Don't get too excited, Harry Potter fans -- despite rumors that J.K. Rowling is considering writing another book in the Potter-verse, that doesn't mean there will be an actual book eight. In fact, as she clarified on her Web site, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" remains the end of the series and another novel is "highly unlikely." "I've got enough story for seven books and I never planned to carry the story beyond the end of book seven," she wrote. "I might do an eighth book for charity, a kind of encyclopedia of the world so that I could use all the extra material that's not in the books ... we'll see!" Rowling previously wrote the Potter reference books "Quidditch Through the Ages" and "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" under the aliases Kennilworthy Whisp and Newt Scamander, respectively, and proceeds for both went to Comic Relief. Meanwhile, Rowling is requesting that fans go easy on the spoilers for "Deathly Hallows." Spoilers won't stop people from buying the book, they never have -- all it will do is diminish their pleasure. ... Even if the biggest secret gets out -- even if somebody discovers the Giant Squid is actually the world's largest Animagus, which rises from the lake at the eleventh hour, transforms into Godric Gryffindor and ... well, I wouldn't like to spoil it." ...

A will and probate petition were filed on behalf of Howard K. Stern on Monday (May 14), according to E! Online, and in the documents, he requests to be the special administrator of Anna Nicole Smith's estate. In the filing, Smith's home in Studio City, California, is valued at $1.8 million and her personal property at $10,000 -- but her outstanding mortgage reduces the sum to $710,000, according to Stern's petition. Larry Birkhead, father of Smith's daughter Danielynn, is not named as a beneficiary in the will, according to TMZ.com, but the petition to probate lists him as a part with an interest in Smith's estate. Danielynn, Stern and two attorneys Ron Rale and Eric Lund are also listed as having an interest in the estate -- although Smith's mother, Virgie Arthur, is not named. A probate hearing is slated for June 19, while a custody hearing involving Birkhead and Arthur is set for June 8. ...

Claiming he was distraught, depressed and so strapped for cash at the time that he couldn't afford a lawyer, Bobby Brown filed papers in California's Orange County Superior Court last week challenging the terms of his April 24 divorce from Whitney Houston. Specifically, Brown is trying to fight a judge's decision to grant physical and legal custody of the pair's 14-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina, to Houston. According to MSNBC (citing papers obtained by "Access Hollywood"), Brown claims that after he split from Houston last year, he was so emotionally and financially distressed that he was essentially homeless and couldn't get it together to respond to Houston's petition for divorce. The papers reportedly claim that, "Whitney repeatedly assured Bobby that he need not file a response and that reconciliation was possible," and that, "Whitney did so at a time when she knew that Bobby was particularly vulnerable." A June 15 court date has been set for Brown's new case. ...

Jive wants to bring the Pain a little earlier. T-Pain's new LP, Epiphany, has been brought up to a June 5 release date, a week earlier than its original June 12 date. The set includes the hit record "Buy U a Drank." ... Rapper Bun B, one-half of the group UGK, was in New York over the weekend performing for about 100 people at Lower East Side hipster sneaker store Alife Rivington Club. Hosted by Fab 5 Freddy, the show was billed as "Bun B and Friends," and Papoose, Graph and Talib Kweli all joined Bun during his set. This week in Los Angeles, Bun and UGK mate Pimp C shoot the video for "Int'l Players Anthem" with Outkast and longtime 'Kast director Bryan Barber. ... Legendary Houston DJ OG Ron C celebrated two decades of making music with a four-day-long celebration in his hometown from Thursday through Sunday. Slim Thug, Killer Mike and Dead Prez's Stic.man were among the celebs who attended the various parties and music-conference panels Ron C -- known for his mixtape and chopping and screwing skills -- staged over the weekend. On Saturday, the DJ was presented with a certificate from the city in honor of his 20 years in the business. ...

Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor has lashed out at his record company in blog posts on the band's Web site. "As the climate grows more and more desperate for record labels, their answer to their mostly self-inflicted wounds seems to be to screw the consumer over even more," he wrote. "A couple of examples that quickly come to mind: The absurd retail pricing of Year Zero in Australia. Shame on you, [Universal Music Group]. Year Zero is selling for $34.99 Australian dollars (or $29.10 in the States). No wonder people steal music. Avril Lavigne's record in the same store was $21.99 ($18.21 U.S.)." When Reznor asked his label about the pricing of the LP, he said he was told "it's because we know you have a real core audience that will pay whatever it costs when you put something out." So, Reznor surmised, "I guess as a reward for being a 'true fan,' you get ripped off." ...

No, Ozzy Osbourne isn't pulling a K-Fed -- but he will appear on this week's WWE "Friday Night SmackDown" to perform two songs, including his new single, "I Don't Wanna Stop." The track will also serve as the theme song to WWE's "Judgment Day" special, to air on pay-per-view Sunday. ... Rick Rubin's rumored move to Columbia is official, Billboard reports, although details are scarce. The label released a statement Monday stating that the Grammy-winning producer and head of American Recordings will "form a dynamic and creative executive partnership" with Columbia Chairman Steve Bartnett. Rubin will continue producing for artists at different labels but will bring American to Sony, which distributed the imprint less than a decade ago. ...

Lindsay Lohan and her mother Dina are being sued by a photographer who alleges that Lindsay hit him with a car in New York on March 13, according to court documents obtained by "Access Hollywood." The suit, filed in New York by Giovanni Arnold on Thursday, seeks unspecified damages from the Lohans for "sustained severe and permanent personal injuries." Dina Lohan is named in the suit as the owner of the car Lindsay was driving. ... John Edwards has a new political adviser: John Mayer. New York magazine reports that the two Johns met up at Time magazine's Time 100 event last week, where Mayer, 29, gave Edwards advice on connecting with young people. "He basically said, 'You've got to get me in the first 20 seconds,' " Edwards explained. He said he's set up a meeting with the singer for more insight. ... Neighbors are calling foul over Leonardo DiCaprio's basketball court. Ronald and Joan Linclau claim the actor excavated their property without permission and damaged plants in order to build the court at his home in Los Angeles, according to The Associated Press. They are seeking $250,000 in damages. Ken Sunshine, a DiCaprio spokesman, told AP the lawsuit "is totally without merit." ...

The Smashing Pumpkins, who will release Zeitgeist, their first album of new material since 2000, have announced two sets of all-ages residency gigs: nine shows at the Orange Peel in Asheville, North Carolina, between June 23 and July 5, and eight shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco between July 22 and August 1. The band will be performing songs from its upcoming disc, as well as old material. Fans are "invited to capture the concerts with audio and video recorders," according to SmashingPumpkins.com. ... Bob Geldof, who organized the Live Aid and Live 8 benefit concerts, has criticized Al Gore's Live Earth music events, saying they lack a specific goal, according to AP. "I hope they're a success," Geldof told Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant. "But why is [Gore] actually organizing them? To make us aware of the greenhouse effect? Everybody's known about that problem for years. We are all [expletive] conscious of global warming." ...

System of a Down's Shavo Odadjian will direct the video for "Give Thanks and Praises," the first clip from the forthcoming Bad Brains album Build a Nation. The video will begin production this month and will include footage captured at the Sasquatch! Music Festival in George, Washington. "I've been a fan of the Brains ever since I can remember," Odadjian said in a statement. "I am going to rock this video for the Brains and try to capture their intense energy. It's a big responsibility. ... I'm honored." ... U.S. immigration officials have turned to Mickey Mouse for help in managing airport crowds, Britain's Daily Mail reports. Disney will teach officials trade secrets from over 50 years of running the most popular tourist destination on the planet, the so-called "Happiest Place on Earth." The move is aimed at luring visitors back to America, many of whom have stayed away due to complaints of long lines, intense interrogation and gruff, surly demeanors. No word on whether that means the ubiquitous rubber gloves will now have four fingers.

