Jack White in "It Might Get Loud"
Photo: Sony Classics

He's been challenge, and Jack White doesn't back away from a challenge — especially when it involves his electric guitar. He straddles a metal chair in a dingy room on his Nashville farm, grips a pencil in one hand and a tattered notebook in the other, then goes to work.

A camera follows White's every scribble, the guitar pick clenched between his teeth, the strands of black hair obscuring his face, while director Davis Guggenheim waits patiently to see if the White Stripes frontman can pass this rock-and-roll test.

"I said to Jack, 'You believe in writing songs fast, that music is over-produced. Write a song now on camera!' " Guggenheim told MTV News.

Not only did White write and record a song in less than 10 minutes, but the entire process became a living, breathing, guitar-shredding example of the point Guggenheim's documentary, "It Might Get Loud," is trying to make clear: The very best artists make an inextricable connection between emotion, songwriting, expression and music so good you feel it in your bones.

"Get Loud" focuses on White, Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and U2's the Edge as they come together to jam and split off back to their days of songwriting and everyday living. MTV News has obtained the footage of White's musical challenge days before the doc comes to theaters Friday. White is no doubt proud of his speedy work, too, as the track, called "Fly Farm Blues," was available for purchase on iTunes starting Tuesday.

As White explains in the documentary, "If you don't have a struggle already inside of you or around you, you have to make one up. Something that made you angry or upset or jealous."

After sketching out the lyrics to "Fly Farm" in pencil, he switches on his old-school reel-to-reel recorder — saying with a shrug, "OK, let's see" — leans into the mic, and begins to play a stripped-down blues progression.

"Spider got eight legs/ I got two," he sings. "This guitar got six strings/ But what about you?/ Yeah, what do you got?"

At the end, he puts the guitar down and rewinds the tape, bringing everything to a close as quickly as it started. It's hard to tell if White is merely playing it cool because he knows he just popped off a kick-ass tune, if the perfectionist inside him is even happy with the work, or if he's regretting accepting the filmmaker's challenge. But then he hands the tape over to Guggenheim. Jack White clearly knows he's pulled off a winner and all he has to do is say — again with a rock-star shrug — "That's it."

Check out everything we've got on "It Might Get Loud."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

• The White Stripes
• Raconteurs
• The Dead Weather

Jack White in "It Might Get Loud"
Photo: Sony Classics

Halfway through the hard-charging new rock documentary, "It Might Get Loud," Jimmy Page throws on an old, crackling record, closes his eyes and starts jamming on an imaginary guitar. For a few seconds, despite his silvery ponytail and the fact that he was the lead guitarist for arguably the greatest rock band ever, the 65-year-old could be any kid in any bedroom, giving himself over to the pure pleasure of music. After all these years, all those stadium concerts and all those millions of albums sold, Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page still plays the freakin' air guitar.

It is a sublime moment in a documentary filled with such rare glimpses into the private passions and public music of three generations' worth of venerated lead guitarists — Jack White of the White Stripes, the Edge of U2 and Page — each of whom have highly distinct — and at times oppositional — musical styles, yet share the same undying, irrepressible love for the electric guitar.

But that, as director Davis Guggenheim told MTV News during a recent interview, is the exactly the point of the documentary. "Every generation comes up in rebellion of the next generation," he said. "Led Zeppelin rebelled against these pretty-boy pop bands. U2 came up hating the big-hair stadium bands. And the White Stripes were saying, 'We don't like this overproduced, stadium-band sound.' A lot of times you express your rebelliousness with an electric guitar."

Somehow Guggenheim managed to corral these three guys into a warehouse for two days to chat and play together. Interspersed with this epic jam-session are the times when Guggenheim followed the artists around with a camera, getting them to tell stories about childhood epiphanies, professional struggles and the zig-zagging path toward rock stardom. We see White constructing a makeshift guitar out of a wooden plank and a Coke bottle, then wailing away as the cows on his Tennessee farm look on; the Edge visiting the school of his youth and pointing out the concrete slab on which U2 first performed as teenagers; and Page, who avoided any type of on-camera interview for decades but ends up giving Guggenheim a candid tour of the estate where Zeppelin recorded in the '70s and where drummer John Bonham overdosed at the age of 32.

How did the director pull this whole thing together, convincing these ego-heavy lead guitarists, in need of neither money nor exposure, to hang out with each other for a couple days — to open up about what motivates them to write songs? Maybe it had something to do with Guggenheim's last documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth" — an Oscar-winning investigation into global warming. (If you can make Al Gore look like a rock star as he heads through stadium corridors to deliver a PowerPoint slideshow, making actual rock stars look cool wouldn't be too much of a stretch.)But when it came to the camera-shy Page, it required something a little bit more.

"It took seduction," Guggenheim said. "It took us telling him how passionate we were about songs and songwriting, talking about the creative process."

The film, which opens on August 14, no doubt belongs in the upper echelon of rock documentaries, joining films like "The Last Waltz" and "Gimme Shelter," if only for the singular window it opens onto Page's life and work. Fifty years from now, if kids rocking their air guitars to Zeppelin tunes want to know what Page was really like, "Get Loud" will be their essential viewing.

And as Guggenheim explained, the connection between the past and the present, between old-school blues and classic rock, between punk and whatever comes next, will always be there. "The point of the movie is it could be anybody, any artist," he said. "It could be the next artist you haven't even heard of. It could be the guys from Blink-182. It really is the creative spark that you see in the movie. By looking back and seeing Jimmy Page and how he started and invented the dirty guitar sound, you can find that line all the way back through U2, through Jack White and now to the new guys who are doing it, like Green Day."

Check out everything we've got on "It Might Get Loud."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

• Jimmy Page
• The White Stripes
• U2

White Stripes' Meg White
Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images

Talk about your friendly exes — not only do Jack and Meg White play amicably in the White Stripes, but frontman Jack opened up his Nashville home on Friday (May 22) to his ex-wife, Meg, 34, so that she could wed Jackson Smith. Smith, son of famed punk godmother Patti Smith and late MC5 guitarist Fred "Sonic" Smith, is a rock guitarist who has performed with his mother and in the Detroit band Back in Spades.

According to an announcement on the White Stripes' Web site, White and Smith were married as part of a double ceremony that also celebrated the union of another of Jack's bandmates, the Dead Weather/Raconteurs bassist "Little" Jack Lawrence, who married his girlfriend, Jo McCaughey.

