Are These The "American Idol" Season Nine Guest Judges?
Related ArtistsDonnerstag, 31. März 2011
South By Southwest 2009 Preview: Bands, BBQ And Old Buddies
We give you a peek at what's due to go down at this year's SXSW in Austin, Texas.
By James Montgomery
Photo: sxsw.com
South by Southwest is sort of like running a marathon, except you're drunk most of the time, and there's nothing but BBQ and tacos to eat, and have sun stroke, and you basically hear live music from the moment you wake up until the second you pass out. So, actually, it's not really like a marathon at all, except in duration (and probably perspiration).
Yes, it's that time of year again — SXSW is upon us. It's a magical week that comes around each March, when the city of Austin, Texas is overrun with hundreds of bands and thousands of hipsters in really tight pants, all braving the blazing Texas sun to catch can't-miss sets from much-buzzed blog acts, top-secret performances by some of the biggest names in music (there's a couple of doozies this year), and have a really gigantic, really debauched party.
At SXSW 2008, there were performances by mainstays like Paramore, N.E.R.D., R.E.M., and My Morning Jacket, star-making turns by Vampire Weekend, No Age, MGMT and Katy Perry, appearances by Perez Hilton and Rachael Ray, even a Britney Spears rumor (and, as luck would have it, we spoke to almost all of 'em). Rumor has it, there was also plenty of partying — though we don't really remember, to be honest.
This year, things are looking to be just as awesome. There are rumors (repeat: rumors) of performances by Metallica — under the relatively awesome Norse name of Volsung — on Friday and Kanye West on Saturday. We'll see the return of alt-rock greats Jane's Addiction — in all their original-lineup glory — and faerie queen Tori Amos. Big Boi, Rick Ross and Jadakiss are all scheduled to appear. There will be sets by the Silversun Pickups, Explosions in the Sky, Primal Scream, Devo, the Hold Steady, M. Ward and Peter Bjorn and John. Plus, indie heavyweights like the Thermals, the Decemberists (performing their new album, The Hazards Of Love, in its entirety) and Grizzly Bear, who will unveil tracks from their much-anticipated Vecktimest album at what promises to be a revelatory church show.
We know it's a lot to handle.
Of course, it wouldn't be SXSW if there weren't also a ton of up-and-comers grabbing headlines, too. From lo (perhaps even no)-fi noisemakers like San Diego's Wavves and Brooklyn's the Pains of Being Pure at Heart to NME-approved female electro-poppers Little Boots and Ladyhawke, there's no shortage of buzzed-up bands to catch in and around Austin this week. And that's not even mentioning bands like Passion Pit, Crystal Stilts, the Dirty Projectors and Marnie Stern — who's already given us an SXSW preview of her own. Throw in a strong hip-hop contingent — multiple sets by Asher Roth, Kid Cudi, Kid Sister and B.o.B — and you can see why the whole "marathon" comparison is more than apt. There literally is not enough time in the day to see everything, but that doesn't mean you're not gonna try your hardest to do it.
And, of course, MTV News is going to be there too — checking out bands, staying up way too late, making terrible decisions and trying very hard to remain sane. We'll be bringing you up-to-the-minute updates on SXSW on MTVNews.com, the Newsroom blog. We'll have live video of shows, interviews with bands and even a BBQ story or three. In short, we're going to try and bring you everything you're missing at SXSW 2009. It's hard work, for sure. But we do it because we care.
MTV News will be all over the South by Southwest festival this week, with blogs, articles and video on all the gigs, the artists and the scene!
Related Videos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1607090/south-by-southwest-2009-preview-bands-bbq-old-buddies.jhtml
Clay Aiken Apparently Announces That He's Gay
People magazine cover bearing announcement is posted on perezhilton.com; mag neither confirms nor denies accuracy.
By Jocelyn Vena, with additional reporting by MTV News staff
Clay Aiken
Photo: Joe Kohen/ Getty Images
After years of speculation and rumors about his sexuality, Clay Aiken has apparently confirmed that he's gay in the forthcoming issue of People magazine.
In an unusual string of events, the apparent cover of the magazine was posted on PerezHilton.com on Tuesday afternoon (September 23). The cover bears a photo of Aiken with his new son, Parker Foster, and a headline proclaiming, "Yes, I'm Gay," with a subheadline that continues: "The Idol star opens up about his emotional decision to come out: 'I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things.' "
Asked by MTV News for confirmation, a representative for People neither confirmed nor denied the cover's accuracy, saying only: "We can confirm that Clay Aiken and his son are featured on the next issue of People. For the complete story, please visit www.people.com at 7 a.m. [Wednesday]."
The news comes just weeks after the birth of Parker Foster Aiken, whom the singer has said he intends to raise with the child's mother, his friend and musical producer Jaymes Foster. Aiken and Foster met while he was a contestant on "American Idol"; the child was conceived via artificial insemination.
In the past, Aiken has been apprehensive and even defensive on the topic of his sexuality. In an interview with Diane Sawyer in 2006, he famously called her "really rude" for asking. "I don't understand why it's any of your business."
When MTV News caught up with Aiken after the Sawyer interview in 2006, he talked about why he feels so strongly about keeping his life private. (Watch the uncut 2006 interview here, in which Aiken addresses rumors about his sexuality.) "[Knowing] who I'm dating and what kind of cereal I eat ain't gonna benefit anybody else," he said. "That kind of thing is not important. I think there's a distinction.
"I told you what mine is, and I think for each person, you do what's right for you," he continued. "For me, part of the reason that I have anxiety is the fact that I feel like people are always staring at me. So it's important for me to make sure that I have my friends and vacation, and what I do at home with my family and that type of thing [stays private]."
Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1595484/clay-aiken-apparently-announces-that-hes-gay.jhtml
Amon Amarth Stump For Vikings In Bloody Video; Plus Isis, The Sword & More News That Rules, In Metal File
'Vikings are misunderstood. They were very sophisticated people,' frontman Johan Hegg says.
By Chris Harris
Amon Amarth
Photo: M. Johansson
Ours is an age in which nobody buys records anymore, so when an underground band like Amon Amarth — Sweden's Viking overlords of metal — releases new material, and that album manages to debut within Billboard's coveted top 50, people take notice. And when you release a blood-drenched video, depicting the violent pillaging of a small village, people also take notice.
While they've been a band for more than 15 years, it seems people are finally paying attention to Amon Amarth. Earlier this month, their latest studio set, Twilight of the Thunder God, sold more than 11,400 copies and entered the Billboard top 200 at #48 — besting the sales of such established mainstream artists as Tina Turner, Faith Hill, T.I. and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello's solo project, the Nightwatchman — and no one was more shocked about that than frontman Johan Hegg.
"I think we were all actually kind of surprised we'd reached that high," he told MTV News last week; since the album's release, Twilight of the Thunder God has sold close to 25,000 copies, which, for a metal act, is quite an accomplishment. "We're happy we did, and I think one of the key elements that contributed to [the high debut], obviously, is building a fanbase. That's what we've been doing all these years as we've steadily grown as a band. The fact that we've had a couple of successful tours in the U.S. has helped, and the fact that this record actually is really good didn't hurt."