05.11.2007

Eminem made an undisclosed donation to Hip Hop 4 Habitat on Thursday to help launch the project through his Marshall Mathers Foundation, The Detroit News reports. The program, which helps families in need of homes, is seeking to raise $75,000 to build a house in the city's East Side in October. Local rapper Trick Trick is also involved -- he'll play a concert for volunteers once the home is constructed. ...

In case her recent surprise concert wasn't enough indication, Britney Spears isn't in hiding anymore. The singer showed up with her cousin Alli at the Equinox gym on West Hollywood, California's Sunset Strip on Thursday evening for a quick workout and to check out a spin class, according to "Access Hollywood." She reportedly wore a wig with a trucker hat and a tank top that read "Malibu." ...

Mary J. Blige recently filmed a guest spot for "Entourage," and she told us that she got to know her character intimately. "I play Mary J. Blige!" she laughed, discussing the cameo as she accompanied her children to the "Shrek the Third" premiere in Los Angeles. "It was fun working with Jeremy [Piven]. ... Other than that, I'm back in the studio, which is also fun." The R&B icon is a longtime admirer of the Adrian Grenier-starring program and has joked that she knows a thing or two about keeping an entourage herself. An HBO rep said Mary J.'s episode will air next year during the show's fourth season. ...

Gwen Stefani, Yung Joc, Jagged Edge and Big Boi came out Thursday night in Atlanta for two shindigs christening Cee-Lo's new record label, Radiculture Records. At the first event, held at the Lambert Place reception hall, video screens showed different excerpts of Cee-Lo's career, from the Goodie Mob to Gnarls Barkley. Partygoers walked down a yellow brick road and were greeted by actors dressed as Beetlejuice and Lurch from "The Addams Family." An afterparty was held at the Lotus Lounge and had a Cirque de Soleil motif. Dancing went on there until 3 a.m. ...

Panic at the Disco are hard at work on the follow-up to their smash 2005 debut, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, according to their manager. The Vegas dandies have written eight songs so far for the yet-untitled album and are slated to start tracking the new tunes June 1. No release date has been set yet for the LP. ...

What on earth does Snoop Dogg have in common with Holocaust denier and widely discredited historian David Irving? Australian Prime Minister John Howard made the bizarre comparison once again on Thursday, saying the federal government's blocking of Snoop from entering the country last month due to recent convictions on gun and drugs charges is similar to Australia's refusal to allow Irving into Australia in 1994, according to The Daily Telegraph. The prime minister told a student at a school in Canberra that Snoop is a man of poor character and that "we have to take a stand on those issues." Howard previously made the comparison when the rapper was denied a visa to visit the country for the MTV Australia Music Video Awards. ...

Sheryl Crow has adopted a boy and named him Wyatt Steven, the singer/songwriter announced on her Web site Friday (May 11). "We are enjoying some very private family time. Just wanted to let you know," read the post. The boy, who Crow said was born two weeks ago, is her first. ...On Friday, Boston prosecutors dropped criminal charges against the two men behind the infamous "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" guerrilla-marketing campaign that led to a series of bomb scares in January, The Boston Globe reports. Peter Berdovsky and Sean Stevens completed their community service, creating a mural for the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and helping maintain its sailing docks on the Charles River. The men apologized for the incident in court. ...

Mel Gibson won praise from a judge in Malibu, California, on Friday for adhering to his court-mandated alcoholism treatment after being arrested for drunk driving in July, according to The Associated Press. The director/actor did not attend the hearing, but Superior Court Judge Lawrence Mira said he wanted to see him in court at some point "to ensure we are all on the same page." Gibson's lawyer Blair Berk said she filed a report with the court claiming he was complying with his rehab program. ... Jason Wahler has been charged with misdemeanor counts of assault, criminal trespass and a minor exhibiting the effects of alcohol stemming from an incident last month in Seattle, TMZ.com reports. The Seattle city attorney wants the "Laguna Beach" star to serve 10 days in jail, pay a $4,500 fine and enter a rehab program. Wahler, who has been arrested three times since September, had been caught passed out drunk in a hallway after punching a hotel security guard. He was 20 when he was arrested in April. ...