The couples were married in the backyard of White's Nashville home in front of "a small party of close friends and relatives." Though calls to a spokesperson for the Stripes were not returned at press time, the officiant appears to have been Benjamin "Swank" Smith, former drummer for the Ohio band the Soledad Brothers, whose self-titled debut was engineered by Jack White (Swank's former roommate) and featured percussion from Meg.

Jack White, born John Anthony Gillis, took new wife Meg's last name when the two were married in September 1996. Though they divorced less than four years later, the pair have worked together as a musical couple since the White Stripes' 1999 self-titled debut. In keeping with White's many musical and personal eccentricities, at one point early in their career, he told reporters that he and Meg were not in fact divorced, but were brother and sister.

• The White Stripes

Meg White
Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images

Meg White is getting married.

The White Stripes drummer has gotten engaged to Jackson Smith, the son of iconic punk poet Patti Smith and late MC5 guitarist Fred Smith. The couple will tie the knot at a May 22 ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee, according to the Detroit Free Press.

The newspaper quotes several sources as saying that the couple met last summer and have actually been engaged for several weeks. They live in White's Detroit home and chose Nashville as the location for their wedding due to privacy concerns.

"They don't want it to be a circus," the paper quotes a source as saying. "They want it to be about the two of them."

Smith was born outside of Detroit but moved with his mother to New York City after the death of his father in 1994. After high school, he came back to Detroit and played guitar in local acts like Back in Spades, as well as in his mother's backing band. His late father, Fred, was the guitarist for legendary Motor City agit-rockers the MC5.

It will be the second marriage for White, who was famously wed to White Stripes frontman Jack White from 1996 to 2000, though the couple attempted to play off their relationship as that of brother and sister.

The Stripes are currently taking a break as Jack focuses on his new side project, the Dead Weather. He currently lives in Nashville and, according to the newspaper, is expected to attend the ceremony.

The newspaper claims that the couple are also planning to hold a reception in Detroit after their Nashville nuptials.

A spokesperson for Meg White did not respond to MTV News' requests for comment.

• The White Stripes

Jack White
Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images

Apparently no one informed White Stripes/ Raconteurs frontman Jack White that the country is facing dire jobless rates, because White just added a third band to his résumé. Not content to front just two bands at once, White has just unveiled his latest creation, the Dead Weather, a death-rattle blues quartet featuring White on drums and vocals, the Kills' Alison Mosshart on vocals, the Raconteurs' Jack Lawrence on bass and Queens of the Stone Age's Dean Fertita on guitar.

White debuted the band Wednesday night at a private party in Nashville, Tennessee, in front of 150 invited guests, according to a recap of the event on the Web site of White's Third Man Records, using the show to unveil the label's new offices/ record store/ photo studio/ performance stage in Music City.

The first public performance by the band included songs from its upcoming debut, Horehound, which was produced by White and is due out in June. The album was recorded over the course of three weeks earlier this year at the new Third Man Studio, which was, of course, designed "from the ground up" by White as well.

Attendees at Wednesday's shindig — which, according to The Associated Press, included Sheryl Crow, Martina McBride and the White Stripes' Meg White — exchanged their letter-pressed invitations for a limited-edition seven-inch vinyl pressing of the Dead Weather's debut single, "Hang You From the Heavens," which also features a cover of the new-wave classic "Are 'Friends' Electric?" originally by Gary Numan's 1970s band Tubeway Army.

In keeping with White's love of home-crafted musical curios, the bandmates hand-painted each of the 150 singles, which also included photo-booth pictures of the bandmembers. Both songs are currently available exclusively through iTunes.

"The idea was to do a seven-inch single and be done with it, but we started writing songs and something happened," White said, according to the AP, which also reported that the band plans to tour this year.

"Hang You From the Heavens" mixes the Stripes' signature fuzzed-out garage sound with some dinosaur-rock drumming from White and Mosshart's punchy blues singing. Over skuzzy, blown-speaker rock, Mosshart yelps, "I wanna grab you from the hair/ And hang you up from the heavens." The noisy Numan cover adds a 1960s psychedelic sheen to the robotic original, with watery vocals and woozy keyboards that have a vintage vibe but render the song almost unrecognizable.

The White Stripes have not toured since late 2007, when they canceled a string of dates following Meg White's bout of acute anxiety. It's unclear how the formation of this new band will impact the Grammy-winning duo's future. The normally prolific group, which has reportedly been working on new material, has not released a new album since 2007's Icky Thump, though they did give a wobbly performance on the February finale of "Late Night With Conan O'Brien." A spokesperson for White could not be reached for comment at press time.

• The White Stripes
• Raconteurs
• The Kills
• Queens of the Stone Age

Kanye West
Photo: Dove Shore/ Getty Images

The 2008 MTV Video Music Awards don't officially get underway until this Sunday at 9 p.m. ET, but there are already several Moonman recipients to announce: the winners in the "Professional Categories," those folks who work behind the scenes on videos for Kanye West, Gnarls Barkley, the White Stripes and others.

Taking the Best Choreography award is choreographer Mikey Rooney for Gnarls Barkley's "Run" video, which beat out Chris Brown's "Kiss Kiss" and "Forever" videos, Adele's "Chasing Pavements" and the Pussycat Dolls' "When I Grow Up." "Run" also received the Best Art Direction kudos for Happy and Kells Jesse. Others nominated in that category were MGMT's "Electric Feel," the Pussycat Dolls' "When I Grow Up," Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" and the White Stripes' "Conquest."

Erykah Badu and Mr. Roboto won Best Direction for "Honey," edging out Panic at the Disco's "Nine in the Afternoon," Linkin Park's "Shadow of the Day," Rihanna's "Take a Bow" and the Pussycat Dolls' "When I Grow Up." The Moonman for Best Editing goes to Death Cab for Cutie's "I Will Possess Your Heart" editors Aaron Stewart-Ahn and Jeff Buchanan, who triumphed over Perry's "I Kissed a Girl," Weezer's "Pork and Beans," Ne-Yo's "Closer" or Badu's "Honey."

Wyatt Troll was named the winner in the Best Cinematography category for the White Stripes' "Conquest," beating Death Cab's "I Will Possess Your Heart," the Pussycat Dolls' "When I Grow Up," Badu's "Honey" and Perry's "I Kissed a Girl." Finally, SoMe and Jonas & François picked up Best Special Effects for Kanye West's "Good Life" clip, winning over Missy Elliott's "Ching-a-Ling/ Shake Your Pom Pom," Linkin Park's "Bleed It Out," Coldplay's "Violet Hill" and Badu's "Honey."

