Mariah Carey will spend the holidays in Aspen, Colorado. She told local publication Aspen Peak that while she won't be skiing much, she does have some festive plans for the cold powder. "I'm not a great skier at all," she said in the magazine's winter issue. "I take one run and ski in an outfit that's cute." So why Aspen? "I love having a white Christmas. I love the vibe of Aspen. ... I have a sense of feeling at home there." When in the snowy, mile-high town, Carey plans to do as the Aspenites do -- or at least as she's been told they do. "I like to get out of the hot tub and roll in the snow. Someone told me that was a tradition in Aspen, but maybe they were lying to me. It's a tradition for us to have Santa Claus-looking bikinis, jump in the hot tub and roll in the fresh snow." ...

Kid Rock, on the other hand, won't be seeing much snow at all in the coming days. He's spending his Christmas visiting U.S troops in Kuwait and Iraq. "I wanted to make sure somebody was thanking our troops for their service, no matter what our views are on the current situation in Iraq," Rock said in a statement. ...

He's silver, all right. An image of the titular hero from "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" has been released. [article id="1548753"]Click here to check him out.[/article] ... Ne-Yo and Chris Brown, stars of "Stomp the Yard," are among the acts featured on the flick's soundtrack, which is due January 9. New material from Al Kapone and Bone Crusher is also included. The movie opens January 12. ...

Black Eyed Peas have recorded a dozen songs for their next album, due at the end of 2007. Will.I.Am said to expect fun but thoughtful songs on the upcoming disc. ... The self-titled debut LP from the Good, the Bad and the Queen -- the band featuring Blur and Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn, Clash bassist Paul Simonon, former Verve guitarist Simon Tong and Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen -- has been set for release January 23. The outing will feature 12 cuts, including "History Song," "Kingdom of Doom" and "A Soldier's Tale." ...

The release date for Lifetime's forthcoming self-titled reunion record has been pushed up from February 27 to February 6 -- the same day Fall Out Boy's Infinity on High is scheduled to hit stores. Lifetime are signed to FOB bassist Pete Wentz's Decaydance Records. ... Gym Class Heroes -- who are also on Wentz's Decaydance imprint -- will start their seven-week Daryl Hall for President Tour '07 on February 17 in Boston. Seemingly inspired by one-half of Hall & Oates, the tour will take them through April 6 in New Orleans. Rx Bandits, P.O.S. and K-os are slated to support. ...

According to a report in the Des Moines Register, an event dubbed the Nightmare Before Christmas Party, which was organized by a the Sound Proof Coalition, a DJ collective that includes Slipknot's Sid Wilson, has been canceled. Originally set for Friday night (December 22) into Saturday morning, the bash was reportedly nixed after local police contacted the owners of the party's site. A police spokesperson denied having any knowledge of any call being made to the venue. Earlier this month, the Des Moines City Council approved an ordinance that imposes tighter restrictions on after-hours nightclubs when alcohol is involved. While no alcohol was going to be served at the event, partygoers would have been permitted to bring their own, and those under the age of 21 would have been denied admittance. ...

The reunited Sebadoh will hit the road in February on a 33-date North American trek. The band's original lineup -- Lou Barlow, Eric Gaffney and Jason Loewenstein -- are all confirmed for the jaunt. The tour kicks off in San Diego on February 26, and dates run through April 16 in Tucson, Arizona. ... Fill-in Journey singer Jeff Scott Soto is here to stay. Steve Augeri, who had been with the band for eight years, left its tour with Def Leppard due to illness, and Soto replaced him shortly thereafter. Journey are currently assembling a new jaunt for 2007. ... Anti-piracy software is costing Sony BMG another $4.5 million. The Associated Press reports that the company agreed to pay that sum to a consortium of 39 states to resolve the investigation into digital-rights-management software that allegedly damaged some users' computers. The agreement follows Tuesday's $1.5 million settlement with California and Texas.

12.21.2006

Don't expect to see Jessica Simpson saluting Dolly Parton when the "Kennedy Center Honors" program airs Tuesday on CBS. Simpson botched a cover of "9 to 5" the first time around, when it was taped on December 3, and even though the show's producers gave her another shot at singing it, a Simpson representative told The Associated Press that the singer wasn't happy with that performance either. ...

Jump ball! The Pussycat Dolls have teamed up with the National Basketball Association and ABC to record the opening number for all regular-season games broadcast on the network from Christmas through the end of the season. The sexy quintet will use an adaptation of its track "Right Now" for the musical segment, which will also be previewed going into and out of commercial breaks during telecasts. ...

