<i>Now That's What I Call Music! 31</i>
Photo: Sony Legacy

The Billboard 200 albums chart has a new champion, but despite six debuts in the top 10, the real chart story was Michael Jackson once again. In the first full week of reporting since the pop icon's death, his catalog once again easily outsold the top 20 current albums.

The Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 31 compilation — with songs by Lady Gaga, the Black Eyed Peas, Pitbull, the Fray and Beyoncé — debuts at #1 on sales of 169,000. That's about half the sales of Jackson's Number Ones, which is not eligible for the Top Current Albums chart because it has been out for more than 18 months and does not have a current single on the radio. Just behind is country star Brad Paisley's American Saturday Night (130,000), followed by Matchbox Twenty singer Rob Thomas' solo album, Cradlesong (122,000). The latest from Chicago alt rockers Wilco, Wilco (The Album), hits the charts at #4 on sales of 99,000, according to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan. Other debuts included the self-titled first effort from R&B singer Jeremih (#6, 59,000) and the self-titled album from hard rockers Killswitch Engage (#7, 58,000).

The rest of the top 10 includes the Black Eyed Peas' E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies), which drops from the #1 spot to #5 on sales of close to 70,000; the Jonas Brothers' Lines, Vines and Trying Times (#8, 42,000); Eminem's Relapse (#9, 39,000); and Lady Gaga's unstoppable Fame (#10, 36,000).

Just outside the top 20, veteran electronic act Moby debuts at #22 with his synth blues Wait for Me (20,000). Rapper Ace Hood bows right behind with Ruthless (20,000), while MC Maino hits #25 in his first week with If Tomorrow Comes (18,000). The American Idol Season 8 compilation sneaks in at #34 on sales of 14,000.

After a surprisingly high debut last week (#3), indie darling Regina Spektor takes a 63 percent tumble to #26 with Far (18,000). Her drop is outdone only by prog-rock vets Dream Theater, whose Black Clouds & Silver Linings plummets 40 spots in its second week to #46 (10,000), after shedding 75 percent of its first-week business.

Don't expect much shakeup next week, though the long-awaited return from R&B crooner Maxwell, BLACKsummers'night, could put up some impressive numbers.

• Michael Jackson's Life & Legacy
• Michael Jackson's Video Legacy
• Remembering Michael Jackson

• Rob Thomas
• Wilco

Jay Bennett with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy in January 1997
Photo: Patrick Ford/ Redferns/ Getty Images

Almost a month after former Wilco multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett was found dead in his home of undetermined causes, an Illinois coroner said the musician died of an accidental overdose of painkillers, according to media reports.

Tests showed that Bennett died from fentanyl, a drug often prescribed to treat chronic pain. According to the Chicago Tribune, the Champaign County coroner's office is investigating the death as an accident.

A month before his death, Bennett, 45, wrote a post on his MySpace page describing the debilitating pain he continued to suffer from a hip injury sustained while performing. "A decade-plus of multiple nightly stage jumps and various other rock'n'roll theatrics had finally taken a toll that I could no longer deal with," he wrote.

The Tribune reports that, PriCara, a division of Johnson & Johnson, recalled fentanyl patches last year after finding that some could leak, leading to labored breathing and potential overdose. There was no indication from the coroner that Bennett used a fentanyl patch.

Bennett was a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and engineer for Wilco from the mid-'90s until the release of 2002's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. During the sessions for that album, relations between Bennett and frontman Jeff Tweedy soured. Tweedy eventually fired him from the band, and Bennett sued the group to recover lost royalties.

After Bennett's death, a spokesperson for Tweedy released a statement that read, "We are all deeply saddened by this tragedy. We will miss Jay as we remember him — as a truly unique and gifted human being and one who made welcome and significant contributions to the band's songs and evolution. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends in this very difficult time."

• Wilco

Jay Bennett
Photo: MySpace

Whether hunched over an acoustic guitar, a cigarette dangling from his lips, or pulsing behind a keyboard, lost in the music, Jay Bennett cut an imposing figure. During his tenure with Chicago alt-rock icons Wilco, Bennett — who died in his sleep of as-yet-undetermined causes on Saturday night at his home in Urbana, Illinois, according to his former label — often sported a ragged head of near-dreadlocked blond hair and an intense stage presence.

The singer and multi-instrumentalist was 45 and had written on his MySpace blog in April about the intense pain he still suffered from a decade-old hip injury sustained in a stage dive while playing with his previous band, Titanic Love Affair. Bennett said he was preparing to have hip-replacement surgery but was worried that his lack of health insurance might be an impediment, forcing him to sell off some of his treasured vintage recording gear.

"A decade-plus of multiple nightly stage jumps and various other rock'n'roll theatrics had finally taken a toll that I could no longer deal with," he wrote in the lengthy April 24 post explaining his absence from public view since last summer.

A native of the Chicago suburb of Rolling Meadows, Bennett finished degrees in math, political science and secondary education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign while fronting the power-pop band Titanic Love Affair between 1991 and 1996. While working in a VCR repair shop in Champaign, he got the call to become a touring member of Wilco when the Jeff Tweedy-fronted group hit the road in support of their debut, 1995's A.M.

With a repertoire that ranged from guitar to mandolin and just about any kind of keyboard you could imagine, Bennett, also an accomplished singer, was a key member of Wilco during the years when then band made a shift from its initial alt-country roots to the power pop of 1996's Being There, 1999's more experimental Summerteeth and 2002's landmark Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

It was during the difficult sessions for Foxtrot that the relationship between Bennett and band leader Tweedy soured, as Bennett attempted to gain more control over the musical direction of the band. Those struggles were painfully laid bare in the 2002 documentary about the making of that album, "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart," in which Bennett struggles against what is clearly a slow marginalization and creeping feeling that his vociferous input is not welcome anymore. In several scenes, Tweedy is shown listening with an alternately amused and confused grin on his face as Bennett discusses, in minute detail, their musical differences. "I just want you to understand me," a frustrated Bennett says, hand on forehead, early in the movie after attempting to puzzle out the tricky intro to "Heavy Metal Drummer."

"I don't have to understand you all the time, it's OK," Tweedy says with exasperation as Bennett continues to push for more clarity and the tension in the room is ratcheted up. In a band that was often intense and perhaps sometimes overly serious, Bennett's infectious, eager-to-please charm and sometimes bizarre sartorial taste brought a bit of levity to the group's performances. Though his wide range of musical contributions and songwriting skills made him a key player in the band, it was disagreement with Tweedy over the musical vision of Wilco that ultimately proved to be Bennett's undoing.

After Bennett tried to assert a wider role in the band by trying to mix and engineer Foxtrot, Tweedy fired him from the group shortly after the release of the album that would provide the band's long-sought commercial breakthrough; relations between them had reportedly remained strained in the years since. Bennett sued the band earlier this month for breach of contract, claiming he was owed royalties from Wilco albums he worked on and money from the documentary. Following his departure from the band, Bennett released five mostly under-the-radar solo albums, including his most recent, 2006's Whatever Happened I Apologize. He was reportedly working on his sixth album, tentatively titled Kicking at the Perfumed Air, at the time of his death. He also performed session work on albums by Sheryl Crow and Allison Moorer, and produced Blues Traveler's 2005 album, Bastardos! According to a report in The Chicago Tribune on Tuesday, Champaign (Illinois) County Coroner Duane Northrup said further testing is required to determine the cause of Bennett's death.

A spokesperson for Tweedy released a statement on Monday in which the bandleader said, "We are all deeply saddened by this tragedy. We will miss Jay as we remember him — as a truly unique and gifted human being and one who made welcome and significant contributions to the band's songs and evolution. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends in this very difficult time."

The homepage of Wilco's Web site features a brief tribute to Bennett as well.

[This story was originally published at 1:37 pm E.T. on 5.26.09]

• Wilco

Kanye West
Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

The organizers of Lollapalooza have stacked the deck this year with a slate of headliners that is one of the strongest since the former touring fest put down roots in Chicago in 2005. In addition to hometown legends Wilco and Kanye West, the main stages will be headlined by Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against the Machine and the Raconteurs, according to a report in the Chicago Sun-Times.

A full list of the more than 120 acts will be announced on Monday, but the Times reported that among the other bands on the bill for the August 1-3 event are: Gnarls Barkley, Bloc Party, Cat Power, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, Kid Sister, Girl Talk, Mates of State, G. Love and Special Sauce, the Black Keys, Broken Social Scene, Kid Sister, the Cool Kids, Blues Traveler, Jamie Lidell, Battles, Office, Grizzly Bear and Go! Team.

While Wilco, West, the Raconteurs and Barkley have previously played the reincarnated version of Lollapalooza, and Nine Inch Nails and Rage famously performed at the original granddaddy of American alternative fests (in its first and second years, respectively), Radiohead will be performing at Lolla for the first time.

Three-day passes are currently available for $190 at the Lollapalooza Web site, before the price goes up to $205.

Among the highlights of last year's festival were a throbbing set from Daft Punk — the first techno/dance act to headline one of the main stages at the revived festival — and a fiery performance from Pearl Jam, whose political remarks were possibly censored on the webcast of the show by AT&T's Blue Room.

Planning on going to Lollapalooza or any other big music fests this year? Be sure to join the You R Here community, where you can upload your concert photos, videos and reviews. Go there now to check out coverage of last year's Lollapalooza.

• Perry Farrell Talks Up Lollapalooza

• Lollapalooza 2007

• Kanye West
• Radiohead
• Rage Against the Machine
• Nine Inch Nails
• Raconteurs

Photo: MTV News

On The Record: The 20 Best Albums Of 2007

This is not a perfect list, because this was not a perfect year. I think the general consensus is that something big happened (or is happening) in 2007, but no one seems to be able to agree on just what that "event of monumental import" was. Maybe it was In Rainbows, the OiNK bust or the defections of several high-profile artists from the major-label stables. Perhaps it was none of those things, and it's all still business as usual, but I sort of doubt it.

There's definitely a movement afoot, though. And these 20 albums were all part of it — some because they changed the flow of the industry, others because they were simply released in 2007. Below, you'll find game-changers, weirdo-folk, not-punk punk albums, expansive-yet-minimalist electro — and absolutely no Neon Bible. And, like I said, you'll probably find some faults with my list (I probably should've included Spoon's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga and Bruce Springsteen's Magic, for starters) but I'd like to think that's also why it's also a pretty good one: After all, there was no clear-cut choice for Album of the Year in 2007, just a whole lot of efforts that could possibly lay claim to the title (or couldn't, depending on who you asked). If we learned anything, it's that practically everyone could agree on positively nothing. And if that's not a pretty accurate assessment of the past 12 months ... well, then I don't know what is.

Also, I'd love to hear your feedback and read your lists, so feel free to e-mail me at BTTS@MTVStaff.com.

20. The Go! Team, Proof of Youth
The sound of the blog bubble bursting, complete with '70s guitars, double-dutch cadences, thunderous drumming, glorious fuzz and a cameo by Chuck D. Unfairly abandoned by pretty much everyone who loved the Go! Team's 2004 debut, Thunder, Lightening, Strike (because it's basically the same record), Proof of Youth stands as an example of the inherent stupidity of today's fast-moving blogosphere, and a cautionary tale to bands like the Black Kids and Vampire Weekend. If only all failures sounded this good.

The Best Of 2007 The Top Albums: MTV News Staffers Pick Their Top 10 Albums The Biggest Arrests: Paris Hilton, T.I. And More Had An Arrest-Ing 2007 The Hottest Couples: 50 Cent And Ciara And More Smoking-Hot Couples For the rest of MTV News' year-end top 10s, check out our Best of 2007 page, where you'll find the hottest hip-hop, catchiest singles and more.