This year's VMAs, hosted by British comic and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" co-star Russell Brand, will feature live performances by Kanye West, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, T.I., Pink, Paramore, the Jonas Brothers, Lil Wayne, Kid Rock, Katy Perry, Lupe Fiasco, the Ting Tings, DJ AM and Travis Barker, and an appearance from Britney Spears. Presenters scheduled to hand out Moonmen Sunday night include Michael Phelps, Miley Cyrus, Lindsay Lohan, Ashlee Simpson, Scarlett Johansson, John Legend, Kobe Bryant, Leona Lewis, Paris Hilton, Slash, Taylor Swift, Shia Labeouf, Ciara, Jamie Foxx, Chace Crawford , Christopher Mintz-Plasse and the stars of "High School Musical," "The Hills" and "Twilight."

It's a wrap! Now that the 2008 VMAs have come and gone, check out all the winners, the most surprising moments, the best red-carpet fashions and more at VMA.MTV.com.

• Behind The Scenes At The VMAs

• Kanye West
• Gnarls Barkley
• The White Stripes

Jack White
Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images

Regardless of what you may think of Jack White, you can't deny that he seems averse to leisure time.

Recently, in addition to putting the finishing touches on a new Raconteurs album, working on a Bob Dylan-helmed tribute to Hank Williams and writing songs for another White Stripes album (more on all that in a second), he decided that he wanted to release a Spanish-language version of "Conquest," from last year's Icky Thump album — and a mariachi version, too. And record a batch of new songs in Beck's living room. And release it all under the name "Las Rayas Blancas" (Spanish for "the White Stripes"). All for no real reason in particular. Which is why Jack White is awesome.

"Actually, I've wanted to do this for a long time, I just never seemed to be able to," White told MTV News last week. "The song 'Conquest' was something I wanted to cover 10 years ago. It was a Patty Page song I used to listen to in my upholstery shop when I was working a lot, and I always wanted to cover it, it just never happened. But when Meg and I were working on the Icky Thump album, we thought it would be a good time to cover it, because it seemed to relate with a lot of the themes we were talking about on the record. So we did it and it had sort of a Latin feel to it, and so we got a mariachi trumpet player to be on it — from a Mexican restaurant in Nashville!

"And then one thing led to another," he continued. "We filmed a video for the song, which had a bullfighting theme, and we had a mariachi band there, so then we recorded a mariachi version of the song in Beck's living room. So finally, I just said, 'You know, it's about time. We should just do the Spanish-language version of the song.' And so we did."

So, working with a translator, he set out to record "Conquista." He knew a little Spanish from growing up near a predominantly Hispanic section of Detroit, but quickly realized that speaking in Spanish was much different from singing in it.

"When we went to record it, I found someone in Nashville to come with me, and when she read them, she had a completely different interpretation of the lyrics, so I said, 'Tell me what yours is,' because I wanted the lyrics to be so close to the original lyrics as possible," he said. "So we rewrote them in a different style. And then when I was singing it, she told me I was singing it like I was from Spain, not from Mexico. That's something I didn't know too much about. I knew the Mexican inflections on things but I didn't know the Spanish inflections, and so I started getting into that more and more, especially coming from the bullfighting video. So I went more for the flair of it being from Spain."

And, boy, is there a lot of, uh, flair in "Conquista," which is equal parts telenovela and Tiento, with White belting out Spanish phrases with reckless abandon (and little concern for pronunciation). It's slightly sweet, rather hilarious and completely WTF?-worthy, which means that it's a fitting addition to the Stripes' musical canon. It's being released here in the States under the name Las Rayas Blancas ("I have no idea if it'll be under that name in the record shop," White laughed), which should be good enough for pretty much anyone.

But White isn't pretty much anyone. He pushed the envelope even further, backing the single with a mariachi version of the song that he recorded in Beck's living room with a mariachi band they hired off the street.

"We recorded five songs in his living room, one I had written on the plane out to Los Angeles, another I wrote in his living room. We just kept working, and new things came out," White recalled. "And I said, 'You know, I'd love to do a mariachi version of "Conquest" if we can, do you know a trumpeter?' And he said, 'Well, I do know that there's this square in Los Angeles where mariachi bands wait around to be hired for parties and barbecues and things like that.' So while we were recording one song, we asked someone to go find out if that was true, and they called back and said, 'So do you want a four-piece or a five-piece band?' They came down to Beck's house, I taught them the song in the backyard and we recorded it very quickly. It was great."

And, of course, while all that was going on he was still working on a handful of other projects, including the follow-up to the Raconteurs' Broken Boy Soldiers, which he's recording at Nashville's Blackbird Studio ("It's almost done. It sounds very different from the first record — we're having a tough time sequencing it because it's very large," White laughed), a couple of new White Stripes songs he's hoping to record when the Raconteurs are finished touring, and a long-rumored team-up with Bob Dylan.

And if all that seems like a lot for one man's plate, well just remember that White's also working on a series of projects that he can't even talk about yet. Hey, leisure time is overrated.

"Bob's putting together an album," White said. "He came upon, somehow, 20-25 unfinished songs by Hank Williams: just the lyrics, no music, and he started to ask people if they would finish these songs. He did one, asked Willie Nelson to do one, asked me to do one, and I think Lucinda Williams and Alan Jackson are on it too. I think it might come out this year. It's a cool record. And then, there's some other stuff I have coming out, but I can't tell you about it all just yet. You'll have to be patient!"

• The White Stripes
• Raconteurs

Avril Lavigne on the March cover of <i>Maxim</i>
Photo: Naomi Kaltman

Avril Lavigne, who was once known as the "anti-Britney," now has nothing but sympathy for the pop star, as she reveals in the new issue of Maxim. "No one else has it as hard as Britney," she told the magazine. "I feel bad for her. How does she even think with all those flashbulbs? When I'm being followed, everything's thrown off. They run red lights. They cause accidents. She can't even walk to her car. F---ing stalkers." Lavigne, who has been known to flip off and spit on the paparazzi in the past, also said she's disgusted at speculation that she's pregnant with her first child. "Remember in high school when people would start fake rumors about you?" she asked. "Well, this isn't high school. It's like, the entire world." Check out more Avril photos from the mag's March issue at Maxim.com. ...

