Akon
Photo: MTV News

Another Akon concert disaster: The R&B singer's planned Thursday (October 25) gig at Atlanta's Emory University was canceled after several people, including his drummer, were injured while setting up for the show, TMZ reports. The left side of the concert stage reportedly collapsed after a canopy fell while crews were setting up lights. At least one student was also reportedly injured in the incident, which spurred campus police to cordon off the area as fire trucks and ambulances responded. ...

Owen Wilson's first interview since his suicide attempt in August will be posted online at midnight on Friday as part of MySpace.com's Artist on Artist series, according to USA Today. Wilson reportedly chatted Thursday with his friend Wes Anderson, who has directed the actor in all his films, including the recently released "The Darjeeling Limited." It's not yet known if the interview will deal with Wilson's personal struggles. ...

Jennifer Lopez hasn't officially announced her reported pregnancy yet, but her ex-boyfriend Diddy is already dishing his best wishes to the singer. "She's going to make a great mother," he told UsMagazine.com. "She is one of the most caring people I've ever met. When I went out with her, I saw that quality." Diddy did not tell UsMagazine.com whether he knew for sure that Lopez is expecting, but according to the outlet, she is almost five months pregnant. Previous reports indicated that she is expecting twins with husband Marc Anthony. "I'm extremely happy for her, and I will be sending some expensive god-daddy presents to her baby," Diddy said. ...

Could twins also be in Christina Aguilera's future? According to the New York Daily News, the singer is expecting two children. Aguilera has been very hush-hush about her reported pregnancy, although Paris Hilton might have taken the wind out of her sails by blabbing about the news during VMA weekend. ...

While Britney Spears is due in court Friday for another hearing in her child-custody dispute with ex-husband Kevin Federline, attention turned on Thursday (October 25) to her other case: a car crash on August 6 that resulted in two driving-related misdemeanors. Spears' lawyer Michael Flanagan entered a not-guilty plea on behalf of the singer, who was not required to show up at the courtroom in Van Nuys, California. According to The Associated Press, Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Susan Speer ruled that Spears no longer has to face a hit-and-run charge in the crash, as she has already compensated Kim Robard-Rifkin, who owns the Mercedes-Benz that the singer hit in a parking lot. (People reports the amount was approximately $1,000.) But the charge of driving without a license was not dismissed, and Speer scheduled a pretrial hearing for November 26. Flanagan told AP outside the courthouse that Assistant City Attorney Michael Amerian had offered the singer a plea deal relating to that charge, but that the deal would involve 12 months' probation. But Flanagan said that wouldn't be necessary, since Spears recently obtained a valid California driver's license. "She got a license, she has insurance, has always had insurance. The question is: Is probation really necessary?" he asked. Flanagan added that Spears had a license in Louisiana, and he also contended that she didn't have a valid California one because a camera wasn't available at the Department of Motor Vehicles when she tried to apply for a license prior to the August accident. Spears may also face fines, People reports. ...

Just weeks after Nas announced the controversial title of his December 11 album, rapper/poet Saul Williams has announced that he's given his own upcoming LP a name that is likely to cause a stir. In a post on the album's Web page, Williams said, "It is my greatest honor to present to you The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!, my new album produced by Trent Reznor and mixed by Alan Moulder," who has also worked with the Smashing Pumpkins and Reznor's Nine Inch Nails. He elaborated on the concept of the album — the title of which is clearly a play on David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars — in the post, saying, "Most people aren't aware of the world of art and commerce, where exploitation strips each artist down to 'nigger.' Each label, like 'apartheid,' multiplies us by our divide and whips us 'til we conform to lesser figures ... the only way to choose is to jump ship from old truths and trust dolphins as we swim through changing ways." The track list for the album — which is coming out November 1 in digital form on the Inevitable Web site — includes "Black History Month," "Tr(n)igger" and "NiggyTardust." Perhaps taking a tip from Radiohead, the site lets fan choose to pay $5 for the album — or nothing at all. For five bucks, customers can get either 83MB (high quality) or 128MB (very high quality) MP3 files. A third $5 option is also available, in the Free Lossless Audio Codec format, which is similar to MP3 but doesn't lose quality in the compression process — that version has CD quality (395MB) but isn't playable on iTunes or Windows Media. The free option provides an 83MB zip file that contains lower-quality, DRM-free MP3s of the songs. ...