19. Black Moth Super Rainbow, Dandelion Gum
Stuff a vocoder in your mouth. Strap a pair of Casio keyboards to your feet. Wander the Mojave Desert for a month. Do the Black Moth Super Rainbow. Gleefully psychedelic, completely nonsensical, unbelievably sunny folk-tronica from the wilds of Pittsburgh. Every bit as WTF as the name implies.

18. Patrick Wolf, The Magic Position
A guy who looks like an extra from "The Legend of Zelda" releases the year's most melodramatic album — 40 minutes of gilded, whimsical, overly indulgent Baroque-pop, full of stabbing violins, synthesizers that pop like fireworks and chiming church bells; becomes even more flamboyant (if that's possible); establishes himself as a sex symbol on both sides of the aisle; has onstage meltdown in NYC; threatens to quit the music industry via a messageboard post; recants his threat days later; then starts a feud with fellow balladeer Mika over "authenticity." And you thought you had a busy year.

17. The Shins, Wincing the Night Away
Not only is this album better than you remember, it's also probably the only thing on this list that the dude in the cubicle next to you owns (well, this or Kanye). Packing away the sunny, strummy indie-pop for darker, nocturnal mood music, the Shins crafted a weird winner that somehow managed to debut at #2 on the Billboard albums chart (despite leaking to the Internet like three months early), and finally get them out from underneath the shadow of that dude from "Scrubs." Hopefully.

16. Kanye West, Graduation
The swagger is nothing new. Neither is the lack of humility. But never have both sides of Kanye co-existed so successfully on one record (maybe Daft Punk helped broker the peace). On Graduation, West reveals the complexities contained within himself, looking back while moving forward, slowing down a step — really, there's nothing on here that grabs you with the immediacy of "Jesus Walks" — to bask in his successes, while still holding his competitors in check and keeping one eye toward the future. A truly accomplished, truly human album that still manages to work in a song based around a Steely Dan sample. And that's much harder to do than it looks.

15. Okkervil River, The Stage Names
World-weary, scruffy rock from the weariest, scruffiest band in Austin, Texas, Stage Names is beautiful, tear-in-yer-beer stuff, but it's also probably the most self-aware album released this decade (either this or Panic! at the Disco's A Fever You Can't Sweat Out) full of too-smart references to the Beach Boys, Marcel Duchamp artwork, Paul Simon and Nena's "99 Luftballons." It's meant to be a concept record of sorts, about the exploration of high art and low art, which sort of explains the tender ballad about the death of porn star Savannah. Sort of.

14. Jens Lekman, Night Falls Over Kortedala
Sumptuous, swirling pop from Sweden's finest troubadour. Sonically, it's all over the map: booming orchestral numbers, sparkly samba, morose Northern soul, all sung in Lekman's sleepy, mahogany-rich baritone. Also, "I took my sister down to the ocean/ But the ocean made me feel stupid" is probably the most emo line of the year. Deep, man ... deep.

13. LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver
Just last week, I named James Murphy's "All My Friends" as "the best song of 2007," and the album is nearly as good. Building on the, well, dancey-but-not-dance roots he's been laying down for a few years now, Silver is the record in which Murphy puts electroclash (remember that?) to bed for good and establishes himself as a truly important artist: the kind of guy who's not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve (check "All My Friends" or "New York, I Love You but You're Bringing Me Down"), or get funky in really goofy ways, or record a 45-minute exercise track for Nike. And we need guys like that.

12. The National, Boxer
The sound of sepia. Sad like the photos you see pinned to the walls in really old bars. Beautiful like being drunk on a rooftop in Brooklyn, the city twinkling in the distance. Painful like the hangover the following morning. The songs on Boxer are all of those things, often at the same time. A remarkable record.

11. Feist, The Reminder
Sure, there's the song that sold the iPods, but there's also the churning, torch-y "My Moon My Man," the heartbreaking "The Park" and the slinky "Brandy Alexander," to name just a few. Intimately performed, expertly arranged indie balladry, with Leslie Feist's voice weaving through it all: lithe, supple, sexy and undeniably powerful. Probably — OK, undoubtedly — the breakthrough album of 2007.

10. Yeasayer, All Hour Cymbals
What world music would sound like if it was played by a bunch of hipsters from Williamsburg. Hints of African guitars, drone-y Eastern European notes, Celtic rhythms, plus chants, chimes and handclaps, all whirled together into a heady sonic brew. In a thousand years, when they excavate Bedford Avenue, they'll probably discover copies of Cymbals and think we were a much more evolved society. Either that or really big fans of Forest for the Trees.

9. Deerhunter, Cryptograms
If you believe the rumors (and given the generally terrifying WTF-ness of Deerhunter, I do), Cryptograms is really two albums in one: the first half — from "Intro" to "Red Ink" — was recorded in one manic session, on a single reel of tape, with frontman Bradford Cox still battling the lingering effects of walking pneumonia. The second half (starting with "Spring Hall Convert" and ending with "Heatherwood") was recorded in another one-day session, on another reel of tape. That the two halves are so sonically disparate — one murky and atmospheric, the other luminous and relatively straightforward — not only lends credence to those rumors, but also speaks volumes about the ever-evolving talent of the band itself, and makes Cryptograms an experience unlike most you'll hear this decade. And given that Deerhunter are currently on hiatus, that experience might — unfortunately — only be a one-time thing.

8. Modest Mouse, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
Not as accessible as Good News for People Who Love Bad News, not as good as The Lonesome Crowded West (or The Moon & Antarctica, for that matter), We Were Dead represents Modest Mouse at the great divide: On one side, the past. On the other, the future. So, accordingly, the album borrows equally from both, packed with rambling, shambling guitar exercises and (relatively) straightforward radio rock. There was even a slow number or three. That the album debuted at #1 on the Billboard albums chart seemed to be the most amazing thing of all, and it only gave MM the validation they deserved. No matter where Isaac Brock and company decide to go from here, they've already won.

7. Panda Bear, Person Pitch
Like the Animal Collective that begat him, Panda is less about making music and more about stringing together atmosphere, creating pockets of sound as big as entire universes. Here, he collects the wooshes of subway cars, the crunch of gravel under boots, wind, water (and a bunch more), and combines them with some really beautiful vocal harmonies, a little acoustic strumming and the occasional odd "woo-hoo" to create an album that's warm like an old blanket but also chilly like a snowdrift. Bizarrely accessible, sort of spooky, and really all you could ask for from so-called "experimental rock."

6. The Field, From Here We Go Sublime
A masterwork of techno (do people still even use that word?) both minimal and maximal, Sublime — the handiwork of Swedish DJ Axel Willner — recalls cellular division, slowly melting ice caverns and fields of blossoming sunflowers, often in the same song, and often using little more than a bass line, a kick-drum and a looped sample. Devastating in its simplicity and scope, it's more intelligent dance music than Intelligent Dance Music, which may not make sense, only it does. You get me?

5. Tegan and Sara, The Con
An album of beautiful complexity and brutal honestly, The Con covers all manners of love, loss and heartbreak, and does it all with a restraint and a maturity that belies the Quin sisters' age. W-a-a-y more confident and ballsy than any "follow-up to a breakthrough" album should be, yet still self-effacing and full of enough doubts to fill 1,000 diary pages. Expertly helmed by producer Chris Walla, it's a record that unfurls gradually, revealing just a bit more with each listen. For some reason, it reminds me of Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, though I can neither explain nor condone that statement.

4. The White Stripes, Icky Thump
To some, it's just another example of Jack White's ever-expanding ego. To others, it's another addition to his "guitar god" résumé. I think I fall somewhere in between. Sure, there's parts of Thump that are a bit much — mainly the bagpipes that drag down the middle of the record — but there's also plenty of great moments, too: the fret-melting majesty of the title track, the delightfully silly vaudeville of "Rag and Bone," and straightforward, floor-pounding rock of "Bone Broke." For the first time, White also drops the whole "magical bluesman" shtick and opens up a bit, and — surprise — he seems just as conflicted and unhappy as you or I. Which only makes him, and the entire album, that much more likeable.

3. Radiohead, In Rainbows
The album that changed everything, only it probably didn't (though it's nice to oversimplify sometimes). When all the smoke surrounding its release strategy cleared, fans were left with an album that either enthralled or mystified ... there really was no in between. For me, it was the former: Radiohead put away the electronics on this one and just decided to play, making beautiful, intricate songs about decidedly human things — failing relationships, infidelity, whatever the hell "15 Step" is about. It's the album that sounds like the next logical step, and while some didn't want to hear Radiohead slip gracefully into their 40s, that's what they got. And I'll take AARP Radiohead over almost any other band on the planet. They may sound old, but, dude, they are old. Except Jonny Greenwood. He's apparently a vampire.

2. Against Me!, New Wave
The massive choruses. The even more massive hooks. The major label. The big-name producer. The boy/girl duet. The protest song that made fun of protest songs. There probably wasn't a more unapologetic record made this year — seriously, New Wave might actually redefine the word "unabashed" — and Against Me! are totally aware of this, and they don't care what you (or the majority of their old fans) think, which is why Against Me! are awesome, and why this album totally rules. Punk rock is probably dead already, but if it isn't, well, this is the album that killed it off forever. Good riddance.

1. Wilco, Sky Blue Sky
When all is said and done, the sky is still falling and the rivers continue to run red with BitTorrent. The industry is dead, except that it's probably not. We are living in the future, only no one seems to realize it, because we might just be living in the past. You are part of the problem, and the solution, all at the same time. And none of this really matters. What cuts through the fog and the noise is simplicity. And on the surface, Sky Blue Sky is the most simple record of the year: straightforward like Summer Teeth, sparkling in execution, bravely unflinching in subject. It resonates because it's true and beautiful and seemingly not of this era. But it's also unfathomably complicated: a record about relationships, about being so in love and wanting to make it work so bad, about giving of yourself and taking from someone else about being back to back, in the foxhole — impossible Germany, unlikely Japan — against overwhelming odds, but determined to fight until the bitter end. No one said simplicity was ever easy.

• Radiohead
• Kanye West
• The Shins
• Feist
• LCD Soundsystem

Jay-Z
Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images

Like Jay-Z rapped once before, "Money Ain't a Thang." The Def Jam prez has denied a report in New York's Daily News indicating that salary was a sticking point in negotiating his return to the hip-hop label. His original contract is up at the end of this month, and so far, his return hasn't been announced. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly shortly after the Grammy nominations were announced, Jay — who nabbed five nods — revealed the two sides were "close." But he wouldn't guarantee anything. He said salary wasn't even near the top of his list of considerations. "I don't know [if I'll be back]," Jay explained in the interview. "We'll see how it goes. But seriously, it's not about money. That's really the last thing. Of course, as a person that does these type of things and puts his heart and soul into it — and it's effective, as the [Grammy nominations] would indicate — you want to be compensated for what you do. But it's really not about money. It's really about the future of the music business, and not wasting anyone's time. I don't ever want to sit in a seat just to sit in a seat. I could be off doing something else that's beneficial to the future of the music business as well as myself. So it's not about money! I mean, you couldn't pay me enough. And I don't mean that in a cocky way." In other Jay news, he'll ring out 2007 with a performance of American Gangster on December 29 in Las Vegas, at the Palms Casino Resort's Pearl. The intimate show in the 2,500-seat venue won't be cheap: Tickets start at $128 and top out at $228. ...

Panic! at the Disco have pegged March 25 as the release date for their second album, which they still don't have a name for yet, according to Billboard.com. Guitarist Ryan Ross told the site the band is "working backwards" for the release, stripping down its sound and going for a more classic-rock approach. Songs will include "Things Have Changed" and "Nine in the Afternoon," a song the ensemble tried out during shows over the summer. Speaking of which, Panic are sketching out a tour that will see them playing U.S. theaters in March. "We're not going to do a circus show again," Ross promised. ...

