Bloc Party

Bloc Party Give Intimacy Early Digital Release After Learning From Leaks

22 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT

Band's third LP available for download now, three months ahead of physical release.
By Chris Harris

Are you a hard-core Bloc PartyBloc Party fan? So devoted, in fact, that you can't wait three more months for the band's third LP? Well, you don't have to wait — you can actually get a copy of Intimacy, which doesn't hit record stores until October 28, right this second ... so long as you've got a solid Internet connection.

Taking a cue from the likes of Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails and Stars, the British indie rockers are debuting their latest studio set online. At BlocParty.com, fans can download the 10 tracks three months ahead of the disc's physical release.

According to bassist Gordon Moakes, the online leak of the band's sophomore album, 2007's A Weekend in the City, three months before its official release was part of the reason why Bloc Party wanted to get Intimacy, to their fans as soon as humanly possible.

"It wasn't a 'rushed' release," Moakes explained of the album they began working on in February. "It would be a rush if it wasn't ready, I suppose, but in terms of the recording, we finished it in late June, early July. But the way media can be disseminated these days, we figured if it's finished, then it's ready to be heard. I think, certainly, if we'd decided to go the other route — the CD being the first thing people heard — I think we would have had to have a conversation about how we might tackle that this time around. Obviously, the Internet is such a tool for people, so a lot of people don't think twice about going online to try and find music. So why not use that to your advantage, I suppose."

For Intimacy, Bloc Party enlisted two producers — Paul Epworth (the Futureheads, Babyshambles), who'd helmed their 2005 debut, Silent Alarm, and Garret "Jacknife" Lee (U2, Snow Patrol), who handled production on A Weekend in the City — and split the disc down the middle, giving five tracks to each of them.

"We had one foot on each island, as it were, and, in a way, we were trying to remember what's been the heart of what we do," Moakes said. "If anything, with the second record, there was a bit of a compromise behind it, in that we were trying to marry up the two elements and not quite landing on either sort of level, I suppose. So why not just take it a bit further in each direction and actually follow it through a bit further?

"I think we just wanted to revisit some of the ways of working we'd enjoyed and be a bit more choosy about where we split the various talents of those two guys and marry it up with the songs we had at that point," he continued. "It's a bit more disjointed, in terms of the continuity. It was just a different approach, but I'm not sure if it was better or worse — just a different attack, and one that suited this record."

While Bloc Party have no immediate plans to tour the States, Moakes said they'll likely spend the whole of 2009 on the road. He also said that, when Intimacy hits stores, it will most likely feature some bonus material, as an added incentive to those who had already purchased it online.

Moakes said the band had a more enjoyable experience working on Intimacy than they'd had on Weekend, because they didn't face the same pressures heading into the project.

"When making that second record, we did feel a lot of pressure, and there were lots of expectations, so we had to get through that, to the other side, so that we could feel like we'd gotten past that hurdle," he said. "That, in itself, was a huge relief for us. It did get a bit hairy, just as a band being on the road for such a long time, trying to create spontaneity night after night. But we got through to the other side of that and had some time out, time to reassess. This year, there's been a lot less pressure for us, really. It's quite nice to crown that with a new release, because usually, it's quiet stressful putting together a record."

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Britney Spears Reportedly Passing Drug Tests; Plus Kiefer Sutherland, Lindsay Lohan, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce & More, In For The Record

09 Oct 2007 21:10:00 EDT

Sutherland to serve 30 days in jail for DUI; Lohan calls rehab 'sobering'; Timberlake, Knowles nominated for American Music Awards.
By MTV News staff

Looks like there's finally some good news for Britney Spears. The singer has been passing her court-ordered random drug tests and has a 50/50 chance of regaining custody of her children, her lawyer Sorrell Trope told People. Also, while Spears has lots of court dates to keep track of these days, she has one less for her calendar this week — her arraignment on misdemeanor driving charges (for hit and run, causing property damage and driving without a valid California license). Though her arraignment was scheduled for Wednesday, a Los Angeles judge decided Tuesday (October 9) that Spears could have until October 25 to enter a plea. The judge also ordered the singer to be booked by police and show proof of that booking by her arraignment, according to a court clerk. Spears' next hearing in her custody case will be the following day, on October 26. ...

