Christina Aguilera is coming out of hibernation -- after holing up for months making her new album, she's going to sing in a televised appearance Friday morning on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." She's not singing her new tunes, but rather, she's teaming up with Herbie Hancock to perform "A Song for You," which appears on his new album, Possibilities. The show is syndicated; check local listings for airtimes. ...

The White Stripes, Franz Ferdinand, Iggy & the Stooges, AFI, Sleater-Kinney, Kings of Leon and the Mars Volta are among the first acts confirmed to take the stage at the 2006 Big Day Out musicfest. The trek kicks off January 20 in Auckland, New Zealand, and will hit a host of other cities Down Under before wrapping in Perth, Australia, on February 5. ...

Mars Volta will release Scabdates, a 74-minute live album, on November 8. The disc, with packaging boasting the photography of longtime Volta collaborator Danielle Van Ark, will include live renditions of songs captured during the band's tours between 2003 and 2005. Among the tracks on the album are "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt" and "Cicatriz." ...

When he's not erecting orphanages for children in India or chatting with the guy upstairs, former Korn guitarist Brian "Head" Welch spends the bulk of his time hammering away on his solo debut, which, according to his Web site, he's been working on in Phoenix. Welch has recorded 23 songs with A Perfect Circle's Josh Freese on drums. "I can't stop writing," Head wrote. "I've never written so much music in my life. I am completely speechless when I listen back to these songs. It's so clear that I am only a vessel. Nine months ago, I could barely piece one song together. Trust that I will deliver the most intense music you've ever heard in your life." ... Babyface and his wife are separated -- for good. The singer and his wife, Tracey Edmonds, released a statement Thursday (October 6) announcing that after being unofficially separated "for quite some time," they are making the move permanent. "We remain best friends, and will continue to work together in our companies, and our various business ventures," the statement read. They ask that the press and public respect their privacy, and they said they will answer "no further questions regarding this matter." ...

Angie Stone teamed up with "Pon De Replay" producer Vada Nobles for her new single, "I Wasn't Kidding," which appears on her upcoming greatest-hits album, Stone Hits: The Very Best of Angie Stone, due October 25. "It was a lot of fun working with such a talented artist," Nobles said. "I look forward to making more records with her in the future." ... Papa Roach have set a November 22 release date for "Live and Murderous in Chicago," a live DVD featuring 80 minutes of footage shot during the band's recent gig at Chicago's Vic Theatre. The effort will also include all of the band's videos, never-before-seen "all access" footage and photos, and more Roach goodies. ...

Punkvoter, the voter-registration organization founded by NOFX frontman Fat Mike, has a new compilation in the works, but this one is nothing like last year's Rock Against Bush album. It's called Protect, a benefit comp for the National Association to Protect Children, and it features songs from NOFX, Jawbreaker, Against Me! and MxPx. The album will be available through punk label Fat Wreck Chords' Web site starting on October 18. ... NOFX have been working on new material in San Francisco's Motor Studios for an upcoming 7-inch as well as a forthcoming LP -- the untitled follow-up to 2003's The War on Errorism. According to the band's Web site, the record could surface in the spring, "if we're lucky." ...

A 19-track retrospective compilation chronicling the career of Southern California punk act Face to Face will hit stores on November 1. Called Shoot the Moon: The Essential Collection, the disc will feature two unreleased songs, extensive liner notes and rare photos snapped over the course of the band's 12-year career. ... Do you like screaming? How about "tour-bus humor" and "backstage commentary?" Well, do we have the DVD for you. It's called "The Zen of Screaming," and it's a combination vocal workout and documentary starring Melissa Cross, the heavy-metal voice coach who's worked with everyone from Slipknot to Andrew W.K. The DVD also comes with an audio warm-up CD to get those vocal cords primed for some punishment. For more information, check out MelissaCross.com. ...

10.05.2005

Is the honeymoon over for everyone's favorite newlyweds? The tabloids have been claiming for months that Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey's marriage is on the rocks, and now Us Weekly is reporting that the two are officially separated, citing an unnamed source the mag says spilled the beans at Ashlee Simpson's birthday party on Sunday night. No one, however, in the Simpson or Lachey camp is confirming any of this. Joe Simpson called the story the "usual bullsh--," while the couple's reps issued a joint statement saying, "Nick and Jessica have not separated. Rumors to the contrary are simply not true." ...