Gwen Stefani made good on her promise to donate proceeds from her October 30 concert at San Diego's Cox Arena to victims of the wildfires by giving a whopping $166,000 to local charity the San Diego Foundation, which is helping the community recover. The Southern California singer's donation will be used in the form of Gwen Stefani After-the-Fires Scholarships distributed to students who lost their homes in the fires. ... And for all her problems, Britney Spears still has a heart too — the singer's Believe fragrance is teaming with MondoNation.com to benefit the Make a Wish foundation, Autism Speaks and the Nelson High School Africa Project. Limited-edition gift sets, fragrances, T-shirts and more are all up for bidding, with 100 percent of proceeds going to the charities. ...

Though Green Day didn't even have an album out this year — not counting their new rumored side project, Foxboro Hot Tubs — the band topped Lycos' list of most-searched bands of 2007. The rest of the list included the Pussycat Dolls, Fall Out Boy, Nickelback, Guns N' Roses, the Rolling Stones, Evanescence, Black Eyed Peas, the All-American Rejects and the Fray. ... Foo Fighters have swollen their tour plans with an injection of new dates. Dave Grohl and his cohorts will hit up Reno, Nevada (February 1); Oakland, California (February 2); Council Bluffs, Iowa (February 28); Glendale, Arizona (March 2); San Diego (March 3); and Los Angeles (March 5). ... Dr. Dre is still off the hook for taping a backstage conversation with Detroit city officials at a concert in 2000, The Associated Press reports. Circuit Judge John Murphy, who previously ruled against the officials — whose conversation with Dre was featured on his and Eminem's "Up in Smoke" tour DVD — dismissed an invasion-of-privacy case that had been brought against the rapper/producer (real name: Andre Young). According to the Detroit Free Press, Murphy had said in October that he might let the case go to trial, but he apparently changed his mind. ...

Dr. Jan Adams, the doctor who operated on Dr. Donda West — Kanye's mother — the day before she died last month, agreed on Tuesday (December 11) to start making payments to a woman who had sued him for allegedly leaving a sponge inside her when he performed surgery on her 11 years ago, TMZ.com reports. Adams owes Lori Ufondu $150,000, has already made one payment to her and will keep doing so until April, when the Adams and Ufondu parties are due to meet again, according to the site. After Adams was late for a hearing in November, a warrant was issued for his arrest, although it was recalled after he eventually showed up. ... imeem doesn't just have a friend in the Universal Music Group, which recently signed a deal providing its music to the social-networking site — Lupe Fiasco has also joined forces with the site in anticipation of Lupe Fiasco's "The Cool," which drops December 18. All this week, the Chicago MC is providing sneak peeks of his LP on imeem, as well as playing other choice songs and videos by Jay-Z, Kanye West, Bloc Party, Foo Fighters and more of his favorite artists. He's also launched a skateboard-design contest through the site. ...

Brian Wilson is going to be making a lot of people SMiLE next year — the Beach Boy will take part in a Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp 10th anniversary shindig in Hollywood on February 15-18. Members of John Mayer's band, Pink Floyd, AC/DC, Kiss, the Cars and others are also on for the event, which will find adults living out their rock dreams. ... The Beatle and the hair: One of John Lennon's locks as well as other items from the iconic group will be up for sale starting Wednesday at an auction in southern England, AP reports. Beatles hairdresser Betty Glasow is the person behind the auction, and she got her hands on Lennon's lock when he gave it to her in a copy of his book "A Spaniard in the Works." Photographs the group humorously signed and dedicated to Glasow (one has a sig from "George 'Dandruff' Harrison"), as well as a program from one of their shows is also up for bid. ...

While it seemed like Wilco were dissing their Chicago hometown when their upcoming string of early 2008 dates were announced last week — the city was nowhere to be found on the itinerary — the band has just posted news about a five-night stand in Chi-town's Riviera Theatre. The shows, to be held February 15, 16 and 18-20, will kick off the tour and explore "the band's complete recorded works," according to a statement. Singer Jeff Tweedy said, "Over the five nights we will attempt the 'complete Wilco' and try to clear out the dusty corners of the catalog that we haven't attended to in a while." The band promises a distinct, "one-of-a-kind set list each night." ... The tour itinerary for next year's Take Action! Tour is being firmed up: The trek will start February 14 in Detroit and run through March 24 in New York, with additional dates to be announced. Fans who pick up four tickets to one of the shows will get a bonus: They'll get to chill with Every Time I Die at the venue and receive a Take Action! poster signed by the band. The Bled, August Burns Red and the Human Abstract have also joined the tour bill. ...

PETA has really taken the gloves off this time. The animal-rights group's PETA2 arm is lashing out at Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen with "Trollsen Twins," a new campaign the organization debuted Tuesday with an unflattering ad at the twins' Walk of Fame star on Hollywood Boulevard. PETA2 also launched a grisly Web site devoted to the fur-wearing actresses that includes a video segment called "Full House of Horrors," in which scenes from the sisters' old TV show are intercut with scenes of animals being killed. ... It looks like Jammie Thomas — the 30-year-old single mom from Minnesota who was the first person to lose a file-sharing lawsuit brought by the Recording Industry Association of America — won't be able to avoid paying the $220,000 fine she was hit with in October. In a recent decision, the U.S. Justice Department took the RIAA's side in the case, not agreeing with Thomas' lawyer that the damages awarded to the RIAA were disproportionate or excessively unreasonable. The ruling echoed the RIAA's argument that once a song is posted on a P2P network, it can be shared by millions of other users, though it is impossible to tell how many. ... In other RIAA news, according to court files posted on the legal blog Recording Industry vs. the People, the RIAA told the court in an Arizona file-sharing case, Atlantic vs. Howell, that it considers ripping personal CDs to MP3 format "unauthorized" and illegal. This goes against the RIAA's assertion in its 2005 case against the P2P site Grokster that ripping CDs is not illegal.

12.10.07

Big Boi is stitching together his upcoming album, Sir Luscious Left Foot, which will be released separately from Andre 3000's own new project and be followed by a proper Outkast release. Big Boi told Vibe.com that fans can expect to hear the first single from his effort at midnight on New Year's Eve. "I want all the stuff to be '08, everything to be brand new," he said. "I'm going to put 12 songs on [Sir Luscious Left Foot], I'm finished with like nine right now. Production is by Organized Noize." ...

The White Stripes trekked heavily in support of Icky Thump this year, but could those have been the band's final tours ever? "If we didn't ever tour again, it doesn't matter to me," Jack White told the Los Angeles Times in an interview that ran in the paper's Sunday edition. "There's so many different aspects to being creative that it doesn't matter if one component is changed. Because it's been changing all the time since the band started." The frontman insisted, however, that he will tour with his side project the Raconteurs for their yet-untitled second album, which he reportedly said is halfway done and due in '08. ...

Amy Winehouse previously announced that she had scrapped her remaining concert dates and public appearances for the year, but a little thing called the Grammy Awards has changed all that. "Amy is grateful and excited about the nominations, and she is planning to attend [the ceremony]," her publicist, Tracey Miller, confirmed to MTV News on Monday (December 10). But while Winehouse may be all smiles over her six nominations, she probably isn't too pleased about an open letter her mother reportedly sent to the British tabloid News of the World. In the letter, Janis begged her daughter to come home and get some help. She explained why she hadn't gone public until now, writing, "People will wonder why I haven't run down to whatever hotel you're staying in, scooped you up and taken you home for a hot bath and a steaming bowl of chicken soup. It's because your father and I know what you're like, Amy. We want to help you, but we know that unless you want to be helped — unless you come to us — anything we tried would be in vain." And though she admitted she's not the #1 fan of Winehouse's troubled husband, Blake Fielder-Civil — currently in jail following an arrest last month on charges of allegedly trying to interfere with a trial on an assault charge — Janis Winehouse said she knows Amy has made her choice. "Blake your husband might not be my favourite person — you know that, Amy — but he's your choice, and I would never say anything about him to hurt you. ... If your relationship is meant to be, it will survive." Janis Winehouse wrote that she thinks early fame has overwhelmed her daughter and that it has "dizzied" and "muddled" her mind. "For a moment, forget you're a superstar. You're also young and vulnerable. Remember you're just an ordinary human being, not stronger than any of the rest of us. You think you're strong enough to get through this on your own, darling, but you're not." The letter comes less than a week after Winehouse was photographed walking through the streets of London in a bra and jeans in the early morning hours. "We were terrified after we saw those pictures of you earlier this week, wandering the freezing streets of London at dawn in your underwear. All I wanted to do was rush into those pictures and wrap you up in a big, warm blanket." ...

Good news for Bow Wow fans: The singer plans to return to his his tour with Chris Brown, Sean Kingston, Soulja Boy, Lil Mama and others starting Thursday in Memphis, Tennessee. According to a statement issued by his publicist, Bow Wow is still recovering and, as it turns out, his recent rush to the hospital didn't stem from exhaustion, as was previously thought, but rather an appendix infection. ... Jessica Simpson is ganging up with Stride Rite Children's Group for the design, development, manufacturing and distribution of a line of tween kicks. The footwear collection will debut in 2008 and feature current Simpson women's styles in youth sizes, as well as youth-specific silhouettes. The footwear will be available at major department stores and specialty retailers. ...

Green Day may have done it again. A '60s-inspired band called Foxboro Hot Tubs have posted a six-song EP on FoxboroHotTubs.com that bears all the hallmarks of the Green Day sound. Songs like "Stop Drop and Roll," "Mother Mary" and "Ruby Room" trade snarling political anthems for bouncy, poppy melodies and sweet "Ooh, ooh" and "Bah, bah, bah" backing vocals, with a lead singer who sounds like a cardigan-sweater-wearing Billie Joe Armstrong. Green Day have not officially confirmed that the six songs available for free download on the site are their handiwork, but four years ago they pulled a similar stunt with their side project the Network. ...

Led Zeppelin's wildly anticipated reunion show went down Monday night in London, but before it did came news of the band's backstage rider, which includes requests for tea, coffee and an ironing board, according to reports. Also, according to the Los Angeles Times, Randy Phillips, the chief executive of AEG Live, which organized the concert, said he'll head from Los Angeles to England to "meet with Bill Curbishley, the band's manager, and hand him a huge offer" for a possible tour. "The reality is, Zeppelin has not agreed to a tour," he told the paper. "They want to play this show and see how it goes, how it feels, and then go from there. There's nothing firm yet, but maybe afterward." ... Eric Avery, the bassist and co-founder of Jane's Addiction, will issue a solo LP, Help Wanted, April 8. The set will include guest spots by Garbage's Shirley Manson, Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chili Pepper Flea. ...

Troubled ex-"American Idol" finalist Jessica Sierra wouldn't be able to perform at a holiday tribute to U.S. troops in Washington, D.C., on Friday, even if she wanted to. According to The Associated Press, organizers of the concert said the 22-year-old singer has been uninvited from the show, in light of her recent arrest and current jailing over charges of disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest after a scuffle at a Tampa, Florida, bar on December 1. "While we appreciate Ms. Sierra's past efforts to support U.S. troops, including performing for them in Iraq on Independence Day, it is quite obvious that Ms. Sierra needs to devote a great deal of time to putting her life back together," Retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Buzz Patterson said in a statement released Friday. ...

