Bo Bice missed Thursday's American Idols Live tour stop in Las Vegas. Rumors on the "American Idol" messageboards are that the runner-up fell ill, but Bice's spokesperson could not confirm ...

Radiohead fans have a new reason to rejoice. The band headed back into the studio on Thursday to work on the follow-up to 2003's Hail to the Thief, according to a brief post by frontman Thom Yorke on the band's Web site: "We are going into a proper studio on Thursday (for a leettle while) with 192 faders which is a lot of choice a bit like the supermarket and it may all go off before we get to it so we have to eat quick. We will post more when we get there." ...

Six limited-edition album posters signed by Gwen Stefani will be auctioned off on eBay beginning August 28 to benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. The artwork, created to promote the No Doubt frontwoman's solo disc, Love, Angel, Music, Baby, was done by Japanese artist Shinjuko and features the platinum-haired singer surrounded by her pals the Harajuku Girls. ... My Chemical Romance will make a special appearance on Saturday at New York club Luke & Leroy's -- as DJs. The band is joining the MisShapes crew, who've played clubs around New York with such guest spinners as Hilary Duff, Kelly Clarkson, Franz Ferdinand, Interpol and, most recently, Fall Out Boy. ...

Common, Talib Kweli and DMC will perform at the finals of the Guitar Center DJ Spin Off at the Wiltern LG in Los Angeles. The event is scheduled for September 10. ... Want to see the new White Stripes video for "My Doorbell"? Then tune in to Nickelodeon -- yes, that's right, Nickelodeon -- for the premiere of the clip on Friday (August 19) at 9 p.m. The video will air just before a new episode of "Girls Vs. Boys," and will continue to air throughout the weekend on the kids' channel. ...

On Thursday, less than a week after announcing he'd headline the Ozzfest no more, Ozzy Osbourne posted a statement on his Web site to set a few things straight. "After 10 years, I've decided that this year will be my last as the headlining act on Ozzfest," the statement reads. "The Ozzfest is well-established now and I feel it's time for me to hand the reigns off to someone else. However, I will be performing at a few select Ozzfest shows next year. Despite the rumors, I don't have permanent throat problems. The truth is that after 11 straight summers on the road, I would just love to finally take a summer holiday with my wife. You haven't heard the last from me." ... Punk outfit the Distillers are in a state of limbo at the moment. On Thursday night, bassist Ryan Sinn announced he'd be taking leave of the band in a posting to the Distillers' MySpace page -- one that has since been demolished completely. "I'm no longer part of the life I knew so recently," the message read. "The Distillers are no more and it feels like a weight has been lifted. However, I'll never get rid of the disgust inside from it all." Sinn's defection follows just seven months after drummer Andy Granelli quit -- effectively leaving singer/guitarist Brody Dalle the band's only remaining member. Calls for comment on the situation from the Distillers' label were not returned by press time. ...

An all-star cast of alternative rockers has banded together for the UNICEF charity-benefit single "Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?" Known as the North American Prevention Initiative, the collective features Beck, Sum 41's Steve Jocz , the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O, and members of the Postal Service, the Arcade Fire, Sonic Youth, Sloan, Wolf Parade and Feist. The track was written and produced by ex-Unicorns singer Nicholas Diamonds and Redd Kross' Steven McDonald. ... Seattle rock stalwarts Mudhoney, who pretty much invented grunge back in 1988 with their song "Touch Me I'm Sick," are prepping a new album for Sea-town's Sub Pop Records. The new album features Mark Arm, Steve Turner, Guy Madison and Dan Peters, and is being recorded at three different studios by three different producers, including Modest Mouse knob-twiddler Phil Ek. There's no title or release date for the new disc -- the band's first since 2002's Since We've Become Translucent -- and let's hope the recording process isn't getting in the way of Arm's day job as the manager of Sub Pop's warehouse. ...

Randy "Biscuit" Turner, frontman of formative early '80s punk-rock band the Big Boys, was found dead in his home in Texas on Thursday -- the day after he was featured on the cover of The Austin Chronicle. His body was discovered by the writer of the piece, and according to the Chronicle, the medical examiner's initial autopsy report attributes the cause of death to "gastrointestinal hemorrhage due to cirrhosis associated with chronic [alcohol] abuse." The Big Boys split in the mid-'80s, and in recent years, Turner had worked successfully as an artist -- sadly, the Austin gallery that was to host his art installation "Mental Volcano" this weekend will instead host an informal wake Friday (August 19) night. Turner was 56. ... Canadian popsters the New Pornographers are gearing up for the release of their new album, Twin Cinema, by launching a North American tour. After a series of record-store performances in late August, the Pornographers' tour officially gets under way September 22 in Victoria, British Columbia, and runs through the end of October. Twin Cinema hits stores on Tuesday. ...