By now, Amon Amarth's fans know what to expect from the band: albums that focus on Norse mythology, the Viking age and the pre-Christian world. For Hegg, these are topics he's been fascinated with since his childhood, and themes that will no doubt saturate the band's future efforts.
"I've been interested in Vikings from the first time I read about them in school when I was 10 years old, so it's always been there for me," he said. "It's become almost like a mentality and a way to be that I think really fits my personality well and speaks to me in a good way. Vikings are misunderstood. They were very sophisticated people. Some people think they were brutal savages who just raped and killed, but that's not quite true. Obviously, they did stuff like that as well — but those were the days. That's what people did in those days, whether you were a pagan Viking or a Christian. But there's a certain code of ethics and a certain way of thinking that really appeals to me within the Viking heritage and history and mythology."
Not too long ago, Amon Amarth took over the old Viking site of Jomsborg, home of the Jomsvikings in Wolin, Poland, to shoot a video for the album's title track with director Dariusz Szermanowicz behind the lens. The band was forced to edit the clip twice because the original was too gory for public display.
"It's a pretty brutal story, actually," Hegg explained. "We did two versions because we knew no one would play it. It's a pretty bloody story. It's about a Viking raid on a village, so it's pretty simple and straight to the point, metaphorically talking about the lyrics in the song. It's hard to take for some people; there were blood splatters on the camera and stuff like that."
The band, fresh from wrapping a U.S. tour, will be heading overseas this week for the launch of this year's Unholy Alliance III Tour, which runs through November 27 in Helsinki and also features Slayer, Trivium and Mastodon. Hegg said the band plans to return to the U.S. in early '09 and would be open to playing one of the summer's traveling festivals. But don't expect to hear new music from Amon anytime soon.
"We're a band that put a record out, tour and tour until we drop, and then we start thinking about writing new material," he said. "We've never been good at writing on the road. Of course, you can get some ideas, but actually, writing songs on the road has never been our strong point."
The rest of the week's metal news:
According to Dillinger Escape Plan frontman Greg Puciato, the band is currently writing material for its next album, which it plans on recording in 2009. The band, he said, will also be playing several "random" gigs early next year, with a few possible for later this year. We'll keep you posted once those dates are official. ...
Isis have booked studio time for November, when they'll start recording their fifth full-length. Expect that set to be in stores sometime in early 2009. The band revealed that Joe Barresi (Tool, Kyuss) will be tracking the disc. "We could not be luckier than to have the one and only Evil Joe Barresi to be at the engineering helm," the band commented. "It's going to be great to have him on board, and [we] can't wait to hear the results." ...
Texas' own the Sword will be headlining a slew of off-dates, while on tour with Metallica. They've scheduled more than 20 gigs, the first being in Minneapolis on October 27. For a full list of dates, swing by the band's MySpace page. ...
Is a full-on reunion in defunct Brooklyn metal act Candiria's future? According to guitarist John Lamacchia, perhaps. In an online posting, he wrote that, while it's unlikely the band's fabled seventh LP, Kiss the Lie, will ever see commercial release, "There has been talk of new recordings, new ideas, possibly new releases in the not-so-distant future. Expect the unexpected, but expect to be pleasantly surprised. Stay tuned, folks. We are back on track ... officially." ...
Exodus have scheduled a batch of off-date shows in 2009 that will take place during the band's upcoming tour with Kreator; Warbringer have signed on as direct support. The first of the shows is set for March 28 in Reno, Nevada, and dates are scheduled through May 24 in Lubbock, Texas.
Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1597781/amon-amarth-stump-vikings-bloody-video-metal-file.jhtml
Was Clay Aiken Dropped From His Label?
'American Idol' alum absent from RCA's Grammy press material and label Web site.
By Jocelyn Vena
Clay Aiken
Photo: Bruce Glikas/ FilmMagic
According to reports, it looks like Clay Aiken is the latest "American Idol" alum to be dropped by his record label. The Faded Youth blog noticed that in recent Grammy press material sent out by RCA, Aiken had been left off the label's roster.
On top of that, the blog is reporting that Aiken-related press materials have been removed from RCA's Web site. Aiken's RCA artist page and message board have also apparently been deleted, and the URL now redirects to the his non-RCA-owned fan club Web site.
At press time, reps for Aiken had not responded to a request from MTV News for comment regarding the singer's status with the label; a rep for the label had no comment.
Other "American Idol" vets have had some bad luck with their labels in the past: Blake Lewis, Katharine McPhee and Ruben Studdard have all lost their record contracts in the past year and a half.
In January, Aiken ended his run as Sir Robin in "Monty Python's Spamalot" when the show closed its doors. He also surprised everyone late last year when he announced he was gay and became a father. "I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things," the singer said at the time. "I wasn't raised that way, and I'm not going to raise a child to do that."
Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1605498/was-clay-aiken-dropped-from-his-label.jhtml
Chris Brown's F.A.M.E. Album To Debut At Top Of Chart
Record is projected to sell upward of 250,000 units in its first week, according to Billboard.
By Jocelyn Vena
Chris Brown's <i>F.A.M.E.</i>
Photo: Jive
Despite his headline-making outburst following an interview with "Good Morning America," for which he later apologized in an interview with BET's 106 & Park, it seems that Chris Brown's latest release, F.A.M.E., is slated to jump to the top of the album chart next week.
According to Billboard, the album will sell approximately 250,000 to 300,000 copies by the time the week ends. It marks the first time Brown has had one of his albums debut at #1. His previous efforts, Chris Brown, Exclusive (2007) and 2009's Graffiti, debuted at #2, #4 and #7, respectively.
Brown's overwhelming chart success may come as a surprise to experts, who believed that given all the negative headlines this week, Brown's behavior may have turned off potential fans. "I definitely think this is a huge step back for him," Ian Drew, senior music editor at Us Weekly, said. "It was a huge mistake. You control how you react. He didn't react the right way.
"[But] there's always a way back ... My advice to him would be: Just don't do any interviews and put out a strong record and let it speak for itself," Drew continued. "Let the music do the talking. Let that be the statement."
Brown isn't the only new release on the charts next week. Jennifer Hudson's I Remember Me will hit the charts at #2 with around 160,000 units projected to be sold. The Strokes, who released their first new album in a half a decade, may potentially debut at #3, selling around 90,000 units with Angles. Adele, who held the top spot with her album 21, will be bumped to #5, with Kirk Franklin's Hello Fear hitting #4.
Related Videos Related Photos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1660565/chris-brown-fame-album-billboard.jhtml
Super Furry Animals Papa Roach Taking Back Sunday Jill Scott
Gwyneth Paltrow Talks Jay-Z Collabo; Plus Hilary Duff, 'American Idol,' John Mayer, Arcade Fire, Velvet Revolver & More, In For The Record
Duff lines up fashion-crafts line; 'Idol' hopeful goes into labor during audition; Mayer on for 'Austin City Limits.'