Members of DevilDriver, Lamb of God, Soilwork and Killswitch Engage honored the memory of late Pantera/Damageplan guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott on Saturday by performing a cover of Pantera's "Five Minutes Alone" during the bands' gig at the Nokia Theatre in Dimebag's hometown of Grand Prairie, Texas. The performance happened on the three-year anniversary of Dimebag's death. ... Marilyn Manson has unveiled the dates for his upcoming U.S. run. The trek is set to kick off January 19 in Orlando, Florida, and run through February 25 in San Diego. No support acts have been announced yet. ...

The Deftones have completed about six to eight songs for their next LP, according to an online post from the band. "We've taken a different approach to writing this record than we have the past few years, and so far it's been a lot of fun," the statement reads. "The material seems to be flowing freely, and each song is different from the other. We feel like we're accomplishing what we set out to do, which is to write a record that pushes boundaries for us creatively." ... The Mars Volta have lined up shows in support of their forthcoming LP, The Bedlam in Goliath. The band kicks off its tour December 31 in San Francisco and has dates booked through January 27 in Boulder, Colorado. ...

Perez Hilton wants Lindsay Lohan's friend Samantha Ronson to fork over $93,000 for attorneys fees after his lawyers successfully defended him in the Los Angeles DJ's lawsuit against the blogger, according to Los Angeles TV affiliate KNBC. In her suit, Ronson alleged Hilton defamed her when his site reported that she might have owned the cocaine discovered in Lohan's car when the singer was arrested. Ronson claims that Hilton's depiction of her as a "disloyal, dishonest friend who 'sold out' and 'set up' her friend Lohan for personal financial gain" was nothing but libel. ... Phil Spector's murder retrial is likely to be delayed until September because the only remaining Spector attorney from the original trial, a lawyer who is involved in two death-penalty cases, is unavailable until the fall. In a separate development, the music producer hired a new lawyer late last week. A mistrial in Spector's case was declared in late September after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict. ...

The Universal Music Group has become the final one of the four major labels to sign a deal providing its music to social-networking site imeem. Like the others, the home of Amy Winehouse, 50 Cent and U2 will allow free streaming of full songs in exchange for a cut of imeem's advertising revenue, according to Forbes.com. This gives imeem an advantage over sites like MySpace, where Universal has restricted its song and video streams to 90 seconds in length.

• Jay-Z
• Panic at the Disco
• Green Day
• Foo Fighters
• The Fray

Madonna
Photo: Dave Hogan/ Getty Images

Time to pucker up for Madonna's next album — Billboard.com reports that the singer has settled on the title for it: Licorice. The effort, which will reportedly feature "Candy Shop" and "The Beat Goes On" (featuring Pharrell), is due in late April and will be Madge's last effort for longtime label Warner Bros. Kanye West is said to be a guest on "The Beat Goes On," according to the site, which also reports that Madonna's vintage track "The Devil Wouldn't Recognize You" will get an update on the new disc. ...

Jessica Sierra pleaded not guilty on Thursday (December 6) to charges of disorderly intoxication, resisting arrest and violating conditions of her parole on earlier felony battery and possession charges, according to The Associated Press. The former "American Idol" finalist was arrested early Sunday morning outside a bar in Ybor City, near Tampa, Florida, after causing an unspecified disturbance while working inside the establishment. Sierra's lawyer reportedly said he is consulting with doctors to map out a comprehensive drug and alcohol plan for the ex-"Idol" contestant, who is currently being held without bail. Sierra is to remain in jail at least until her next hearing on December 20. ...

Gym Class Heroes, the Academy Is ... and Relient K will help anchor next year's Warped Tour, according to Alternative Press. Every Time I Die, From First to Last and the Bronx are also among the first 18 bands named for the summer trek, with the dates yet to be announced. ... Speaking of summer fests, Bonnaroo will take place June 12-15 in Manchester, Tennessee, Billboard.com reports. The lineup will be revealed in late January or early February. ... Your chance to download Radiohead's In Rainbows is about to end. The band has announced that the InRainbows.com Web site will close Saturday. But you can still plunk down $80 for the box set at Radiohead's online w.a.s.t.e. store, while supplies last. ...

Ne-Yo and Macy Gray are joining Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy and others as they pitch in for presidential aspirant Senator Barack Obama. Ne-Yo and the Goo Goo Dolls will play at an Obama fundraiser in Universal City, California, on Monday, while Gray, Tweedy and others will perform at the senator's Friday event in Obama's hometown of Chicago. On a related note, Wilco will set out for a two-week U.S. tour in February. ... Paris, you've got nothing on Britney — Spears outdid Hilton on eBay in terms of related items sold this year. AP reports that 34,345 Brit-related items were sold, compared with 27,377 for Paris. A mere 8,099 items related to Lindsay Lohan were auctioned, while on the movies front, "Transformers" beat out Harry Potter with 442,342 and 344,825 related items sold, respectively. ...

Indie-rockers, state attorneys general and anti-smoking activists are finding themselves on the same side, oddly enough — some of them are reportedly peeved about an ad for Camel cigarettes that appeared alongside a cartoon-heavy indie-rock feature in the magazine's November 15 issue, Pitchfork reports. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. has stopped promotions for its "The Farm" marketing campaign after nine attorneys general sued the company over the ads, according to North Carolina's Winston-Salem Journal. More states are reportedly expected to also sue R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., which could face a fine of more than $100 million for violating a 1998 agreement between 46 states and tobacco manufacturers. The Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement banned the use of cartoons to sell market cigarettes in 1997, effectively killing off Joe Camel. Also being debated, according to Pitchfork, are Camel-sponsored concerts that have featured the Flaming Lips, Band of Horses and the Faint. ...

Alicia Keys will ring in the new year with a performance on the roof of New York's Rockefeller Center as part of Carson Daly's shindig on NBC, People.com reports. The show, which will air December 31 at 11:35 p.m. ET, will also feature Lenny Kravitz performing in Times Square. Keys will sing two songs from her latest album, As I Am. ... LL Cool J, Rev Run, Petra Nemcova, Brett Ratner and other celebs have ponied up items for an ongoing online charity auction staged by Russell Simmons' Diamond Empowerment Fund. "Diamonds Give" features 15 lots of donated diamond pieces and runs through December 16 on eBay. ...

It sounds like U2 might be going back to the future on their upcoming album. The band, which flirted with dance beats and techno on such albums as 1991's Achtung Baby, is incorporating trance, metal and Moroccan influences on its new disc, according to an interview with Bono in The Independent. The singer said fans will "feel the difference. ... Normally when you play a U2 tune, it clears the dance floor. And that may not be true of this. There's some trance influences." He also said the yet-untitled and unscheduled album has some "very hardcore guitar" and "real molten metal" from guitarist the Edge that doesn't sound "like anything we've ever done before, and we don't think it sounds like anything anyone else has done either." Though he wouldn't categorize the album as "world" music, Bono said its sound was inspired in part by a religious music festival the guys attended in Fez, Morocco, where they were exposed to Sufi music. "It was a real humbling thing for a punk-rock shouter, listening to these people who just close their eyes for 40 minutes and sing the most sophisticated melodies." So far, U2 have recorded enough material for two records, he added. ...

Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson recently hung with locals, bathed in an irrigation ditch in their boxers and visited an orphanage in Peru this week, according to AP. An image that surfaced shows the two, who reportedly stayed at a cheap hotel room that cost less than $50 per night, smiling and waving in Cuzco. Cameron Diaz, Bill Gates and others visited the area earlier this year. ... Courtney Love has a new video on her hands ... kind of. A clip featuring manga character Princess Ai — whose universe of properties was co-created by Love — will premiere at the New York Anime Festival on Saturday. "Princess Ai: Broken Leash," which includes live action, animation and music, will appear as part of a CD/DVD anthology due in fall 2008. ... It's hard to keep old punks down. After their recent reunion tour of England this year, punk grandfathers the Sex Pistols will hit the road again next summer, according to Reuters. Guitarist Steve Jones did not give any specifics about the 2008 tour on his Los Angeles radio show on Wednesday, other than to say that the group might play an upcoming charity show at London's Royal Albert Hall organized by Who singer Roger Daltrey. ...

And the battle over James Brown's estate goes on. According to AP, two former trustees for the late singer's estate say the judge who is handling the disputes made them resign in late November. In recently filed court documents, Buddy Dallas and Alford Bradley reportedly said they want to retract their resignations and that South Carolina Circuit Judge Jack Early used "improper judicial influence." They are also seeking for the appointment of their successors to be overturned.

12.5.07

Unlike Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie, Kiefer Sutherland is not getting off easy with his DUI — the "24" actor has been sentenced to 48 days in a Los Angeles County jail for his September 24 arrest and violating his probation. The actor must start serving his sentence at the Glendale City Jail prior to March 30, UsMagazine.com reports. He has also been sentenced to five years of probation, must finish a year-and-a-half-long alcohol-education program and go to weekly therapy sessions for a half-year. Sutherland, who had a previous DUI before his fall arrest, had been pulled over by police after making an illegal U-turn and reportedly blew twice the legal blood-alcohol level during a breathalyzer test. He issued a statement after entering a no-contest plea in early October, saying, "I'm very disappointed in myself for the poor judgment I exhibited recently, and I'm deeply sorry for the disappointment and distress this has caused my family, friends and co-workers on '24' and at 20th Century Fox." ... Contrasting with Sutherland's devastating news, Richie caught a break on Wednesday when her court-mandated anti-drinking program granted the socialite a leave of absence, according to People. Coordinators at the program were reportedly worried for Richie's safety, with her rep saying such leaves of absence are granted to people with medical conditions and that she did not get special treatment. Richie is eight months pregnant and has to complete the 18-month program as part of her DUI plea deal ...

Bad news for Vanessa Hudgens: A Los Angeles judge ruled Wednesday (December 5) that a breach-of-contract suit by her former lawyer can go forward, according to CBS News. Brian L. Schall is suing the "The High School Musical" star for breach of contract, although Hudgens has argued that she was a minor at the time she signed the agreement and therefore isn't bound to it. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Tricia Ann Bigelow said the matter of Hudgens disaffirming her contractual obligations within a reasonable time period is a "factual issue," and that Hudgens' decision to wait until she was 18 years and 9 months old to reject the contract is an issue for either a jury decision or a motion for summary judgment. The next hearing in the case is slated for January 15. ... Lindsay Lohan might be facing another setback too: Raymundo Ortega, the busboy who is seeking $200,000 in damages stemming from Lohan's collision with his van in October 2005, says he has proof the starlet was drinking before the crash, according to The Associated Press. He reportedly filed papers Tuesday. ...

An interview with T.I. that was conducted prior to his October arrest on gun charges appears in the December/January issue of Rap-Up magazine, which features him and Nicole Scherzinger on alternate covers. The rapper said he has a new urban-clothing line on the way — called "A King of Oneself" — and also revealed his interest in a different type of endeavor: commercial construction. "I want to build a Home Depot or a Wal-Mart, shopping centers," he told the mag. Tip cited Tupac as the rapper who had the most influence on him growing up — and called out some other big names for keeping him out of trouble. "Sometimes I be wildin' out, then [Suge Knight says,] 'Man, you got too much going on, you can't do that. It ain't like the old days,' " said the rapper, who is currently under house arrest. "[Jay-Z] will tell me the same thing, [Diddy] tell me the same thing, Kevin Liles — everybody trying. Wyclef is another one. People, I guess, just care." ...

For her part, Nicole Scherzinger named Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson as the singers she admires the most. She also talked about someone else you may have heard of — Kanye West — and why the tracks he produced for her solo debut didn't make the cut. "I wasn't able to really finish them in time," said the singer, whose Her Name Is Nicole LP is due January 29. "When I have the right time and the right album, I wanna finish those songs. There was talks of putting Common on one of them." Scherzinger also talked about shooting her "Whatever U Like" video with the other Rap-Up cover artist, T.I. "When we did the video it was crazy 'cause we were all up in each other's grills, like [director] Paul Hunter really made us go there, but it was great. He's a professional. Paul was making us tug on each other; we were hard-core for a hot second." ...