A Los Angeles judge decided Thursday (February 14) to extend the temporary conservatory powers that Britney Spears' father has over the singer's affairs — at least through the next hearing, on March 10. Jamie Spears had been granted control to oversee Britney's well-being and her estate earlier this month, along with co-conservator Andrew Wallet. Court-appointed investigator Samuel Ingham told the court Thursday that he had not finished his psychological evaluation of the singer and was granted an extension until the next hearing. Also by March 10, Britney must undergo a 730 evaluation to study her family to determine the best custody arrangements, Commissioner Reva Goetz decided. Goetz also named Britney's older brother, Bryan — who used to work on her former management team — along with New York estate attorney Ivan Taback as co-trustees for the singer's trust while she is considered unable to manage her own affairs. Meanwhile, Britney's current manager Sam Lutfi has yet to be served with a restraining order. The lawyers for the conservatorship concluded that Lutfi was intentionally avoiding being served because they'd already spent over 200 hours trying to reach him. A hearing about the restraining order is scheduled for February 22. ...

Beyoncé's father, Mathew Knowles, isn't too happy about Aretha Franklin scolding his daughter for comments she made about the Queen of Soul at Sunday's Grammy Awards. "Something this ridiculous — it's childish, it's unprofessional," he said in a statement on Thursday, according to People. "And it's a sad day when egos get bruised because somebody used the word 'king,' 'queen,' 'prince' or 'princess.' " Beyoncé introduced Tina Turner as "the queen" during the ceremony, after which Franklin released a statement in which she said, "I am not sure of whose toes I may have stepped on or whose ego I may have bruised between the Grammy writers and Beyoncé. ... However, I dismissed it as a cheap shot for controversy." ...

Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Ricky Martin and others are voicing support for Alejandro Sanz after the cancellation of a concert he intended to play in Venezuela, Reuters reports. In 2004, the Latin American singer claimed President Hugo Chávez had tried to quash a campaign for a recall referendum against him. Sanz supporters are reportedly accusing Chávez of censorship in the wake of the concert cancellation. ... White Stripes are getting some extra lovin' at Best Buy, Pitchfork reports. The retail chain is selling a five-track EP surrounding the band's new single, "Conquest," that features all the accompanying B-sides that were previously available only on vinyl or in digital form. The EP comes free with the purchase of the band's Icky Thump album, or it can be bought separately. ...

Well, so much for all those reunion tours. A day after Billboard.com reported that the Police would be retiring for good after their upcoming North American trek comes news that the reunited Spice Girls likely won't go on either. Geri Halliwell — or Ginger Spice, to the fans — told the site she isn't anticipating a follow-up to the group's current run, which ends February 26 in Toronto. "It probably won't happen ever again," she said. "I'm still absolutely blown away that we did more than one show. So right now I'm thinking this is it. This is the last time you will ever get to see this Girl Power, the five Spices on the stage as one." Still, she added the requisite nugget of wisdom: "You can never say never." ...

The Smashing Pumpkins have dished up an unreleased track, "SuperChrist," for a limited-edition CD that will be made available March 1 at Guitar Center locations, according to Billboard.com. The compilation disc, which doesn't have a name, was curated by Billy Corgan and the gang — they picked acts that feature Guitar Center employees based on submissions from them. "SuperChrist" was a leftover track from the Pumpkins' 2007 album, Zeitgist, and the band has previously played it on tour. An accompanying video will premiere February 27 on MySpace. ... Guitar Center has another limited-edition goody too: a Roland RZA/Forat Custom MV8800 machine designed by the RZA and electronic trailblazer Bruce Forat. The hand-painted device features original artwork by the two, including allusions to the Wu-Tang Clan's recent 8 Diagrams LP. If you're interested in getting one, though, you'll have to throw down big bucks and act fast when they go on sale February 28: Only eight machines are being made available, and they cost a pricey $5,999 apiece. ...

Christina Aguilera has "never had more respect for the female body," the new mom told People for its new issue, which hits newsstands Friday. She added of her C-section to deliver her 4-week-old son, Max: "The hardest part was deciding on his birthday. I wanted to leave it up to fate, but at the same time I was ready to be done early!" The singer, who shared photos of her baby with the magazine, said she intends to start recording in her home studio this month. As for what she and husband Jordan Bratman have been spinning lately, she revealed: "Yesterday we had Led Zeppelin blaring through the house. Most new moms play Beethoven, but we're playing Metallica, Bob Marley, the Stones." ...

An interview with Michelle Williams in which she addressed her breakup with Heath Ledger, who died from an accidental drug overdose late last month, has just been published. "Obviously so much has changed for me in the last few months that I don't really have an idea of what my life is going to be," Williams told the U.K.'s Wonderland Magazine for what is said to be her last interview before the actor's death. "I thought I knew certain things and it turned out that I didn't, so I don't really try and anticipate so much anymore. I'm not making any bets on the future." ...

Chris Rock has been confirmed to appear the 2008 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, taking place June 12-15 in Manchester, Tennessee. He's just one of more than a dozen comedians set to perform at the fest — a list that also includes David Cross and Janeane Garofolo — but he's the only one that'll do his work from Bonnaroo's main stage (the same stage Kanye West, Pearl Jam and Metallica will appear on) in front of 80,000 somewhat-dazed-and-confused festival-goers. ...

Madonna premiered her directorial debut Wednesday at the Berlin Film Festival, but she said the flick didn't come without a "struggle." Madge and members of the "Filth and Wisdom" cast also held a press conference, during which she said, "One of the themes that I explore in the film is struggle, and if I look back to the beginning of my career, I can recall those moments of struggle like it was yesterday. There are aspects of [the characters'] struggle that I could relate to completely, and I could access that memory and put it into the story." ...

Moby is building anticipation for his upcoming album, Last Night, with an exclusive downloadable preview mix at RCRDLBL.com. Last Night, meanwhile, is due April 1. ... As it turns out, Moby has something in common with Norah Jones, Lou Reed, David Byrne and Scissor Sisters: a mutual distaste for the Iraq war. The musicians will come together March 18 — the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion — in New York for "Speak Up!: A Benefit Concert for Peace in Iraq & Justice at Home." The event will take place at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn. ...

Broken Social Scene have lumped more dates onto their upcoming world tour, Pitchfork reports. In addition to Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Singapore, the band will also hit Taiwan, Mexico, Turkey, Luxembourg, Russia, the U.K., France, and the U.S. ... Battles are gearing up for some road action too: The band, adored by indie-philes, will play Bonnaroo June 12, after which it will swing through Washington, D.C., two days later, and then Philadelphia the day after that. ... Kristin Hersh, Cornershop's Anthony Saffery, Dirty Vegas' Steve Smith and others have concocted heartfelt covers of songs made famous by Joe Cocker, Bill Withers and others in time for Valentine's Day. Expansion Team Records just released Souvenirs, which contains the tracks, in CD and digital form. ...