Kiefer Sutherland will serve 30 days in Los Angeles County Jail as part of a plea deal in his DUI arrest, The Associated Press reports. He must also enroll in an 18-month alcohol-education class and go to weekly alcohol-therapy sessions for six months. On Tuesday, Sutherland's attorney Blair Berk entered a no-contest plea on the actor's behalf for driving with a blood-alcohol level over the legal limit, though a second misdemeanor DUI charge was dropped. The actor was most recently arrested for driving under the influence in Los Angeles in September — he was already on probation for a DUI arrest stemming from 2004. He will be sentenced December 21. ...

Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Linkin Park and — yes, you're reading this right — Daughtry are tied for the most American Music Awards nominations this year, it was announced Tuesday. Each artist earned three nods for various categories. In terms of pop/rock, Akon, Timbaland and Timberlake are facing off for Favorite Male Artist; Beyoncé, Fergie and Avril Lavigne are vying for Favorite Female Artist; Linkin Park, Maroon 5 and Nickelback are competing for Favorite Band, Duo or Group; and Daughtry, LP's Minutes to Midnight and JT's FutureSex/LoveSounds are going head to head for Favorite Album. As for rap/hip-hop, Fabolous, T.I. and Young Jeezy are vying for Favorite Male Artist; Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Pretty Ricky and Shop Boyz for Favorite Band, Duo or Group; and Bone Thugs' Strength & Loyalty, T.I.'s T.I. vs. T.I.P. and Jeezy's The Inspiration for Favorite Album. And on the soul/R&B front, Akon, Ne-Yo and T-Pain are up for Favorite Male Artist; Beyoncé, Fantasia and Rihanna are squaring off for Favorite Female Artist; Beyoncé's B'Day, R. Kelly's Double Up and JT's FutureSex/LoveSounds have been nominated for Favorite Album. There are also Favorite Artist categories for adult-contemporary music (Daughtry, Norah Jones and John Mayer); alternative rock (Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance and the White Stripes) and Latin music (Daddy Yankee, Juan Luis Guerra y 440 and Jennifer Lopez). Daughtry, Plain White T's and Robin Thicke have been noticed for Favorite Breakthrough Artist, while Carrie Underwood landed two country-music noms: for Favorite Female Artist and Favorite Album (Some Hearts). For the first time, the AMAs are opening up voting to the general public online — it began Tuesday on the AMA site and ends November 2. The show, to be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will be broadcast live at Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre on November 18 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. ...

John Graziano, the young Marine who was injured in Nick Hogan's car crash in late August, is on life support and will require lifelong care, Florida's St. Petersburg Times reports. According to documents obtained by the newspaper, the 22-year-old Graziano will, at best, be able to open and close his eyes from time to time. His mother is petitioning a judge to let her assume guardianship of her son, who remains in critical condition. A hearing will be held Wednesday. ...

Rehab was a "sobering" experience for Lindsay Lohan, she told In Touch in her first interview since leaving Utah's Cirque Lodge Treatment Center on Friday. The actress also insisted that while she went to the clubs right after finishing a rehab stint in July, she's not going to be rekindling her nightlife anytime soon — to avoid distractions, she'll be staying in Utah until she starts shooting the upcoming flick "Dare to Love Me." "Going out all the time was very self-destructive," she said. "Partying and having all of those pictures taken distracts from the work that I do. It's not why I started acting. I didn't get into acting to be written about. ... I want to act like a woman rather than a teenager. I am doing the best I can." Lohan also opened up about seeing her estranged father for the first time in more than three years, while at Cirque Lodge. "It was really good for me ... it was really important for me to get a connection back with my dad, because I hadn't had that in a while." And if you heard those rumors about Lohan developing a relationship with a man while in rehab ... well, apparently they were true. "Yes, I am seeing someone," she confirmed. "His name is Riley. I am really happy and taking it day by day." The Riley in question is Riley Giles, a 25-year-old snowboarder from California. Last but not least, just as Paris Hilton said she was committing herself to philanthropic efforts after her own debacle, Lohan revealed that she's trying to put together a December trip to Africa with the Red Cross. ...

