Chris Brown started shooting his recurring role on "The O.C." last week, according to Fox. (Click here for photos of Brown as his "O.C." character.) Brown's TV alter ego, band geek Will Tutt, will debut on the series in January. His multi-episode story line as a classmate/ unlikely romantic interest for bad girl Kaitlin Cooper (Willa Holland) will last throughout the season. ...

Shakira, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Carrie Underwood are double nominees for the 33rd annual People's Choice Awards, which CBS will broadcast from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on January 9. Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie" will compete against Nelly Furtado's "Promiscuous" and Pink's "Stupid Girls" in the Pop Song category. Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Evanescence, Black Eyed Peas, Nickelback, Nelly, Eminem and Chamillionaire have one nomination apiece in the music categories. "American Idol" is nominated for best Competition/ Reality Show. ...

Christina Aguilera is returning to "Saturday Night Live" this weekend. The singer, who has served as the show's musical guest twice (in 2000 and 2003) and even hosted the show in 2004, will perform on Saturday's episode, hosted by Alec Baldwin. ... T.I. will perform at Philips Arena on Saturday immediately following the Atlanta Hawks' game against the Seattle Sonics. Later that night, he and Diddy are hosting a party for the launch of Dapper, T.I.'s new magazine. ...

Given Britney Spears' televised make-out session with Madonna and her scantily clad video gyrations, a Los Angeles judge ruled last week to toss a defamation lawsuit brought by the singer against Us Weekly over a report that she and ex-husband Kevin Federline had made a sex tape and giggled as they screened it for lawyers amid fears it would be released. According to the Los Angeles Times, Superior Court Judge Lisa Hart Cole ruled that the former couple can't be defamed by rumors of a sex tape because, "the plaintiff herself has put her modern sexuality squarely, and profitably, before the public eye." Spears' representatives have denied all along that the tape the magazine reported on in an October 17, 2005, issue exists. Spears filed suit in December seeking $10 million, claiming that the article was a "false and outrageous fabrication" that portrayed her in a "despicable ... light." The ruling did not address whether or not the story was true. ...

Spears' ex has been appearing on WWE's "Monday Night Raw" and stirring things up with champ John Cena these past few weeks. Now Federline, who recently released his debut rap album, Playing With Fire, is doing just that, putting his money where his mouth is. Federline will take on Cena — who released his own hip-hop debut, You Can't See Me, last year, and says he can out-rap K-Fed as well as out-wrestle him — in a sanctioned match. Their face-off will be featured on a New Year's Day edition of "Raw" airing live from Miami. ... While he's starting trouble with Cena, Federline is wrapping up his conflict with Thomas Dolby, paying an undisclosed sum to settle a copyright-infringement suit with the "She Blinded Me With Science" singer over a sample of the track in a version of the song "America's Most Wanted" posted on K-Fed's MySpace page. Dolby plans to use the money to "buy a new sailboat, find a quiet anchorage somewhere, make myself a cup of tea and write some brand new songs," he said in a statement. ... And in even more K-Fed news, he's teaming with a company called Prodege Search to create SearchWithKevin.com. The site functions as a normal search engine but allows users to win Federline-related prizes just by using it. ...

Omarion and his manager/B2K Svengali Chris Stokes have partnered with Mathew Knowles to sign new R&B teen act 2 Much to the singer's O Records imprint under Knowles' Music World Music label. The quartet, which includes Stokes' son, is scheduled to drop their yet-untitled debut album early next year. ... Guns N' Roses canceled their Monday night concert in Portland, Maine, at the last minute — and the reason isn't exactly clear. The band's management blames "limitations imposed by local fire marshals," explaining in a statement, "We have been informed that officials intend to enforce rules and regulations that should not and do not apply in this venue. ... It is a regrettable decision, particularly at this late notice, but it is of paramount importance that our fans have the best experience possible without being harassed and threatened." But local television station WGME-TV reported that the band called off the show due to low ticket sales, with only 3,000 tickets (out of a possible 6,500) sold. ...

By this time next year, the String Cheese Incident will be no more. The jam band has announced it will throw in the towel after the summer, when guitarist Billy Nershi will leave the fold to focus on other musical endeavors. The band has a Thanksgiving show scheduled in Atlanta and will play New Year's Eve in San Francisco. ... The Blackout Pact have broken up. "We feel that it would be best to just pull the plug on this thing," the band said in a statement, citing "some actions and behavior" on its last tour that BP called "completely unacceptable." The statement didn't specify the incidents that led to the band's decision, but concluded, "We had what we feel was a great run. We made a lot of great friends on the road and would like to just remember it that way before things get worse internally." ... Norah Jones will release a new album, Not Too Late, on January 30, marking the first time the Grammy-winning singer has written or co-written all the songs on one of her releases. She told The Associated Press that the new tunes are more "intimate, with a bit of humor," but retain the laid-back vibe of her previous albums. The singer is also co-starring alongside Jude Law, Natalie Portman and Rachel Weisz in the upcoming film "My Blueberry Nights." ...

Bad news for those buying Microsoft's new Zune portable player: If you've downloaded music from the company's MSN Music store, it won't work on the new device. BBC News reports that Microsoft will stop selling music from MSN music beginning next week, coinciding with the debut of the Zune in the U.S. — and that MSN-bought tracks will not be compatible with the new device. The issue stems from the MSN Music site's Plays for Sure standard, which ensures that any music bought from services backing it would work with players that supported it. But since Zune is a new offering, a Microsoft spokesperson said it is "not part of the Plays for Sure ecosystem." MSN Music purchases won't be lost, but users will have to burn them to a CD, put them on compatible players or figure out a work-around that won't be supported by Microsoft. As of November 14, MSN Music customers will be redirected to the Zune Marketplace, while the MSN Music store will be used for hosting live concerts, interviews with bands and other music related-content.