By MTV News staff
Gwyneth Paltrow on the cover of <i>W</i> magazine
Photo: Steven Klein
Gwyneth Paltrow wasn't so into the initial idea of singing onstage last year with Jay-Z at London's Royal Albert Hall, she admitted to W magazine for its September issue. "Jay was playing at the Albert Hall on my birthday, and he said, 'Will you sing on this song?' " the actress told the mag. "At first I didn't want to do it!" Paltrow also talked a little about her husband, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, who was also onstage for the strange collabo. "When Chris gets home, we're not going to do anything other than what any regular couple does," she said. ...
A day after Amy Winehouse canceled two European festival dates following a trip to a London hospital to deal with what her label termed "severe exhaustion," a spokesperson for the singer said doctors have ordered Winehouse to rest in bed. For now, she's still expected to perform at the Virgin Festival in Toronto on September 8 as well as a string of U.S. dates in September. Winehouse's spokesperson would not comment on British tabloid reports that said the collapse that led to the singer's hospitalization was possibly drug-related. ...
Ciara is making her directorial debut with a video for Paula Campbell's "Ain't Nobody Stupid," and she will premiere the clip Monday at the 20th Century Fox Studio Lot in Century City, California. Los Angeles area fans can go here for details on how to get into the free Nissan Live Sets event. See snaps from the "Ain't Nobody Stupid" photo shoot right here. ...
Jamie Foxx portrayed Ray Charles and Andre 3000 is set to play Sammy Davis Jr., so you'd probably expect another big name to be taking on the lead role in the long-in-the-works Notorious B.I.G. biopic, right? Not necessarily. An open casting call will be held to determine who will play Biggie, and actors and non-actors alike are being allowed to try out for the part. Audition videos can be sent here beginning Sunday at 3 a.m. ET. In 1995, Fox Searchlight Pictures acquired the rights to the movie, which is being produced by Biggie's mother Voletta Wallace and two of his former managers. ...
A woman is peeved that no one from Britney Spears' camp has contacted the woman about her car, which the singer was seen driving into earlier this week in Studio City, California. Kim Robard-Rifkin told CelebTV.com on Wednesday that, "It was simply like my car didn't matter to her, my inconvenience didn't matter to her." Robard-Rifkin, who filed a police report Thursday (August 9), added, "I'm not asking for money. I'm not asking for a new car. ... I simply want my car fixed, the same as I would fix somebody's car if I had done that." ...
Hilary Duff is branching out. The singer/actress has partnered with Michaels stores for Stuff by Hilary Duff, a new fashion-crafts line that includes bracelets, necklaces, charms, patches and more. All Michaels stores will host in-store demonstrations of the products on August 26 from 1-3 p.m. local time. ... An "American Idol" hopeful went into labor during her audition on Monday at Texas Stadium and had contractions as she was singing, People reports. After that, Antoria Gillon, who was taken to a local hospital, gave birth to a healthy son. She will be on the next round of the show. ...
John Mayer has been confirmed for the upcoming season of "Austin City Limits," Pitchfork reports — but the program will be heavily weighed toward indie-rock acts too. Bloc Party, Arcade Fire, Decemberists, Regina Spektor and Wilco have also been booked for the PBS series, which will start airing in October. ... The lineup for the first-ever Monolith Music Festival, to be held September 14-15 at Denver's historic Red Rock Amphitheatre, will include the Flaming Lips, Kings of Leon, the Decemberists, Editors, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Spoon, Cake, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, the Brian Jonestown Massacre, Das EFX and many more acts. ...
Thrice have pegged October 16 as the release date for The Alchemy Index: Vols. I & II - Fire & Water, the first two parts of a four-volume concept effort. The other two chapters, Vols. III & IV - Earth & Air, will be released in the spring. Both sets will be issued by Vagrant, the new label the band calls home after parting ways with Island in June. Earlier this year, frontman Dustin Kensrue called the Alchemy project "daunting" in an interview with MTV News. ... If you've been exchanging MySpace messages with Chris Cornell in recent weeks, chances are you were dealing with an imposter. The real Cornell logged onto his MySpace page on Wednesday to clear up matters. "Over the past several months, several incidents have taken place where others felt the need to engage in activities pretending to be me," he wrote. "I have been wanting to make a clear statement to fans, friends and anyone this may concern." He added the confounding remark, "Under no circumstances, under any name or address, do I or have I ever communicated or corresponded with anyone online or otherwise." ...
Want to get up close and personal with Velvet Revolver? You can get your chance for $250, thanks to meet-and-greet packages being offered for the hard-rock group's Tuesday gig at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts. The package includes a VIP laminate, personal photograph with the band, exclusive 8x10 color poster and autograph. ... Alice in Chains's Unplugged CD and DVD are being packaged together for a revitalized version of the release due September 18. ...
Expect to catch an eyeful of U2 rehearsing songs from their new album in "Here It Is," a documentary about the band's longtime producer Daniel Lanois that is set to debut at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, RollingStone.com reports. The feature film captures Lanois and the band in a studio in Morocco, with Billy Bob Thornton, Willie Nelson and others making guest appearances. ... Ricky Martin wants to start creating "a family of many colors" this year by adopting "one [child] from each continent," the singer told reporters Wednesday in his Puerto Rico homeland. The 35-year-old Martin is not married. ...
A fifth woman will be allowed to testify that Phil Spector threatened her with a gun, the judge in the music producer's trial ruled Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times reports. Former Spector employee and girlfriend Devra Robitaille was expected to testify Thursday after jurors returned from a tour of Spector's mansion in Alhambra, California, where he allegedly killed actress Lana Clarkson. The defense — which on Wednesday called to the stand a neuropathologist who said the way Clarkson's body was found was consistent with a suicide — objected strongly to the decision to let Robitaille testify.
08.08.07
Kevin Federline's lawyer filed documents in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday (August 8) for primary physical custody of his two sons with Britney Spears, People reports. Less than two weeks ago, the couple's divorce was finalized, at which point they agreed to joint custody of Sean Preston and Jayden James. Federline, who previously resisted the 50/50 custody agreement, has been worried Spears has been exposing the boys to unnecessary risk, a source told the magazine. ...
Zac Efron may be showing off his assets in his revealing Rolling Stone cover shot, but he's more modest when it comes to talking about his star-making turn in "High School Musical." "I didn't even sing on the first album," he told the magazine. "It wasn't my voice in the movie. Even though I wanted to do it. So what do you do when the entire cast is supposed to accept an award at the Billboard Awards and your voice is only on the album in a select few lines. I felt extremely guilty." He also explained why he refused to go on the "High School Musical" tour: "If I had to hear the 'High School Musical' songs anymore, I probably would have jumped off something very tall," he said. ...