Linkin Park and Maroon 5 are getting the last laughs. The hard-rockers will perform on this weekend's "Saturday Night Live" episode, which is being hosted by alumna Molly Shannon, while Adam Levine's crew will sidle up to Zach Braff for the season's final program on May 19. ... PBS' "Soundstage" series has lined up performers for its fifth season. Expect to see Macy Gray (July 5), Dashboard Confessional (July 12) and Jewel (July 19 and 26). ...

Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard has a new "Office" mate, apparently. John Krasinski -- who stars as Jim Halpert on the TV show -- made a brief onstage appearance with Gibbard Thursday night at Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 club, USA Today's "Pop Candy" blog reports. The two briefly dabbled with a Wilco song, according to fan accounts -- Gibbard has a role in Krasinski's upcoming film "Brief Interviews With Hideous Men." ... The Decemberists have made a name for themselves by delving into everything from prog-folk to klezmer sounds and beyond. But how about classical music? The group will appear with an orchestral accompaniment at five shows this summer, which will feature the band's songs with new arrangements. The dates begin July 7 at the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, then proceed to Atlanta's Chastain Park Amphitheater (July 13); Baltimore's Merriweather Post Pavilion (July 14); Philadelphia's Mann Center (July 15); and Chicago's Millennium Park (July 18). ...

What do Mariah Carey, Destiny's Child and the Spice Girls have in common with underground artists like Will Oldham, Superchunk and Jim O'Rourke? Something, finally: The latter artists cover the former ones on the unusual compilation Guilt by Association, due August 28. Also featured on the set is Devendra Banhart covering Oasis' "Don't Look Back in Anger," Mooney Suzuki's version of the Cher song "Just Like Jesse James," Mike Watt tackling Blue Öyster Cult's "Burning for You," as well as renditions of Fall Out Boy's "Sugar, We're Goin Down," System of a Down's "Chop Suey" and "Breaking Free" from "High School Musical." ... An expanded deluxe edition of Sonic Youth's 1988 masterpiece, Daydream Nation, will be reissued June 12 as a two-CD set. The revamped set packs the original album onto one CD and adds a "Live Daydream" disc -- with concert cuts of each album track, plus covers of Beatles, Mudhoney, Neil Young and Captain Beefheart tunes -- as a bonus. ...

Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello and Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid are featured on Queen V's Death or Glory, due June 19. Morello, who invited Queen V to perform on his Axis of Justice Tour after seeing her play in Los Angeles, handles guitar on the track "My Machine," while Reid contributes a solo to "One and Only." ... Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello and Billy Bob Thornton are among the artists featured on Anchored In Love: A Tribute to June Carter Cash, due June 19. A biography written by her only son with Johnny Cash, John Carter Cash, hits shelves the same day. ... Pearl Jam will issue a box set of the band's performances at the Gorge Amphitheater in George, Washington. Titled Live at the Gorge, the set is a compilation of three different concerts, spread across seven CDs, and will hit stores June 26. ... The reunited Luscious Jackson are busy working on a new LP -- a children's album, no less -- but co-founder Gabby Glaser is still finding time to step out with her own solo debut. Her fuzzy garage-rock effort Gimme Splash is due June 26 on Latchkey. ...

Michael Moore is lashing out at the Bush administration over a U.S. Treasury Department investigation that is scrutinizing a trip he took to Cuba earlier this year. The controversial Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker took ailing 9/11 rescue workers to the country for treatment and plans to include a segment on the trip in his upcoming health-care exposé, "Sicko." "I understand why the Bush administration is coming after me -- I have tried to help the very people they refuse to help, but until George W. Bush outlaws helping your fellow man, I have broken no laws and I have nothing to hide," Moore said in a post on liberal Web site DailyKos.com. "For five and a half years, the Bush administration has ignored and neglected the heroes of the 9/11 community. These heroic first responders have been left to fend for themselves, without coverage and without care." According to AP, Treasury officials would not comment on the letter.

