Britney Spears, who's dabbled in kabbalah and, most recently, Hinduism, is returning to her roots as a Christian -- at least on TV. The singer will appear on "Will & Grace" as Jack's religious co-host on "Out TV," NBC confirmed Tuesday (January 31). In the episode, called "Jack Talk," "Out TV" is bought by a Christian television network, and Spears, brought in as Jack's sidekick, decides to do a cooking segment called "Cruci-fixin's." The episode airs April 13 at 8 p.m. ...

Lindsay Lohan landed in the hospital on Friday for the second time in a month after she suffered a gash on her shin when a ceramic teacup slipped from her grip, shattered and cut her, "Access Hollywood" reports. Lohan, who was visiting singer Bryan Adams' mansion in London when the incident occurred, received 10 stitches but is reportedly doing fine and is already back to work, her spokesperson told "Access." ...

Grammy week will kick off Monday night with a free, Verizon Wireless-sponsored concert by the Fugees on the corner of Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood. The group, which most recently performed at last summer's BET Awards, will debut material from its first album since 1996's The Score. ... Ludacris, Common and Oscar nominee Matt Dillon have signed on to take the stage as presenters at the Grammy Awards, slated for February 8 in Los Angeles. ... The Roots will host their third annual jam session the night before the Grammys on February 7 at the Key Club in West Hollywood, California. Dave Chappelle and Don Cheadle are co-hosting the event, which is sure to feature several special guests. ...

Destiny's Child will reunite to sing the national anthem at the NBA All-Star Game in their native Houston on February 19. TNT will televise the game beginning at 8 p.m. ET. ... T.I. shot a video on Sunday in Houston for his new single, "Front-Back Main" featuring Bun B. The clip, directed by Dr. Teeth, visualizes the Atlanta and Houston hip-hop scenes coming together, and includes a shot where T.I. drives a candy-painted Cadillac (à la Houston) and Bun drives a Chevy on rims (Atlanta-style). ...

The Game's manager, James "Jimmy Henchman" Rosemond, was convicted Tuesday of assaulting DJ Zxulu of WKYS-FM in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. According to The Associated Press, witnesses in the two-day trial testified that Rosemond beat the DJ after he made a joke about the manager's cell phone earpiece. Rosemond will be sentenced in April and could face up to 10 years in prison. ... We Are Scientists, Thursday and Rogue Wave are among the first acts announced for the 14th annual Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco. Running from March 28 to April 2, the festival will also include the National, the Dirtbombs and Kid Koala. Tickets go on sale February 5. ...

The Bravery, who self-produced their debut, are considering going another route for the follow-up. "We're intrigued by the idea of having some other creative force in there," singer Sam Endicott said. "If we can get like Rick Rubin or Brian Eno or like Quincy Jones, but I don't know what he's doing now." ... Rise Against are planning to finish their next record before heading out on the Warped Tour this summer, and singer Tim McIlrath is warning those who might expect another acoustic tune like their recent hit "Swing Life Away." " 'Swing' was never intended to be a Rise Against song, so if something like that happens naturally, that's great, but I don't want to have that token acoustic song on every Rise Against record either," McIlrath said. "I don't think being that band is a good idea." ...

The lineup for Ministry's upcoming MasterBaTour, which kicks off May 5 in Houston, has been released. As always, frontman Al Jourgensen will lead the charge, and this time out he'll get help from Slipknot's Joey Jordison at the kit, Killing Joke bassist Paul Raven, Prong guitarist Tommy Victor and Rigor Mortis guitarist Mike Scaccia. A new Ministry album, Rio Grande Blood, will surface on May 2. ... The Recording Industry Association of America announced its latest round of copyright-infringement lawsuits on Tuesday. In addition to the 750 "John Doe" suits against unnamed users cited for illegally distributing copyrighted music using such peer-to-peer services as LimeWire and Kazaa, 112 named defendants were sued earlier this month on similar charges. ...

ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons guest stars on the next episode of "Yes, Dear," along with Rascal Flatts and DJs Vic "The Brick" Jacobs and Steve Hartman, all playing themselves. In the episode, called "The Limo," Gibbons gets priority treatment at a fancy restaurant, much to the chagrin of the show's main characters, who are there to celebrate their anniversary. The episode airs Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. on CBS. ... The members of Pink Floyd issued a statement Monday denying persistent rumors that the band's planning to reunite for a tour this fall. "Since Live 8," during which the classic lineup did regroup for the first time in two decades to perform, "there are certain sections of the media that have deliberately misled fans and [the] public by inventing stories and quotes about Pink Floyd touring," David Gilmour said in the statement. "Nick [Mason], Richard [Wright], Roger [Waters] and I are telling fans directly that this is not happening. We are also asking the various parties who are fabricating these stories to desist, if only for the sake of the fans." ...

01.30.2006

Kelly Clarkson, Chris Brown, Common and MTV News' Sway will discuss the state of the music industry with high school students on February 6 as part of Grammy week. The What's the Download Rap Session, sponsored by the Recording Academy, will be held at Newman Hall on the University of Southern California campus. ...

