My Chemical Romance will release their still-untitled new album on October 24. The band is putting the finishing touches on the disc -- produced by longtime Green Day associate Rob Cavallo -- but plan to road-test some of the new material at a handful of U.S. dates, including a stop this weekend at San Diego's Street Scene festival. Details on the project are scarce, though a spokesperson for MCR did confirm that they will be shooting a video for an unidentified song off the album with director Samuel Bayer ("Boulevard of Broken Dreams") this week. ...

Los Angeles prosecutors have filed three counts against Mel Gibson following his Friday arrest, The Associated Press reports. The actor/director has been charged for misdemeanor drunken driving, the open liquor container that was found in his car, and having an elevated blood-alcohol level. An arraignment has been set for September 28 in California's Malibu Superior Court. ...

Kelis sung three new songs (including "Bossy") and three older cuts (including "Milkshake") at New York dance club Crobar Tuesday night. Her husband Nas, NBA All-Star Chris Webber, Jermaine Dupri, Mario, Floetry and Patti LaBelle all came out to see her perform. ... That's not the only New York venue where Dupri cropped up Tuesday night. The producer paraded out some of the artists on his Virgin Urban Music label at Eugene in conjunction with Vibe magazine. Young Capone, Brooke Valentine, Daz and singer/songwriter Johnta Austin all took the stage. ...

Attention fashion lovers: The schedule for Olympus Fashion Week's presentation of spring 2007 collections is finally up. One of the surprises for the year's event, which runs from September 8 to 15, is Kenneth Cole's absence. He'll be handing over his traditional opening-day spot to menswear designer John Bartlett, who will kick off the event bright and early that Friday morning. Cole will be showing his collection in a more "intimate" setting in October, FashionDaily.com reports. ... Kimora Lee will present her Baby Phat line at 8 p.m. on Fashion Week's opening night, while Chris Aire's show, set to close out the first day, will be a surefire spectacle. Known as the Iceman for decking the necks of Ashanti, Wyclef Jean and Tyson Beckford with bling, Aire once featured a model wearing a dress dripping in 15.5 pounds of diamonds. JoJo, Nelly, Nick Lachey, Will Smith and LL Cool J are also fans of the designer. ...

Designers including Nicole Miller, Tracy Reese, Diane von Furstenberg, Carolina Herrera, Cynthia Steffe, Oscar de la Renta, Betsey Johnson, Nanette Lepore, Heatherette, Anna Sui, Calvin Klein and Zac Posen will be showcasing their collections throughout the week. "Project Runway" season-three finalists will present their work for judging at 9 a.m. on the event's last day, while the long-awaited line from first "Runway" winner Jay McCarroll will hit the catwalk at 5 p.m. ... Sportswear designer Fila is also joining the Fashion Week mix in an attempt to revamp its fashion image. Expect to see top musicians and fashion insiders lined up in the front row seeking freebies and sponsorship. Fila is also outfitting 10 acts for Lollapalooza this weekend, including Gnarls Barkley and 30 Seconds to Mars, and will partner with Hard Rock Hotels to host a VIP lounge for Lolla acts including Kanye West and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. ...

The soon-to-launch CW network has announced plans for a reality show called "The Search for the Next Pussycat Doll." The series -- produced by director McG ("Charlie's Angels"), Interscope Records boss Jimmy Iovine and "America's Next Top Model" producer Ken Mok -- will be a combination of "Model" and "American Idol," with the winner getting a spot in the Pussycat Dolls singing group. The show will air during the 2006-07 season. ... After weighing her options, Ashanti has decided that she won't choose between writing a behind-the-scenes look at her life or a book for teens -- she's going to do both in one. To follow-up her 2002 collection of poetry "Foolish/ Unfoolish: Reflections on Love," the singer is writing a life-and-style guide titled "Ashanti Style," which will be an autobiography as well as a tip sheet on fashion and beauty. Ashanti says her "Style" will reveal some "little tricks" that stars use and "things that happen behind the scenes, and things that people really don't know about as far as celebrities or artists are concerned. It's going to be cute. It's going to be very helpful." Ashanti will co-write the book with former Vibe editor Orlando Lima. "Ashanti Style," which will be published via a Disney imprint for children called Jump at the Sun, is set for release in fall 2007. ...

Coheed and Cambria will be heading out for a nine-date U.S. run that's scheduled to kick off Thursday in Columbus, Ohio -- but they'll be doing so without drummer Joshua Eppard and bassist Michael Todd. Instead, frontman Claudio Sanchez and guitarist Travis Stever will be joined by bassist Matt Williams (a partner with Sanchez and Stever in the Nyack, New York, band Jumblehead) and drummer MP (formerly of Samiam). The band revealed the news in a cryptic MySpace post: "We'll discuss [Williams' and MP's] future at a later date, but right now, all we want to do is to get out and play for our fans," Sanchez wrote. "Travis and I are excited to share the stage with Matt and MP, because they add a new flavor to the songs and it makes performing them even more fun." The tour is expected to conclude August 14 in Pomona, California, and the band will begin writing new material this fall. ...

