly different type of movie. The alternately funny and gory "Hood of Horror" — its tagline is "It ain't all good in da 'hood" — stars the rapper alongside choice B-actors Ernie Hudson and Danny Trejo. Snoop chipped in "Welcome to the Hood" for the soundtrack, which also includes his "Shake That Sh--" (featuring Young Walt, Terrace Martin and Tiffany Foxx), plus selections from Cool & Dre, Al Kapone and, bizarrely, blues-rock fiends the North Mississippi Allstars.

They Do Not Rock: But if your ears are ringing from all the rock and roll this week, don't worry: There are some lower-volume alternatives, as always. "High School Musical" darling Ashley Tisdale — who made history as the first female artist to debut two songs simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 — proves how Headstrong she is with her new LP. Fans who got a head start and ordered through AshleyMusic.com have been gifted with an autographed copy of the disc and a sticker pack.

Someone else who is decidedly not rocking is Jessica Simpson hero Patty Griffin, whose Children Running Through trots out R&B- and gospel-inflected tracks including "Up to the Mountains (MLK Song)," "Burgundy Shoes" and "Someone Else's Tomorrow." Griffin gets a boost from Emmylou Harris on "Trapeze."

Also toning things down is ex-Gus Gus lead singer Daníel Ágúst, whose Swallowed a Star was crafted with Madonna remixer Bix and features mild, bleep-y tunes. U.K. trio Fujiya & Miyagi take it one step further with Transparent Things, which is heavy on kraut and other electronic sounds, and was named after a Vladimir Nabokov novel.

Comp'd: This week also sees the release of a litany of compilation CDs, some slightly more freakish than others. While you're likely to find Yes, I'm a Witch filed in the CD bins under "O," the Yoko Ono collection was largely crafted by other artists. Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips, Cat Power and Antony scooped up chunks of previous Ono recordings — mostly her vocals — and spliced them with new musical tracks. Also participating are the Apples in Stereo, who drop their own New Magnetic Wonder LP this week — the album is the first one distributed through Elijah Wood's Simian Records.

The long-winded but self-explanatory 8-Bit Operators: The Music of Kraftwerk Performed on Vintage 8-Bit Video Game Systems is another odd tribute of sorts, blipping and bleeping its way through 15 chestnuts by the electro-kraut pioneers. The roster involves an array of international artists who have delved deep into the genre also known as "chiptune" or "bitpop."

Unlike those tributes, Brian Wilson actually participated directly in a salute to himself that was staged by MusiCares, a group that helps people in the music industry with financial and medical assistance. Everyone and their mother turned up for the 2005 event, and their renditions of classic Wilson/ Beach Boys cuts are captured here: the Red Hot Chili Peppers tackle "I Get Around," John Legend re-creates "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times," the Backstreet Boys reinterpret "When I Grow Up to Be a Man," and more. Wilson helps cap the show by running through "Pet Sounds," "Heroes and Villains" and three more numbers.

Polishing off this week's batch of bizarre comps is A Date With John Waters, a set of 14 love songs handpicked by Mr. "Pink Flamingos" himself. Claiming to go "back to the first record Waters ever shoplifted, 'Tonight You Belong to Me' by Patience and Prudence," the album also encompasses selections by Ike & Tina Turner and Ray Charles, as well as the more obscure Elton Motello and Eileen Barton, the latter of whom appeared in a long list of Waters flicks. And no, the disc doesn't come with a chicken.

Song Title of the Week:

"They're Not Horses, They're Unicorns" from Bayside's The Walking Wounded

Other Notables:

Aereogramme's My Heart Has a Wish That You Would Not Go: The fourth album by the Scottish ensemble doesn't sound all that much like the band's previous releases — instead of alternating big blasts of distorted guitar with introverted, mellow passages, this effort is much more even-tempered. That's largely because a nasty throat infection left singer Craig B mute for a portion of the recording session, which took place in Glasgow. The band can't take credit for the powerful album title, though: It's a line from William Peter Blatty's book "The Exorcist" that didn't make it to William Friedkin's big-screen version.

Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter's Like, Love, Lust & the Open Halls of the Soul: Jesse Sykes's career has an enormous span, what with her having once been a member of alt-country commandos Whiskeytown but more recently collaborating with the likes of doom-noise metallers Boris and Sunn0))). Her latest with backing band the Sweet Hereafter is their third outing, and it continues the minimalist approach forged with 2002's Reckless Burning and 2004's Oh, My Girl. Scandinavian singer/songwriter Nicolai Dunger lends a hand, but the entire effort was produced by Decemberists collaborator Tucker Martine.

The Makes Nice's Candy Wrapper & Twelve Other Songs: In yet another example of a musician doing the unexpected this week, Josh Smith of Bay Area stoner-metal faves the F---ing Champs and Drunk Horse has come up with ... an R&B album? Recalling the Zombies and Small Faces, Smith gangs up with Aaron Burnham — who graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a music degree — and software engineer Jack Matthew for the 13-track opus. Trans Am's Phil Manley, who is also a member of the F---ing Champs, helped the band record Candy Wrapper.

New Releases:

· Aereogramme - My Heart Has a Wish That You Would Not Go (Sonic Unyon) [Buy Now] · Daníel Ágúst - Swallowed a Star (One Little Indian) · Angels & Agony - Unison (Metropolis) · Animal Collective - People (EP; Fat Cat) [Buy Now] · The Apples in Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder (digipak; Simian/ Yep Roc/ Elephant 6) [Buy Now] · Backyard Tire Fire - Vagabonds and Hooligans (digipak; O.L.E.) [Buy Now] · Bayside - The Walking Wounded (Victory) [Buy Now] · Peter Bjorn and John - Writer's Block (with bonus CD; Almost Gold) · Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City (Vice/Atlantic) [Buy Now] Read: "After Failed Panic! At The Disco Tour, Bloc Party Look Ahead To New LP" · Stefano Bollani - Piano Solo (ECM) · Belinda Carlisle - Voila (with bonus CD; Rykodisc) · Car Bomb - Centralia (Relapse) [Buy Now] · Jason Michael Carroll - Waitin' in the Country (Arista Nashville) · The Cat Empire - Two Shoes (Velour) [Buy Now] · Clouds - Legendary Demo (Hydra Head) · Danny Cohen - Shades of Dorian Gray (Anti-) · The Colour - Between Earth & Sky (Rethink) · Dead Child - Dead Child (EP; Cold Sweat) · Dear and the Headlights - Small Steps, Heavy Hooves (Equal Vision) · The Dexateens - Hardware Healing (Skybucket) · Elliott Brood - Ambassador (Six Shooter) · The End - Elementary (Relapse) · Fall Out Boy - Infinity on High (limited-edition digipak with tarot cards due same day; Island) [Buy Now] Read: "Jigga What? Fall Out Boy Get A Hand From Jay-Z On Infinity" · Fat Freddy's Drop - Based on a True Story (Quango) · Ruthie Foster - The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster (Blue Corn) · Fujiya & Miyagi - Transparent Things (Deaf Dumb & Blind) · Goldfrapp - Ride a White Horse EP (enhanced; Mute) [Buy Now] · Patty Griffin - Children Running Through (ATO) Read: "Kelly Clarkson's 'Favorite Person' Is On Jessica Simpson's Playlist Too" · Ernie Halter - Congress Hotel (Rock Ridge) · Rickie Lee Jones - The Sermon on Exposition Boulevard (digipak; limited deluxe edition with bonus CD due same day; New West) · Sondre Lerche - Phantom Punch (Astralwerks) · Little Brazil - Tighten the Noose (Mt. Fuji) · Lonely, Dear - Lonely Noir (Sub Pop) · Love Arcade - Love Arcade (enhanced; Atlantic) [Buy Now] · The Makes Nice - Candy Wrapper & Twelve Other Songs (Frenetic) · Eleni Mandell - Miracle of Five (digipak; Zedtone) · David Martin - Something in Your Eyes (Astonish) · Mnemic - Passenger (digipak; Nuclear Blast) · Phonograph - Phonograph (Arclight) · Pornopop - And the Slow Songs About the Dead Calm in Your Arms (Dynamophone) · The Postmarks - The Postmarks (Unfiltered) · Jordan Pruitt - No Ordinary Girl (with DVD; Hollywood) · John Reuben - Word of Mouth (Gotee) · Secret Mommy - Plays (Ache) [Buy Now] · The Tierney Sutton Band - On the Other Side (Telarc) · Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter - Like, Love, Lust & the Open Halls of the Soul (Barsuk) · Ashley Tisdale - Headstrong (Warner Bros.) · Titan - A Raining Sun of Light and Love for You & You & You (Tee Pee) · The Used - Berth (live CD with DVD; Reprise) [Buy Now] Read: "The Used Hate Los Angeles But Love To Write About It" · Tyrone Wells - Hold On (Republic) · Keller Williams - Dream (digipak; Sci Fidelity) · Winning - This Is an Ad for Cigarettes (Ache) · Various artists - 8-Bit Operators: The Music of Kraftwerk Performed on Vintage 8-Bit Video Game Systems (Astralwerks) · Various artists - "Hood of Horror" soundtrack (Chime Entertainment) · Various artists - Ono: Yes, I'm a Witch (Astralwerks) · Various artists - Take Action! Volume 6 (digipak with DVD; Hopeless/ Sub City)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· Arab Strap - Ten Years of Tears! (Chemikal Underground) · Barenaked Ladies - Barenaked Ladies Are Men (enhanced; Desperation) [Buy Now] · Freddie Jackson - Greatest Hits (Capitol/EMI) · Monty Python - Another Monty Python Album, Monty Python's Life Of Brian, Monty Python's The Meaning Of Life and Monty Python's Previous Record (Virgin/EMI) · Public Enemy - Fight the Power! Greatest Hits Live! (with DVD; Pyramid) [Buy Now] · Rhino Bucket - No Song Left Behind and Pain & Suffering (Acetate) · The Sleeping - Believe What We Tell You (with bonus DVD; Victory) · Sun Kil Moon - Ghosts of the Great Highway (with bonus CD; Caldo Verde) · Teddybears - Soft Machine (Big Beat) · Various artists - A Date With John Waters (New Line) · Various artists - Celebrate! Songs of Praise (Sony Urban/Legacy) · Various artists - "Romeo+Juliet" soundtrack (Capitol/EMI)