Fresh from her slightly tardy performance at last weekend's Lollapalooza, Amy Winehouse was hospitalized on Wednesday for "exhaustion." According to a press release from the 23-year-old "Rehab" crooner's U.S. label, Universal Republic, "Amy Winehouse was admitted to [University College London Hospital] this morning, suffering from severe exhaustion. Amy was discharged from the hospital this afternoon and has been advised to take complete rest. Scheduled performances in Norway and Denmark this week have been canceled." ...
Jennifer Lopez has a new flick in theaters and an album on the way too, but her purse is getting even heavier thanks to a court decision awarding her almost $545,000 in a lawsuit against her first husband, The Associated Press reports. Lopez had filed the breach-of-contract lawsuit over Ojani Noa's plans to publish a tell-all book in which he was expected to claim the singer/actress had multiple affairs. The court-ordered arbitrator who made the Monday decision also decided that Lopez should be awarded a permanent injunction barring Noa from criticizing or disparaging her. In other J. Lo news, she'll shoot a video for her new single "Do It Well" in Los Angeles on August 16-17. ...
Beyoncé is turning up all over the place — ads for the singer's new Emporio Armani Diamonds fragrance are appearing in September issues of magazines. The scent is available at Macy's exclusively in August and will hit other major department stores next month. ... A 16-year-old French boy was arrested and spent a night in jail for allegedly translating "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" into French and posting it online within days of the book's late July release. The boy was released Tuesday after being questioned and could face charges of violating intellectual property, although prosecutors say he was likely not seeking commercial gain by posting the translated book online. The official French translation of "Deathly Hallows" is due October 26. ...
50 Cent knows Kanye West better than you think. After accepting a challenge on BET's "106 & Park" to debate with West the merits of their respective new albums — which will go head to head in stores when they street on September 11 — Fiddy replied, "Kanye, he's not going to want to show up." During the VMA announcement Tuesday, West made 50's prediction come true, declining the proposed debate and calling it "the stupidest thing." "What am I going to debate about?" he said. "I'm going to go in the studio and make music." But 'Ye, who said he doesn't have beef with anyone, had something positive to say as well: "With 50's album dropping and my album dropping on the same day, everybody wins because you get a lot of good music at the same time." ...
Jack White and his wife, model Karen Elson, welcomed their second child, a boy named Henry Lee White, on Tuesday, according to a spokesperson for the White Stripes frontman. The couple's first child, a daughter named Scarlett Teresa White, was born in 2006. White and Elson were famously married on a canoe by a traditional shaman priest in Brazil in 2005. ... Kate Hudson and Chris Robinson "still talk every day," the actress told Harper's Bazaar for the magazine's September issue, adding that her ex-husband "still cracks me up." Hudson also revealed that she hopes to eventually have four children. ... Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter are expecting their second baby, People reports. It's due in December. ... Melanie Brown, who has been speaking out publicly about her child with Eddie Murphy, has been married since June, AP reports. A marriage certificate filed with Nevada's Clark County lists the date of her nuptials with boyfriend Stephen Belafonte as June 6. ...
Sum 41 have a new twist in their tour schedule: more dates on the Warped Tour. In addition to playing the Tuesday show in St. Louis and the Bonner Springs, Kansas, gig the following day, Deryck Whibley and the gang will grace the fest for four additional California dates August 22-25 (Fresno, Sacramento, San Diego and Carson). ... Avenged Sevenfold's forthcoming self-titled LP will be in stores October 16. The disc is the follow-up to 2005's City of Evil and is the band's first self-produced effort. ... Former "American Idol" finalist Gina Glocksen's longtime boyfriend Joe Ruzicka proposed to her onstage during the American Idols Live Tour stop in Rosemont, Illinois, on Tuesday — and she accepted, Illinois' Daily Southtown reports. The rocker, who hails from nearby Naperville, often referenced Ruzicka on the show and dedicated her performance of Heart's "Alone" to him. ...
Rock fans, do your bidding: speakers, cabinets, a Jacuzzi and more items from Jerry Garcia's house in Marin County, California, will be auctioned on eBay beginning Sunday. The house was purchased in 1997 by Henry Koltys, an attorney and software developer, after which he put into storage the items that he's auctioning. Meanwhile, a piano that Bruce Springsteen owned in the late '70s is also up for bidding on eBay, RollingStone.com reports. Bob Dylan and Keith Richards have also played on the piano, which had a starting bid of $10,000. ... The farm that hosted the legendary Woodstock music festival in 1969 is up for sale, AP reports. The asking price is $8 million. ...
Killswitch Engage have pumped out a cover of Dio's "Holy Diver" that will appear on the special-edition version of the band's 2006 effort, As Daylight Days. The reissue, due in stores August 28, will also be bundled with three additional tracks and a DVD featuring a trio of song clips and two rehearsal performances. ... Black Tide, the young metal outfit from Miami that had encountered problems joining Ozzfest's second stage because of age issues, are in luck. Since the band is too young to perform on the fest's Jägermeister-sponsored second stage — its youngest member is only 14 years old — it's hopped onto the main stage instead. Black Tide will be the stage's opening act and will make their fest debut Friday in Tinley Park, Illinois. ...
The Chemical Brothers have sketched out the first three dates for their upcoming U.S. tour. The electronic heroes will play New York's Hammerstein Ballroom on September 21, the Concourse in San Francisco on September 28 and Los Angeles' Nocturnal the following day. ... The lineup for the first-ever Farm Aid show in New York, on September 9, has been set. It will include the Counting Crows, Guster, Matisyahu, Ditty Bops, Derek Trucks Band, Allman Brothers Band, the Supersuckers, Warren Haynes and Montgomery Gentry. Those acts join a bill that already includes Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews. ... Tom Hanks is suing one of the producers of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," claiming he is still owed profits from the 2002 flick. The suit — which was also filed by Nia Vardalos, who wrote and starred in the film — seeks unspecified monetary damages.
Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1566736/gwyneth-paltrow-talks-about-onstage-collabo-with-jayz.jhtml
Britney Spears - Circus
- Artist: Britney Spears
- Label: Jive
- Album: Circus
Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=501686&vid=322811
Mittwoch, 30. März 2011
The Smiths - Panic
- Artist: The Smiths
- Label: Warner Reprise Home Video/Sire Records
- Director: Derek Jarman
- Album: Rank
Justin Bieber Shows Off New Hairdo In 'That Should Be Me' Clip
Video features Bieber performing song with country band Rascal Flatts.
By Jocelyn Vena
Justin Bieber
Photo: Neil Mockford/ Getty Images
The weekend that Justin Bieber cut his hair, he also shot the music video for his "That Should Be Me" remix, featuring country band Rascal Flatts. This weekend, the full music video premiered, and it shows off that very famous cut.
The video is a meta-statement on making videos. The guys of Rascal Flatts pull up to the studio while Bieber sits in a room practicing the track. Bieber and the band sit and rehearse the song before they are brought to the room to shoot the lo-fi performance video.
We see the camera and lights filming the guys, who stand in front of a white backdrop performing the song. Bieber is occasionally seen in the sparse room alone singing the track, dressed in black. Shots of the finished performance are edited with those of Bieber and the band rehearsing the track, off his Never Say Never - The Remixes album, which was released last month. The video ends with Bieber walking off the set.