Jay-Z celebrated his 38th birthday with Beyoncé in Paris on Tuesday, according to People.com. The couple reportedly holed up in a hotel suite, took a drive around the city, ate at L'Avenue restaurant and caught a cabaret show. ... Pete Wentz, Chris Brown, the Jonas Brothers and Corbin Bleu all made Teen magazine's list of the 50 Hottest Guys in Hollywood — but Zac Efron takes the cake by topping the bunch. ... Keira Knightley stripped down for the revealing cover of the latest issue of Interview magazine. "How does that always happen?" the "Atonement" actress asked herself, in the interview, of taking off her clothes. "Because I say yes, I suppose." ...

Styles P, Hurricane Chris and Fabolous will bring some yuletide cheer to Russell Simmons and Rev Run's eighth annual Youth Holiday Party in New York on Tuesday, with MTV News' own Sway acting as one of the emcees. For the festivities, the Simmons brothers and their Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation will turn the Fillmore at Irving Plaza into a winter wonderland, raffling off prizes like an Xbox 360 and tickets to a taping of "106 & Park." Kids will also get Target gift cards. ...

Journey are counting a new singer among their ranks: Arnel Pineda. The Filipino crooner, who previously covered the band's songs with his group the Zoo, is the third Journey singer in two years — he follows Jeff Scott Soto, who left the fold earlier this year after filling in for Steve Augeri, who split with the band in 2006 due to medical reasons. "I know they'll expect me to sound exactly like 'the voice,' " Pineda said in a statement, referring to yet another former Journey singer: Steve Perry. "But that will never happen. I know there's only one Steve Perry in this world." "Arnel doesn't sound synthetic and he's not emulating anyone," added guitarist Neal Schon, who discovered the singer's Zoo clips online. "I tried to get a hold of him through YouTube and I finally heard from him ... but it took some convincing to get him to believe that it really was me and not an imposter." ...

Deerhunter, Black Dice, Fischerspooner and others have chipped in unreleased new songs for Living Bridge, a two-CD collection of songs by bands who have previously recorded at Brooklyn, New York's Rare Book Room Studio. The 25-song package will hit stores February 26 and christen Rare Book Room Records, a new label. ... The Breeders will be back in '08 with a new disc hitting stores April 8. Mountain Battles will arrive six years after the band's previous effort, Title TK, which the band took nine years to put out following its most successful album, 1993's Last Splash. The Pixies-affiliated group is also due to tour throughout the year, hitting up South by Southwest and Coachella along the way. ... Peaches will sweeten up New Year's Eve this year by counting down the clock in downtown Los Angeles as part of Hard NYE's bash. She will also perform, as will Justice. ...

Paula Abdul was a "disaster" on "Saturday Night Live" when she hosted the show two years ago — so says Tina Fey in the January issue of Playboy. "I was pregnant at the time and probably a little moody, but I remember thinking, 'She's a disaster!' " Fey said. ... Vivica A. Fox booked herself on Wednesday on charges of driving under the influence, TMZ.com reports. A judge ordered on Monday that the actress be booked or face a bench warrant. ... Charges were dropped against Jonathan Rhys-Meyers after he apologized for creating a drunken fracas at an airport in Ireland earlier this year. The actor, who faced two charges of public drunkenness and breach of peace, said through his lawyer that he intends to make a donation to an unspecified charity. ...

The one guy who seemed kind of charmed by Borat's antics in last year's "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" has joined the parade of people suing the fake Kazakh reporter. According to Reuters, driving instructor Michael Psenicska's suit against the film's makers and star Sacha Baron Cohen claims that he was tricked into participating in a film that he was led to believe was a "documentary about the integration of foreign people into the American way of life." Psenicska said he was paid $500 in cash to give Borat a driving lesson and described the experience as "surreal," saying Cohen drove erratically down residential streets, drank alcohol and yelled to a female pedestrian that he would pay her $10 for "sexy time." Psenicska is seeking $100,000 in compensatory damages and additional punitive damages for being misled, and for the emotional harm he allegedly continues to suffer. Psenicska said if he had known the true nature of the film, he never would have participated. The studio behind the flick said the suit had no merit and that Psenicska was a willing participant in the film. ...

Eddie Vedder is making his first video appearance since his spot in Pearl Jam's "Jeremy" clip 15 years ago. Mr. Ed is supporting his soundtrack to "Into the Wild" with a video for "Guaranteed." ... Saosin can't get enough of the road — the band, which toured for most of 2007, has rolled out a new 2008 itinerary. The California rockers will take Armor for Sleep and the Bled along for their jaunt, which starts January 21 in Tucson, Arizona, and ends February 14 in Chico, California. ... The sounds made by the creepy creatures in Will Smith's new movie "I Am Legend" might seem familiar to Faith No More fans — Mike Patton is the one behind them. The always-busy musician, who previously lent his voice to video games like "The Darkness" and "The Portal," is also delving into the film world with "A Perfect Place," a noirish short film for which he composed the music. ...

The family of Justin Barker, the white student who was allegedly beaten by six black classmates last year in Jena, Louisiana, has filed a civil lawsuit against the teens, their parents, the local school board and a seventh student who was not charged in the case, USA Today reports. The lawsuit claims that the attack on Barker was of "such extreme nature so as to require emergency medical care and treatment for the harm inflicted by the attack, and resulting in extensive and permanently disabling injuries." The suit, filed Thursday, also alleges that employees of the LaSalle Parish School Board were not adequately supervising students or maintaining discipline. ...

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will flex his rock muscle on Friday at a fundraising show featuring Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy performing solo alongside buzz band the Cool Kids, Third Eye Blind singer Stephan Jenkins, Jill Sobule and local indie bands the Changes and Canasta. The "Change Rocks" show will take place at the Riviera Theatre in Obama's hometown of Chicago, with tickets ranging from $50 to $500 apiece. ... Hillary Clinton's campaign has had a change of heart. Less than a month before the Iowa caucuses, Clinton has dropped her controversial campaign theme song, "You and I" by Celine Dion, and replaced it with "Blue Sky" by Colorado 1990s college faves Big Head Todd and the Monsters, according to ABC News. ...

We can see now why comedian Dave Chappelle might have walked away from that $50 million Comedy Central deal: He'd rather be doing stand-up. Chappelle broke his own endurance record on Sunday with a set at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood, California, that lasted six hours and 12 minutes, besting his previous mark, set in April, by a good five minutes. Club owner Jamie Masada told AP that Chappelle was on a mission. "Dave was determined to keep his record because he recently heard that Dane Cook was planning on trying to break [his] record," Masada said. ... R&B singer Avant has signed to Capitol Records to release his next album, due in the summer. The multiplatinum crooner was previously signed to MCA, before the label folded into Geffen Records, through which he released four albums and a string of hit singles, including his breakout "Separated." Avant's yet-untitled next album is expected to include production from Rodney Jerkins and Mr. Collipark, among others.

• Madonna
• Gym Class Heroes
• Alicia Keys
• Radiohead
• The Academy Is...

Kiefer Sutherland
Photo: Jed Jacobsohn/ Getty Images

Unlike Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie, Kiefer Sutherland is not getting off easy with his DUI — the "24" actor has been sentenced to 48 days in a Los Angeles County jail for his September 24 arrest and violating his probation. The actor must start serving his sentence at the Glendale City Jail prior to March 30, UsMagazine.com reports. He has also been sentenced to five years of probation, must finish a year-and-a-half-long alcohol-education program and go to weekly therapy sessions for a half-year. Sutherland, who had a previous DUI before his fall arrest, had been pulled over by police after making an illegal U-turn and reportedly blew twice the legal blood-alcohol level during a breathalyzer test. He issued a statement after entering a no-contest plea in early October, saying, "I'm very disappointed in myself for the poor judgment I exhibited recently, and I'm deeply sorry for the disappointment and distress this has caused my family, friends and co-workers on '24' and at 20th Century Fox." ... Contrasting with Sutherland's devastating news, Richie caught a break on Wednesday when her court-mandated anti-drinking program granted the socialite a leave of absence, according to People. Coordinators at the program were reportedly worried for Richie's safety, with her rep saying such leaves of absence are granted to people with medical conditions and that she did not get special treatment. Richie is eight months pregnant and has to complete the 18-month program as part of her DUI plea deal ...

Bad news for Vanessa Hudgens: A Los Angeles judge ruled Wednesday (December 5) that a breach-of-contract suit by her former lawyer can go forward, according to CBS News. Brian L. Schall is suing the "The High School Musical" star for breach of contract, although Hudgens has argued that she was a minor at the time she signed the agreement and therefore isn't bound to it. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Tricia Ann Bigelow said the matter of Hudgens disaffirming her contractual obligations within a reasonable time period is a "factual issue," and that Hudgens' decision to wait until she was 18 years and 9 months old to reject the contract is an issue for either a jury decision or a motion for summary judgment. The next hearing in the case is slated for January 15. ... Lindsay Lohan might be facing another setback too: Raymundo Ortega, the busboy who is seeking $200,000 in damages stemming from Lohan's collision with his van in October 2005, says he has proof the starlet was drinking before the crash, according to The Associated Press. He reportedly filed papers Tuesday. ...

An interview with T.I. that was conducted prior to his October arrest on gun charges appears in the December/January issue of Rap-Up magazine, which features him and Nicole Scherzinger on alternate covers. The rapper said he has a new urban-clothing line on the way — called "A King of Oneself" — and also revealed his interest in a different type of endeavor: commercial construction. "I want to build a Home Depot or a Wal-Mart, shopping centers," he told the mag. Tip cited Tupac as the rapper who had the most influence on him growing up — and called out some other big names for keeping him out of trouble. "Sometimes I be wildin' out, then [Suge Knight says,] 'Man, you got too much going on, you can't do that. It ain't like the old days,' " said the rapper, who is currently under house arrest. "[Jay-Z] will tell me the same thing, [Diddy] tell me the same thing, Kevin Liles — everybody trying. Wyclef is another one. People, I guess, just care." ...

For her part, Nicole Scherzinger named Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson as the singers she admires the most. She also talked about someone else you may have heard of — Kanye West — and why the tracks he produced for her solo debut didn't make the cut. "I wasn't able to really finish them in time," said the singer, whose Her Name Is Nicole LP is due January 29. "When I have the right time and the right album, I wanna finish those songs. There was talks of putting Common on one of them." Scherzinger also talked about shooting her "Whatever U Like" video with the other Rap-Up cover artist, T.I. "When we did the video it was crazy 'cause we were all up in each other's grills, like [director] Paul Hunter really made us go there, but it was great. He's a professional. Paul was making us tug on each other; we were hard-core for a hot second." ...

Jay-Z celebrated his 38th birthday with Beyoncé in Paris on Tuesday, according to People.com. The couple reportedly holed up in a hotel suite, took a drive around the city, ate at L'Avenue restaurant and caught a cabaret show. ... Pete Wentz, Chris Brown, the Jonas Brothers and Corbin Bleu all made Teen magazine's list of the 50 Hottest Guys in Hollywood — but Zac Efron takes the cake by topping the bunch. ... Keira Knightley stripped down for the revealing cover of the latest issue of Interview magazine. "How does that always happen?" the "Atonement" actress asked herself, in the interview, of taking off her clothes. "Because I say yes, I suppose." ...

Styles P, Hurricane Chris and Fabolous will bring some yuletide cheer to Russell Simmons and Rev Run's eighth annual Youth Holiday Party in New York on Tuesday, with MTV News' own Sway acting as one of the emcees. For the festivities, the Simmons brothers and their Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation will turn the Fillmore at Irving Plaza into a winter wonderland, raffling off prizes like an Xbox 360 and tickets to a taping of "106 & Park." Kids will also get Target gift cards. ...

