The "American Idol" finale will be held at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre (home of the Oscars) rather than the Universal Amphitheater, which hosted last year. The two remaining finalists will sing May 25, and the winner will be announced the following night. ...

Talib Kweli has just released The Beautiful Mix Tape in advance of his upcoming album, The Beautiful Struggle. It features more than a dozen tracks and guest stars like Busta Rhymes, Styles of the LOX, Common, Kanye West, Fabolous, Black Thought and Jean Grae. It also features a song, "Lonely People," that samples Ray Charles' version of the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby." ... Kweli will also be a special guest in Xzibit's monthly Rhyme Night talent showcase on April 17 at the Key Club in Hollywood. ... Pink isn't the only one getting cozy with Bobby McGee in an upcoming Janis Joplin biopic. Actress Renée Zellweger will star and co-produce "Piece of My Heart," expected to hit the big screen next year. ...

Godsmack will film their April 9 concert in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to release as part of an upcoming DVD. The show, which also features Ill Niño and Dropbox, is part of a brief tour Godsmack booked to support their recent acoustic EP, The Other Side. Godsmack's tour opening for Metallica resumes April 20 in Uniondale, New York. ... Fans on the East Coast and in the Midwest wondering if a reunited Pixies would ever come to their town can breathe easy. The Pixies announced plans Monday for a proper North American fall tour that will begin September 4 in Bend, Oregon. Most dates and cities are still being booked, but some are already final: September 18 (Austin, Texas), October 14 (Atlanta), November 11 (Minneapolis), November 13 (Chicago) and November 24 (Toronto). ...

While continuing to traverse the U.S. with Hoobastank and ImaRobot on the Campus Invasion Tour, the Lostprophets are in the process of setting up their first Stateside headlining tour in May. Dates have yet to be confirmed. Campus Invasion wraps up April 24 in Norfolk, Virginia. ... Jem, who released her debut LP, Finally Woken, last month, will sing a cover of Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed" during a wedding reception on the season finale of "The O.C." The episode airs May 5. ... Great White have scheduled two more shows to benefit the victims and survivors of the Station club fire in Warwick, Rhode Island. Dates are April 22 in Ventura, California, and April 25 in Whittier, California. Proceeds will go the Station Family Fund. ...

Ghostface Killah will be hawking an autographed, limited-edition 20x30 painting of himself for $119 inside copies of his upcoming The Pretty Tony Album, due April 20. The canvas portrait was created by the art team Terryphunk (www.terryphunk.com). ... On his Web site, Rush Limbaugh blasted John Kerry and the MTV Choose or Loose half-hour special he appeared on. Specifically, Limbaugh accused Kerry of pandering when he claimed to have listened to hip-hop. "Can't you just see old J.F. Kerry and Teresa Heinz riding around in the Range Rover at one of their mansions with hip-hop playing? You really think Eminem is their CD player right now?" ... A Static Lullaby have hired former Death by Stereo drummer Jarod Alexander to replace Ben Newsham, who left the band in December. The band's upcoming tour starts April 18 in Asbury Park, New Jersey, and runs through May 11 in Los Angeles. ...

04.05.2004

The Black Eyed Peas have re-recorded "Let's Get Retarded" as "Let's Get It Started" for use in promotional spots for the NBA playoffs. Four different commercials will air new verses of the song pertaining to basketball. ... Xzibit will play fictitious rapper 10-Large in an upcoming episode of "CSI: Miami." The episode, titled "Rap Sheet," was taped at the end of March and is scheduled for broadcast May 10. ...

Nickelback won Group of the Year and Fan Choice Award at Sunday's Juno Awards, Canada's version of the Grammys, but it was newcomer Sam Roberts who was the big winner, taking home trophies for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Rock Recording of the Year. 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin' won International Album of the Year. ... Nelly Furtado, who won Single of the Year for "Powerless (Say What You Want)," has set dates for a U.S. tour beginning April 30 in Chicago and ending May 19 in Los Angeles. She's then heading to Europe for more touring. ...

The Roots are shooting the first video from their upcoming album, The Tipping Point, Monday (April 5) and Tuesday in Brooklyn, New York. Directed by the Saline Project, "Don't Say Nothin' " follows Black Thought through several characters to represent the various styles on the album. The Tipping Point, due June 29, includes a cover of Sly Stone's "Everybody Is a Star," a version of which will also appear on the upcoming tribute album Sly2K. ... Grey Album DJ Danger Mouse is among a crop of artists just added to the annual Bonnaroo Festival, set for June 11-13 in Manchester, Tennessee. Other new artists rounding out the lineup include Nellie McKay, the X-ecutioners, Robert Randolph & the Family Band and Rachael Yamagata. ...

Ozzy Osbourne filed a complaint last month with the Medical Board of California against his former physician, whom he alleges over-prescribed addictive drugs in 2002 that affected his behavior on "The Osbournes." Other patients of Dr. Kipper have filed similar complaints. ... Let's Rock, a one-hour documentary on the life of the Clash's Joe Strummer will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on May 7. The film, which traces Strummer from his early days with the Clash to the three albums he made with the Mescaleros before he died in 2002, was directed by his longtime friend Dick Rude. ... Sonic Youth, My Morning Jacket, On the Speakers and Jesse Malin are among the artists slated to play the Great Bamboozle, a three-day festival in Asbury Park, New Jersey, June 4-6. ...

Alien Ant Farm have started work on their still-untitled follow-up to truANT and are scheduled to begin recording this summer with an eye on releasing the disc early next year. When finished, they hope to hit the road to preview some of the new material. ... Ashanti and Eve have joined Jessica Simpson, Joss Stone, Patti LaBelle, Deborah Harry and Cyndi Lauper on the lineup for the seventh annual VH1 Divas concert. The concert, broadcast live April 18 from Las Vegas' MGM Grand, will feature appearances by Usher, Mischa Barton, Tyra Banks and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos. ...

Spike TV will follow eight contestants who will work for Sugar Ray on the band's spring tour for a reality series called "On the Road." The winner will get a record-company job for one year. The outing, which also features Lola Ray (whose Tuesday debut is the first release on Good Charlotte's D.C. Flag Records label), kicks off April 3 in Tempe, Arizona, and wraps up May 6 in Hollywood. ... "Thunderstruck," an Australian film that revolves around AC/DC's 1991 tour, has been selected for screening at the Cannes Film Festival. The movie is about five fans who decide that if any one of them dies before age 40, the survivors will have him buried next to the grave of late AC/DC singer Bonn Scott. ...

Artist Pushead, who designed artwork for numerous Metallica albums, including St. Anger, has created a line of miniature statues of his works. Currently, the online Metallica store and other retailers are selling the "Damage Inc." and "Damaged Pirate" statues, and in August models will be available for "Sad But True" and "Eye See Your Skull." ... Beatallica, a band that crosses the music of Metallica with that of the Beatles, have released a self-titled eight-song EP on their Web site, www.beatallica.com. Song titles include "Blackened in the USSR," "Got to Get You Trapped Under Ice" and "Leper Madonna." Before you cry "Danger Mouse copycat!," keep in mind that Beatallica write original riffs and lyrics in addition to ripping off their heroes, and they've been doing so since 2001, when they released the spoof A Garage Day's Night, also available for free download. ...