"Hannah Montana" fans will want to change the channel from Disney to ABC on Tuesday night when Miley Cyrus breaks out a new duet with her father, Billy Ray, on "Dancing With the Stars." The two will perform "Ready, Set, Don't Go" on the results show, with the single hitting country-radio stations immediately afterward. ... What do Diddy, Panic! at the Disco's Ryan Ross and Fred Durst have in common? They've all earned the less-than-distinguished honor of being selected for Blender's "The 40 Worst Lyricists in Rock" list. Will.I.Am, Billy Corgan, Anthony Kiedis, Common, Dashboard Confessional, Timbaland and, of course, Kevin Federline, also make the (F) grade, with Sting landing in the #1 spot. The list appears in the magazine's November issue, which streets October 16. ... Kid Rock commented to Dave Letterman about his ex-wife Pamela Anderson's recent remarriage — she got hitched to Rick Salomon in Las Vegas over the weekend. After making a salty remark about the couple on "The Late Show With David Letterman," he quipped, "I wish them much happiness." ...

Wyclef Jean seems to be the go-to guy for special causes these days. After playing at "CGI and MTV Present: Giving - Live at the Apollo" late last month, he's now been tapped for another special performance, at supermodel Petra Nêmcová's upcoming Heart of Gold Ball benefit auction. The event, to take place Wednesday at Cipriani Wall Street in New York, will have various sports, travel and event packages up for auction. All proceeds will go to Nêmcová's Happy Hearts Fund, which supports education and medical and emotional support for children affected by natural disasters. ... Say what you will about those rumors of Britney Spears putting in an application for a fall-back bartending gig while staying at the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica, California, last week. The manager at the hotel's Cameo Bar tells MTV News that while Spears has been there in the past, anyone applying has to have one to two years of fine-dining experience and must pass a drug test. The manager didn't confirm whether Spears had in fact submitted an application. ...

Avenged Sevenfold will play a free gig at the Key Club in West Hollywood, California, on October 20. The set will be taped for later broadcast on MySpace's "The List." Want in? No problem. Just show up in your Halloween costume and get there early — entry to the show will be on a first-come, first-served basis. ... Jimmy Eat World are going all in with their new single "Big Casino," fashioning their Chase This Light album-release party after the gambling concept. On Monday, the band will turn Los Angeles' El Rey Theatre into a faux casino, with fans able to play poker, blackjack, craps and other games for prizes — a flyaway to see the band perform in another city, JEW merchandise, El Rey tickets and more. The band will end the evening with an intimate set as Chase This Light drops at midnight. Entrants will get gambling money and a commemorative poster. ...

Causes, a charity album benefiting three organizations working to stop the genocide in Darfur, will be released on iTunes on November 27 and feature exclusive and rare tracks from Bloc Party, the Shins, Bright Eyes, Animal Collective, the Cure, Death Cab for Cutie, the (International) Noise Conspiracy, Travis and Spoon. All proceeds will go to Doctors Without Borders, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam America. The album will only be available on iTunes for 90 days, though a limited-edition CD can be ordered right here. ... Queens of the Stone Age are booked for "The Late Show With David Letterman"

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Lindsay Lohan Sued By Car-Chase Passenger; Plus Britney Spears, Wu-Tang Clan, Mark Ronson, Amy Winehouse, VMAs & More, In For The Record