The Panic Channel -- featuring former Jane's Addiction members Dave Navarro, Stephen Perkins and Chris Chaney fronted by singer/guitarist Steve Isaacs -- will release their debut album, (ONe) on August 15. The band will debut their single "Why Cry" August 10 on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." ... Chuck D has been named the keynote speaker for the National Association of Recording Merchandisers' 48th Annual Convention & Marketplace, which runs from Wednesday (August 2) to Saturday in Kissimmee, Florida. ... Blood Brothers and ... And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead will hit the road together for a 41-date North American trek that's set to kick off October 27 in Denver. The tour will make stops in cities including Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit, Boston, New York, Atlanta, New Orleans, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Seattle before winding down December 14 in Salt Lake City. Trail Of Dead will release their as-yet-untitled LP on October 3, while the Blood Brothers' Young Machetes will surface October 10. ...

The lawyers representing Michael Jackson in a suit filed by the financial company Prescient Acquisition Group, which claims the singer owes them $48 million, have quit the case. According to The Associated Press, a federal judge in New York gave attorneys at Wachtel & Masyr permission to withdraw from the case on Monday, after attorney William Wachtel wrote a note to the judge describing his difficulty in communicating with Jackson due to a revolving door of spokespeople representing the pop singer. The lawyers said the final straw came in June, when Jackson dropped off the map after meeting with the firm in Paris and promising to be in better touch. It's the second time in a year that a law firm representing Jackson in this case has quit after claiming they hadn't been paid and couldn't get him on the phone. The judge said he'd give Jackson until September 5 to reorganize his legal team, but if he doesn't hire a new lawyer by then, Jackson himself has to appear in court. ... For the next five Wednesdays, Southern Californians can catch some live music while they shop. The Grove, a shopping center in Los Angeles, is hosting the "Summer at the Grove" concert series, presented by the CW television network. The shows kick off this week with Cheyenne Kimball. Anna Nalick (August 9), Mat Kearney (August 16), Tyler Hilton (August 23) and Jewel (August 30) will also perform as part of the series.

08.01.2006

When it came time to record B'Day, Beyoncé was inspired by the creative approach that Jay-Z and his Roc-A-Fella artists take, the singer told Essence in the magazine's September cover story. ([article id="1537513"]Check out the mag's photos of Beyoncé here[/article].) "They usually have a bunch of producers in the studio at one time in different rooms," she explained. "They get this positive competitive energy going." When it came time to lay down her own tracks, Beyoncé followed Jay's lead. "I rented the studio and had different producers in three different rooms. It was so much fun and no pressure." And Jay and B didn't worry that the stress of working together on "Deja Vu" would impact their relationship -- because the rapper's part on the track was never planned. "But once he heard it, I saw his lips start moving," Beyoncé told the magazine. "So I was like, 'Would you like to go into the studio and record what you just did?' Now we joke about how we're going to have enough songs to put out a little compilation record." ...

Mel Gibson is pleading with Jewish community leaders to help him find the "appropriate path for healing," The Associated Press reports. The actor/director, who was arrested Friday for driving under the influence, admitted Tuesday (August 1) that he had spouted a series of anti-Semitic slurs at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office upon his arrest. "I want to apologize specifically to everyone in the Jewish community for the vitriolic and harmful words," said Gibson, who entered rehab for alcohol abuse on Monday. According to CBS News, the national director of the Anti-Defamation League, who had rejected Gibson's initial apology, said his Tuesday morning statement was legitimate. AP also reports that ABC has canceled a miniseries about the Holocaust that the network was developing through Gibson's Icon Productions, and that a sheriff's watchdog has found that deputies handled Gibson's arrest properly. ...

DMX is staging an impromptu concert Tuesday to herald the release of his sixth album, Year of the Dog, Again. The rapper will dip into his new record and touch on some classics as well at the afternoon event at Marcus Garvey Park in New York's Harlem district. ... Audioslave have teamed up with Google Earth to give fans a glimpse of the cover art for the band's forthcoming album, Revelations. Those who activate the program can look for the utopian island of Audioslave Nation, which will be located in the Indian Ocean between South America and New Zealand. Revelations will hit stores on September 5. ...

Depeche Mode have been forced to cancel their Thursday concert in Tel Aviv, Israel. Since the Hayarkon Park performance was supposed to cap the band's tour, there are no plans to reschedule the gig. ... A week before Taylor Hicks releases his debut album on November 14, third-season "American Idol" winner Fantasia will drop her second record. Other fall releases announced by Arista/ J Records this week include The Ultimate Luther Vandross on August 22, Monica's The Makings of Me on September 19 and Sarah McLachlan's Wintersong on October 17. Yet-untitled new releases by Maroon 5 and Mario are due November 14 and 21, respectively. ...