Journey are counting a new singer among their ranks: Arnel Pineda. The Filipino crooner, who previously covered the band's songs with his group the Zoo, is the third Journey singer in two years — he follows Jeff Scott Soto, who left the fold earlier this year after filling in for Steve Augeri, who split with the band in 2006 due to medical reasons. "I know they'll expect me to sound exactly like 'the voice,' " Pineda said in a statement, referring to yet another former Journey singer: Steve Perry. "But that will never happen. I know there's only one Steve Perry in this world." "Arnel doesn't sound synthetic and he's not emulating anyone," added guitarist Neal Schon, who discovered the singer's Zoo clips online. "I tried to get a hold of him through YouTube and I finally heard from him ... but it took some convincing to get him to believe that it really was me and not an imposter." ...

Deerhunter, Black Dice, Fischerspooner and others have chipped in unreleased new songs for Living Bridge, a two-CD collection of songs by bands who have previously recorded at Brooklyn, New York's Rare Book Room Studio. The 25-song package will hit stores February 26 and christen Rare Book Room Records, a new label. ... The Breeders will be back in '08 with a new disc hitting stores April 8. Mountain Battles will arrive six years after the band's previous effort, Title TK, which the band took nine years to put out following its most successful album, 1993's Last Splash. The Pixies-affiliated group is also due to tour throughout the year, hitting up South by Southwest and Coachella along the way. ... Peaches will sweeten up New Year's Eve this year by counting down the clock in downtown Los Angeles as part of Hard NYE's bash. She will also perform, as will Justice. ...

Paula Abdul was a "disaster" on "Saturday Night Live" when she hosted the show two years ago — so says Tina Fey in the January issue of Playboy. "I was pregnant at the time and probably a little moody, but I remember thinking, 'She's a disaster!' " Fey said. ... Vivica A. Fox booked herself on Wednesday on charges of driving under the influence, TMZ.com reports. A judge ordered on Monday that the actress be booked or face a bench warrant. ... Charges were dropped against Jonathan Rhys-Meyers after he apologized for creating a drunken fracas at an airport in Ireland earlier this year. The actor, who faced two charges of public drunkenness and breach of peace, said through his lawyer that he intends to make a donation to an unspecified charity. ...

The one guy who seemed kind of charmed by Borat's antics in last year's "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" has joined the parade of people suing the fake Kazakh reporter. According to Reuters, driving instructor Michael Psenicska's suit against the film's makers and star Sacha Baron Cohen claims that he was tricked into participating in a film that he was led to believe was a "documentary about the integration of foreign people into the American way of life." Psenicska said he was paid $500 in cash to give Borat a driving lesson and described the experience as "surreal," saying Cohen drove erratically down residential streets, drank alcohol and yelled to a female pedestrian that he would pay her $10 for "sexy time." Psenicska is seeking $100,000 in compensatory damages and additional punitive damages for being misled, and for the emotional harm he allegedly continues to suffer. Psenicska said if he had known the true nature of the film, he never would have participated. The studio behind the flick said the suit had no merit and that Psenicska was a willing participant in the film. ...

Eddie Vedder is making his first video appearance since his spot in Pearl Jam's "Jeremy" clip 15 years ago. Mr. Ed is supporting his soundtrack to "Into the Wild" with a video for "Guaranteed." ... Saosin can't get enough of the road — the band, which toured for most of 2007, has rolled out a new 2008 itinerary. The California rockers will take Armor for Sleep and the Bled along for their jaunt, which starts January 21 in Tucson, Arizona, and ends February 14 in Chico, California. ... The sounds made by the creepy creatures in Will Smith's new movie "I Am Legend" might seem familiar to Faith No More fans — Mike Patton is the one behind them. The always-busy musician, who previously lent his voice to video games like "The Darkness" and "The Portal," is also delving into the film world with "A Perfect Place," a noirish short film for which he composed the music. ...

The family of Justin Barker, the white student who was allegedly beaten by six black classmates last year in Jena, Louisiana, has filed a civil lawsuit against the teens, their parents, the local school board and a seventh student who was not charged in the case, USA Today reports. The lawsuit claims that the attack on Barker was of "such extreme nature so as to require emergency medical care and treatment for the harm inflicted by the attack, and resulting in extensive and permanently disabling injuries." The suit, filed Thursday, also alleges that employees of the LaSalle Parish School Board were not adequately supervising students or maintaining discipline. ...

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will flex his rock muscle on Friday at a fundraising show featuring Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy performing solo alongside buzz band the Cool Kids, Third Eye Blind singer Stephan Jenkins, Jill Sobule and local indie bands the Changes and Canasta. The "Change Rocks" show will take place at the Riviera Theatre in Obama's hometown of Chicago, with tickets ranging from $50 to $500 apiece. ... Hillary Clinton's campaign has had a change of heart. Less than a month before the Iowa caucuses, Clinton has dropped her controversial campaign theme song, "You and I" by Celine Dion, and replaced it with "Blue Sky" by Colorado 1990s college faves Big Head Todd and the Monsters, according to ABC News. ...

We can see now why comedian Dave Chappelle might have walked away from that $50 million Comedy Central deal: He'd rather be doing stand-up. Chappelle broke his own endurance record on Sunday with a set at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood, California, that lasted six hours and 12 minutes, besting his previous mark, set in April, by a good five minutes. Club owner Jamie Masada told AP that Chappelle was on a mission. "Dave was determined to keep his record because he recently heard that Dane Cook was planning on trying to break [his] record," Masada said. ... R&B singer Avant has signed to Capitol Records to release his next album, due in the summer. The multiplatinum crooner was previously signed to MCA, before the label folded into Geffen Records, through which he released four albums and a string of hit singles, including his breakout "Separated." Avant's yet-untitled next album is expected to include production from Rodney Jerkins and Mr. Collipark, among others.

12.4.07

A lot of 25-year-olds still aren't sure what to do with their lives, but the superstars on Forbes' 20 Richest Stars Under 25 are already set for retirement. A quartet of athletes tops the list, with hoops heavyweight LeBron James landing at #1, followed by NFL rookie Reggie Bush, tennis star Maria Sharapova and golf prodigy Michelle Wie. A few other notable appearances: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen come in at #5 with $17 million each; "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe is at #6 with $15 million; Hilary Duff is at #7 with $12 million; Avril Lavigne is at #8 with $12 million; Carrie Underwood is at #11 with $7 million; Miley Cyrus (a.k.a. Hannah Montana) is at #17 with $3.5 million; and Lindsay Lohan is at #18 with $3.5 million as well. ...

Speaking of year-end lists, the never-ending dramas of Britney Spears landed the pop star at the top of the 10 most-searched items on Yahoo in 2007 once again. According to a Reuters report, Spears has topped the list every year for the past seven — except in 2004, when Paris Hilton beat her out. Hilton was at a lowly #5 before bumping up to #3 this year thanks to her brief jail sentence this summer for a traffic violation, while Lindsay Lohan's driving habits boosted her from #10 up to #6. The #2 spot was held down once again by World Wrestling Entertainment, with much of the interest centered on the murder-suicide of Chris Benoit. Beyoncé moved up two spots to #5, Fergie crashed the top 10 at #9, and Jessica Alba squeaked in at #10. The list was rounded out by Japanese manga series "Naruto" (#4), online game RuneScape (#7) and fantasy football (#8). Meanwhile, Jessica Simpson, Pamela Anderson, Shakira, Chris Brown and "American Idol" all fell out of the top 10. ...

Kanye West got a little help from a friend on Sunday night during his show in Manchester, England, according to the Liverpool Echo. Midway through the show, Jay-Z strolled onstage to perform "Encore" with West as the crowd went wild. ... Usher's wife, Tameka Foster — and the mother of his newborn baby, Usher Raymond V — has taken a lot of heat from bloggers and overly possessive fans since she first started dating the R&B superstar. In a new interview with Essence, the stylist opens up about the haters. "Unfortunately many people live for negativity and are brainwashed by the misinformation of bloggers, rumors, haters and speculators," she tells the mag. "They don't want to believe the truth because the negative stories have more appeal to them. Friends tell me about some of it and we'll laugh, but honestly, I don't pay attention to the gossip on the day-to-day." ...

Veteran Bay Area rapper Spice 1 is in stable condition after being shot Monday, according to his manager, Six. "He was only shot once," Six told MTV News. "I'm not sure where the reports are coming from that he was shot multiple times. He was in critical condition, but now doctors are watching him. They're trying to remove a bullet, but they aren't giving out too many details. They said he should be good, but they're being precautions because the bullet was so close to his heart." BallerStatus.com originally reported the shooting, in which the Hayward, California, native was shot after he fell asleep in his car outside his home. When the rapper awoke, an armed stranger attacked him. It is unclear whether it was a robbery or a premeditated threat to the rapper's life. He's being treated at the Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley, California. ...

Chalk this one up to one giant Missundaztood-ing? According to TMZ.com, artist Scratch (real name: Kyle Jones) has filed a civil suit against Pink, claiming he was featured on "Respect," a track on her 2001 Missundaztood CD, but was never paid. The performance was also featured on Pink's "Live in Europe" DVD. He's seeking $717, 600 in back pay and damages. ... When Snoop Dogg appeared with his daughter Cori on Tuesday's "Ellen DeGeneres Show," the 8-year-old was quick to say that her dad wasn't that strict. But Snoop does lay down the law in one area. "You say I'm not strict," the rapper said. "Tell Ellen how old you have to be before you can have a boyfriend." Cori's answer? "Seventy-seven." ...

MySpace is launching a new program called "Transmissions" that will allow musicians to perform their songs live in a studio, then screen and sell the videos of the performances immediately on the site, at a price of their own choosing. The New York Times reports that James Blunt will be the first artist to participate in the initiative, introducing five songs, including his new single, on the site today. ... According to TMZ.com, Dennis Quaid and wife Kimberly Buffington have sued Baxter Healthcare, makers of the drug Heparin, claiming that a near-fatal overdose of the anticoagulant given to their newborn sons was the result of improper labeling. They claim that the look and packaging of the 10 IU/mL is too similar to the 10,000 IU/mL vial of the same drug. Three children in Indiana have reportedly died from similar mistakes. As of Tuesday (December 4), no suit has been brought against the hospital, Los Angeles' Cedars Sinai. ...

Nokia, the world's top cell-phone maker, has announced a deal with Universal, the world's biggest music group, to offer free 12-month access to music by artists on the Universal roster for people who buy Nokia's music phones. According to Reuters, the "Comes With Music" offer could be joined by several similar deals with other labels by the time the Universal program kicks off in the middle of 2008. In a switch from similar deals currently being offered, Nokia users would be allowed to keep all the music they download during the 12-month period. ... Speaking of Universal, it looks like Colbie Caillat accidentally let the cat out of the bag about the label's new Web policy. In a recent e-mail to fans, Caillat explained that from now on her MySpace page will only feature 90-second clips of songs instead of full-length ones. "Every artist signed to a Universal label has to comply immediately," she wrote. According to Wired News, though, the policy actually went into effect a few months ago and requires all Universal labels to limit the length of music posted on third-party sites to 90 seconds, unless the site has a contract with Universal that allows them to stream the full song on-demand. ...

You didn't think System of a Down drummer John Dolmayan was just going to sit around while his band was on hiatus, did you? Dolmayan's online comic-book store, Torpedo Comics, is running a scavenger-hunt-style contest whose grand prize is a free trip to Las Vegas, complete with a tour of the "gigantic" Torpedo warehouse led by Dolmayan himself. Fans have to find four specific comic books hidden within the "Monolith" section of TorpedoComics.com, with the first three books offering clues that will lead to the fourth, which will have a secret code.

