Some of the world's most gorgeous women are getting naked for a very worthwhile cause. Paris and Nicky Hilton, Christina Aguilera, Rebecca Romijn, Elle MacPherson, Heidi Klum and Kimora Lee Simmons are among the 44 beauties exposed in a new coffee-table book titled "4 Inches," which will feature the ladies donning no more than Cartier jewels and Jimmy Choo shoes. Proceeds from the book, hitting stores Thursday, will benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation and its effort to help women and children in Africa who are suffering from AIDS. ...

Even computer hackers are getting in on the Michael Jackson trial action. British anti-virus firm Sophos reported on Friday (June 10) that hackers have hit computers across the globe with a Trojan virus disguised as an e-mail about an alleged Jackson suicide attempt. The typo-filled spam e-mail with the subject heading "Re: Suicidal aattempt" links to a bogus suicide note as it downloads malicious software onto the user's computer. ... Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme has pleaded no contest to assaulting Dwarves singer Blag Dahlia during an altercation at Los Angeles' Dragonfly club in November 2004. On May 23, Homme was put on probation for 36 months, and was ordered to do community service with the Hollywood Beautification Team, enter a 60-day residential drug/alcohol rehabilitation program, complete a level three anger-management class, foot all of Dahlia's legal and medical bills, and stay 100 yards away from the singer, according to a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Superior Court. ...

Staind frontman Aaron Lewis' wife, Vanessa, gave birth on Thursday to the couple's second child, daughter Nyla Rae. They already have a 3-year-old daughter named Zoe Jane. According to a band spokesperson, both mom and baby are doing fine. Staind's forthcoming album, Chapter V, hits stores August 9. ... The Deftones, A Perfect Circle, Cave In, Poison the Well and Melissa Auf Der Maur will contribute songs to the forthcoming tribute album to influential 1990s transcendent rock icons Failure. The album should see release sometime this fall through Renfield Records. ...

Finch and Head Automatica will be touring together this fall. No concrete dates for the trek have been set yet, but according to a spokesperson for Finch, the tour should last a few weeks, and both the RX Bandits and Buck 65 have been confirmed as openers. ... It's been more than five years since we've heard anything from New York blues rockers the Spin Doctors, but that all changes Friday night (June 10). The band, best known for its 1992-'93 hits "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" and "Two Princes," will kick off a 24-date tour in Richmond, Virginia, that's set to wrap up on September 17 in Oklahoma City. The group's also got a new record on the way: Look for the Matt Wallace-produced Nice Talking to Me to hit stores in September. ...

A week after slapping three Florida sheriff's deputies with a lawsuit for allegedly using excessive force when arresting him during a 2003 New Year's Eve altercation, Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson is speaking out about the incident yet again. "The legal action we are embarking on now will hopefully bring attention to the fact that people cannot and should not be treated this way," he said in a statement released Thursday. "If some good is to come of this, then let it be that the actions of a tiny minority of aggressive Taser-wielding police officers don't tarnish the reputation of the vast majority of officers who proudly serve their communities with honor and sacrifice." ...

06.09.2005

Most men would not have the power to bring both Jay-Z and Nas out to the same party, but Kanye West is not most men. The producer celebrated his 28th birthday Wednesday night at the Bulgari store on Fifth Avenue in New York, and the two rap rivals made an appearance. Chris Tucker, Grafh, Farnsworth Bentley and P. Diddy also came through to wish Yay a happy born day. ...

Britney Spears is providing more than just a window into her relationship with Kevin Federline on her reality show -- she's also giving a sneak peek of some new music. Not only is the theme song to "Britney and Kevin: Chaotic" a track she originally recorded for In the Zone called "Chaotic," but the hour-long finale, called "Veil of Secrecy," will feature the premiere of her video for her new single, "Someday (I Will Understand)." The song was written by Spears and produced by Guy Sigsworth, while the clip was directed by Michael Haussman. The episode, which reveals how Britney and Kevin kept their wedding-day plans under wraps, airs Tuesday on UPN at a new time, 8 p.m. ([article id="1501842"]Click for photos from the show[/article].)... Velvet Revolver announced on Tuesday that they'd be cutting their current European tour short by five gigs, fueling speculation that the band has thrown in the proverbial towel following weeks of rumored ego clashes between singer Scott Weiland and guitarist Slash. One Finnish news organization actually reported that the band was toast. But according to the group's publicist, that's "absolute rubbish." Everything's fine with Velvet Revolver, who scrapped the final dates of the tour so they could return to American soil and get started on their second album. Other rumors suggesting Weiland was headed back to rehab are also false, the band's rep said. ...