Music DVDs:

· Apocalyptica - "The Life Burns Tour" (Red Ink) · Crowbar - "Live: With Full Force" (Candlelight) · Deep Purple - "Deep Purple's In Rock: The Essential Albums of All Time" (Classic Rock Legends) · Bob Marley - "Music in Review" (Classic Rock Legends) · Pink Floyd - "Pink Floyd's Atom Heart Mother: The Essential Albums of All Time" (Classic Rock Legends) · Paul Weller - "Hit Parade" (Yep Roc) · Various artists - "Liberation: The Songs of the New Cuban Underground" (Petrol) · Various artists - "MusiCares: A Tribute to Brian Wilson" (Eagle Vision) · Various artists - "Romeo+Juliet: Music Edition" (Capitol/EMI)

Coming Attractions:

February 13: · Gerald LeVert - In My Songs (Atlantic) · Bobby Valentino - Special Occasion (Def Jam) Read: "Bobby Valentino Asks Sean Garrett, Rodney Jerkins To Attend Special Occasion" · Lucinda Williams - West (digipak; Lost Highway)

February 20: · Calla - Strength in Numbers (Beggars Banquet) · Kittie - Funeral for Yesterday (X of Infamy) · Various artists - Kidz Bop 11 (Razor & Tie)

February 27: · Beck - The Information (deluxe-edition reissue; Geffen) · Fabolous - From Nothing to Something (Def Jam) [Preorder] Read: "Fabolous Opens Up About Shooting Incident; Hooks Up With Jeezy, Ne-Yo" · Slim Thug & Tha Boss Hogg Outlawz - Serve & Collect (Koch)

• Fall Out Boy: Behind The 'Scene' Clip

• Fall Out Boy
• Bloc Party
• The Used
• The Apples in Stereo
• Bayside

The Used's Bert McCracken
Photo: Warner Bros.