A third teen teen testified in Vincent "Don Vito" Margera's Colorado trial on two counts of sexual assault, according to the Rocky Mountain News. Trey Hughes, 15, said he was sitting near Margera, uncle of Bam Margera, at his autograph signing at a Colorado mall in August 2006 when Vincent Margera saw the man grab at girls who asked for their photos to be taken with him. "I saw Vito grabbing girls in inappropriate places," he said. "He would touch their boobs. I saw him grab their butts." Hughes added that he saw Margera sticking out his tongue and wagging it around, "pretending like he was licking them." On Tuesday, two other teens testified in the trial. Fourteen-year-old Mina Darnell said, like Hughes, that she saw Margera grabbing at girls at the signing. "When a girl came up to get a picture, I saw him grab their boob or their butt," Darnell said Tuesday. "I wasn't focused on it the whole time, but [it happened to] at least one-quarter to one-half of all the girls who were there." She also said that after girls had their picture taken with Vincent Margera, they would say, "He just touched me!," as they were leaving. She said she did not get an autograph herself from Margera. A 15-year-old boy also testified Tuesday, saying he was shocked when he saw Margera allegedly put a sticker on his friend's breast. ...

Did Lil Wayne skimp on his bling? A New Orleans jewelry store claims in a recently filed lawsuit that the hometown rapper (real name: Dwayne Michael Carter Jr.) purchased a $138,000 diamond ring and $32,000 gold-and-diamond necklace — but that the Cash Money Records president failed to come up with all the cash money for the items, according to The Miami Herald. Jack Sutton Fine Jewelry claims Wayne owes $146,000 on the $170,000 purchase, which he allegedly made over the telephone with the store's owner, Jack Sutton, on October 6, 2006. Sutton says he and Wayne agreed to a monthly installment plan for the payments, but that when he deposited the second check, a $24,000 payment, he discovered that a stop payment had been placed on it. The jewelry-store owner claims he has reached out to Wayne to no avail, and that he is surprised because, as he told the Herald, the rapper is "one of my best customers. He spent a lot of money with me. I thought we have a really good relationship. I don't know what happened, unless it's a misunderstanding. ... I've been doing business with him for at least 10 years. He's always been wonderful with paying me." Wayne's entertainment attorney in California, Ron Sweeney, also spoke with the Herald, saying ''This is clearly a misunderstanding. If, in fact, the allegations are true, then it will be resolved. My client is very responsible." ...

Hey Harry Potter fans, got 41 grand in your piggy bank? That's how much an anonymous private bidder threw down for a copy of the hardback first edition of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" — which was subsequently retitled "Sorcerer's Stone" for its U.S. publish — that was autographed by the author as "Joanne Rowling." The bidder paid $40,326 at Christie's auction house in London, but believe it or not, that actually isn't the highest amount a copy of that 1997 edition has gone for — a copy inscribed with a Rowling personal dedication went for more than $50,000 in May at Christie's. About 500 copies were pressed for the novel's initial run. ... So much for Paris Hilton's philanthropic efforts — People reports that the children's charity that had organized the heiress' trip to Rwanda has postponed the trek due to restructuring. "Paris has been a loyal and gracious supporter of Playing for Good but the foundation has to regrettably reschedule this trip," the organization said in a statement on Thursday, according to People. "Playing for Good would like to thank Ms. Hilton for her generosity and her continued support of this initiative and is looking forward to rescheduling the trip with her at a later time." ...

Coheed and Cambria's logo has been creating something of a situation at the University of Kansas this week. After a number of dorm windows were shot out, a set of seemingly cryptic symbols were found spray-painted throughout the campus with the date "10/23/07" underneath them. The symbols were Coheed's logo, and the date referred to the release of the band's latest LP, No World for Tomorrow. Rumors spread across the campus that another shooting was being planned, and campus police were swamped with phone calls and questions about potential impending violence. ...

Metallica's forthcoming yet-untitled LP could be in stores as early as February, drummer Lars Ulrich revealed in a recent interview with The San Francisco Examiner. He also explained the metal band's decision to work with Rick Rubin rather than longtime producer Bob Rock. "For our own sanity, our own creative survival, we needed to work with a different set of circumstances and dynamics," he said. "So we've been stripped of our defense mechanisms, and it's been very invigorating to be challenged again. Rick's taken everything we've known about making records and completely turned it upside down." He said that the songs for the new LP are different from those on the band's previous offering, St. Anger. "Well, most of the intros are four to five minutes. I don't know — Metallica and short songs just don't go that well together. But whereas St. Anger was an exercise in over-pummeling the listener, these new songs echo some of our stuff from the '80s — long, epic journeys through different musical landscapes, heavier, but a lot more melodic." ...