08.18.2005

Britney Spears scored a ton of gender-neutral presents at her baby shower on August 6, including a white wrought-iron bassinet, car seat, stroller, infant bathtub and lots of stuffed animals. "Everyone really outdid themselves," the singer told People magazine, which has a spread of photos from the scene in its next issue, out Friday. Only 19 guests attended the Moroccan-themed shindig, which was held under a bamboo tent set in front of Spears' Malibu, California, home. "It was so beautiful that throughout the entire night, I kept forgetting we were in my front yard," Spears told the mag. Friends and family were treated to gift bags containing the singer's Curious perfume as well as necklaces made from their own baby photos. It was "everything I envisioned," Spears said. ...

"American Idol" dropout Mario Vazquez has signed a deal with J Records, marking the first time the label has signed an "Idol" contestant who was not the winner or runner-up. Vazquez has just begun work on the as-yet-untitled album, which is due in the spring, according to the label. ... Eminem's week just keeps getting better. Just two days after announcing he'd be canceling the European leg of the Anger Management 3 Tour to permit his recovery from exhaustion, Marshall's aunt and uncle have filed a lawsuit against him. According to Kevin Green, the attorney for Em's relations, Jack and Betty Schmitt, "Marshall's looking to evict them from their house," one he had built for them three years ago in Mount Clemens, Michigan. Green said the couple uprooted from Missouri to do so, at Em's behest. The suit seeks more than $350,000 -- the cost of the house -- as well as money they claim their nephew owes them. "He told them, 'I'll pay you a salary for five years,' " said Green; the promised figure was an annual payment of $100,000. "He failed to do that. Betty and Jack support Marshall, but the main issue is the home. He promised he would transfer the [home's title over] to their name after one year, and he failed to do so as promised, and continues not to do so." ...

Mariah Carey, Destiny's Child and Diana Ross are headlining the World Music Awards, which will also include performances by Bon Jovi and Santana. The show, which will be televised in 160 countries, will take place at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on August 31 and will be broadcast Stateside September 13 on ABC at 9 p.m. ET. ... Game, Busta Rhymes, Twista and Trick Daddy are among the guests slated for Crazee and Confuzed, the debut album from Miami rapper Stacks, due in early 2006. Diddy is featured on the just-released first single, "MIA," a tribute to Miami, while Pharrell Williams, Scott Storch, Timbaland and Jazze Pha are among the album's producers. Director Gil Green (Lil Jon) just shot the video for "MIA." ...

On September 13, the nine-year anniversary of Tupac Shakur's death, a seven-foot bronze memorial statue of the rapper will be unveiled at the newly opened Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Afeni Shakur, Tupac's mother, will speak at the ceremony. A week later, the second album based on Tupac's poetry, The Rose, Vol. 2., will hit stores. Unlike the first, which featured readings of his poems, this compilation will see rappers like Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, the Outlawz and Digital Underground's Shock-G reworking the poetry into songs. ... Meanwhile, some rare Tupac concert footage is about to be released as well. The never-before-seen, uncensored "Tupac Shakur: Live at the House of Blues," shot in Los Angeles on July 4, 1996, is now due in early October, and will be released as both a DVD and UMD, which will play on the Sony PlayStation Portable game device. The performance includes guest appearances from Snoop Dogg, the Outlawz, Nate Dogg, Jodeci, Kurupt and Daz. ...

Teens who watch R-rated movies are likelier to smoke, drink and use drugs, according to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, which released the findings of a survey on the subject on Thursday (August 18). Twelve- to 17-year-olds who watch three or more R-rated movies per month are at more than four times the risk of substance abuse than those who do not watch R-rated movies. They're also nearly seven times likelier to smoke cigarettes, more than five times likelier to drink alcohol, and more than six times likelier to try marijuana. The phone survey, conducted from April through June, included 1,000 teens and 829 parents. ... Liz Phair, who is releasing her new album, Somebody's Miracle, on October 4, is planning a road trip to support it. She'll kick off the 23-date tour in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on October 6, and close it out in San Diego on November 16. Later this month, Phair is shooting the video for the first single, "Everything to Me," with director Phil Harder. ...

Bon Jovi are planning a world tour in November to support their ninth studio album, Have a Nice Day, due September 20. But before they hit the road, they're going to perform at the new Nokia Theater in New York's Times Square -- they will be the very first act to do so -- on September 19. The opening of the club will be a multimedia event, since Bon Jovi's performance will be broadcast live and on demand via AOL, aired live on XM Satellite Radio and simulcast to select movie theaters nationwide. Advance movie tickets are available online at BigScreenConcerts.com. ... Rock-radio faves Trapt are preparing to hit the road in support of their upcoming album, Someone in Control, due September 13. The 30-date tour kicks off September 22 in Chico, California, with fellow dude-rockers Blindside and Aphasia tagging along as openers. ...