Sometimes, being a fish out of water offers a more comprehensive view of the outside world. For the past two years, the Used's frontman, Bert McCracken, has been living in Los Angeles, and while he hasn't exactly been enamored with the city of artifice and entertainment, he has found the environment creatively inspiring.

"I've had a good look at how people think in comparison to almost the whole rest of the world and it's so ridiculous, it's given me tons of song ideas," the Utah native said. "I don't even feel like a fish out of water here, I feel like something that doesn't belong in the water, like a polar bear swimming for safety. I don't know why everyone thinks Los Angeles is a dream come true."

McCracken's contempt for Tinseltown and its surroundings triggered the lyrics for songs like "Pretty Handsome Awkward" and "Liar, Liar," which will appear on the Used's still-untitled new record. That effort is due in March, about a month after the release of their live CD/DVD package, Berth. For the studio LP, the singer is also planning to tackle hypocritical politicians, the general insincerity of mankind, and greed and backbiting within the music business.

"If I wasn't in the music industry, I wouldn't be so upset with the state of honesty in the world today, I don't imagine," McCracken reasoned. "If I worked at Subway, I think I'd be pretty stoked about just making people's sandwiches because I'm sure people wouldn't say, 'Heyyyyyyy,' and tell a big fat lie about how great their sandwich is."

In addition to being lyrically abrasive, McCracken says the album will also be the band's heaviest offering. "There's more screaming on this record than past records," he said. "I think you could also say it's a different type of aggression. Instead of asking somebody if they want to see something, [we're] just shoving it in their face and letting them have a good look."

From everything McCracken has said, fans could be forgiven for assuming the new disc will be another blazing dose of screamo, but the singer insisted that's not even close. In fact, emo, screamo and metalcore are three styles specifically excluded from the eclectic album.

"We wanted to say [no] to the genre of music that's eating us all alive right now — emotional screamo," McCracken said. "We want to establish ourselves as something brighter than just this dimly lit singled-out genre that's going to fade away in a couple years. We're just rock kids. We can't help what we've been influenced by, but we can help create something new and keep music fun and not take ourselves so seriously with all sorts of concept ideas. So this is just a good rocking record with tons of licking guitar riffs and tons of good lyrics encompassing everything from what's going on in the world to these sh--ty remake movies that we're seeing."

For someone who seems so anti-Hollywood, McCracken has been spending a fair amount of time trying to break into the film industry. He hopes to play at least a bit part in a movie after the Used finish this year's Taste of Chaos tour, which runs from February 15 in Everett, Washington, to April 6 in Calgary, Alberta. The bill also features 30 Seconds to Mars, Senses Fail, Aiden, Saosin, Evaline and Chiodos.

"I was actually offered a role in that [Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor] movie 'Crank,' " McCracken said of his early efforts to land a movie role. "But I was in Australia and couldn't do it, so [Linkin Park singer] Chester Bennington got my part, which I think is freaking hysterical."

Even when he is on the road, McCracken will continue to work on a screenplay about the best friend he had while growing up in Orem, Utah. He hopes to have it finished and submitted to various outlets by year's end.

"It should be hilarious and grotesque," he said. "The dude's name is Bubba, and he's had the craziest life of all time. For example, we were hiking in American Fort Canyon and we came across a rattlesnake, so we shot it and killed it. We took it home and then he milked the venom out of the snake with a rubber glove and a mason jar and Bubba sliced his arm open and took a Q-tip and put the venom from the snake in his arm to try to trip out. He's like, 'If I start to die, take me to the hospital.' ... This kid should have been dead 50 times but he's still alive."

• The Used

NOFX's El Hefe at the 2006 Vans Warped Tour
Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images

For years, the biggest knock on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has been its unwillingness to recognize the contributions of artists that fall outside the standard definition of, well, "rock and roll."

In recent years, the Hall has taken steps to rectify the problem. The list of 2006 inductees included punk pioneers the Sex Pistols and Blondie, proto-metallers Black Sabbath and forward-thinking jazznick Miles Davis (see "Metallica Thud, Blondie Feud At Rock Hall Of Fame Ceremony"). And now an even more unlikely group of artists will be allowed inside the hallowed Hall: a bunch of sweat-stained and sunburned punks — or, more specifically, their guitars, Converse All Stars and hairspray.

