Good Charlotte might currently be wrapped up in a European tour, but that hasn't stopped them from choosing a third single off their recent The Chronicles of Life and Death album. According to the band's management, the next song sent to radio will be "We Believe," and GC are close to finalizing plans for the video, which they plan to shoot next month. ...

Snoop Dogg has posted sneak-peek photos of his new video "Signs" on his Web site, but what the rapper didn't include were any shots of his special guest star. Justin Timberlake, who's also on the song, showed up Tuesday for a spot in the clip. ... The Dave Matthews Band have announced the title and release date for their upcoming album. It's called Stand Up, and it'll be in stores on May 10. Tracks on the LP -- the band's first studio outing since 2002's Busted Stuff -- include "American Baby," "Dream Girl," "Smooth Rider" and "Stolen Away," according to the band's management. ...

Maroon 5 and Phantom Planet kicked off the Honda Civic Tour on Friday at the Universal Amphitheatre in Universal City (near both bands' hometown of Los Angeles) to a sold-out crowd of mostly teenage girls and their moms gushing over singer Adam Levine. "I used to go to shows here growing up and I would think, 'Wow, these people are famous,' " Levine told the crowd. "Now that's us and we have you to thank." For the encore, Levine took the drums and drummer Ryan Dusick took the mic for faithful renditions of the White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" and AC/DC's "Highway to Hell." ...

Madonna continues to plug away at her new album, and while questions are rampant about what it will sound like and who she's working with, at least the latter part of those queries can now be answered. According to her label rep, Madonna's teamed up once again with French producer Mirwais as well as Stuart Price, her musical director on the Reinvention Tour. At least one song title is known so far: "I Love New York." ... Queens of the Stone Age have posted online a snippet of the short film they made for the track "Somebody's in the Wolf," to be included in the deluxe edition of their upcoming album Lullabies to Paralyze. The clip features frontman Josh Homme and his bandmates parading through a spooky forest, decked out in -- what else -- wolf costumes. ...

Jennifer Lopez joins a host of other designers, including Marc Jacobs, Diane von Furstenberg and Kimora Lee Simmons, to create a new, high-profile collection of custom-made carry-alls for PlayStation Portable. Her work will be displayed Monday night in Los Angeles at a fashion show called Pret A PSP, where supermodels will grace the runway with the new PSPs encased in their respective carry-alls. The PSP launches March 24. ... Kevin Federline -- a.k.a. Mr. Britney Spears -- may have some luck after all in his attempt to become a fashion trendsetter. Federline's talked about launching his own clothing line, Pair A Dice, and if he wants to see how well it might do, he should take a look at the sales of the customized velour sweatsuit he wore at his wedding, since the Lake Tahoe, California, clothing company that made it, Sweatsedo, is reporting that it has since sold every last Pure White suit in stock. "Now if he'd only wear his hat on straight, we could hire him as a model," company co-founder Rich Kunkel joked. ...

Rob Thomas has announced plans for his first solo concert tour. The Matchbox Twenty frontman will head out on a brief trek starting April 16 in San Francisco, hit 11 cities across the country, then wrap things up on April 30 in Washington, D.C. His tour coincides with the release of his debut solo album, Something to Be, which hits shelves on April 19. ... It's not often that an album's title track doesn't actually make it onto the album itself. But when you're dealing with a band like the Mars Volta, you can't always expect things to go according to the industry standard. On March 22, the prog-punk troupe will release the 15-minute song "Frances the Mute" as a 12-inch single. The vinyl release, which is available on pre-order through the band's site for $6, will also feature a live acoustic version of "The Widow." The band has said the title track will serve as a "decoder" for the Frances the Mute full-length album. ...

Slash can finally breathe easy -- his signature top hat is back on his head, where it belongs. After his apparel line BEC Ethic offered a reward for the missing hat, it was turned over to the guitarist last week. ... The lineup for this year's Fuji Rock Festival in Japan (July 29-31) is starting to take shape. Among the headliners for the fest at the foot of the Naeba ski resort are Beck, the Bravery, Cake, a reunited Dinosaur Jr., Fatboy Slim, Foo Fighters, the Go! Team, Juliette & the Licks, Kaiser Chiefs, the Music and Sigur Rós, according to the festival's Web site. ...

Spearhead leader Michael Franti is recording his next album in Kingston, Jamaica, with legendary reggae producers Sly and Robbie as well as Mario Caldato Jr. (Beastie Boys, Jack Johnson). Island Records founder Chris Blackwell will serve as executive producer on the project, marking the first time in 30 years he's worked with Sly and Robbie. Many of the songs on the untitled album, due later this year, were inspired by Franti's trip to the Middle East last summer, which spawned his directorial debut, "I Know I'm Not Alone." ... Isaac Hayes -- Chef to "South Park" watchers -- is doing double duty on television when he guests on "The Bernie Mac Show" next month. The R&B musician offers advice on how to nurture talent on an episode called "The Music Box," airing April 1 at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. ...

More and more music, movies and other content are coming to cell phones, depending which company is your carrier. If you have Verizon Wireless, you can watch original minute-long "mobisodes" of "The Simple Life: Interns," starting April 6, via its V CAST service (each download is 99 cents). If you have Sprint PCS, you can get music-video ringers, with the latest offerings including clips from Maroon 5, T.I. and Frankie J, as well as videos that play each time you open your phone (each video ringer is $3). And if you have Cingular Wireless, you can get sound, music and graphics from the upcoming "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" well before the film comes out May 19. "Star Wars"-themed screensavers, greetings, ringtones and graphics are available starting April 4 (each is $1.99). ...