• "Borat"

• T.I.
• Wilco
• The Cool Kids
• Miley Cyrus
• Journey

Lindsay Lohan
Photo: Mark Mainz/Getty Images

Lindsay Lohan is getting sued again — this time for assault and negligence by one of the passengers who was traveling in the car the actress allegedly chased last month while driving under the influence. Tracie Rice, the woman who filed the suit and was in the car driven by Michelle Peck — the mother of one of Lohan's former assistants — claims that Lohan "put me through one of the most frightening experiences of my life," according to a statement obtained by The Associated Press. "What Miss Lohan did that night was extremely dangerous and reprehensible. Someone could easily have been killed or seriously hurt because of her irresponsible decisions that evening." The suit also alleges that Lohan intentionally inflicted emotional distress upon the woman, and it seeks unspecified damages as well as payment of medical and other emotional-distress-related expenses. ...

Britney Spears and Kevin Federline's divorce lawyers were supposed to help resolve their clients' child-custody dispute at a Los Angeles Superior Court hearing on Tuesday (August 14), but instead the attorneys used the court date to try to protect the former spouses' privacy. According to a court clerk, legal representatives from Los Angeles TV news channel KNBC, "Access Hollywood" and People magazine jointly filed papers Tuesday morning to prevent court records in the former couple's child-custody battle from being permanently sealed. The move came after news outlets got wind that Federline's attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan was planning to bring to court a folder of documents "about an inch and a half thick," according to a source close to the matter. Federline's team has already subpoenaed Spears' cousin and former assistant, Alli Sims, and Spears' bodyguard Daimon Shippen; more subpoenas to give depositions about the care of the children are due to come for those close to Spears, the source said. Superior Court Commissioner Scott M. Gordon will hear the opposition to seal the records in a separate hearing on September 14, while the custody dispute will continue in court on September 17. ...

Wu-Tang Clan covering the Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" ... with George Harrison's son Dhani ... and Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante playing along? That's the news the RZA spilled to RollingStone.com late last week, saying the collabo for the ages will surface on the Clan's November 13 album, 8 Diagrams. The track will sample the original George Harrison-written song, with the group rapping over the track, Frusciante wailing on lead guitar and Dhani Harrison playing acoustic. ... Amy Winehouse's touring band, the Dap-Kings; Jamiroquai's Stu Zender and other to-be-announced singers will make guest appearances with Mark Ronson when he mans the decks at the VMAs on September 9. ...

Don Imus back on the airwaves? AP reports that the shock jock has reached a settlement with CBS Radio over his contract and is in negotiations with New York's WABC-AM radio — home to another inflammatory jock, Rush Limbaugh — to return to broadcasting. The settlement would preempt Imus' threatened $120 million breach-of-contract suit, a CBS spokesperson told AP, although the terms were not disclosed. ...

Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem must really be enjoying each other's company these days — the tour partners are planning to release a split 7-inch while on the road, RollingStone.com reports. The record will include the Fire's cover of Serge Gainsbourg's "Poupée de Cire, Poupée de Son" and LCD's take on Joy Division's "No Love Lost." ... Perry Farrell and his Satellite Party will descend on jam-band Moe.'s eighth annual Moe.Down fest, to be held August 31-September 2 in Turin, New York. The Party will be filling in for Ryan Adams & the Cardinals, who had to bail from the fest for personal reasons. ...

The tentative track list for the soundtrack to the upcoming film "Resident Evil: Extinction" has been announced. The set will include cuts from Shadows Fall, Flyleaf, Bayside, the Bled, Chimaira, Poison the Well and It Dies Today. Look for it to hit stores September 18 and the film to hit theaters three days later. ... Gwar have been added to the Viva la Bands Tour, which will also feature Cradle of Filth, CKY and Vains of Jenna. The trek kicks off September 24 in Baltimore and runs through November 3 in Worcester, Massachusetts. ... The lineup for the Radio Rebellion Tour has been released, and extreme-metallists Job for a Cowboy and Polish death-metal specialists Behemoth will be co-headlining. Gojira and Beneath the Massacre will be the opening acts on the trek, which will hit 28 North American cities, beginning October 18 in Baltimore and wrapping November 18 in New York. ...

Lana Clarkson's mother Donna took the stand Monday in the Phil Spector murder trial, testifying about shopping with the deceased actress shortly before she was shot on February 3, 2003, the Los Angeles Times reports. Refuting claims that Lana Clarkson was despondent over a failed acting career — the defense has argued that she was driven to suicide — the prosecution attempted to show instead that she was optimistic about the future. The defense asked Donna Clarkson to testify about apparently forged documents the actress used to try to get a loan, but prosecutor Alan Jackson said the documents would only provide "a look at what kind of person she is, not who pulled the trigger." Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler has allowed the letters to be admitted. ...

Sixteen solo albums by John Lennon debuted on iTunes on Tuesday, and for the next 30 days, exclusive video content will accompany six of them — including John Lennon/ Plastic Ono Band and Milk and Honey. The albums are available in iTunes Plus, which offers DRM-free tracks, and each song costs $1.29. ...

Phil Rizzuto, the New York Yankees shortstop who later became a longtime announcer for the team and was best-known for catchphrases like "Holy cow!" and "Unbelievable!," died Tuesday. He was 89. Rizzuto, whose nickname was "Scooter," will also be remembered as the voice providing the play-by-play commentary in Meat Loaf's infamous 1977 song, "Paradise by the Dashboard Light."

08.13.07

Britney Spears' assistant was served with court papers Sunday morning to give a deposition in a legal matter between the singer and Kevin Federline. Mark Vincent Kaplan, Federline's attorney, told The Associated Press that Alli Sims will be asked to offer a statement "in connection with the Britney Spears/ Kevin Federline issue," although he didn't elaborate. He added that Sims is "believed to have relevant information" but didn't go into specifics about that either. On Wednesday, Kaplan filed documents in Los Angeles Superior Court for primary physical custody of Federline's two sons with Spears. ...

Diddy will executive produce the upcoming biopic of the Notorious B.I.G., Variety reports. "Soul Food" director George Tillman will be behind the lens for "Unbelievable: The Life, Death and Afterlife of the Notorious B.I.G.," for which an open casting call was launched nationally on Sunday. ...

Jennifer Lopez has pegged October 9 as the release date for her English-language album Brave, her second LP of the year and sixth studio disc overall. The set is highlighted by the just-released single, "Do It Well," and will be produced by J.R. Rotem (50 Cent, Christina Aguilera), among others. J. Lo's other album this year, Como Ama Una Mujer, is the best-selling Spanish-language debut LP ever. ... Amy Winehouse, who was hospitalized last week for severe exhaustion, has scrapped two planned shows in Germany opening for the Rolling Stones, RollingStone.com reports. The singer told Britain's News of the World, "I don't know how to explain what happened. ... I can't remember what I looked like. I couldn't recognize myself. It was terrifying." ...

Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, Kid Rock and Velvet Revolver will anchor Los Angeles radio station KROQ's Inland Invasion fest — which has been renamed the L.A. Invasion, since its relocation from a venue in Devore, California, to one in Carson. Against Me!, Chris Cornell, Hot Hot Heat, Satellite Party, Paramore and Cypress Hill round out the bill for the show, which will take place September 15. ...

The French publisher of the "Harry Potter" series will not seek damages against a 16-year-old who allegedly posted online an unauthorized French translation of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," publishing house Gallimard Jeunesse said Monday (August 13), The Associated Press reports. The case is still being investigated by French authorities, who will decide whether to bring it to trial. ... Robert Smith of the Cure, Julian Casablancas of the Strokes, Frank Black and Tom Waits will judge this year's International Songwriting Competition, RollingStone.com reports. ...

Bloc Party, Múm, Of Montreal and more have been confirmed for the ninth annual Iceland Airwaves festival, set for October 17-21 in downtown Reykjavík. ... The Shins have beefed up their fall tour schedule with a smattering of new U.S. dates. After playing Seattle's Bumbershoot festival on September 1 and Chicago's Download Festival the following day, the band will take a month off, then hit the road again beginning October 5 in Berkeley, California. From there, the Shins will play more West Coast and Southwest dates before dipping down South and winding their way up the East Coast for a two-day stand at New York's Terminal Five on October 23-24. They'll cap the tour with a pair of gigs at Las Vegas' Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel on October 27-28. ...

Wilco are bumping a pair of concerts because guitarist Nels Cline has come down with the chicken pox, according to the band's site. The Tuesday night show in Duluth, Minnesota, will now be staged September 4, and a concert scheduled for Winnipeg, Manitoba, will be postponed or scrapped entirely. ... "You Hear It First" vets the Shout Out Louds will tour for a month after they drop their new album, Our Ill Wills, on September 11. The indie-pop quintet will embark at the LA Weekly Detour festival in Los Angeles on October 6 and stay on the road through a November 3 show in Dallas. ...

According to Killswitch Engage bassist Mike D'Antonio, the band will head out for a co-headlining run with Lamb of God this winter. Suicidal Tendencies and Every Time I Die are in talks to open the gigs. ... Alice in Chains have been working on its first new material in more than a decade, according to frontman William DuVall. He said working with the band has "been deeply rewarding" and the new material sounds "insane." No word yet on when the reunited grunge rockers will release their next LP. ...

"Big Lebowski" fans who incessantly re-enact scenes and dialogue from the cult flick are about to be able to make their interpretations even lifelike: action figures are on the way. Seven-inch scale figures devoted to the Dude and Walter will be available in October and can be preordered here. ... Barenaked Ladies will host another cruise in 2008 called Ships & Dip III and leaving Miami on January 27. Tickets go on sale March 22. Meanwhile, Lynyrd Skynyrd (with guests the Marshall Tucker Band) are also hosting another cruise, while Sister Hazel and Toad the Wet Sprocket are signed on for Rock Boat VIII. ...

According to the Asbury Park Press, police charged 33 people with underage drinking last week at the Family Values Tour's Wednesday stop at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey. Thirteen others were arrested on various other charges, including resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and assaulting a trooper. In all, 46 people, ranging in age from 16-47, were taken into custody during the gig, which was headlined by tour founders Korn. ... A James Brown trustee accused of misappropriating $350,000 of the late singer's money has resigned, the Chicago Tribune reports. David Cannon turned over a check for the sum at a hearing on Friday. A follow-up hearing has been slated for September 24 as wrangling continues over Brown's estate.

• Lindsay Lohan
• Britney Spears
• Wu-Tang Clan
• Mark Ronson
• Amy Winehouse

Linkin Park's <i>Minutes to Midnight</i>
Photo: Warner Bros.

Sixty-seven years ago Tuesday (May 15), McDonald's was founded. In the spirit of fast food, let's see — real quick-like — what helps turn this week's new releases into Happy Meals.

Time's a Wastin': For starters, Linkin Park serve their ominously themed third studio album, Minutes to Midnight — for which they spent 14 months in the studio and racked up a stupefying 100 demo songs. Rick Rubin put his Grammy-winning spit-shine on the LP and even let the bros use his 808 drum machine, which rap-rock crossover pseudo-brethren Beastie Boys used on License to Ill more than 20 years ago.
Happy Meal: The special edition comes with a Music Video Interactive DVD containing downloadable MP3s for all the tracks, plus videos, a "What I've Done" ringtone and much more.