Disturbed have entered a Chicago studio to begin recording their fourth album, the yet-untitled follow-up to 2005's Ten Thousand Fists. The band will be producing the effort itself and hopes to have it ready in time for a spring release. According to a statement from frontman David Draiman, the disc "seems to have taken on a darker character than the previous albums. It's more furiously paced and complex." ... The track list for Mudvayne's forthcoming compilation LP, By the People, for the People, has been revealed. The disc will boast 16 tracks, including a live version of "Dig"; demo versions of "Happy," "All That You Are" and "Silenced"; and an acoustic version of "Forget to Remember." Look for the album to hit stores November 27. ...

The Dave Matthews Band will play two free shows for Army football at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, on November 14 and 15. Robert Randolph & the Family Band will open the shows, which the cadets won (beating out Navy, Air Force and 100 other colleges) as part of the World's Loudest Pep Rally contest, sponsored by AT&T. ... Long-off-the-radar "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken is getting into the holiday spirit with an upcoming Christmas in the Heartland tour. Before hitting the road, he'll perform at the Neil Sedaka: 50 Years of Hits show on Friday in New York — the event will benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation. After that, Aiken will hit the rink November 6 in Las Vegas for a guest spot at the Capital One Holiday Celebration on Ice, which features a host of champion skaters and will air on NBC on Christmas Day. His tour launches on November 26 in Wichita, Kansas, and stops in Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Minnesota before winding up at the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville, Indiana, on December 22. And of course in January, he joins the Broadway cast of the Tony Award-winning show "Monty Python's Spamalot," playing one of the leads, Sir Robin. ...

With one racy music-video appearance under her belt and her pipes warmed up from singing in the Beatles-themed "Across the Universe," actress Evan Rachel Wood is reportedly close to signing a deal with Interscope Records for her debut album. Entertainment Weekly reports that Wood — whose boyfriend, Marilyn Manson, is signed to Interscope — is in negotiations with the label, with a possible announcement of a deal just weeks away. ... Prince's Purple Rain tops Vanity Fair's list of the 10 best movie soundtracks of all time. Next on the magazine's list is the soundtrack to "A Hard Day's Night" by the Beatles, and ones for the reggae classic "The Harder They Come," "Pulp Fiction," "The Graduate," "Superfly," "Trainspotting," "Saturday Night Fever," "American Graffiti" and "The Big Chill." ... Kate Hudson and Chris Robinson's divorce was finalized in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, AP reports. Details of the former couple's custody arrangement over their 3-year-old son, Ryder, were not disclosed, nor were the terms of their property division. ...

It seems the Blood Brothers are calling it quits. While there hasn't been an official announcement yet, the band's management says the group is going on hiatus and will reconvene in the not-so-distant future to decide its fate. Meanwhile, a source close to the band tells MTV News that the Brothers have, indeed, split up, but did not offer an explanation for the band's demise. ... Cave In frontman Stephen Brodsky has announced the formation of a new side project, a power-pop outfit called Pet Genius. The act reunites Brodsky with former Cave In drummer John-Robert Conners, as well as bassist Johnny Northup, who played with Brodsky in Octave Museum. Pet Genius' debut hit stores Tuesday and features 11 tracks, including "The Visiting Dynamiter," "Emit Fo Deeps Eht Esare" and "Trash Heap Swing." ...

Though they won't be in attendance, the Flaming Lips are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their bold sonic experiment Zaireeka — a set of four CDs meant to be played simultaneously — with a series of in-store "performances" of the magnum opus. The first of the anniversary parties took place Monday at Seattle's Crocodile Cafe, and more will follow on Sunday at Size Records in their hometown of Oklahoma City, Tuesday at Dallas' Good Records, November 2 at Criminal Records in Atlanta and November 6 at Luna Music in Indianapolis. In addition to a costume contest, the festivities include a "virtual" appearance by singer Wayne Coyne via DVD in which he'll explain how the album works. ... Pete Doherty has been freed of a court drug-treatment order after a judge said she had received advice from experts, BBC News reports. The troubled Babyshambles frontman appeared in court on Wednesday for a review of the order, for which he had six months left to serve, but the judge said he had already been supervised over 18 months and that she was convinced the plan for the musician to stay drug-free was going to be followed. ...

Our long international nightmare is over: Both Ace of Base and "Barbie Girl" band Aqua have announced reunion tours. Swedish pop tarts Base have scheduled a series of gigs in November and December in Russia and Eastern Europe, while Danish one-hit wonders Aqua announced recently that they will be playing shows this year in conjunction with a greatest-hits album. ... For the first time in more than three decades, pioneering funk rockers Sly and the Family Stone will perform a live show, in New York on December 7 at the B.B. King Blues Club.