Clear Channel Broadcasting — the media giant that owns the radio station that promoted the fatal Great White show in 2003 at the Station club in West Warwick, Rhode Island — agreed Wednesday to pay $22 million for more than 100 claims stemming from the fire that claimed 100 lives. According to The Boston Globe, the settlement is linked to Clear Channel's WHJY-FM, which ran ads for the show, where station DJ Michael Gonsalves was killed after introducing the band onstage. "We continue to be deeply saddened by the tremendous harm suffered by the victims, their families and the community as a result of this tragic fire," Andy Levin, chief legal officer of Clear Channel Communications, said in a written statement. "While Clear Channel had no role in causing or contributing to this fire, we are pleased to resolve these claims and, hopefully, contribute in some way to a sense of resolution for the affected victims and their families." The settlement comes on the heels of a $30 million tentative agreement reached three weeks ago with Rhode Island TV station WPRI-TV, whose photographer was accused of standing in the way of patrons attempting to escape the burning building. ...

Three people were arrested at Sunday's Grammy Awards on suspicion of using stolen passes to get access to the show. According to The Associated Press, Sebastian Bonner, 20, was arrested after he tried to enter the event at Los Angeles' Staples Center using one of nine stolen all-access passes. Courtney Mitchell, 30, and Pamela Clay, 44, were found with someone else's event ID card and arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property. Police believe the motive was a desire to see celebrities. "We eliminated that this wasn't something more serious than some people who wanted to see the Grammys who are star-struck," Commander Andrew Smith said. Police believe someone on the inside sold the IDs to friends and acquaintances. ... On Tuesday, Oklahoma State University forwarded a list of 11 student names to the Recording Industry Association of America, in compliance with a court order in the RIAA lawsuit accusing the students of unlawfully downloading copyrighted recordings using school servers. The students had filed a motion to quash their subpoenas, but the judge denied it and ordered the school to turn over their names. Wired.com reported that the move by OSU was the latest incidence of a university complying with the RIAA's newest tactic in combating illegal file-sharing.

2.13.08

There is only one Queen of Soul, and you don't want to mess with her. Aretha Franklin, who has held that title for decades, lashed out at Beyoncé on Tuesday after the young singer introduced Tina Turner as "the queen" at Sunday's Grammy Awards. According to an Associated Press report, Franklin released a statement in which she said, "I am not sure of whose toes I may have stepped on or whose ego I may have bruised between the Grammy writers and Beyoncé. ... However, I dismissed it as a cheap shot for controversy." In her intro to Turner's set, Knowles mentioned Franklin among a list of legendary female singers, then tagged Turner as the "one legend who has the essence of all of those things: the glamour, the soul, the passion, the strength, the talent. ... Ladies and gentlemen, stand on your feet and give it up for the queen." Showing her feelings were not that hurt, the missive from Franklin ended with a thank you to the Grammys and "love to Beyoncé anyway." ...

A day after coming under fire from Consumer Reports for being shown not wearing their seat belts in the new Hannah Montana flick, Billy Ray Cyrus has admitted that he and his daughter Miley were in the wrong. "We got caught up in the moment of filming, and we made a mistake and forgot to buckle our seatbelts," he told People in regards to the new 3-D movie "Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert." "Seat-belt safety is extremely important," he added. ... As for Miley, tune in for a chat with the starlet after the Academy Awards on February 24. Along with nominee Ellen Page, Harrison Ford and others, Cyrus will be part of the 27th annual Oscar edition of "The Barbara Walters Special," airing at 7 p.m. on ABC. ...

Lil Wayne has been indicted by a grand jury on felony drug and weapons charges in connection with his arrest on January 22 near Yuma, Arizona. According to his lawyer, James Tilson, Wayne (born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr.) was in court Friday and pleaded not guilty to possession of a narcotic drug for sale, possession of dangerous drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia and misconduct involving weapons. Tilson said the rapper will remain free on bond as the case proceeds, and that he is "still free to travel and perform, and there are no changes in the conditions of his release." Wayne, 25, is due back in court on March 7 for a status hearing. ...

Snoop Dogg, Ciara, Doug E. Fresh, Jim Jones and others will be recognized at this year's Action Awards for their community-service efforts. The fifth annual fundraising dinner ceremony, put on by Russell Simmons' Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, will take place February 25 at Capitale in New York. ... Add the Rothbury Festival to the list of new American fests launching this summer. The three-day affair at the Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Michigan, will take place over Independence Day weekend (July 3-6) and feature sets from Snoop, John Mayer, the Dave Matthews Band, Modest Mouse, the Mars Volta, Colbie Caillat, the Black Keys, Of Montreal, Widespread Panic, Beth Orton, Gogol Bordello, Phil Lesh & Friends and 311. The festival will have an environmental bent, including a panel discussion on climate issues and an energy fair. ... The Eagles have hopped onboard the Stagecoach Country Music Festival, set for May 2-4 in Indio, California. ...

Does Britney Spears want her kids back? Her first ex-husband, Jason Alexander, claims the singer told him no. "She wants to see them, but she doesn't want to be a full-time mom," Alexander told In Touch Weekly, claiming that he and Britney got back in touch in the last few weeks. "I got a ... a voice mail ... that says, 'Hey! It's me. I know we haven't spoken in a while.' It was Britney. She said she'd call me back, and we've been speaking ever since." ... Meanwhile, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is hoping to get Jamie and Lynne Spears to get Brit to cut back on dairy and meat, which the animal-rights organization claims could have a connection to her mental disorder. In a letter to the pop star's parents, PETA claimed bipolar patients worsen their condition if they ingest ice cream and other milk products. A PETA rep told MTV News that the group has yet to hear back from Spears' parents. ...

Here's an APB for all the Police fans out there: The recently reunited band will retire for good after one more North American tour, according to Billboard.com. Sting and the gang will play roughly 30 shows across the continent in May and July, as well as gigs in Europe in June, but that'll be it. Elvis Costello & the Imposters will open the North American shows, which start May 1 in Ottawa and end the first week in August. Billboard.com reports that the tour will gross in the $340 million range, making it one of the five top-grossing tours ever. ... With Stone Temple Pilots, Led Zeppelin and Rage Against the Machine also doing the whole reunion thing ... and could a Pavement reunion be on the way too? Well, frontman Stephen Malkmus told NME that, while the idea was an "interesting" one, he doesn't see it happening anytime soon — he's busy with his new band, the Jicks. But he isn't ruling it out entirely. "We're on fine terms, we don't have any plans to [re-form] yet," he told the magazine. "We haven't talked about sincerely doing that. I'm 1,000 percent committed to the people I'm working with now. I would never cheat on them and go and do Pavement, it's not [in] the cards. But who knows? Maybe it would be a good thing to do, maybe it'll feel right one day. I don't really ever think about it, except when I do interviews." ...