"They flipped out," lead singer Gary LeVox said of bringing his daughters to the set the day of the shoot with the teen star. "Brittany ended up singing one of his songs to him. He was hugging them and was so sweet to them. I've even got a low-grade Bieber fever. I think I'm in the running for dad of the year."
Bieber also tweeted about the video's runaway success on Sunday, writing, "And just saw... #ThatShouldBeMe vid with @rascalflatts is now #1 on ITUNES!! Thank u all so much. We are very proud of that song. #MuchLove."
Related Photos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1659796/justin-bieber-that-should-be-me-clip.jhtml
Miley Cyrus' 'Hannah Montana' 'Destroyed' Her Family, Says Dad Billy Ray
Singer says he worries about his daughter's future.
By Gil Kaufman
Miley Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus
Photo: WireImage
In a revealing interview in the new issue of GQ magazine, Billy Ray Cyrus talks about how he felt when he saw the video of daughter Miley Cyrus smoking a bong on her 18th birthday and his belief that her star-making turn in the Disney show "Hannah Montana" helped wreck his family.
"My kids learned to color on this table," Cyrus tells the interviewer about the table at which he was sitting when he first saw the video. "There's been a lot that's went around this table. Waylon Jennings sat right there in that chair and showed Miley the chords to 'Good Hearted Woman.' Sitting in that chair. This table's a bit like life. It's a circle. And I believe everything in life is a circle. You come into this world a little teeny wrinkled-up fetus ..."
Cyrus, who is in the midst of attempting a musical comeback, stresses that he "never made a dime off Miley" in the lengthy chat, in which he also clarifies that he's not her manager, though he played one on "Montana."
As for Miley's now infamous 18th birthday bash, Cyrus said he didn't want to go because he was tired of taking the blame in the press every time his daughter did something outrageous. "You know why I didn't go? Because they were having it in a bar," he said. "It was wrong. It was for 21 years old and up. Once again all them people, they all wanted me to fly out so that then when all the bad press came they could say, 'Daddy endorsed this stuff. ...' I started realizing I'm being used. If I would have went out there, I would have been right in the middle of all this stuff that's going on right now with the bong. They'd be hanging it on my ass. I had the common sense ... I said, 'This whole thing's falling apart up there and they just want to blame all of this stuff on you again.' I'm staying out of it."
When Miley's handlers were scrambling to try to head off the bong photo scandal in the days afterward — trying to "make kids' computers disappear and their phones disappear" — Billy Ray said he was told it was "none of my business."
He now realizes, he said, that instead of trying to be Miley's friend, he should have been her parent more often and warned her to slow down. "Honestly, I didn't know the ball was out of bounds until it was way up in the stands somewhere," he said. "Season four, it was a disaster," Cyrus said of the January 2010 start of "Montana." His marriage was falling apart, along with his family.
"I'll tell you right now — the damn show destroyed my family," he added.
Billy Ray did not speak to her in the weeks after the bong video went viral, but he made sure via text that she knew he was supporting her. "You know what, there's no doubt I did stuff when I was a teenager that I'm sure could have turned out horribly," he said. "I've done some stupid crap — I do stupid crap. We all do. But it's different when you sit back and you see it happening to your little girl. I feel like I got to try. It's my daughter. And some of these handlers are perhaps more interested in handling Miley's money than her safety and her career."
Cyrus said he's scared because he believes there are people around his daughter who are putting her in a "great deal of danger." He recalled how he became friendly with Nirvana's Kurt Cobain in the early 1990s when they met backstage at a venue and how they bonded then over the recent birth of their daughters.
"One more thing about Kurt — Kurt was one of those guys. That's why I'm concerned about Miley. I think that his world was just spinning so fast and he had so many people around him that didn't help him," he explained. "Like Anna Nicole Smith — you could see that train wreck coming. I was actually trying to reach out to Anna Nicole Smith, because I kept telling [ex-wife] Tish and everybody around me, going, 'This is a disaster.' Michael Jackson — I was trying to reach out to Michael Jackson. I knew he had kids, and I was going to invite his kids down to a taping of 'Hannah' — I just felt it would be good for Michael. I don't know why. I met Michael one time at the Grammys. He sat in front of me, in the front row, and a dime rolled out from under and hit my boot — this very boot I've got on — and I reached down and picked up this dime, and looked, he was going through his pockets, and I said, 'Are you looking for this?' 'Thank you.' And he took that dime and put it back in his pocket. I looked at my manager, I just said, 'Why did Michael Jackson have a dime? ...' Nobody could tell me."
Asked if he thinks his daughter is headed in the same tragic path as Cobain, Jackson and Smith, Cyrus said, "I don't know. I'm her daddy so maybe I'm a little sensitive to it, but now's a real good time to make sure everything's OK. An ounce of prevention's worth a pound of cure."
Related Photos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1657998/miley-cyrus-hanna-montana-disaster-billy-ray.jhtml
White Stripes Claim Air Force Super Bowl Ad Uses Song Without Permission
Spot seems to feature re-recording of 'Fell in Love With a Girl.'
By Gil Kaufman
White Stripes' Jack White
Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
That extreme "Grab Some Air" Air Force ad during the Super Bowl with the wicked snowboarding, skiing, surfing and skateboard moves did feature a surfy guitar riff that sounded an awful lot like the White Stripes' "Fell in Love With a Girl."
That's certainly what Jack White thinks, and judging by a message on the band's Web site, he's not too pleased about it. Under a side-by-side post of the original "Girl" video and a link to the Air Force Reserve ad, the site read, "We believe our song was re-recorded and used without permission of the White Stripes, our publishers, label or management. The White Stripes take strong insult and objection to the Air Force Reserve's presenting this advertisement with the implication that we licensed one of our songs to encourage recruitment during a war that we do not support."
While the band pledged their strong support for the U.S. military "at home and during times when our country needs and depends on them," the message added, "We simply don't want to be a cog in the wheel of the current conflict, and hope for a safe and speedy return home for our troops."
The letter ended with a promise to seek legal advice on the matter. "We have not licensed our song to the Air Force Reserve and we plan to take strong action to stop the ad containing this music," White said.
A spokesperson for the Air Force could not be reached for comment at press time.
The White Stripes have been on hiatus since 2007, when drummer Meg White's acute anxiety forced the duo to cancel their tour. They have reportedly been working on a new album, though Jack White has promised that a second disc by his most recent side project, the Dead Weather, would be released first.
Related Videos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1631536/white-stripes-object-air-force-super-bowl-ad.jhtml
The Strokes Return To South By Southwest With Triumphant Set
Band returns to festival with free show played to 20,000-plus fans.
By Zachary Swickey
The Strokes' Julian Casablancas performs at SXSW on Thursday
Photo: Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images
AUSTIN, Texas — It's been 10 years since the Strokes' legendary South by Southwest showcase at the tiny Iron Cactus. On Thursday night the band returned to the festival bigger than ever, playing a free show at the Auditorium Shores venue with the skyline of Austin as their backdrop.