10.24.07

Mariah Carey paid "TRL" a visit on Wednesday (October 24) and gabbed about her new fragrance line and upcoming studio album. "I've been working on this record while I'm working on the fragrance," she revealed, saying that her yet-untitled LP and just-released M by Mariah Carey line "kind of work together." "I wanted [the fragrance] to be sensual. ... It's really been like writing a song ... this was almost the same creative process." She also explained why she pushed back her yet-untitled album, which had previously been scheduled for December 4, to next year. "You can't really put records out in December if you want the whole world to have a chance to actually hear it, [and] my fans all over the world are very important to me," she said, adding that she also wants to put out a pair of singles before the album drops. Carey dropped another hint about the effort, saying she "just had a really, really hot session with somebody in Miami," and while she was stubborn about letting us know just who the person in question is, she did let it slip that it's a man and that he's "somebody very popular." When asked what advice she might give Britney Spears, Carey didn't mention Spears specifically but said, "You gotta go through the ups to have the downs; you gotta go through the downs to have the ups. You have to go through life like any other person. To me, you just stay grounded spiritually, get your rest, and don't take it all so seriously." ...

Britney Spears and Kevin Federline were at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Southern California on Wednesday (October 24) to attend their first Parenting Without Conflict session. TMZ.com reports that the two attended a two-hour class during which a parenting coach gave the ex-spouses tips on how a divorced couple should bring up their kids, who were reportedly not present. A judge ordered Spears and Federline to attend the program in September, as well as participate in joint co-parenting counseling. In other Brit news, did she stiff the backup dancers who performed with her at the VMAs? According to UsMagazine.com, some of them were not compensated for their work on September 9, and the problem might stem from Spears being dropped by her management company, the Firm, on September 17. ...

A 15-year-old boy testified in the trial of Vincent "Don Vito" Margera, uncle of Bam Margera, on Wednesday during the second day of his Colorado trial on two counts of sexual assault, according to the Rocky Mountain News. Vincent Margera is accused of groping three 12- to 14-year-old girls during at an autograph signing at a Colorado mall in August 2006. Steve Wilson said he was more than surprised when he saw Margera allegedly put a sticker on his friend's breast. "I was really shocked because she's very young and he's — I don't know — probably like 50," Steve Wilson said of Margera, who is 51. The boy also said his friend was shaken after the alleged incident, during which Margera is also accused of putting a sticker on an underage girl's thigh. "She came up, and she was really shocked that it had happened, and she asked me, 'Did you see what he just did?' She was very serious and like terrified." Margera's attorney, Pamela Mackey, contended to the jury Tuesday that Margera was playing his "goofy, outrageous and vulgar" TV character because "that's what got the laughs." ...

Sean "Diddy" Combs says the media has been blowing out of proportion a man's accusation that he was punched by the hip-hop mogul inside a store in New York on October 13, according to Reuters. "It was something that was just totally overblown. I don't fight over girls!" he said in regards to the alleged dispute, which police have reportedly said was over an unidentified woman. However, Combs did admit that, "I am a human being, and I will get into an argument at times." Steven Acevedo alleges Combs punched him in the face twice inside Kiosk, a store located in New York's Soho neighborhood that hosts parties by night. The mogul made his remarks at a news conference in which he announced a new beverage deal with alcoholic-drink maker Diageo PLC, to develop its Ciroc vodka brand. The mogul will have a 50 percent profit share in the Diageo PLC premium line, and he could make up to $100 million over the course of the multi-year deal, depending on the vodka's success. "It is not an endorsement deal. This is something that will have my daily attention," he told The Associated Press. "I'm not just a celebrity endorser, I'm a brand builder. I'm a luxury-brand builder." Diddy added that he will be responsible for marketing the brand and deciding where to sell it. ...

First Kid Rock fought with Tommy Lee at the VMAs, last month, then he got involved in a scuffle at a Waffle House last weekend, and then he just got knocked off the top of the Billboard albums chart by Bruce Springsteen ... could things get any worse for the Rock N Roll Jesus? Apparently so: The rocker is being sued by a Kentucky man who claims his song "Slow Death" is similar to Rock's "So Hott," according to TMZ. Maurice Foreman claims he has the copyright to his song, which he wrote in 1997. Foreman says the lead-guitar notes are identical in both songs and that Rock sings "so hot" three times," just as Foreman sings "slow death." ...