05.11.2007

Eminem made an undisclosed donation to Hip Hop 4 Habitat on Thursday to help launch the project through his Marshall Mathers Foundation, The Detroit News reports. The program, which helps families in need of homes, is seeking to raise $75,000 to build a house in the city's East Side in October. Local rapper Trick Trick is also involved -- he'll play a concert for volunteers once the home is constructed. ...

In case her recent surprise concert wasn't enough indication, Britney Spears isn't in hiding anymore. The singer showed up with her cousin Alli at the Equinox gym on West Hollywood, California's Sunset Strip on Thursday evening for a quick workout and to check out a spin class, according to "Access Hollywood." She reportedly wore a wig with a trucker hat and a tank top that read "Malibu." ...

Mary J. Blige recently filmed a guest spot for "Entourage," and she told us that she got to know her character intimately. "I play Mary J. Blige!" she laughed, discussing the cameo as she accompanied her children to the "Shrek the Third" premiere in Los Angeles. "It was fun working with Jeremy [Piven]. ... Other than that, I'm back in the studio, which is also fun." The R&B icon is a longtime admirer of the Adrian Grenier-starring program and has joked that she knows a thing or two about keeping an entourage herself. An HBO rep said Mary J.'s episode will air next year during the show's fourth season. ...

Gwen Stefani, Yung Joc, Jagged Edge and Big Boi came out Thursday night in Atlanta for two shindigs christening Cee-Lo's new record label, Radiculture Records. At the first event, held at the Lambert Place reception hall, video screens showed different excerpts of Cee-Lo's career, from the Goodie Mob to Gnarls Barkley. Partygoers walked down a yellow brick road and were greeted by actors dressed as Beetlejuice and Lurch from "The Addams Family." An afterparty was held at the Lotus Lounge and had a Cirque de Soleil motif. Dancing went on there until 3 a.m. ...

Panic at the Disco are hard at work on the follow-up to their smash 2005 debut, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, according to their manager. The Vegas dandies have written eight songs so far for the yet-untitled album and are slated to start tracking the new tunes June 1. No release date has been set yet for the LP. ...

What on earth does Snoop Dogg have in common with Holocaust denier and widely discredited historian David Irving? Australian Prime Minister John Howard made the bizarre comparison once again on Thursday, saying the federal government's blocking of Snoop from entering the country last month due to recent convictions on gun and drugs charges is similar to Australia's refusal to allow Irving into Australia in 1994, according to The Daily Telegraph. The prime minister told a student at a school in Canberra that Snoop is a man of poor character and that "we have to take a stand on those issues." Howard previously made the comparison when the rapper was denied a visa to visit the country for the MTV Australia Music Video Awards. ...

Sheryl Crow has adopted a boy and named him Wyatt Steven, the singer/songwriter announced on her Web site Friday (May 11). "We are enjoying some very private family time. Just wanted to let you know," read the post. The boy, who Crow said was born two weeks ago, is her first. ...On Friday, Boston prosecutors dropped criminal charges against the two men behind the infamous "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" guerrilla-marketing campaign that led to a series of bomb scares in January, The Boston Globe reports. Peter Berdovsky and Sean Stevens completed their community service, creating a mural for the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and helping maintain its sailing docks on the Charles River. The men apologized for the incident in court. ...

Mel Gibson won praise from a judge in Malibu, California, on Friday for adhering to his court-mandated alcoholism treatment after being arrested for drunk driving in July, according to The Associated Press. The director/actor did not attend the hearing, but Superior Court Judge Lawrence Mira said he wanted to see him in court at some point "to ensure we are all on the same page." Gibson's lawyer Blair Berk said she filed a report with the court claiming he was complying with his rehab program. ... Jason Wahler has been charged with misdemeanor counts of assault, criminal trespass and a minor exhibiting the effects of alcohol stemming from an incident last month in Seattle, TMZ.com reports. The Seattle city attorney wants the "Laguna Beach" star to serve 10 days in jail, pay a $4,500 fine and enter a rehab program. Wahler, who has been arrested three times since September, had been caught passed out drunk in a hallway after punching a hotel security guard. He was 20 when he was arrested in April. ...