11.06.2006

Hilary Duff and John Cusack are currently shooting a movie in Bulgaria, but the title is still up in the air. Various reports call the film "Brand Hauser" and "Brand Hauser: Stuff Happens," though Hilary herself referred to it as "War Inc." in a recent blog post. Duff described the first week of work as "so cool" and had a lot to say about the local food. "They really love salads!" she wrote. "I like it a lot because, since Bulgaria doesn't use pesticides, their vegetables are super fresh. In America, an apple can last a week because of preservatives and pesticides, but in Bulgaria, after a day or two, it will be old." Duff ended her post by noting, "I have about four more weeks of filming. It's winter and soooo cold here." ...

Mary J. Blige and Aretha Franklin have teamed up for the track "Never Gonna Break My Faith," co-written by Bryan Adams and featured in the trailer for "Bobby." The movie is a dramatization of the events surrounding the assassination of Senator Robert Kennedy in 1968, and it features Lindsay Lohan, Anthony Hopkins, Elijah Wood and Demi Moore. The "Bobby" soundtrack, which boasts the Blige/Franklin song along with classic tracks from Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Simon & Garfunkel and the Supremes, is due November 21. The film hits theaters in New York and Los Angeles on November 17 and goes nationwide the following week. ...

50 Cent is a laugh riot, the Game insists in the December issue of Stuff, on newsstands this week. "I think 50's talking does more damage than his actual rapping," Game said. "It's always f---ing funny; even when it's about me, I laugh at it. I was listening to a track he did about Puffy, and the actual rap sucks, but then he started talking at the end and it was f---ing hilarious. He should do stand-up comedy." The Game also told the magazine that if he ran into 50, he'd offer his rival a deal with Black Wall Street — "I'll put out his comedy DVD." ... Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado have joined forces with Timbaland for "Give It to Me," a track on the producer's upcoming album. In a post on her Web site, Furtado said the song "rivals 'Promiscuous' in its hotness!" ... Late Pantera guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott will be posthumously honored with his very own star on the Hard Rock Cafe Dallas' Walk of Fame. The ceremony will be held Thursday at 6 p.m. There to accept the honor on Dime's behalf will be his brother, Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul, and lifelong partner Rita Haney. Both will present the manager of the Hard Rock Cafe Dallas with the Dean guitar Dime used during Pantera's 101 Proof Tour. The night will be capped with a performance by the Hillbilly Orchestra. ...

We're just 48 days away from Christmas — and 70 from the season premiere of "American Idol." The sixth installment of the talent competition will kick off with a two-night, four-hour special, airing January 16 and 17 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. The season premiere will highlight "Idol" auditions from across the country, with Jewel, Olivia Newton-John and songwriter Carole Bayer Sager joining Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson in deciding which hopefuls go to Hollywood. The regular twice-weekly hour-long audition episodes begin January 23 at 8 p.m. and continue January 24 at 9 p.m. ... Speaking of Jewel, she will host the fifth season of "Nashville Star," beginning in January. The singer also just appeared on "Las Vegas" and has a guest spot in "Men in Trees," airing Friday. ...

Drummer Frank Ferrer (Psychedelic Furs, Love Spit Love) has joined Axl Rose's current incarnation of Guns N' Roses. Ferrer will fill in for ex-Primus drummer Bryan Mantia, who is on personal leave from the band so that he can spend time with his wife and newborn child. Both Ferrer and Mantia are said to be "official" members of the band. Guns N' Roses' current tour runs through January 16 in San Diego. ... The rumors are true: Coheed and Cambria have lost their rhythm section. The band has confirmed that drummer Josh Eppard and bassist Mic Todd have left the fold. They've since been replaced by bassist Matt Williams — who used to play with Coheed frontman Claudio Sanchez in the pre-Cambria outfit Jumblehead — and Dillinger Escape Plan drummer Chris Pennie. There's no word yet on whether Pennie's addition will be permanent, but both Pennie and Williams are expected to work with the rest of Coheed on material for the band's forthcoming album. ...

Members of the Wu-Tang Clan, including Raekwon and the GZA, performed over the weekend at New York's B.B. King's Blues Club for the Scion-sponsored King of the Beats producer competition. Busta Rhymes and George Clinton were also in attendance, as celebrity judges Dante Ross, Just Blaze and the Alchemist crowned L.A.'s Beathoven top beatsmith. ... Bad Boy and VP Records announced a joint partnership last week to release dancehall artist Elephant Man's next album in 2007. "[Elephant Man is] one of the greatest entertainers in his genre of music," Diddy said of the "Pon Di River" artist in a statement. "When I saw him at Madison Square Garden ripping down the stage, I knew that he was the one. He will be a great addition to our team." ...

Cameras were rolling during Alice in Chains' Halloween gig in Providence, Rhode Island, last week. There are no official plans for the footage at the moment, but frontman Jerry Cantrell said he'd like to see it compiled into the band's first-ever DVD. No word yet on when a DVD might see the light of day. ... Rancid have lost drummer Brett Reed but already replaced him with ex-Used member Brandon Steineckert. "Brett Reed has decided to leave Rancid and we wish him all the best in his journeys," reads a statement from the band. "We want to welcome Brandon into the Rancid family." Reed had been with Rancid for more than 15 years. ... Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun is recovering from a serious head injury, according to United Press International. Ertegun slipped and hit his head as the Rolling Stones were about to play at former President Bill Clinton's 60th birthday party in New York last week.