Molly Hatchet frontman Danny Joe Brown died Thursday of complications from diabetes, The Associated Press reports. Brown joined the Southern rock band in 1975 but left in the early '80s because of his diabetes. He later reunited with the group and also pursued a solo career. His family said on Monday that the 53-year-old singer died at home in Davie, Florida, surrounded by family after spending about four weeks in the hospital. ...

03.11.2005

Perhaps not so surprising following the birth of little Apple, Chris Martin and Coldplay seem to have babies -- or at least sex chromosomes -- on the brain. The band's new album, due June 7, will be called X&Y. The follow-up to A Rush of Blood to the Head will be preceded by the single "Speed of Sound," out April 18. U.S. tour dates should be announced in the coming weeks. ...

Jay Leno is allowed to make jokes about Michael Jackson, as long as he doesn't talk about his personal knowledge of the case, the judge in Jackson's child-molestation trial ruled Friday (March 11). Judge Rodney Melville made a number of other rulings while testimony was put on hold, including that the singer is allowed to make a rebuttal video to Martin Bashir's most recent documentary on ABC, "The Secret World of Michael Jackson," as long as he presents it to the court first for approval (Jackson attorney Brian Oxman suggested that Jackson would wish to sell the video to the highest bidder). Melville will allow the defense to bring up surgeries the accuser's mother has had, allegedly paid for by the singer, but won't let the defense bring up certain aspects of the mother's sexual conduct. He also denied the media's request to have the court release videotapes entered into evidence (media attorney Ted Boutros is taking the issue to the Court of Appeals). And no, the jury won't get to visit Neverland after all, since Melville denied that request, too. Melville held off, however, on making a decision about Jackson's financial records -- which the prosecution wants to use to help prove the conspiracy part of the case, because of the negative impact that the Bashir documentary would have on the singer's financial solvency. "We have more than good reason to believe that Mr. Jackson is on the precipice of bankruptcy," prosecutor Gordon Auchincloss said. "Liquidity from time to time may be a problem," defense attorney Robert Sanger conceded. ...

He may be a rock star but he ain't no banker. Bono and DATA, the lobbying group he co-founded in 2002, have officially squashed rumors that the socially conscious singer was on a list of candidates to possibly run the World Bank. Jamie Drummond, the executive director of DATA, told Reuters that while the U2 frontman was flattered by the mention of his name, "there are no circumstances in which Bono would be nominated or accept the World Bank job." DATA, which stands for Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa, campaigns to raise awareness about the severe problems that are plaguing Africa. ... Missy Elliott isn't quite done with her follow-up to This Is Not a Test! -- the rapper hopes to finish the as-yet-untitled album in about two or three weeks, according to her rep. The album is now slated to come out June 28. ...

No one can ever accuse the Killers of being slackers. Relentlessly on the road in support of the platinum Hot Fuss, the well-coiffed Vegas hipsters have extended their North American tour with 11 dates starting May 5 in Omaha, Nebraska, and ending June 11 in Atlanta. Fans yearning for new music can look to iTunes for an exclusive track, "Who Let You Go," and the Thin White Duke (a.k.a. Stuart Price) remix of "Mr. Brightside." ... The Gorillaz -- now featuring Danger Mouse in place of Dan "The Automator" -- have snagged a host of eclectic friends to appear on their sophomore disc, Demon Days (May 24). Actor Dennis Hopper does a spoken-word cameo on the track "Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head," ex-Pharcyde MC Bootie Brown raps on "Dirty Harry," and Neneh Cherry adds her vocals to "Kids With Guns." Other guests on the album include Ike Tuner, MF Doom, Roots Manuva, Black Grape's Shaun Ryder, Martina Topley-Bird and the London Community Gospel Choir. Though a white label 12-inch of the track "Dirty Harry" is making the rounds, the group is currently shooting a video for the album's first single, "Feel Good Inc.," which features De La Soul. ...

One of the founding members of the gospel group the Blind Boys of Alabama, baritone George Scott, died in his sleep Wednesday of complications from diabetes and a heart condition, according to the band's Web site. He was 75. The group won its fourth consecutive Grammy last month, Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album, for its collaboration with guitarist Ben Harper on There Will Be a Light. Scott retired from the road last year but will be heard on the band's upcoming album, Atom Bomb. ... San Diego rockers Switchfoot will mount the inaugural

Switchfoot Bro-Am Surf Contest on May 14 at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, California. The benefit/contest will raise money for Care House Kids, a San Diego nonprofit that helps at-risk and homeless teens. The band is scheduled to perform at a private awards ceremony at the La Paloma Theater after the contest -- which will feature 16 four-person teams, including some of the band's members. Riders will be judged on riding two waves, one in normal stance and one, of course, using the "switchfoot" style. ...

Tommy Lee is rounding up quite the crew for his next solo album. He's working with Dave Navarro, Slash, members of Sum 41 and Good Charlotte, and even Nick Carter, who he originally teamed up with for the Backstreet Boy's own solo album. Lee plans to put the record out on his own indie label sometime this summer, according to his management rep. ... New York trio Ivy (which features Fountains of Wayne bassist/songwriter Adam Schlesinger) will be touring in support of their just-released album, In the Clear. Following a date in New York on April 22, the band will headline a West Coast tour that begins on May 9 in San Diego and works its way up to Vancouver, British Columbia, on the 16th. More dates are expected to be announced. ...