DJ Khaled is launching an exclusive partnership between his We the Best Music label, and Def Jam. Ace will put out the first release under the new deal, although the title and release date have yet to be determined. "We the Best Music/ Def Jam ... get ready for history!!!" Khaled said in a statement. ... The Bravery have put together quite the scheme to hype their March 18 release, The Sun and the Moon Complete. Starting Tuesday, the synth-rockers will dish up a song from the disc each week for the next month on iTunes, and the first offering will be a reworked version of "Believe." The March release is a two-disc set — the first one, titled The Sun, is the 12-song album the band issued in May; the second disc, The Moon, is the reimagined version of the release. ...

As if Barack Obama didn't have enough support from musicians already, the senator is earning some ancillary support from TV on the Radio amigos Dragons of Zynth. The electro-psychedelic band will try to rouse more love for the Democratic presidential candidate with an "Obamathon" in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, which is Valentine's Day. ... After initially being hit with a cease and desist from Radiohead for his unauthorized eight-track remix of songs from the band's In Rainbows, Oakland, California, DJ/producer Amplive has been given the go-ahead to release the free album. Rainydayz Remixes features verses from Too Short, Chali 2na of Jurassic 5 and Del Tha Funkee Homosapien. ...

Mel Gibson can finally put his infamous DUI arrest behind him. According to TMZ, a judge on Wednesday (February 13) said there is no need for future progress reports on the actor, who was busted in July 2006. He still has 18 months of probation but has completed the requirements of his plea deal.

• Avril Lavigne's 'Maxim' Cover Shoot

• Avril Lavigne
• Britney Spears
• Beyoncé
• Jennifer Lopez
• Shakira

Vince Gill
Photo: Vince Bucci/ Getty Images

On The Record: The Baddest Dudes On The Planet

Right off the bat, please refrain from ever doubting me again.

See, in last week's column, I presented a list of 10 ways to fix the Grammy Awards, and among the jabs at Britney Spears and Kanye West, I included the following gem, which turned out to be prophetically true:

"6. Three words: More Vince Gill."

And lo and behold, during Sunday night's Grammy telecast, Vince won the award for Best Country Album, swaggered up to the podium, and basically put Kanye West on blast in his acceptance speech. It was pretty much the highlight of the night, right up there with Amy Winehouse dedicating her Record of the Year award to her incarcerated husband,, and Kid Rock duetting with one of the Golden Girls. And it proved, once and for all, that I am a genius.

Anyway, much later on Grammy night, Gill sauntered into MTV News' one-on-one room,, looking very much like a youth soccer coach or a guy you'd see receiving the Northern Virginia Realtor of the Year award, which only made him even cooler in my book. But what really put him in rarefied air was the fact that he staunchly refused to back down from his dig at West, saying:

"He had said something about how he was gonna win Album of the Year later, and if not him, then Amy Winehouse was most deserving and not me or the Foo Fighters. So I decided to have a little fun. ... I just saw him out of the corner of my eye when I was up there, and I decided I had to do it. He took a shot at Gretchen Wilson when he lost Best New Artist to her a few years ago, and so us rednecks stick together."

And as the words left his bizarrely tanned lips, it occurred to me that Vince Gill might be one of the baddest dudes on the planet. Seriously. He dresses like he just left a church bake sale. He talks sh-- to Kanye West and doesn't apologize. He is loyal to his friends. He is in both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. He is a Nashville Predators season-ticket holder. He was once in the Pure Prairie League. He turned down an invitation to join Dire Straits. And in 2006, he released a quadruple album of original songs, just because he could.

You could probably say all the same things about Chuck Norris, which means that, A) Vince Gill's tears can cure cancer; and B) Vince Gill is a totally bad dude. And that makes him a rarity in today's music industry. Back in the day, bad dudes were a dime a dozen: James Brown, Curtis Mayfield, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Bob Dylan — they were all bad in their own way. These days, lots of people like to proclaim their badness, yet very few actually are, because being bad isn't really something you can claim to be. You either are or you ain't.

Yet this tends to work on a case-by-case basis: R. Kelly recorded a song called "Bad Man," which under most circumstances would disqualify him from any badness. But given his ongoing legal troubles and the fact that he recorded a song called "Sex Weed, "he's totally, unquestionably a bad dude. Wrestler/rapper John Cena recorded a song called "Bad, Bad Man," but he used to pretend to be a robot while coming down to the ring, so that sort of disqualifies him. Plus, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin is totally more of a bad dude than him anyway.

Jack White is a bad dude, basically because he does whatever he feels like, and because he makes his entire road crew dress up in black suits, bowler hats and red ties, even in 90-degree heat. (Also, he once beat up a guy from the Von Bondies with one hand, since his other one got broken in a car accident he was in with then-girlfriend Renée Zellweger. That's bad.) Wayne Coyne is a bad dude too, because he makes magic with next to nothing, and because he once appeared on "Beverly Hills 90210" (bonus points because he continues to tour with the Flaming Lips despite losing the ability to sing sometime around 2002). Dave Grohl is one because he used to be in Nirvana, and you get the feeling that he realizes being a rock star is, like, 80 percent a complete and total dream job. Josh Homme, ZZ Top, Lemmy, Thom Yorke, Isaac Brock, Morrissey, Johnny Marr, Mark E. Smith, Pete Shelley, Shaun Ryder, Damon Albarn, Jarvis Cocker, Mike Watt, Iggy Pop and Paul Simonon are all bad dudes, for reasons that probably don't need to be explained at all.

Kanye is a bad dude, not just because he has the stones to say whatever he wants, but also because, like Vince, he doesn't apologize for being that way. Common is bad, because you get the feeling that beneath all that corduroy/spirituality stuff, he could probably whip some ass if need be. 50 Cent is a bad dude, because if I didn't say he was, he'd probably finally kill me. Gucci Mane (if only for this necklace), Lil Wayne, LL, Nas ... they're bad dudes too.

You don't even really have to be a dude to be a bad dude. Kim Deal is a bad dude, because she spent almost two years touring with the re-formed Pixies, then decided she didn't want to make a new record with them, instead recording another Breeders record (April 8's Mountain Battles) that sounds like it was recorded in a closet and features a pair of songs in German and Spanish. Lil' Kim is a bad dude because she totally served time for perjury and had beef with 50. Foxy Brown is a bad dude because of her ongoing war with beauty technicians the world over. Lucinda Williams, Dolly Parton, Tina Turner, Kim Gordon — all bad dudes in their own right.