([article id="1510933"]Check out pictures of Nick and Jessica.[/article])

One of rap's premier producers is proving his heart is just as big as his wallet by shelling out $1 million toward Hurricane Katrina relief. Dr. Dre donated the money to Houston's Julia C. Hester House, which will distribute the funds to 50 needy families devastated by the disaster. "I wanted to be sure that my donation did two things: went directly into the hands of hurricane victims and that it was an amount that could really impact their lives and make a difference," Dre said. ... Ashanti is launching a new fragrance, Precious Jewel, this week. "This project was very precious to me," Ashanti said. "I wanted everything to be perfect! I must've driven the fragrance developers nuts by making sure everything was exactly how I envisioned." Her rep describes the scent as being "fruity without being overpowering, powdery enough without giving a headache." It has top notes of bergamot, apple and peach; a middle layer of jasmine, ylang-ylang, rose, orchid and lily of the valley; and a base of sandalwood, musk and oak moss. It comes in perfume, mist and shimmer stick, and is available at Wal-Mart. ...

Green Day, whose current tour is sponsored by Xbox Live, are the latest band to participate in one of the company's Game With Fame sessions. On Thursday from 8-9 p.m. ET, the punk trio will be playing "Halo 2" against their fans using the gamertag greendaygwf. ... On November 1, Ozzy Osbourne will release an album's worth of cover songs. Under Cover, which will be available as a DualDisc, features 13 cuts, including Ozzy's take on such classics as John Lennon's "Woman" and "Working Class Hero," Joe Walsh's "Rocky Mountain Way," King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man," Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love," Mountain's "Mississippi Queen" and the Moody Blues' "Go Now." The DVD portion of the DualDisc will feature a video for Ozzy's rendition of the Beatles' "In My Life" and a half-hour program called "Dinner With Ozzy and Friends," during which Ozzy recalls some of his favorite stories for a number of guests, including son Jack Osbourne and Motörhead's Lemmy Kilmister. ...

Wyclef Jean is coming to the small screen. The Fugees leader has signed a deal with HBO to star in and produce a sitcom based on his life story, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Wyclef, who has appeared in four episodes of "Third Watch" this year, will also write and produce original music for the series, which is in its early stages of development and has not yet been scheduled. ... A Miami judge's ruling this week has cleared the way for Slip n Slide Records to release an album's worth of material recorded by rapper Pitbull years before he signed with his current label home, TVT Records. Slip n Slide had hoped to release Welcome to the 305 this past May, but TVT obtained a cease-and-desist order to block the album's release. Slip n Slide sued TVT, which, claiming it was the owner of all of Pit's songs past and present, countersued. According to a Slip 'n' Slide spokesperson, the judge's decision could mean Welcome to the 305 will be in stores before Christmas -- but only if every single copy of the disc features a sticker affirming that the effort "contains previously unreleased material." The judge's finding needs approval from a U.S. District Court judge before the pressings can begin. ...

Mike Gibbins, the drummer for defunct Welsh rock act Badfinger, died in his sleep on Tuesday from undisclosed causes, according to a posting on the late musician's Web site. Badfinger released a string of classic hits during the 1960s and '70s, including "Come and Get It," "No Matter What," "Day After Day" and "Baby Blue." ... INXS -- with new lead singer J.D. Fortune -- are planning to hit the road for the first leg of their world tour early next year. The Switched On Tour kicks off January 18 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and will include more than 20 stops in the U.S. and two stops in Canada before it wraps February 18 in Washington, D.C. ...

Police guitarist Andy Summers has just inked a deal to write his memoir. "One Train Later" will be about his life in music, from his first guitar and earlier bands to his relationships and encounters with Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Burdon, John Belushi and of course, the Police. No release date has been slated yet. ... Talks between Microsoft and the four major record labels over licensing terms for the computer giant's new online music subscription service have reportedly broken down. The Associated Press reports that Microsoft broke off talks on Friday after it was unable to reach a deal with the labels over royalty rates. Microsoft already sells downloads on its MSN Music site, but has been working on a subscription service along the lines of Napster and Rhapsody. ...