Guns N' Roses' 32-date European trek concluded over the weekend, and now frontman Axl Rose plans to return to the U.S. for a road trip this fall. "We have had an amazing tour and it has been fantastic for the band and I to experience this," Rose said in a press release. "I approached this last show with equal parts determination, obligation, responsibility and insanity. It was an amazing night. I want to thank everyone in Europe and the U.K. for inspiring us and for giving us the opportunity to play for them. We are now looking forward to the U.S. in September." No U.S. tour dates have been revealed. The final stop on the GN'R European tour, Sunday night's gig at London's Wembley Arena, nearly didn't go off. Rose was diagnosed with low blood pressure and low blood sugar on Sunday morning, and became ill after performing two concerts the night before. A physician advised that the frontman skip the stage that night and be admitted to a hospital instead. Rose responded with a "F--- that -- I have a show to do and I am not missing it," the release said. He did make it through much of the band's two-hour set before collapsing. Sebastian Bach took over for Axl to perform the show's encore, "Paradise City." ...

Minor-league baseball team the Newark Bears are using Britney Spears' parenting goofs to make a positive difference. On Friday, the New Jersey team is hosting Britney Spears Baby Safety Night, where fans will receive information on car-seat safety and get an opportunity to win a free car seat courtesy of AAA. And would-be spectators who bring a baby (age 4 or under), carry a baby toy or go all-out and dress as a baby will receive free admission to the ball park that night. ... The U.S. incarnation of the Download festival hits the East Coast this month and pops up out West in September. 311, Jurassic 5 the Wailers, G. Love & Special Sauce, Dropkick Murphys and Pepper are on the August 20 bill at Mansfield, Massachusetts' Tweeter Center. Beck, Muse, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Wolfmother, the Shins, Coheed and Cambria, Rogue Wave, Kinky, the Mutaytor and more artists to be announced will perform at San Francisco's Shoreline Amphitheater on September 30. ...

If you've been aching for "The Return of the Velvet Teddy Bear," there's an end in sight to your pain. That's the title of the first track from the new album of the same name from "American Idol" season-two winner Ruben Studdard. The disc, due September 26, features songs produced by Ne-Yo, Scott Storch and Dre & Vidal -- and Studdard did some producing of his own, manning the boards for his cover of the Brenda Russell ballad "If Only for One Night." "Change Me," Studdard's first single from the album, was released to radio Monday. ... Money can buy a lot of things, but not an escape from traffic -- well, a legal escape, at least. When Tommy Lee wanted to get from Hollywood to Irvine, California, for a Nine Inch Nails show on July 7, he traveled by helicopter, the Los Angeles Times reports. Sounds pretty cool, except for one thing: Landing a helicopter on a public street violates L.A. law. Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo filed charges against the pilot, David Keith Martz, on Monday. Martz faces one count each of reckless operation of an aircraft, landing an aircraft on a public road and landing an aircraft without a permit -- all three carry a maximum penalty of six months in jail or a $1,000 fine, the Times reports. Lee was not charged in connection with the incident. ...

Since Underoath announced last week that they'd be leaving the Warped Tour to focus on the bandmembers' friendships, there has been a load of speculation regarding the move. The most popular explanation making the rounds blames NOFX frontman Fat Mike for their departure. Fat chance, Mike said in a statement Monday night. "As much as I do like controversy, there really isn't any to report on this subject," he wrote. "Underoath have left the Warped Tour, and as much as people want to give me credit for that, the truth is they just really needed a break apparently. Some people have suggested that they bailed because I made too much fun of them [for their religious beliefs]. Problem with that theory is that I have made fun of plenty of bands on this tour. I have also taken plenty of jabs at Christians, Jews, Buddhists and Muslims. I feel I am an equal opportunist when it comes to getting laughs from an easy target." ... Boysetsfire have thrown in the towel after 12 years. No reason for the split has been offered. The band will finish up its European tour and has promised to play a few East Coast farewell shows this fall. "Boysetsfire, for us, was always a vehicle for changing the world," the band explained in a statement. "We believe that change comes about by starting with yourself, so instead of waiting for certain things to come our way, as always we decided to take our destiny in our own hands."

Meat Loaf fans have lots of news to chew on these days. The singer, who just settled his lawsuit with longtime collaborator Jim Steinman, has October 31 earmarked for the release of his Bat Out of Hell III LP. One of album's tracks is called "The Monster Is Loose" and was co-written by Nikki Sixx, John 5 (Rob Zombie/ex-Marilyn Manson guitarist) and producer Desmond Child. ...