Dying to know the title of the seventh -- and final -- Harry Potter book? You can find out by playing a game of hangman on author J.K. Rowling's Web site. Surf to JKRowling.com and click the eraser on the desk to enter a hallway. Click the first doorknob in the mirror to make a Christmas tree appear. Hit the top panel of the large door and a wreath will materialize. Click the top of the mirror and enjoy the garland. Now click one spider web to make both disappear. Click and drag the fourth wind chime, which will act as a key, to the door. Unlock it and find yourself in a room with a desk. On the desk is a package. Click the package to launch a game of hangman. Keep playing until you guess correctly (a check mark will appear to confirm your win). Or -- spoiler alert -- skip all that fun and just read on. ... It's called Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Scholastic confirms. ...

Talk of Jadakiss joining the Cash Money team can be laid to rest, Styles P tells MTV News. Kiss' partner in the LOX said this week that he doesn't know where those rumors are coming from. "I been in the studio with Kiss all week, and he hasn't said anything to me about going to Cash Money." Styles said he fulfilled his solo obligation to Interscope Records and Ruff Ryders with his long-awaited Time Is Money LP, and doesn't know whether his next album -- which he is working on now and expects to drop in the spring -- will be on a major or independent label. Styles and Jada haven't been going it alone in the studio -- Sheek Louch has joined the pair to record a new LOX album. While Styles P the solo artist is a free agent, the LOX are still under contract with Ruff Ryders and Interscope. ...

When it comes to etiquette, "American Idol" champs are winners, and Britney Spears is a loser -- according to the National League of Junior Cotillions, which recently issued its 10 Best-Mannered People of 2006 list. Taylor Hicks tops the 10, noted for "his example of humility and politeness," while Carrie Underwood comes in at #9 -- behind honorees including Senator Barack Obama and "Dancing With the Stars" finalist/ football star Emmitt Smith -- with the league praising "the graciousness she shows to her fans." Spears was singled out as the Most Ill-Mannered Person of 2006, charged with "lowering the standards of morality and her negative influence on the behavior of young people." ... Hicks' manners may come in handy in a couple of months when he serves as grand marshal of New Orleans' Krewe of Endymion Mardi Gras parade. The event will take over the city's historic St. Charles Avenue on February 17. Al Green, Journey and Styx will also take part in the parade. ...

Switchfoot will promote their upcoming Oh! Gravity, due Tuesday, with a North American tour kicking off February 13 in Anaheim, California. The trek ends March 31 in San Diego. ... Robert Randolph and O.A.R.'s Marc Roberge became the latest musicians to enter the virtual world of video game "Second Life" on Wednesday. The artists jammed together, christening the Peacock Room at NBC's Universal Headquarters. ... The Cure will headline the ninth annual Ultra Music Festival at the Winter Music Conference in Miami on March 23 and 24. Tiësto (who rarely performs live), Deep Dish, Shiny Toy Guns, Miss Kittin, Paul van Dyk, Carl Cox, Erick Morillo, Danny Tenaglia and Ferry Corsten are also on the bill. ... Dilana, runner-up on "Rock Star: Supernova," will open for the band of the same name on its upcoming tour. The jaunt begins January 16 in Hollywood, Florida, and ends February 27 in Long Beach, California. Dilana's debut album, featuring No Doubt's Adrian Young on drums, is due in the summer, although two songs ("Supersoul" and a cover of the Police's "Roxanne") are currently available online. ...

P.O.D. have welcomed guitarist Marcos Curiel back into the fold. Curiel was fired from the group in 2003 and replaced by Jason Truby, a former member of Living Sacrifice. P.O.D. will make their first appearance with Curiel in nearly four years on New Year's Eve in New York's Times Square, as part of "Jimmy Kimmel Live." ... Although Fred Durst's film directorial debut, "The Education of Charlie Banks," has yet to hit theaters, he's moving forward with his movie career. The Limp Bizkit frontman will be featured in the black comedy "Play Dead," according to The Hollywood Reporter. Durst will star as the henchman of a drug dealer (played by Jake Busey) in the film, which centers on a fallen TV star (Chris Klein) stranded in a remote Nevada town. ... A group of major record labels, including Sony BMG and Warner Music, filed a lawsuit against AllOfMP3.com on Wednesday, claiming that the Russian Web site sells music without permission. AP reports that the site, which typically charges about $1 per album, maintains that it pays royalties to a Russian licensing group and is operating legally -- but the labels contend that the licensing group doesn't have the authority to collect royalties.