Walking onstage to the stomping sounds of "We Will Rock You," the Strokes started things off with Room on Fire's opener, "What Ever Happened?" as Julian Casablancas — strangling the microphone with a death grip — wailed, "I want to be forgotten/ And I don't want to be reminded." There's a sense of irony when he says this to 20,000-plus fans, some of whom broke through the fencing to get in. The large venue was a departure from the typical SXSW fare, but if anything, the Strokes' performance was an example of what these indie bands can become (or at least aspire to).
Only Casablancas can pull off the combination of black leather jacket (popped collar included), sunglasses worn at night and what looked to be a calculator wristwatch. There's an undeniable rock-star swagger about him, evident in his nonchalant attitude when commanding the riotous crowd. "SXSW, let's do this," he ordered as the plucking guitar sounds of "You Only Live Once" began. He then mumbled, "New single y'all" with a Southern drawl before bringing out "Under Cover of Darkness," the first taste of the forthcoming Angles for the night. Come March 22, the five-year wait for the new album will be over, and if the crowd's positive reaction to the single is any indication, it will be topping the charts. Appropriately, they then played their second single-to-be, "You're So Right," a pleasantly different song that features an Egyptian-like guitar hook of all things.
The Strokes again brought back the memories. The crowd seemed to know every word to "Someday." "Juicebox" was an opportunity for Fabrizio Moretti to show that he doesn't make mistakes when pounding the drums, no matter how hard he's playing (or how much fun he's having). It wasn't strictly greatest hits as the band snuck in "I Can't Win," but this didn't last long with "Reptilia" being the very next song.
For the encore, the crowd got the two other classic singles from Is This It. "Ladies and gentlemen, from Los Angeles, California, Nick Valensi!" Casablancas stated midway through "Hard to Explain," commending his guitarist as he ripped through his solo. The Strokes gave the fans exactly what they wanted by closing the set with the song that started it all, "Last Nite," during which fireworks erupted in the sky. What better way to end a party?
Related Photos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1660183/the-strokes-sxsw.jhtml
New Releases: Matchbook Romance, Tori Amos, Jaheim, The Sword, Veronicas & More
Also due Tuesday are releases by Bullet for My Valentine, Shawn Mullins, John Fahey.
By Kurt Orzeck
Matchbook Romance's <i>Voices</i>
Photo: Epitaph
They Heart Loud Music: Matchbook Romance and Bullet for My Valentine must have known there'd be so few Valentine's Day-related releases dropping Tuesday.
Matchbook were farm-bound for their second effort, tracking their Voices in a supposedly haunted barn (aren't they all?) in rural Massachusetts. While fans wise enough to preorder were rewarded with free tees, everyone will be able to sharpen their wiseassery with songs like "You Can Run, but We'll Find You," "Goody, Like Two Shoes" and "Singing Bridges (We All Fall)."
Bullet for My Valentine's brand of loud rock is more of the metal variety, and with "Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow," "All These Things I Hate" and "4 Words (To Choke Upon)," The Poison might be a tough swallow for some. Preorders were packed with a color poster and candies (for the sweethearts), although everyone will be treated to some enhanced goodies on the proper release. (Don't miss instru-metal greats Apocalyptica on the intro track.)
This Bossa Nova's Boss: Is anything possible with a Pea behind the decks? Sergio Mendes will soon find out as he attempts a Carlos Santana-style makeover with Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am. Even though Mendes is largely responsible for importing bossa nova to America, Timeless — his first set of new material in eight years — is more of an urban affair, jacked up with guest spots by Justin Timberlake, John Legend, the Peas, Stevie Wonder, Jill Scott and many more.
Ghettopoly: Even though his grandfather was one of the Drifters, Jaheim is busy trying to make his own classics — Ghetto Classics, that is. He nabbed white-hot producers Scott Storch, KayGee and Bink for his latest outing (although he does twiddle some of the knobs himself). And yup, that's Jadakiss siding with Jaheim on the first single, "Everytime I Think About Her." This title should fit comfortably alongside Jaheim's previous efforts, Ghetto Love and Still Ghetto.
Tori's Story: Still trying to catch your breath after the 12-disc Original Bootlegs box Tori Amos put out late last year? If so, you might not be prepared for another comprehensive item, "Fade to Red: Video Collection," which recaps everything from "Crucify" — the first track on her 1992 solo debut, Little Earthquakes — to "Sweet the Sting" from last year's Beekeeper. (Don't miss two bonus clips — a remixed "Professional Window" and the U.K. version of "Cornflake Girl" — that appear at the end of disc two.)
Song Title Of The Week:
"If I Drop Names of Exotic Towns That You'll Never See, in the Songs That I Write, It's That That's All I Have When I Miss My Girl & You're Taking Yours Home Tonight" on Luke Doucet's Broken (and Other Rogue States)
Other Notables:
Various artists' I Am the Resurrection: A Tribute to John Fahey and Fahey's The Yellow Princess reissue: Although many had written him off as another folk fogy, John Fahey is getting a posthumous shot in the arm from some of indie rock's finest: Sufjan Stevens, Calexico, Devendra Banhart, M. Ward, the Fruit Bats, Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo and Granddaddy. Also this week — to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Fahey's death and the 40th anniversary of his signing with Vanguard — the label is brushing up 1968's The Yellow Princess with three bonus tracks and fresh liner notes.
The Sword's Age of Winters: Not to be confused with the Swords Project, Da Swordzmen, Two Lone Swordsmen or the other metal bands that have also taken up the sharp moniker, the Austin, Texas, outfit is stepping up to the plate for the first time with a nine-track maiden release. Conrad Keely of Austin buddies ... And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead — who took the Sword on the road in early 2004 — embellishes the Age of Winters cover with some magical sketches, sure to make the LP version even more illustrious.
The Veronicas' The Secret Life of ... the Veronicas: If you don't have someone to smooch with this Valentine's Day, you might want to pucker up with the Veronicas — their debut cover's covered with kisses. Unlike Tegan and Sara, these 20-year-old identical twins are decidedly more pop; for their debut, they've brainstormed with writers and producers who have previously teamed with Britney, Madonna and Kelly Clarkson.
Shawn Mullins' 9th Ward Pickin' Parlor: Somewhat akin to Sonic Youth putting out an album the site of their studio, which was devastated in the 9/11 attacks (Murray Street), Shawn Mullins has titled his latest after the New Orleans studio that used to be located right near the levee on Dauphine Street. Needless to say, some of the songs — "Beautiful Wreck" (the first single, co-written with Glenn Phillips), "Solitaire" and even Mullins' cover of "The House of the Rising Sun" — have a much different resonance now than originally intended.