Legendary '70s funk act Earth, Wind & Fire are plotting a comeback on September 20 with an all-star album, Illumination. It features production on two songs from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis ("Pure Gold," "Love Dance"), production and vocals from the Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am ("Lovely People") and four songs produced by Raphael Saadiq, including "Show Me the Way," a duet with bandleader Maurice White. Organized Noize produced "This Is How I Feel," featuring Outkast's Big Boi, Sleepy Brown and Destiny's Child's Kelly Rowland. Brian McKnight joins the group for "To You," Floetry sit in on "Elevated" and, no kidding, smooth saxophone blower Kenny G guests on a cover of Outkast's "The Way You Move." ...

Madonna is featured on the cover and in an exclusive 15-page fashion spread in housewife mag Ladies' Home Journal, hitting newsstands Tuesday, the same day her latest children's book, "Lotsa de Casha," drops in stores. In the magazine's story, she talks about her reformed wild ways, the poison of television and the struggle of balancing a successful marriage with motherhood. "I can assure you, five years ago, there's no way I would have said, 'I'm going to write kids' books and give all the money to charity,' " the singer said in the interview. "I never thought I'd be doing that [but] I like the idea people can change, and that everybody has to go through a painful process before they can realize they're idiots." On her former wild escapades, Madonna admits, "Sometimes now I sit back and say, 'What was I thinking before I was thinking?' There were times I really had an altruistic goal and wanted to help people. And then other times I just wanted to show off. Let's just call a spade a spade. I knew I could get people to pay attention to me." ...

Death Cab for Cutie, the Flaming Lips and Jimmy Eat World are among the artists, um, crashing the soundtrack for the upcoming comedy "Wedding Crashers." The Lips contribute a new song, "Mr. Ambulance Driver," which frontman Wayne Coyne has said will appear on the band's in-the-works new album, At War With the Mystics. The Jimmy Eat World tune, "(Splash) Turn Twist," was previously only available on a few hard-to-find EPs and international releases. Other acts on the soundtrack include Rilo Kiley and Bloc Party. The wedding crashers themselves, Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, also contribute a sultry version of the Jewish classic "Hava Nagilah." The soundtrack hits stores on July 12, and the movie is due in theatres July 15. ... Kelly Osbourne has reached quite a milestone. Ozzy's little girl managed to snag three #1 spots simultaneously on the Billboard dance charts, a first since the Dance Airplay chart debuted in August 2003. "One Word," the debut single from Kelly's sophomore LP, Sleeping in the Nothing, has hit the top of the Hot Dance Music/ Club Play chart, the Hot Dance Singles chart and the Dance Radio Airplay chart. ...

Perry Farrell's newest band, the Satellite Party -- which includes former Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt and world-music percussionist Gabriele Corcos -- will be performing at this summer's two-day Lollapalooza (July 23-24) in Chicago. The group will be joined onstage by special guest Tony Kanal, according to a spokesperson for the No Doubt bassist. ... The Couch Tour is returning this summer, and will feature the likes of Coheed and Cambria, Alien Ant Farm and Tsunami Bomb, along with some of the biggest names in skateboarding, like Bam Margera, showing off their skills. The trek kicks off June 4 in Murray, Utah, and wraps July 8 in Spokane, Washington. ...

Canadian noise-pop duo Death From Above 1979 have covered a song from their Vice Records labelmates Bloc Party. Their version of "Luno," from Bloc Party's album Silent Alarm, is currently streaming on DFA1979's MySpace page (myspace.com/deathfromabove1979) and will also be the B-side to their upcoming U.K. single "Black History Month." ... After a two-year hiatus, techno jam band the Disco Biscuits have revived their Camp Bisco festival. Camp Bisco IV: The Trance-Formation is scheduled for August 26-27 at Skye-top Festival Grounds in Van Etten, New York, and will feature sets from Umphrey's McGee, the New Deal, Conspirator, John Brown's Body, the Benevento Russo Duo, Brothers Past and Big in Japan. The Biscuits will play two sets each night. ...