And the future looks bright. Vampire Weekend are all bad dudes, even though they don't dress like bad dudes, because they totally proved why the Internet is both the best (and worst) thing ever with the release of one album. The Plastic Constellations are bad, because they sing about dragons and brotherhood and stuff, and because their new album (We Appreciate You, due April 15) also doubles as their farewell from the music industry, and they're not even gonna tour in support of it. Bradford Cox is a totally bad dude because he is brilliant and insane and links to stuff like this on his blog.

And I know you're probably thinking, "What the heck does this have to do with, well, anything?" Um, not much. It's just the only thing I took from a soul-numbing, three-and-a-half-hour Grammy telecast — one where we saw a quiet, unassuming dude from Oklahoma take a swipe at the biggest rap star in the world and then not apologize for it. And one where we saw a self-proclaimed "American Badass" perform a cruise-ship-worthy duet with Louis Prima's ex-wife.

Being a bad dude is a lot tougher than it looks, but it's a pretty safe bet that if you're belting out tunes with a septuagenarian, well, you're violating some sort of rule. For shame, Kid. What would Charlie Daniels say?

B-Sides: Other Stories I'm Following This Week.

Speaking of bad dudes ... Mr. Morris Day!

"That Green Gentleman" is my new favorite slang for marijuana.

It's totally awesome that Will.I.Am, Akon and Fergie all appear on the upcoming 25th-anniversary edition of Thriller. Oh, wait, it's totally not.

Questions? Concerns? Bad dudes I missed? Hit me up at BTTS@MTVStaff.com.

• Grammys 60-Second Recap: Celebrating Amy Winehouse And The AARP

• Kanye West
• Vince Gill
• R. Kelly
• The White Stripes
• Common

Amy Winehouse
Photo: Mark Douglas/WENN/Newscom

According to The Associated Press, police in London have questioned Amy Winehouse about a video that surfaced online two weeks ago that purportedly shows the Grammy-nominated singer smoking crack cocaine. No charges have been filed against the singer, but an investigation into the video is said to be ongoing. The video shows Winehouse inhaling fumes from a small pipe during a party at her home. Winehouse checked into a rehabilitation center in late January. ...

Avril Lavigne fans can expect to see outfit changes, backup dancers and the singer covering Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation" on her upcoming five-month world tour, which starts March 5 in British Columbia, RollingStone.com reports. She plans to hole up in L.A. with husband Deryck Whibley of Sum 41 and work on some new material when the tour comes to a close in June. "I want to do more acoustic stuff," she said. "It doesn't mean that's what my next record is going to be, but I'm doing it to get it out." The Canadian singer also chimed in on the presidential election, saying, "I wish I could vote" in the U.S. "I think Hillary might [win]. It'd be f---ing awesome if a chick won!" ...

It took Linkin Park four years to follow up 2003's Meteora with last summer's Minutes to Midnight, but Chester Bennington says fans won't have to wait around as long for LP's next, er, LP. "We sparked a new kind of life into what we do during the writing of ['Midnight']," the frontman told Billboard.com. "We want to keep that going. I think we're in the mode, and I have a good feeling we're going to put another record out really quickly." The four-year break "seemed like a really, really long time to our fans, and it seemed like a really, really long time to us. I don't see that happening again," he added. Bennington also revealed that the band will assemble another edition of its Projekt Revolution tour, which also featured My Chemical Romance and others last year. Bands and dates will be announced in the coming months. Linkin Park head out on a tour with Coheed and Cambria starting Tuesday in Omaha, Nebraska. ...

The latest album-sales figures are in, and Alicia Keys' As I Am will reclaim Billboard's #1 spot, after selling another 61,300 copies. The " Juno" soundtrack — last week's #1 — follows at #2, while the Mars Volta's The Bedlam in Goliath debuts at #3, having sold 54,000 copies in its first week. According to SoundScan, 18 new releases will enter next week's chart, including Bullet for My Valentine's Scream Aim Fire, which opens at #4 with 53,200 sold, and the 2008 Grammy Nominees compilation — which features Amy Winehouse, Kanye West, Justin Timberlake and the Foo Fighters, among others — debuting at #5 with 50,000 in sales. Hannah Montana 2: Non-Stop Dance Party bows at #7 with 40,000 scans, and Vampire Weekend's self-titled debut enters at #17 with 27,500 sold. Opening at #95 with 7,500 copies snatched up is Protest the Hero's latest, Fortress. ...

Eddie Vedder, Tom Morello, Serj Tankian and Bright Eyes have ponied up songs for "Body of War: Songs That Inspired an Iraq War Veteran," a two-CD collection due March 18 that is a companion piece to the documentary "Body of War." The first single is a version of Vedder's "No More" performed with Ben Harper at Pearl Jam's Lollapalooza set last year. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Iraq Veterans Against the War. ... Bright Eyes mainman Conor Oberst sure is getting his fill of politics. Beyond his appearance on the aforementioned comp, he'll also perform at a free rally for Senator Barack Obama on Thursday to help raise awareness about the Democratic presidential candidate. The event — which will also feature M. Ward, Sparta frontman Jim Ward and Secret Life of Sparrows — will go down at Omaha, Nebraska's Slowdown, a venue owned by Saddle Creek Records, Bright Eyes' label. Oberst played a gig in Iowa for the Illinois senator prior to his victory in that state's caucus in early January. ...

Jennifer Lopez is indeed expecting twins — news that was first reported back in October — her father recently confirmed during an appearance on a Spanish-language television show, according to People en Español. "Yes, twins," the actress/singer's father, David Lopez, said on Escándalo TV when asked about the rumor, according to the report. "The thing is, in my family, my sister also had twins, so it's a hereditary thing." He reportedly added that he was thrilled about the news, saying, "Jennifer has yearned to be a mother for many years." Lopez confirmed her pregnancy during a Miami concert in November. ... Striking members of the Writers Guild of America will meet with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers in Los Angeles and New York on Saturday in an effort to end the three-month strike. The WGA presidents said they wouldn't ink a contract with the movie and TV producers until they have met with WGA members and reviewed the terms. ...