Beyoncé singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"? Carrie Underwood taking on "The Sound of Music"? Fergie covering "Live and Let Die"? Believe it or not, that's what will be happening on December 2 at Los Angeles' Kodak Theatre during Movies Rock, a film-and-music event modeled after Fashion Rocks. Adding even more weight to the star-studded roster, Mary J. Blige and John Legend will team for a rendition of the "Casablanca" song "As Time Goes By," Jennifer Hudson will perform "Goldfinger" from the James Bond flick of the same name, and Elton John will tackle songs from animated flicks. The show will air December 7 on CBS, and proceeds from the event itself will go to the Entertainment Industry Foundation, which funds more than 300 charitable organizations in the greater Los Angeles area. ...

T.I., who is accused of trying to illegally purchase machine guns and silencers, says he's learned how to deal "appropriately" with conflicts and wants to set a "good example" for young people. "Sometimes man, I can be a real rational, clear-thinking, level-headed, trouble-solving person," the Atlanta rapper said in an interview before his arrest in the new issue of Complex, which hits newsstands November 6. "I can really figure out how to deal with issues appropriately and apply them to it. If I don't allow myself that time, if I don't exercise patience and really end up straight to do that, I can also let myself go into a whole 'nother level of being carried away. So I'm tryin' to exercise moral strength and rational living these days. You know, I'm 27 years old now, man? So it ain't really the best thing for me to be doing, going out there actin' like ... today is a good example to be setting for the 19-, 21-year-olds, you know?" ...

Alicia Keys headlined the Heineken Red Star Soul tour's final stop in New York on Tuesday night, performing a medley of her hits, as DJ Jazzy Jeff and No I.D. looked on at Spotlight Studios. The latter two were awarded Independent Achiever Awards, as were Antonio "AD the Voice" Delgado, J. Carter, W. Ellington Felton and Ralph McDaniels. Posthumous nods were given to Gerald Levert and J Dilla as well. Newcomer Emily King opened and DJ Cassidy manned the turntables for the festivities. ... UsMagazine.com reports that Lindsay Lohan may be gearing up for her big club-scene comeback. According to the site, the starlet will host this year's New Year's bash at red-hot Las Vegas club LAX. She had previously been slated to host her 21st birthday party at Vegas' Pure nightclub, but she had to back out of the event after entering rehab. ...

Rick Ross' album Trilla will be out December 18. Earlier this week, the bearded-hustler poster child debuted his song "Speedin' " for New York at club Home. The track features R. Kelly. ... Fabolous performed at Canal Room in Manhattan, New York, on Tuesday night as part of the AT&T-sponsored one-year anniversary celebration for trendy tech site BoyGeniusReport.com. Diddy, DJ Clue, and football star Michael Strahan and Nicole Murphy, were in attendance. Super-producer Just Blaze held down DJ duties. ...

Jay-Z has a deal with Budweiser, 50 Cent with Vitamin Water — and now Diddy has put the finishing touches on his own beverage deal, to develop the Ciroc vodka brand, The Associated Press reports. The mogul will have a 50 percent profit share in the Diageo PLC premium line, and he could make up to $100 million over the course of the multi-year deal, depending on the vodka's success. "It is not an endorsement deal. This is something that will have my daily attention," he told AP. "I'm not just a celebrity endorser, I'm a brand builder. I'm a luxury-brand builder." Diddy added that he will be responsible for marketing the brand and deciding where to sell it. ...

One person has been arrested in DeKalb County, Georgia, in connection with a series of incidents at the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts. According to a spokesperson for the center, on Saturday morning vandals defaced the building and placed a noose around the neck of a Shakur statue in the center's garden. In a subsequent attack on the statue, it was plastered with "handbills of garbled rants that include references to 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, as well as vague threats against various record companies and rappers." ...

Tommy Lee has dismissed rumors that he's mulling an offer to be the subject of an upcoming season of VH1's "Rock of Love." In his newsletter, Lee said, "I am not, nor would I ever, do a stupid show like the 'Rock of Love.' " Lee, however, had no problem signing on for "Tommy Lee Goes to College," a 2005 reality series that focused on the former Mötley Crüe drummer's experience as a student at the University of Nebraska, and didn't pass up the chance to participate in CBS' "Rock Star: Supernova," a program designed to find a frontman for a band featuring Lee and several other well-known musicians. ... Korn have written and recorded an original song inspired by the upcoming PlayStation 3 video game "Haze." The song, which shares the name of the game, will be shipped to radio and video outlets next month, coinciding with the game's November 27 release. ...

Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama has added a gay minister to the lineup for his three-day concert series in South Carolina after coming under fire from gay activists for including a gospel singer who has said he believes homosexuality is a choice, AP reports. The Rev. Andy Sidden, who is openly gay, has been invited to the Sunday event in Columbia after Obama reportedly discussed his inclusion with Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, which supports gay rights. Solmonese thanked Obama in a statement but said he was disappointed the series will still include Grammy-winning gospel star Donnie McClurkin, whose assertions that homosexuality is a choice led to calls for Obama to cancel the singer's performance. After saying on Monday that he thought sexual preference "is a matter of choice," McClurkin told the Chicago Tribune on Tuesday that his ideals and his ministry were being severely misconstrued. "I don't believe that even from a religious point of view that Jesus ever discriminated toward anyone, nor do I," McClurkin said. "Most of the things that were said were totally out of context, and then other things weren't true." McClurkin lived as a gay man for 20 years and now says he is straight. He said his ministry is open to those who say they no longer want to live as a gay person, but he added that "there's never been a statement made by me about curing homosexuality. People are using that in order to incite anger and to twist my whole platform on it. There's no crusade for curing it or to convert everyone. This is just for those who come to me and ask for change." ...

In other Obama news, in an apparent slip of the tongue, Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney accused the senator of urging terrorists to congregate in Iraq, according to The Associated Press. In an appearance in South Carolina on Tuesday, Romney said, "Actually, just look at what Osam — Barack Obama — said just yesterday. Barack Obama, calling on radicals, jihadists of all different types, to come together in Iraq." Romney apparently was referring to an audiotape aired Monday in which a speaker believed to be Osama bin Laden called for insurgents in Iraq to unite. A Romney spokesperson said, "He misspoke. He was referring to the audiotape of Osama bin Laden and misspoke. It was just a mix-up." ...

An arrest warrant has been issued by a Jamaican judge for dancehall singer Beenie Man after the 34-year-old Grammy winner failed to show up in court to present his plan for paying back taxes. Reuters reports that Beenie Man (born Anthony Moses Davis) appeared in court three weeks ago on tax-evasion charges and was told he owed the Jamaican revenue department $415,000, plus $246,000 in penalties, after not paying taxes for more than a decade. The singer said he was unaware he owed the money and blamed it on the company that formerly handled his business affairs. ... In the wake of the devastating fires that have driven nearly 1 million Southern California residents from their homes, San Diego rock station FM 94.9 has been carrying a 24-hour news feed from public radio station KPBS in place of its music programming. The station handed over its airwaves on Tuesday morning after KPBS' transmitter was lost in the fire on Mount San Miguel. ...

Portishead are almost done recording their third full-length album, according to a post on the trip-hop outfit's Web site. Co-founder Geoff Barrow wrote that the band has been in London finishing up the long-awaited follow-up to its 1997 self-titled album. "I think one more day messing about with it, and it will be done," he wrote. "Then into the wonderful world of mastering." He added that the group is now "working on some artwork and getting the live stuff together." In related news, GZA has been added to the Portishead-curated All Tomorrow's Parties Nightmare Before Christmas event happening in England on December 7-9. He'll also perform his classic album Liquid Swords in its entirety in London on December 9. ... Former "American Idol" contestant Kellie Pickler has been added to the performance lineup for the upcoming Country Music Association Awards. The November 7 show has also added several new presenters, including Sheryl Crow and Gretchen Wilson. ...

His music has been in Victoria's Secret commercials, and now rock legend Bob Dylan is joining the SUV crowd. In a cross-promotional stunt to hype his XM radio show, Dylan is appearing in print, online and TV ads for the Cadillac Escalade, coinciding with a Cadillac-themed episode of his "Theme Time Radio Hour" XM show. In one commercial, a determined-looking Dylan, wearing an all-black cowboy getup, is seen hurtling through the desert in a black Escalade (listening to satellite radio, of course) and properly using his turn signal to overtake a truck. ...

It might be a while before we hear from Jet again. According to a post from drummer/singer Chris Cester on Jet's MySpace page, the Australian group is going on hiatus to recharge its batteries. "We've just decided to take some well-earned time off," he said. "After touring for, well, ever, we sat ourselves down and realized that with all the time we have spent away from home, Jet could finally use some down time."

[This story was originally published at 1:32 pm E.T. on 10.25.2007]

• Britney Spears' Ongoing Saga: What's Next?