New Releases:
- Carlos Barbosa-Lima - Carioca (Zoho)
- Batagraf/ Jon Balke - Statements (ECM)
- Stefano Battaglia - Raccolto (ECM)
- The Beautiful Girls - We're Already Gone (Cornerstone)
- Elliott Brood - Ambassador (Six Shooter)
- Bullet for My Valentine - The Poison (enhanced; Trustkill)
- Béla Fleck & the Flecktones - Hidden Land (Columbia)
- Agnes Chan - Forget Yourself (Bungalo)
- Luke Doucet - Broken (and Other Rogue States) (Six Shooter)
- Frog Holler - Haywire (ZoBird)
- Iro Haarla - Northbound (ECM)
- Jaheim - Ghetto Classics (Warner Bros.)
Buy Now: Ghetto Classics (Warner Bros.) - Lil G - The Southside Way (Thump)
- The Lucky Tomblin Band - In a Honky-Tonk Mood (Texas World)
- Magnet - The Tourniquet (Filter)
- Paul Manousos - For Better or Worse (Shock and Fall)
- Matchbook Romance - Voices (Epitaph)
Read: "Matchbook Romance Declare War On Cheesy Music With Voices"
Buy Now: Voices (Epitaph) - Sergio Mendes - Timeless (Concord)
Read: "Will.I.Am Wants To Pull A Rick Rubin With Sergio Mendes, Macy Gray" - Jeff Merchant - Window Rolled Down (True Classical)
- Mountain Heart - Wide Open (Skaggs Family)
- Shawn Mullins - 9th Ward Pickin' Parlor (Vanguard)
Buy Now: 9th Ward Pickin' Parlor (Vanguard) - National Eye - Roomful of Lions (Park the Van)
- New Radiant Storm King - The Steady Hand (Darla)
- Terje Rypdal - Vossabrygg (ECM)
- Sing-Sing - Sing-Sing & I (Aerial)
- Sissel - Into Paradise (Decca)
- Tyler Stephenson - Life (LmgKidSource)
- The Subways - Young for Eternity (Sire/Warner Bros.)
- The Sword - Age of Winters (Kemado)
Buy Now: Age of Winters (Kemado) - Three Fantastic - Three Fantastic (Dot Point Period)
- Toto - Falling in Between (Frontiers)
- April Verch - Take Me Back (Rounder)
- The Veronicas - The Secret Life of ... the Veronicas (Sire/Warner Bros.)
- Watermelon Slim and the Workers - The Coolest New Name in Blues (Northern Blues)
- Various artists - I Am the Resurrection: A Tribute to John Fahey (Vanguard)
- Various artists - "Firewall" soundtrack (Varèse)
- Various artists - "Tsotsi" soundtrack (Milan)
Read: "You Hear It First: The Veronicas"
Buy Now: The Secret Life of ... the Veronicas (Sire/Warner Bros.)
Notable Reissues And Archival Material:
- Cannonball Adderley - Spontaneous Combustion (Savoy Jazz)
- Burt Bacharach - The Definitive Collection (Hip-O)
- Bad Company - Bad Company (gold disc; Audio Fidelity)
- Etta Baker - Traditional Years: Instrumental Music of the Southern Appalachians (Empire Musicwerks)
- Miles Davis - Out of Nowhere (Savoy Jazz)
- Doris Day - The Love Album (Feinery)
- John Fahey - The Yellow Princess (Vanguard)
- Red Garland Trio - At the Prelude (two CDs; Prestige)
- Freddie King - Live at the Electric Ballroom, 1974 (Shout! Factory)
- Los Lobos - The Wolf Tracks: The Best of Los Lobos (Rhino)
- Liza Minnelli - The Definitive Collection (Hip-O)
- Charlie Parker - Now's the Time (Savoy Jazz)
- Django Reinhardt - An Introduction to Django Reinhardt (Fuel 2000)
- Nina Simone - Broadway-Blues-Ballads, High Priestess of Soul, I Put a Spell on You, Let It All Out, Pastel Blues and Wild Is the Wind (Verve)
- Talking Heads - Little Creatures, Naked, Speaking in Tongues and "True Stories" soundtrack (DualDiscs; Rhino)
- Various artists - A Tribute to Nicolette Larson: Lotta Love Concert (Rhino)
- Various artists - The Best of the 80's Reloaded (Water)
- Various artists - Constellation: The Brightest Stars of Jazz (Savoy Jazz)
DVDs:
- Tori Amos - "Fade to Red: Video Collection" (Rhino)
Read: "Tori Amos Assembles A Valentine's Day Gift For Her Fans" - The Moody Blues - "Lovely to See You: Live" (Image Entertainment)
February 21:
- Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (Domino)
Read: "You Hear It First: Arctic Monkeys" - Ray Davies - Other People's Lives (V2)
- William Orbit - Hello Waveforms (Sanctuary)
February 28:
- Hawthorne Heights - If Only You Were Lonely (Victory)
- Kid Rock - Live Trucker (Atlantic)
- Ne-Yo - In My Own Words (Def Jam)
Read: You Hear It First: Jay-Z's Picks
March 7:
- Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Ballad of the Broken Seas (V2)
- Juvenile - Reality Check (Atlantic)
- Matisyahu - Youth (Epic)
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Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1524241/new-releases-matchbook-romance-tori-amos.jhtml
Dienstag, 29. März 2011
The Strokes - You Only Live Once (version 3)
You Only Live Once (version 3)
- Artist: The Strokes
- Label: RCA
- Director: Warren Fu
- Album: First Impressions of Earth
Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1165302&vid=160106
The Used Say New LP Will Inflame Bert Haters, Be 'Insane,' 'Brilliant'
Band hires new drummer to replace ousted Branden Steineckert; focuses on finishing 'rocking' album.
By James Montgomery
The Used
Photo: Warner Bros.
When the Used's most recent album, In Love and Death, hit stores in September 2004, Fall Out Boy were just a bunch of kids from Chicago, My Chemical Romance were in their "Gerard-is-chubby" phase and Panic! at the Disco were still a Blink-182 cover band.
Needless to say, things have changed.
Now, as the Used gear up for the release of their still-untitled third album (due in early 2007), they find themselves no longer at the forefront of the emo/Warped/MySpace/whatever punk revolution. Which is perfectly fine with them.
"I don't really understand the scene today," bassist Jeph Howard laughed. "I mean, I love My Chem — we used to tour with them all the time, so I'm stoked for them and I'm really excited to hear their new album. But I don't think any of us are really into a lot of those other bands. In all respect to them, I personally don't like their music.
"I mean, we were doing pretty good for a while there," he continued, considering his band's impact on the scene. "We were on the radio a lot more than our friends' bands, and that sucks that some of them didn't get as big as they should have. So you never can tell what's going to happen. And, really, I don't have any idea about how our new record will do. But if we don't sell as many copies, that's OK with me."
Expectations were perhaps absurdly high when the Used launched In Love and Death (see "Tension, Tragedy Spawned The Used's In Love And Death"). After all, it came on the heels of the breakout success of their self-titled debut, which sold more than 770,000 copies and established the group of four Orem, Utah, punks as an act to be reckoned with. And while Death sold roughly the same amount — and included the hit "Take It Away" — many within the industry viewed it as a disappointment.