Starting in January, an exhibit honoring Warped Tour — the longest-running touring rock festival and summertime celebration of piercings, Manic Panic and all types of punk rock — will display gear, clothing and various ephemera donated by the hundreds of artists that have graced Warped's many stages over the years.

"It's a great honor for the Hall to recognize the success of Warped, and I know it's a special thing for a lot of the bands," Warped founder Kevin Lyman told MTV News. "So many of them have donated their personal gear, because they realize how great this is. A lot of them have kids now, and so they looked at it like, 'Well, I don't know if I'll ever get into the Hall, but now at least my guitar will.' "

New-school acts like My Chemical Romance, New Found Glory and Gym Class Heroes all contributed items, as did a host of punk stalwarts, including NOFX, the Dropkick Murphys and the Bouncing Souls. And in keeping with the spirit of the tour, the list of donated items is particularly punk — from the Murphys' bagpipes and Anti-Flag's sneakers to a customized Millencolin beer bong.

"When we first reached out to Kevin about making this exhibit happen, we wanted to recognize the significant contributions Warped has made to the state of rock and roll," Todd Mesek, a spokesperson for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, told MTV News. "We wanted to explore just what the fest means and how it has developed so many artists. And so we set out to collect as many artifacts as we could from the past 12 years."

The Warped exhibit is scheduled to open sometime in late January at the Rock Hall's permanent home in Cleveland, and Lyman told MTV News that he's in the early stages of planning a show to coincide with the opening (the Used and Paramore are already on board to play, he said). And when the exhibit wraps — which should be sometime in June — the Hall plans to seal all the donated items in a special time capsule, which will be reopened in 25 years.

(Click here for a look at what goes on behind the scenes at the summer's craziest punk-rock circus.)

• Warped Tour 2006 Photos

• My Chemical Romance
• New Found Glory
• Gym Class Heroes
• NOFX
• Dropkick Murphys

The Used
Photo: Warner Bros.

When the Used's most recent album, In Love and Death, hit stores in September 2004, Fall Out Boy were just a bunch of kids from Chicago, My Chemical Romance were in their "Gerard-is-chubby" phase and Panic! at the Disco were still a Blink-182 cover band.

Needless to say, things have changed.

Now, as the Used gear up for the release of their still-untitled third album (due in early 2007), they find themselves no longer at the forefront of the emo/Warped/MySpace/whatever punk revolution. Which is perfectly fine with them.

"I don't really understand the scene today," bassist Jeph Howard laughed. "I mean, I love My Chem — we used to tour with them all the time, so I'm stoked for them and I'm really excited to hear their new album. But I don't think any of us are really into a lot of those other bands. In all respect to them, I personally don't like their music.

"I mean, we were doing pretty good for a while there," he continued, considering his band's impact on the scene. "We were on the radio a lot more than our friends' bands, and that sucks that some of them didn't get as big as they should have. So you never can tell what's going to happen. And, really, I don't have any idea about how our new record will do. But if we don't sell as many copies, that's OK with me."

Expectations were perhaps absurdly high when the Used launched In Love and Death (see "Tension, Tragedy Spawned The Used's In Love And Death"). After all, it came on the heels of the breakout success of their self-titled debut, which sold more than 770,000 copies and established the group of four Orem, Utah, punks as an act to be reckoned with. And while Death sold roughly the same amount — and included the hit "Take It Away" — many within the industry viewed it as a disappointment.

So when the Used reconvened in Los Angeles in June to begin work on the new album with producer John Feldmann, who helmed their last two discs, they did so as decided underdogs — a position which, according to Howard, freed them up to make the album they've always wanted to make. And the results — somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 songs, with names like "Earthquakes" and "Slit Your Own Throat" — were certifiably, well, "rocking."