• Diddy
• Jennifer Lopez
• Britney Spears
• Saul Williams
• Lil Wayne

Saul Williams and Trent Reznor
Photo: Brad Barket/Michael Buckner/Getty Images

Poet/rapper Saul Williams was too wrapped up in hip-hop as a teenager to listen to much rock. But when Trent Reznor asked the "Slam" star to open up for Nine Inch Nails earlier this year, he agreed. And when Reznor asked Williams if he could produce the MC's next album, the answer was: "What? Yeah, sure!"

"Trent asked me if I wanted to work with him," said Williams, who just wrapped up a 30-show stint opening for the pioneering industrial rocker. "I had only just met him when he asked if I wanted to tour with him, and when he asked if I'd be down with him contributing to my album, I was like, 'Yeah!' "

Williams said they began recording tracks for the still-untitled album (due in early 2007) in hotel rooms between gigs on the spring tour but have now moved the process to Reznor's Los Angeles home studio. As odd as the pairing might seem — conscious rapper and goth-rock icon — it makes perfect sense to Williams.

"It's different from both of us," he said of the material that's emerging. "I can't say that I listened to Nine Inch Nails, because I was such the hip-hop boy. I could have grown up on Nine Inch Nails, it was around, but I was too narrow-minded. But [our stuff] doesn't sound like Nine Inch Nails, and it's unique. Both of us tend to go very hard, and together we've created something that sounds more beautiful than hard. It's a middle finger up to the idea of genre, yet a beautiful, long, loving embrace to the idea of song structure and quality."

It's not like the rock thing is that foreign to Williams, whose major-label debut, Amethyst Rock Star, came out on Rick Rubin's American Recordings label in 2001 and featured some hard-rock backing tracks. He was one of the few hip-hop acts moving the crowd at last summer's Lollapalooza in Chicago, he's toured with the Mars Volta, and he collaborated with former Rage Against the Machine singer Zack de la Rocha on the song "Act III Scene 2 (Shakespeare)" on his self-titled 2004 album.

Which is why Williams doesn't look at working with Reznor as a step into the rock world at all. In fact, he thinks of Reznor as a hip-hop producer on par with the best beatmakers out there.

"Trent got into the game very inspired by hip-hop," he said. "One of his biggest inspirations is Public Enemy, which is mine as well. Nine Inch Nails are one of the few rock groups where, like hip-hop, most of the music is programmed. He's a hip-hop producer in the way he uses drum machines and synths the way hip-hop producers do."

So far, Williams said, the sessions with Reznor have been the most fun he's ever had in the studio and have inspired his biggest growth spurt as an artist. In addition to producing and writing instrumental tracks, Williams said, Reznor is playing a range of instruments on the album and, well, making him cry.

"Some of the tracks he gave me took me to places emotionally, sometimes dark or sometimes new, that I have never been to," Williams said. "It was frightening to me. Working on one song, I was afraid because I was venturing into a place that could make me cry nonstop, and I felt so far from home, so far from hip-hop."

• Saul Williams
• Trent Reznor

Saul Williams
Photo: Fader

Perhaps it's fitting that of all the categories at this year's mtvU Woodie Awards, rapper/actor/author/activist Saul Williams was nominated for the one award given to the artist who best defies categorization.

Williams was up against Hasidic hip-hopper Matisyahu, Sri Lankan MC M.I.A., Canadian orchestral-pop ensemble the Arcade Fire and Christian proto-punks Me Without You in the Left Field category, given to the genre-busting artist who, according to mtvU, "came out of left field and surprised us so much, we'd still have no idea what section of the record store to look for them in" (see "My Chemical Romance Win Woodie Of The Year At mtvU Awards").

It may be fitting, but it's also somewhat unfortunate for Williams, who's been fighting classification ever since 1998, when his starring role in the drama "Slam" had film critics pegging him as the next Denzel Washington. In 2001, when he released the politically charged Amethyst Rock Star, it was the music critics who tried to label him, this time as a sort of coffeehouse Chuck D. And when he dropped his self-titled follow-up last year, he was being touted as the next great neo-soul star.

But through it all, Williams refused to be put in any particular box. And he's still refusing now, as he hits the road with the most unlikely of musical partners, Louisville, Kentucky, granola-rockers My Morning Jacket (see "Cameron Crowe Requests My Morning Jacket 'Freebird' For Film").

"It seems like there's such a glaring polarization right now between what seems to be 'black' and 'white' music. A few years ago, groups like Outkast and Jay-Z seemed to bring people together, but now it's so different," Williams said. "So now I think the most interesting thing to do on tours is to try and bring worlds that seem disconnected together. And I say 'seem disconnected' because in reality, we're just people vibing off the music you vibe off. So I'm very excited about touring with them."