So when the Used reconvened in Los Angeles in June to begin work on the new album with producer John Feldmann, who helmed their last two discs, they did so as decided underdogs — a position which, according to Howard, freed them up to make the album they've always wanted to make. And the results — somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 songs, with names like "Earthquakes" and "Slit Your Own Throat" — were certifiably, well, "rocking."
"It's really difficult to describe the new songs, but they're really rocking, and we're so in love with them. You'll definitely know that it's a rock record," Howard said. "Quinn [Allman's] guitar licks are insane and so brilliant. And the vocals are the most incredible that Bert [McCracken] has ever done. It's like everything he's ever sung, except, like turned to 11. Everyone who loves his voice is going to love it even more, and, well, everyone who hates it is probably going to hate it even more."
Of course, this wouldn't be an article about the Used if it failed to address both their many detractors and the copious amount of drama that seems to buzz around them like a swarm of hornets. While the hating is usually constant — Internet rumors that McCracken has died of a drug overdose pop up monthly — lately, things have been percolating in the drama department, thanks largely to former drummer Branden Steineckert, who the band parted ways with just last month (see "The Used Part Ways With Drummer So Band Can 'Move Forward' ").
The split was, shall we say, a bit less than amicable, and seemingly stirred up a new round of Internet hateration. But the remaining members of the Used have resolved to ignore it all, naming a new replacement for Steineckert — Dan Whitesides, formerly of Salt Lake City's the New Transit Direction — and working hard to wrap up the sessions for their new album by the end of October.
"There's been a bunch of drama happening with us, so we decided just to put our heads down and power through this album. And it's the best thing we've ever done," Howard said. "If people hate it, fine. We're still doing what we love. As long as we're happy, that's all that matters."
Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1542954/used-new-lp-will-inflame-bert-haters.jhtml
Kanye West, Fall Out Boy, Alicia Keys Are Out Of This World At Live Earth
'Music can change people's minds. We'll see what happens,' Fall Out Boy's Andy Hurley says.
By James Montgomery, with additional reporting by Shaheem Reid
Kanye West onstage at Live Earth in East Rutherford, NJ
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images
EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — "You all came to this concert," Melissa Etheridge opined midway through a smoldering evening set at the Live Earth concert in Jersey, "because you are Americans."
(Check out behind-the-scenes footage, on-the-ground coverage, fan reactions, videos and more on MTV's new You R Here blog; watch Alicia Keys, Kelly Clarkson, John Mayer and more chat with John Norris at the NJ concert; and see performance pics of Rihanna, Linkin Park, Jack Johnson and more.)
That's one way of looking at it. You could probably also argue that plenty of the 60,000 or so people who made their way out to Giants Stadium on Saturday (July 7) were concerned citizens of the world, plunking down their hard-earned cash to make a statement that the real fight against global warming begins today (though this is probably wishful thinking).
Or perhaps everyone was just here to have a good time, to watch a bunch of bands, get sunburned, throw back some adult beverages and chuck footballs around the parking lot (this is probably reality).
Because, really, for all the pre-show discourse (from both sides of the aisle) about just what the point of Al Gore's Live Earth concert series was, the biggest surprise on this Saturday in the Meadowlands was that no one — not the fans, the bands — seemed to know either (see "A Globe Divided? Reaction To Live Earth Is Decidedly Mixed").
Sure, there were plenty of enthusiastic speeches from the musicians (the aforementioned Etheridge, Alicia Keys, etc.) and the assembled celebs, scientists and politicians, but there was also a whole lot of silence, particularly from some of the marquee acts. Kanye West — usually not one to keep quiet about anything — said nothing about climate change; local gods Bon Jovi seemed pissed that they were limited to a 20-minute set; and the Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan only spoke to plug his band's new album.
Still, the speeches that were made were greeted with a bizarre level of enthusiasm from the crowd (Live Earth no doubt marked the first time in history that 60,000 people in New Jersey gave famed primate expert Jane Goodall a standing ovation), and the entire upper deck was teeming with pro-environment banners and T-shirts. Then again, it was also teeming with shirtless, passed-out dudes and their bikini-clad better halves.
It was a little bit surreal, a little bit inspiring and a little bit awesome. Part Woodstock, part Wango Tango, Live Earth certainly didn't feel like a once-in-a-generation event. But, then again, with an anticipated audience of 2 billion worldwide, and concerts on all seven continents, maybe it was.
So for those who cared about ending global warming, about being part of something greater than themselves, and about seeing Kevin Bacon or Cameron Diaz making speeches, there was plenty to be happy about. And for those who came just to see a lineup that rivaled any rock-radio fest, there was a whole lot (a whole, whole lot) to get pumped about, too.
Like KT Tunstall, who made the most of her early-afternoon set and led the crowd in an honest-to-goodness wave before rattling off her hit "Suddenly I See." Or Alicia Keys and Keith Urban's raw take on the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter."
Fall Out Boy bounded about with glee, Akon — truly the hitmaker's hitmaker these days — packed just about everything into his set (and didn't body-slam a single fan). The crowd bugged out when he took his shirt off, and there was an even funnier moment during his set when fans kept chanting the dirty version of "I Wanna Love You," even though he was trying to sing the clean version. And Etheridge, whose set consisted of only one long jam, managed to bring the fire and brimstone with her condemnations of President Bush.
Alicia Keys was soulful and sexy, putting a whole lot of heart into songs like "If I Ain't Got You." Kelly Clarkson rocked hard, and Kanye wheeled out a full string section (dressed in silver space suits, no less) to fancy up his set.
Then there was Bon Jovi, who could've broke wind in a bag and the hometown crowd woulda eaten it up (case in point, they even cheered the band's country-tinged new stuff, which sounds like bad John Mellencamp). To see the band rock NJ is akin to witnessing the pope give a mass in the Vatican.
The Smashing Pumpkins brought sheer volume (and that album plug), former Pink Floyd mastermind Roger Waters brought the hits (and an inflatable pig), and the Police — aided by a fiery cameo by West, who broke from his earlier silence and spat verses about finding "new leaders to follow" and changing the world — brought the house down.
But as 60K filed out, you had to wonder: Did any of this make a difference? Were any minds and hearts changed? And does that even matter?
Well, on a day in which so many spoke so loudly about those very concerns, perhaps the best answer of all was provided by Fall Out Boy's eternally silent drummer, Andy Hurley, who, when asked by MTV News' John Norris if Live Earth mattered, stopped, then cracked a smile.
"I don't know, man. I mean, I got into politics because of Rage Against the Machine," he said. "So music can change people's minds. We'll see what happens."
Guess we will.
Wish you had been there? We have Live Earth covered: Watch the show, see reports from the scene, submit your concert photos and video, make a pledge to stop the climate crisis and more at MTV's Live Earth site.
Related Videos Related Photos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1564254/kanye-west-alicia-keys-out-this-world-at-live-earth.jhtml
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