Linkin Park and Maroon 5 are getting the last laughs. The hard-rockers will perform on this weekend's "Saturday Night Live" episode, which is being hosted by alumna Molly Shannon, while Adam Levine's crew will sidle up to Zach Braff for the season's final program on May 19. ... PBS' "Soundstage" series has lined up performers for its fifth season. Expect to see Macy Gray (July 5), Dashboard Confessional (July 12) and Jewel (July 19 and 26). ...

Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard has a new "Office" mate, apparently. John Krasinski -- who stars as Jim Halpert on the TV show -- made a brief onstage appearance with Gibbard Thursday night at Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 club, USA Today's "Pop Candy" blog reports. The two briefly dabbled with a Wilco song, according to fan accounts -- Gibbard has a role in Krasinski's upcoming film "Brief Interviews With Hideous Men." ... The Decemberists have made a name for themselves by delving into everything from prog-folk to klezmer sounds and beyond. But how about classical music? The group will appear with an orchestral accompaniment at five shows this summer, which will feature the band's songs with new arrangements. The dates begin July 7 at the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, then proceed to Atlanta's Chastain Park Amphitheater (July 13); Baltimore's Merriweather Post Pavilion (July 14); Philadelphia's Mann Center (July 15); and Chicago's Millennium Park (July 18). ...

What do Mariah Carey, Destiny's Child and the Spice Girls have in common with underground artists like Will Oldham, Superchunk and Jim O'Rourke? Something, finally: The latter artists cover the former ones on the unusual compilation Guilt by Association, due August 28. Also featured on the set is Devendra Banhart covering Oasis' "Don't Look Back in Anger," Mooney Suzuki's version of the Cher song "Just Like Jesse James," Mike Watt tackling Blue Öyster Cult's "Burning for You," as well as renditions of Fall Out Boy's "Sugar, We're Goin Down," System of a Down's "Chop Suey" and "Breaking Free" from "High School Musical." ... An expanded deluxe edition of Sonic Youth's 1988 masterpiece, Daydream Nation, will be reissued June 12 as a two-CD set. The revamped set packs the original album onto one CD and adds a "Live Daydream" disc -- with concert cuts of each album track, plus covers of Beatles, Mudhoney, Neil Young and Captain Beefheart tunes -- as a bonus. ...

Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello and Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid are featured on Queen V's Death or Glory, due June 19. Morello, who invited Queen V to perform on his Axis of Justice Tour after seeing her play in Los Angeles, handles guitar on the track "My Machine," while Reid contributes a solo to "One and Only." ... Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello and Billy Bob Thornton are among the artists featured on Anchored In Love: A Tribute to June Carter Cash, due June 19. A biography written by her only son with Johnny Cash, John Carter Cash, hits shelves the same day. ... Pearl Jam will issue a box set of the band's performances at the Gorge Amphitheater in George, Washington. Titled Live at the Gorge, the set is a compilation of three different concerts, spread across seven CDs, and will hit stores June 26. ... The reunited Luscious Jackson are busy working on a new LP -- a children's album, no less -- but co-founder Gabby Glaser is still finding time to step out with her own solo debut. Her fuzzy garage-rock effort Gimme Splash is due June 26 on Latchkey. ...

Michael Moore is lashing out at the Bush administration over a U.S. Treasury Department investigation that is scrutinizing a trip he took to Cuba earlier this year. The controversial Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker took ailing 9/11 rescue workers to the country for treatment and plans to include a segment on the trip in his upcoming health-care exposé, "Sicko." "I understand why the Bush administration is coming after me -- I have tried to help the very people they refuse to help, but until George W. Bush outlaws helping your fellow man, I have broken no laws and I have nothing to hide," Moore said in a post on liberal Web site DailyKos.com. "For five and a half years, the Bush administration has ignored and neglected the heroes of the 9/11 community. These heroic first responders have been left to fend for themselves, without coverage and without care." According to AP, Treasury officials would not comment on the letter.