Williams also makes a rather unexpected appearance on the soundtrack to box-office-topping gore-fest "Saw II," on a song called "Three Fingers," which he (sort of) recorded with mucho-mysterious masked guitarist Buckethead.

"[System of a Down frontman] Serj Tankian got the whole thing to happen. He did a track on my album, and we're friends, so he asked me if I wanted to do a song with Buckethead," Williams explained. "I went into the studio, heard the music, wrote to it and recorded my vocals all in one day. Bucket wasn't even there. In fact, I haven't actually met Buckethead yet."

• Saul Williams
• My Morning Jacket
• Buckethead

Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard performs during the mtvU Woodie Awards on Wednesday
Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images

College life is full of difficult choices: Frisbee on the quad or nickel beer night down at Shooters? Sandals or Aquasocks in the dormitory shower? My Chemical Romance or the Arcade Fire for Woodie of the Year?

While the first two dilemmas remain eternally unsolvable, the third was thankfully answered Wednesday night at New York City's Roseland Ballroom, where MCR took home the top prize at the second-annual mtvU Woodie Awards, voted on by college students across America.

Other big-name artists taking home Woodies included Death Cab for Cutie (for the year's best live-action video), the Gorillaz (best animated clip), Fall Out Boy (best tour) and Motion City Soundtrack (best emerging artist). A host of more obscure acts, including grandiose Brit-rockers Muse, pretty indie angst-poppers the Afters and Christian post-punks mewithoutYou also got some Wood.

But the awards took a backseat on a night filled with surprise guests and killer live sets. Legendary rocker Lou Reed kicked off the show, and then passed the mic to the king of character actors, Philip Seymour Hoffman, who introduced the evening's first performers: spazzy British noisemakers the Go! Team (see "England's Go! Team To Bring Their Sample-Crazy Sound Stateside In October"). Much-buzzed Hasidic reggae performer Matisyahu premiered "Youth," the first single from his upcoming major-label debut (see "My Chemical Matisyahu? Reggae Rapper Hooks Up With Rock Director Webb") and performed a duet with rapper/actor Saul Williams. Roots-approved hip-hop trio Little Brother busted through a tongue-twisting set, and Death Cab closed the evening with a medley of hits both old ("Title and Registration") and new ("Soul Meets Body.")

	Watch this sneak peak of the mtvU 2005 Woodie Awards before it premieres on mtvU Uber on Nov. 9, only on Overdrive.

Other artists making appearances at the Woodie Awards included Aesop Rock, mewithoutYou, the Like, Wu-Tang Clan's RZA and members of the Arcade Fire, Fall Out Boy and Green Day. Voting took place on mtvU.com.

Voting for the 2005 mtvU Woodie Awards took place on mtvU.com. The Woodies will make their debut November 9 on mtvU Über at mtvU.com, and the show will be broadcast the following night to college campuses across the U.S. on mtvU.

The complete list of winners at the 2005 mtvU Woodie Awards:

• Woodie of the Year (Artist of the Year): My Chemical Romance
• The Breaking Woodie (Best Emerging Artist): Motion City Soundtrack
• Left Field Woodie (Most Original Artist): mewithoutYou
• Best Video Woodie -- Live Action (Best Live Action Video): Death Cab for Cutie - "Title & Registration"
• Best Video Woodie -- Animated (Best Animated Video): Gorillaz - "Feel Good Inc."
• The Good Woodie (Greatest Social Impact): U2's DATA: Debt AIDS Trade Africa
• Road Woodie (Best Tour): Fall Out Boy
• International Woodie (Favorite International Artist Award): Muse
• Alumni Woodie (a.k.a. The You're Still OK in Our Book Award): Green Day
• Streaming Woodie (Most Downloaded): The Afters - "Beautiful Love"

• My Chemical Romance
• Death Cab For Cutie
• Fall Out Boy
• Motion City Soundtrack
• Muse

Woodie Awards 2005 Red Carpet

• Death Cab For Cutie
• Muse
• Matisyahu
• OK Go
• Saul Williams

Woodie Awards 2005 Performances

• Matisyahu
• Saul Williams
• Death Cab For Cutie
• Little Brother
• The Go! Team

Kings Of Leon, Mastodon, Flava Flav, More Rock SXSW '07

• Lily Allen
• James Iha
• Kenna
• The Bravery
• Razorlight