Look, Up in the ...: Wilco's Sky Blue Sky is already drawing critical raves — duh, it's Wilco — and, were it born 30 years ago, would have fit comfortably on AOR radio. Their melancholic sixth release follows 2004's A Ghost Is Born, their first to crack the Billboard albums chart top 10 — and unless Rick James or Megadeth have something to say about it, this could very well be the second-biggest release dropping this week.
Happy Meal: Move over, LP — Wilco have a special edition of their own, and it also comes with a bonus DVD littered with surprises: a 45-minute documentary co-directed by Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty, interview clips with the six bandmembers and more.

Still Getting His Freak On: Rick James had put the finishing touches on a new studio album before he passed in August 2004, and almost three years later, Deeper Still finally makes its way into stores. The set features 11 tracks, 10 of which James wrote or co-wrote and all of which he produced, even though the funk master had originally wanted it to be a double album consisting of 20 cuts.
Happy Meal: "Do You Wanna Play" is, according to a press release, "an unadulterated invitation to carnal pleasures," while "Secrets" and "Funk Wit Me" are equally intimate, to put it politely.

Give (It) Up: For their fourth effort, metalcore stewards Hopesfall huddled with Mike Watts — no, not the legendary punk bassist; Mike Watts, producer of like-minded bands like As Tall as Lions and As Cities Burn. The North Carolina group's latest includes "Swamp Kittens," "Cubic Zirconias Are Forever" and "Devil's Concubine."
Happy Meal: The brilliant Magnetic North cover art.

Playing Tag: Rawkus Records is back as you probably know, and the label is hoping it has a new Mos Def or Talib Kweli on its hands in newcomer Marco Polo. The NYC-by-way-of-Toronto rapper, who is a former member of the Beat Society and was named one of Urb's Next 100 artists, produced his first album all on his own.
Happy Meal: Guest spots by Masta Ace, Large Professor and Kool G Rap round out the release.

Wain's World: Speaking of self-produced albums, Rufus Wainwright's Release the Stars is the first he did completely by himself — although it was executive produced by Pet Shop Boys conspirator Neil Tennant. The emotional singer/songwriter also got assists on his fifth album from guest stars Richard Thompson, Joan Wasser and veteran Welsh stage actress Siân Phillips.
Happy Meal: Look no further than Wainwright's quintessential operatic heart-on-his-sleeve outpouring, which inevitably crops up again throughout his latest LP.

Strung Out: The High Strung have been touring libraries — yes, you, uh, read that right — to hype their third album, which is appropriate in light of the many fictional character sketches and narratives brought forth in Get the Guests. That includes "Rimbaud/Rambo," about a narrator weighing the romantic potential of both; "The Curator," about a museum employee who covers the walls with his own art; and "Arrow," which imagines what would happen if Cupid were to stick himself with one of his love spears.
Happy Meal: Song titles include "There Was No One Before You, There Was No One Before Me," "The Meddler" and — wait for it — "What a Meddler!"

Friendly Fire: Welsh rockers Funeral for a Friend — who recently toured with My Chemical Romance — churn out Tales Don't Tell Themselves this week, with a big assist from Foo Fighters producer Gil Norton. The band's third album features the first single, "Into Oblivion (Reunion)" — the video for which landed 14,000 views in its first 24 hours — "Out of Reach" and "On a Wire."
Happy Meal: Norton employs strings, French horns and a 26-piece orchestra on many of the tracks.

The genesis of Genesis: The band is back this summer — without Peter Gabriel, beware — and Rhino is hailing the reunion with a six-CD/six-DVD set, Genesis 1976-1982. The first of three box sets the label is planning features the band's five studio discs from that era, expanded with bonus tracks, remastered sound, unreleased videos, photo galleries, interviews and much more.
Happy Meal: Fans will go gaga over rare B-sides, EP tracks and more that are littered throughout the hefty set.

Metal Mayhem: On the topic of "genesis," Job for a Cowboy — who have made the rounds with Cannibal Corpse and are set for this summer's Sounds of the Underground Tour — are using that term as the title of their first album. The LP features weightily named songs like "Altered From Catechization," "Reduced to Mere Filth" and "Martyrdom Unsealed" and was mixed by Grammy-winning Megadeth collaborator Andy Sneap.

Sneap also reconvened with 'Deth for their 11th studio release, United Abominations, which Dave Mustaine and the gang churn out this week. Recorded in Los Angeles and England, the old-school throwback album recaps the band's classic track "À Tout Le Monde (Set Me Free)" with new vocals by Lacuna Coil's Cristina Scabbia.

Happy Meal: Metalheads are always happy.

Odds 'N' Sods: Also this week, Zach Barocas is helping out his onetime Jawbox bandmate, post-punk icon J. Robbins, with a two-CD tribute comp, For Callum. The set has been crafted to raise funds for Robbins' son, who has spinal muscular atrophy, and it features contributions from Mission of Burma, David Grubbs, Jawbreaker and many more. It's only available at Catlick Records' Web site.

Also hard to find but available on Dischord's Web site is a remastered version of Fugazi's Red Medicine and a slew of entries in the Fugazi Live Series. The label is selling the remaining stock of CDs from the series, after which it plans to release the concert recordings digitally.

And speaking of digital releases, hip-hop producer and X-ecutioners collaborator Marshall Law has posted his 60-minute experimental mix, Testing the Waters, right here for free download.

Last but not least, Starbucks is exclusively releasing the collection Bluesville, featuring tracks by Albert King, Willie Dixon and other blues greats.

Song Title of the Week:

"And I Told Them I Invented Times New Roman" from Dance Gavin Dance's Downtown Battle Mountain

Other Notables:

Dungen's Tio Bitar: The Swedish psych-rockers take guitar noise to another level with their second disc, which also encompasses violin, flute, piano and organ, along with the usual bass and drums. Gustav Ejstes and company dish up "Ska Inte Tro Alt Det Ordnar Sig," "Mon Amour," "Familj," and other tracks you don't understand. Just don't let the artwork make you too dizzy.

Betty Davis' Betty Davis and They Say I'm Different: The funk and soul goddess — who counts Ice Cube and Herbie Hancock among her fans — gets some retro lovin' with her first reissues ever. Mrs. Miles Davis' first two albums — which she wrote and produced all on her own, like her other releases — feature three and four unreleased bonus cuts, respectively.

Tim Buckley's "My Fleeting House": There's another first in the archival world this week: the release of the only authorized Buckley DVD to date. The footage spans the entirety of his career (1967-'74) and includes 11 full songs and three partial performances, plus unreleased footage from "The Steve Allen Show," interviews with his collaborators and more.

New Releases:

· The Avett Brothers - Emotionalism (Ramseur)
· Balkan Beat Box - Nu Med (JDub)
· Before Their Eyes - Before Their Eyes (Rise)
· Blacktop Mourning - No Regret (Megaforce)
· Chaka Khan - Classikhan (Music World)
· Dance Gavin Dance - Downtown Battle Mountain (Rise)
· Dirty Sweet - ... Of Monarchs & Beggars (Seedling)
· Dungen - Tio Bitar (Kemado)
· Flatfoot 56 - Jungle of the Midwest Sea (Flicker)
· Funeral for a Friend - Tales Don't Tell Themselves (Atlantic)
· Great Northern - Trading Twilight for Daylight (Eenie Meenie)
· Howard Hewett - If Only (Machine Productions)
· The High Strung - Get the Guests (Park the Van)
· Hollywood Rose - Dopesnake (Cleopatra)
· Hopesfall - Magnetic North (Trustkill)
· The Horrors - Strange House (enhanced; Stolen Transmission)
· Ian Hunter - Shrunken Heads (Yep Roc)
· Rick James - Deeper Still (Stone City)
· Job for a Cowboy - Genesis (Metal Blade)
· JT and the Clouds - The City's Hot Yeah the City's Hot (Dishrag)
· Kari Kimmel - A Day in the Life (self-release)
· Lewis & Clarke - Blasts of Holy Birth (La Société Expéditionnaire)
· Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight (special edition comes with MVI DVD; Warner Bros./ Machine Shop) [Buy]
Read: "Linkin Park's Minutes To Midnight Preview: Nu-Metallers Grow Up"
· Harry Manx and Kevin Breit - In Good We Trust (Stony Plain)
· Marco Polo - Port Authority (Red Urban)
· Megadeth - United Abominations (Roadrunner) [Buy]
· Maria Muldaur - Naughty, Bawdy & Blue (Stony Plain)
· The Narrator - All That to the Wall (Flameshovel)
· The O'Jays - Imagination (Music World)
· Dolores O'Riordan - Are You Listening? (Sanctuary)
· Ozma - Pasadena (Reincarnate)
· The Phoenix Foundation - Horsepower (Young American)
· Pink Martini - Hey Eugene! (Heinz)
· The Race - Ice Station (Flameshovel)
· Fennesz Sakamoto - Cendre (Touch)
· The Shake - Kick It (Unicycle)
· Southerly - Storyteller and the Gossip Columnist (Greyday)
· Rufus Wainwright - Release the Stars (Geffen) [Buy]
· Wilco - Sky Blue Sky (enhanced; Nonesuch) [Buy]

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· The Alan Parsons Project - The Essential Alan Parsons Project (two CDs; Arista/Legacy)
· Betty Davis - Betty Davis and They Say I'm Different (Light in the Attic)
· Genesis - Genesis 1976-1982 (six CDs and six DVDs; Rhino)
· Jefferson Airplane - Sweeping Up the Spotlight: Live at the Fillmore East 1969 (RCA/Legacy)
· Moby Grape - Listen My Friends! The Best of Moby Grape (Epic/Legacy)
· The Remains - The Remains (Epic/Legacy)
· UB40 - Live at Montreux 2002 (Eagle)
· Chucho Valdéz & His Combo - The Complete 1964 Sessions (MVD Audio)
· Chucho Valdéz Trio - Jazz Bata (MVD Audio)
· Various artists - Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten (Legacy)

Music DVDs:

· Tim Buckley - "My Fleeting House" (MVD Visual)
· Madonna - "The Wild Angel - The Unauthorized Story" (Eagle Vision)
· Garnett Silk - "Earth Day Celebration: A Reggae Tribute to Garnett Silk - Live 2003" (MVD Visual)
· TLC - "Now & Forever: The Video Hits" (La Face)
· Miroslav Vitous - "Live in Vienna" (MVD Visual)

Coming Attractions:

May 22: · Tim Armstrong - A Poet's Life (with bonus DVD; Hellcat)
· The Bravery - The Sun and the Moon (Island) [Preorder]
· KRS-One and Marley Marl - Hip Hop Lives (Koch) [Preorder]
· Maroon 5 - It Won't Be Soon Before Long (Octone) [Preorder]
Read: "Maroon 5 Back With 'Harder' Album After Adam Levine Gets Sick Of Partying"
· Ozzy Osbourne - Black Rain (Epic) [Preorder]

May 29: · Les Claypool - "Fancy" DVD (Prawn Song)
· Danzig - The Lost Tracks of Danzig (two CDs; Megaforce) [Preorder]
Read: "Glenn Danzig Preps 'Final' Tour, Film, Box Set And, Uh, Dolls"
· R. Kelly - Double Up (Jive)
Read: "New R. Kelly LP Includes Akon, Jeezy, 'Flirt' — But No 'Closet' Till July"

June 5: · Chris Cornell - Carry On (A&M)
Read: "Chris Cornell Ready To Carry On As Solo Artist: 'I'm Best In My Own World' "
· Marilyn Manson - Eat Me, Drink Me (Nothing)
Read: "Marilyn Manson Reveals He Came Close To Suicide; LP 'Was My Salvation' "
· O.A.R. - Live From Madison Square Garden (two-CD set and two-DVD set; Everfine/Lava/Atlantic)

• Linkin Park
• Wilco
• Rick James
• Megadeth
• Rufus Wainwright

Paramore, Lil Wayne, More At Virgin Mobile Festival 2008

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