Beastie Boys are planning to headline a Music Has Power concert to give a funding boost to New York's Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, which specializes in music-therapy treatments and research. Moby will host the March 4 event. ... R.E.M. premiered their new song "Supernatural Superserious" on New York radio station 101.9 RXP on Tuesday. The track is the first single from the veteran rockers' new album, Accelerate, which is due April 1. ... According to the Toronto Star, a Canadian radio host has filed a lawsuit against the White Stripes, seeking $70,000 for a sample the group used eight years ago. The sample appears on the track "Jumble, Jumble" from the Stripes' second album, 2000's De Stijl. Quebec radio host Dominique Payette claims the Stripes did not have permission to use the 10-second clip of her teen call-in show, in which she talks to an unidentified young girl, and the host believes her privacy has been violated. The suit seeks an injunction that could force the band and its label to remove copies of the album from stores. ... In more upbeat Stripes news, the group will release a Spanish-language version of its third Icky Thump single, "Conquest," on CD and 7-inch on February 19. "Conquista" — credited to "Las Rayas Blancas," amusingly enough — features the duo's first non-English vocal, sung by Jack White of course, and the single features an acoustic mariachi version of "Conquest" on the flipside. ...

American Hi-Fi are plugging away at their fourth studio album, which doesn't have a title or release date yet, in a Los Angeles studio. Singer Stacy Jones is taking on production duties for the effort, which will feature the rockers' reunited original lineup. If you're in Southern California, swing by West Hollywood's Troubadour on April 11, when the band performs at the venue, to get a taste of the new material. ... Swedish progressive-metallers Opeth have christened their next LP Watershed. The record has been slated for a June 3 release and will include the tracks "Heir Apparent," "The Lotus Eater" and "Porcelain Heart." ... Little Rock, Arkansas, Christian metal outfit Living Sacrifice have reunited. Singer Bruce Fitzhugh and drummer Lance Garvin have rejoined guitarist Rocky Gray and bassist Arthur Green and are currently writing material for a new album, due to land in stores later this year.

2.5.08

A few more performers and presenters have been added to Sunday's Grammy Awards, including a duet between Fergie and John Legend and a salute to the pioneers of rock and roll featuring Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and John Fogerty. Pop-classical heartthrob Josh Groban will team up with opera superstar Andrea Bocelli in their first-ever duet, and Grammy-nominated jazz legend Herbie Hancock will perform a special jazz/classical segment. Among the new list of presenters are Chris Brown, Miley Cyrus, Solange Knowles, George Lopez, Lyle Lovett and Ludacris. ...

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi — the Beatles guru who brought transcendental meditation to the Western world — has died, The Associated Press reports. His death was apparently due to "natural causes, his age," Transcendental Meditation movement spokesman Bob Roth reportedly said. Maharishi's age was thought to be 91. ...

Lindsay Lohan has spoken out publicly for the first time since leaving a recovery center six months ago. In a cover story for the U.K. edition of Glamour, the actress/singer said she's ready to work again and is getting rid of the bad influences in her life. "There are friends that have been hard to hang out with because they've gone done a different path," Lohan, 21, said. "But it's hard because I'm the kind of person who wants to trust everyone." According to an excerpt on People.com, Lohan, who expressed sympathy for fellow struggling young stars Britney Spears and Amy Winehouse, said she's learned how to be comfortable being alone if necessary. "I'm fine being alone during the day, but I hate being alone at night. I like having friends around me, but now I'd much rather be at home." With her career momentum slowed by her rehab stint, Lohan said she mostly fills her days writing in her journal and watching TV, but "that's not to say I'll never go to a club again ... because I'd be lying." Asked what the biggest misconception is about her, Lohan said, "That I don't have my head in the right place. That, and probably that I'm not a good person ... because actually I am." ...

After an astronomical $29 million on just 683 screens, the "Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert" flick will remain in theaters "indefinitely," a Disney representative told MTV News. Originally slated to end its run Friday, the flick — which follows pop sensation Miley Cyrus on her sold-out trek — now has "no end date," according to the rep, and will stay in theaters contingent on audience demand. The flick set several box-office records over the weekend, including the largest-ever haul for a concert film and a 3-D movie. It also bested "Titanic" for the biggest gross over a Super Bowl weekend. ...

Beastie Boys member Adam Yauch has announced the launch of his own independent film-distribution company called Oscilloscope Pictures. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Yauch plans to buy narrative and documentary features from movie festivals and provide funds to complete and release unfinished films. The company will be run by former ThinkFilm VP David Fenkel, who worked with Yauch on the Beasties' concert doc "Awesome! I F---in' Shot That!" The company's first release will be announced within the next month and will hit theaters by summer, with current plans calling for two to 10 films released per year. ...

If you've ever seen the Deftones live, then you already know that frontman Chino Moreno's a big fan of "skater socks." Now the singer has formed his own clothing company called ChinoSox. "Every time I'm on tour, people come up to me and ask me about the socks I wear onstage. No one can ever seem to find dope-looking skater socks," he said. "So I thought it would be cool to make my own signature line of skate socks, so that fans could pick them up. They're pretty sick." You can pick up a pair online, exclusively through the ChinoSox Web site. ...

Remember the Darkness? Well, they've been quiet since the 2006 departure of frontman Justin Hawkins, but have returned with a new name. The band still includes former Darkness singer Richie Edwards, drummer Ed Graham and guitarist Dan Hawkins, but with henceforth be known as Stone Gods. The band will release an EP sometime this year.

• Amy Winehouse
• Avril Lavigne
• Linkin Park
• Alicia Keys
• Bright Eyes

Bonnaroo 2007 Performances

• The National
• Lily Allen
• Damien Rice
• Regina Spektor
• Damian "Junior Gong" Marley

Metallica And The White Stripes Help Kick Off "The Simpsons" 2006 Season

• Metallica
• The White Stripes

System Of A Down, Coldplay, More At KROQ-FM's Almost Acoustic Christmas

• Nine Inch Nails
• System of a Down
• Thrice
• Korn
• Fall Out Boy

The 48th Annual Grammy Nominees

• Mariah Carey
• Kanye West
• John Legend
• 50 Cent
• Black Eyed Peas

2005 MTV Video Music Awards Nominees

• Green Day
• Gwen Stefani
• Missy Elliott
• U2
• Coldplay

47th Annual Grammy Awards Red Carpet

• Beyoncé
• Kanye West
• Mos Def
• Gwen Stefani
• Black Eyed Peas

47th Annual Grammy Awards Winners

• Maroon 5
• Black Eyed Peas
• Ben Harper
• Marc Anthony
• Los Lonely Boys

The Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans, LA October 31- November 2, 2003

• 50 Cent
• A Perfect Circle
• Godsmack
• P.O.D.
• The White Stripes

Backstage At The 2004 Grammys

• OutKast
• Dave Matthews
• Sean Paul
• Foo Fighters
• Coldplay

46th Annual Grammy Awards Performers

• Beyoncé
• Prince
• The White Stripes
• Alicia Keys
• Foo Fighters