Former Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft will play a three-song acoustic set and answer fan questions during a live webcast and chat Sept. 11 on nme.com. Originally scheduled for Aug. 18, but rescheduled because of illness, the event will be webcast simultaneously on the singer's official Web site, richardashcroft.co.uk, and at virtuetv.com. Questions can be submitted at nme.com/ashcroft. ...

"Pretty Little Things," by Nashville pop-rock band Hangman's Daughter, is the first winner of MP3.com's "Who Wants To Be on a Movie Soundtrack" contest, the company announced on Wednesday (Aug. 30). Karen Rachtman, who served as music supervisor on films such as "Pulp Fiction" and "Boogie Nights," chose the song from more than 800 entries and will choose as many as five more tracks by MP3.com artists for inclusion in an yet-to-be-named film. The deadline to enter the contest's second phase is Sept. 11. ...

During a hearing in U.S. District Court on Wednesday (Aug. 30), attorneys for the music Web site MP3.com accused Universal Music Group, the world's largest record label, of using a copyright infringement lawsuit to try to destroy the site. MP3.com's first witness, Edgar Bronfman Jr., the head of Seagram, Universal's parent company, denied the accusation. Judge Jed Rakoff then ruled the accusation irrelevant to the case. The hearings, held throughout this week, are intended to determine the extent of the damages owed to Universal by MP3.com for copyright infringement, centering on the question of whether the Web site's violations were "willful." Rakoff earlier ruled that MP3.com's My.Mp3.com service, which allowed users to listen to streaming versions of major-label albums, violated the labels' copyrights. Sony Music, EMI, Warner Music Group and BMG have all reached settlements with MP3.com. ...

Tracks from hot German producer Timo Maas' upcoming album, Music for the Masses, due Sept. 25 on Hope Recordings, are available for streaming at the iCrunch microsite www.icrunch.com/timomaas. "Ubik," the DJ/producer's latest single (on Paul Oakenfold's Perfecto label), is also available to download. Accessible now is the first half of Music for the Masses, a mixed compilation of Maas' productions and remixes that includes his versions of Azzido Da Bass' "Dooms Night" and Jan Driver's "Drive By." The second half of the album, which features Maas' singles "Der Schieber" and "Riding on a Storm" along with his mix of Green Velvet's "Flash," will be available Sept. 8. ...

Kathy Mattea will be talking to fans about her latest album, Innocent Years, in a chat at 4 p.m. EDT on Sept. 5 at www.ivillage.com. ... Blink-182 will post a song from their upcoming live album, Blink-182 Live: The Mark, Tom and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back), on Sept. 1 at www.blink182.com, a band spokesperson said. The song, "Man Overboard," is the sole studio track scheduled to appear on the disc. ...

Marilyn Manson has posted a third audio clip from his forthcoming album Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death), on www.marilynmanson.com. The latest installation, "Burning Flag," features Manson's distorted vocals and an overall thrash-metal sound. The previously available clips, "Cruci-fiction in Space" and "The Love Song," are still available on the Web site and allow listeners a sneak-preview into the singer's new music. Manson has promised to use his Web site to preview various tracks from the album, due Oct. 24. ...

BMG Entertainment, whose labels are home to such artists as Santana, *NSync and Britney Spears, will begin selling a small portion of its catalog as digital downloads in September, according to a Reuters report. BMG had previously announced that it would begin selling music online in June. ...

Madonna has filed a complaint with the World Intellectual Property Organization regarding the domain name Madonna.com, according to a source who requested anonymity. The site is owned by pornographer Dan Parisi, who ran it as an adult Web site from 1998 to 1999 and has since made plans to donate the domain name to the Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital, a Catholic healthcare facility in Lincoln, Neb. The complaint alleges that the site uses her name and trademark in bad faith and requests that ownership of the domain name be turned over to Madonna. ...

Green Day have posted a spoof campaign ad on Reprise Records' Web site, promoting lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong for president. The video clip, which claims Armstrong is "burning the bridge to the 21st Century," is followed by a brief opposition clip calling Armstong a dick and questioning his running mate's comb-over hairdo. ...

Universal Music Group, whose labels are home to such artists as DMX, Shania Twain and Beck, will make thousands of tracks available for paid downloads in the fall, Reuters reported. The company will continue to sell its music online in its proprietary Bluematter format, the report said. ...

Singers Macy Gray and Madonna are judging poetry contests at alloy.com, part of the Alloy Books imprint, according to publicists for the artists. Alloy also is releasing a book called "Slam," which collects poetry and lyrics from artists including Missy Elliott, Ani DiFranco and Tom Waits. ...

Boyz II Men fans can send electronic greeting cards featuring song clips and photos of the group from www.egreetings.com, according to a publicist for the Web site. The group's first album since 1997, Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya, is due Sept. 12. ...

John Hiatt will release streaming video of a song he performed during a taping of PBS' "Austin City Limits." The song, from his Sept. 26 release Crossing Muddy Waters, will not be aired with the program in October. To watch the free video, head over to EMusic.com. ...

Pop-rockers No Doubt are offering another exclusive download of a B-side song via www.nodoubt.com. "Cellophane Boy" was recorded during the sessions for their latest album, Return of Saturn (2000). The group previously offered a download of the B-side "Under Construction." ...

From sea to shining sea: From Aug. 15 to Sept. 15, Global Music Network will present webcasts of the North Sea Jazz Festival. The music webcast site will show performances by pianist Dr. John, singer Lou Rawls, saxophonist David Sanborn, pianist Brad Mehldau and others that occurred July 14–16 in the Netherlands. For more information, check out www.gmn.com. ...

— sonicnet.com staff report