"It's really difficult to describe the new songs, but they're really rocking, and we're so in love with them. You'll definitely know that it's a rock record," Howard said. "Quinn [Allman's] guitar licks are insane and so brilliant. And the vocals are the most incredible that Bert [McCracken] has ever done. It's like everything he's ever sung, except, like turned to 11. Everyone who loves his voice is going to love it even more, and, well, everyone who hates it is probably going to hate it even more."

Of course, this wouldn't be an article about the Used if it failed to address both their many detractors and the copious amount of drama that seems to buzz around them like a swarm of hornets. While the hating is usually constant — Internet rumors that McCracken has died of a drug overdose pop up monthly — lately, things have been percolating in the drama department, thanks largely to former drummer Branden Steineckert, who the band parted ways with just last month (see "The Used Part Ways With Drummer So Band Can 'Move Forward' ").

The split was, shall we say, a bit less than amicable, and seemingly stirred up a new round of Internet hateration. But the remaining members of the Used have resolved to ignore it all, naming a new replacement for Steineckert — Dan Whitesides, formerly of Salt Lake City's the New Transit Direction — and working hard to wrap up the sessions for their new album by the end of October.

"There's been a bunch of drama happening with us, so we decided just to put our heads down and power through this album. And it's the best thing we've ever done," Howard said. "If people hate it, fine. We're still doing what we love. As long as we're happy, that's all that matters."

• The Used

Former Used drummer Branden Steineckert
Photo: Reprise

For months, rumors circulated on message boards that the Used had parted ways with drummer Branden Steineckert. On Tuesday, those rumors were confirmed.

The announcement came via a statement posted on TheUsed.net, telling fans the band "needed to move forward."

"It is with much sadness that we want to tell you that Branden is no longer the drummer in the Used," the statement reads. "We felt that we needed to move forward without Branden as our drummer. We wish Branden well and owe a great deal of gratitude towards him for his hard work over the years. We could not have gotten this far without him. We all wish much happiness and success in Branden's future endeavors — wherever they may lead."

Steineckert helped form the Used in 2000 and saw them release two gold albums: 2002's self-titled debut and 2004's In Love and Death (see "Tension, Tragedy Spawned The Used's In Love And Death"). But in recent years, Steineckert has seen his focus shift toward running his skateboard company, Twenty Twenty, and producing up-and-coming acts at his Unknown Studios — both of which fans saw as reasons for his ouster.

In a statement on his MySpace page — which doubles as the home of Unknown — Steineckert tried to steer clear of all that speculation. But he did hint that the split was decidedly less than amicable, writing in a post titled "Kicked Out Of The Used — My Brief Letter" that "[Guitarist] Quinn [Allman], [frontman] Bert [McCracken] and [bassist] Jeph [Howard] have agreed that they no longer want to play music with me. I'm truly sorry that it has come to this.

"The band will carry on, and I will cherish my good memories," he continued in the post. "I am so proud of what the four of us little nobodies from Utah accomplished. We broke out from nowhere ... [and] I feel so very grateful for the things I've experienced, the touching stories I've heard from such die-hard fans, the incredible people I've met and places I've been. To anyone who ever supported the Used during my time with the band, I thank you sincerely. I don't know what else to say. ... I wish Quinn, Bert and Jeph all the best. I will carry on doing what I love, which is playing drums and producing bands."

According to the Used's label, Reprise Records, there has been no replacement chosen for Steineckert and the band is hard at work with producer John Feldmann (who helmed its two previous albums) on a new record, which is due in early 2007.

• The Used

Hilary Duff
Photo: Evan Agostini/ Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

08.11.2006

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Used live at Buzzfest XV in Houston, TX 04.23.2005

• The Used

The Used live at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, KS 03.19.2005

• The Used

MTV2's $2Bill: My Chemical Romance and The Used Photos

• My Chemical Romance
• The Used

MTV.com LIVE: The Used Photos 10.01.2004

• The Used

MTV.com Exclusive: The Used Photos 10.01.2004

• The Used

• The Used

The Warped Tour, Bonner Springs, KS, 06.24.2003

• AFI
• Andrew W.K.
• The Used
• Simple Plan

Pink, Good Charlotte, Foo Fighters, More Rock The Weenie

• P!nk
• Blur
• Good Charlotte
• Sum 41
• The Used

• The Used

• The Used