Eminem's Shady Records isn't throwing Detroit's only pre-Super Bowl bash. Lil Jon will host a party at hot spot Agave on Friday, and at the same venue the following night, Ludacris and actor Anthony Anderson will be the main attractions for a soiree dubbed Hustle & Flow: Detroit Style. Luda will also be performing at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Friday with Young Jeezy, Juvenile, Twista and Juelz Santana. R. Kelly, meanwhile, will perform on Sunday at the Glass House, and Diddy has three shindigs booked: his Diddy's Cashmere Luxe Party at the Elysium Lounge on Friday; the 5th Player's Ball on Saturday and the Diamonds and Furs party on Sunday -- both being held at Captain's Bar & Grille in Detroit. Former Detroit Pistons player Derrick Coleman is hosting the Platinum Party, which will feature Nelly, Murphy Lee, Ali and Gipp; that party's happening on Saturday at the Detroit Opera House. Nelly will join Jamie Foxx, John Legend, the Four Tops and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas for the Motown Music Fest at the Masonic Temple on Saturday. And lastly, Kanye West, Nickelback, Train and the Goo Goo Dolls will perform during the Pepsi Smash Super Bowl Bash on Thursday inside the city's State Theatre. ...

It may still be lacking a release date, but now at least there's a trailer available for "Idlewild," the much-delayed feature-film debut from Outkast. Currently streaming over at the movie's official site, IdlewildMovie.net, the trailer shows 'Kast's Andre 3000 and Big Boi as Percival and Rooster, two lifelong friends who open up a speakeasy called Church in the 1930s South. Several new Outkast songs are played throughout, and at the end of the trailer we're told that the soundtrack to the film is due in stores on February 14 -- though Outkast's label says that information is no longer true, and that the album has no firm release date. ... Slip-N-Slide Records was awarded an injunction last week in its legal battle with TVT Records over the rights to an album's worth of material Pitbull recorded in 2001 -- before he signed with TVT Records, which released his debut, M.I.A.M.I., in 2004. The injunction, granted by a U.S. District Court magistrate judge, bars TVT Records' efforts to thwart the release of the disc, Welcome to the 305. The record was slated for release last May but TVT obtained a cease-and-desist order, which scared off Slip-N-Slide's distributors. TVT's action, the judge determined, damaged Slip-N-Slide's business dealings with potential buyers. The injunction clears the way for the label to release the album, but there's no word yet on when Slip-N-Slide might do that. ...

Jennifer Garner, Scarlett Johansson and Teri Hatcher are among the actors who sing on a new album of lullabies and ballads called Unexpected Dreams: Songs From the Stars. Due March 28 and benefiting Music Matters, the Los Angeles Philharmonic's music-education program, the album also includes Ewan McGregor, Eric McCormack, Nia Vardalos, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Lucy Lawless. ... Dinosaur Jr. seem to be getting along just fine. The reunited indie-rock heroes have announced dates for an upcoming spring tour that will take the band to a number of cities for the first time since the original trio joined forces again last year. The spate of 23 announced dates kicks off on March 29 in Dallas and includes stops in New Orleans, Nashville, Salt Lake City and a two-night stand in San Francisco April 19-20. Even better for hard-core fans, the bandmembers are in guitarist/singer J Mascis' home studio recording new material, but they're not saying what it's for just yet. In the meantime, look for the release of their first-ever live concert DVD this summer. ...

Need more Joy Division in your Easter Mass? The BBC will air a live Passion parade from the streets of Northern England's musical mecca, Manchester, on Good Friday. While the BBC is keeping mum about who will play Jesus Christ, Judas Iscariot and Pontius Pilate, it has announced that Jesus will belt out tunes from some of your favorite Manchester bands, including Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" during the Last Supper, and a duet with Pontius Pilate on the Oasis hit "Wonderwall." ... Manchester music fans witnessed an early resurrection on Saturday when former Smiths bassist Andy Rourke joined his ex-bandmate Johnny Marr onstage. The surprise reunion took place at a Manchester versus Cancer benefit with Morrissey-free renditions of "How Soon Is Now?" and "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out," according to the BBC. The duo have not played together in public since the Smiths broke up in 1987. ...

Fans of Beenie Man put a new spin on the term "crowd participation" on Tuesday in London. A man made off with Beenie's $180,000 watch, but several fans who witnessed the crime, which took place at a record store, pursued the robber and got the toaster's watch back. ... Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson of the Roots will give a talk about the relationship between jazz and hip-hop Wednesday at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York. The event will be held at 7 p.m. in the Irene Diamond Education Center. ...

311 will move the 2006 edition of their 3-11 Day concert (held, of course, on March 11) from Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, which is still damaged from Hurricane Katrina, to the MidSouth Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee. At the 3-11 Day concert in 2004, 311 played a five-hour set of 68 songs. ... Manowar guitarist Karl Logan was injured last week in a motorcycle accident, from which he sustained severe injuries to his left arm. According to the band's Web site, the mishap "will prevent [Logan] from performing for an as-yet-unknown period of time," and will also delay the release of the band's forthcoming, still-untitled album. Bassist Joey DeMaio assured fans that the accident will not debilitate the 'War. "Nothing ever has, or ever will, stop Manowar," he wrote on the site.