14 Aug 2007 17:05:00 EDT

Spears, Kevin Federline try to block media; Wu cover Beatles song; Ronson to be joined by Winehouse's touring band at VMAs.
By MTV News staff

Lindsay Lohan is getting sued again — this time for assault and negligence by one of the passengers who was traveling in the car the actress allegedly chased last month while driving under the influence. Tracie Rice, the woman who filed the suit and was in the car driven by Michelle Peck — the mother of one of Lohan's former assistants — claims that Lohan "put me through one of the most frightening experiences of my life," according to a statement obtained by The Associated Press. "What Miss Lohan did that night was extremely dangerous and reprehensible. Someone could easily have been killed or seriously hurt because of her irresponsible decisions that evening." The suit also alleges that Lohan intentionally inflicted emotional distress upon the woman, and it seeks unspecified damages as well as payment of medical and other emotional-distress-related expenses. ...

Britney Spears and Kevin Federline's divorce lawyers were supposed to help resolve their clients' child-custody dispute at a Los Angeles Superior Court hearing on Tuesday (August 14), but instead the attorneys used the court date to try to protect the former spouses' privacy. According to a court clerk, legal representatives from Los Angeles TV news channel KNBC, "Access Hollywood" and People magazine jointly filed papers Tuesday morning to prevent court records in the former couple's child-custody battle from being permanently sealed. The move came after news outlets got wind that Federline's attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan was planning to bring to court a folder of documents "about an inch and a half thick," according to a source close to the matter. Federline's team has already subpoenaed Spears' cousin and former assistant, Alli Sims, and Spears' bodyguard Daimon Shippen; more subpoenas to give depositions about the care of the children are due to come for those close to Spears, the source said. Superior Court Commissioner Scott M. Gordon will hear the opposition to seal the records in a separate hearing on September 14, while the custody dispute will continue in court on September 17. ...

Wu-Tang Clan covering the Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" ... with George Harrison's son Dhani ... and Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante playing along? That's the news the RZA spilled to RollingStone.com late last week, saying the collabo for the ages will surface on the Clan's November 13 album, 8 Diagrams. The track will sample the original George Harrison-written song, with the group rapping over the track, Frusciante wailing on lead guitar and Dhani Harrison playing acoustic. ... Amy Winehouse's touring band, the Dap-Kings; Jamiroquai's Stu Zender and other to-be-announced singers will make guest appearances with Mark Ronson when he mans the decks at the VMAs on September 9. ...

Don Imus back on the airwaves? AP reports that the shock jock has reached a settlement with CBS Radio over his contract and is in negotiations with New York's WABC-AM radio — home to another inflammatory jock, Rush Limbaugh — to return to broadcasting. The settlement would preempt Imus' threatened $120 million breach-of-contract suit, a CBS spokesperson told AP, although the terms were not disclosed. ...

Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem must really be enjoying each other's company these days — the tour partners are planning to release a split 7-inch while on the road, RollingStone.com reports. The record will include the Fire's cover of Serge Gainsbourg's "Poupée de Cire, Poupée de Son" and LCD's take on Joy Division's "No Love Lost." ... Perry Farrell and his Satellite Party will descend on jam-band Moe.'s eighth annual Moe.Down fest, to be held August 31-September 2 in Turin, New York. The Party will be filling in for Ryan Adams & the Cardinals, who had to bail from the fest for personal reasons. ...

The tentative track list for the soundtrack to the upcoming film "Resident Evil: Extinction" has been announced. The set will include cuts from Shadows Fall, Flyleaf, Bayside, the Bled, Chimaira, Poison the Well and It Dies Today. Look for it to hit stores September 18 and the film to hit theaters three days later. ... Gwar have been added to the Viva la Bands Tour, which will also feature Cradle of Filth, CKY and Vains of Jenna. The trek kicks off September 24 in Baltimore and runs through November 3 in Worcester, Massachusetts. ... The lineup for the Radio Rebellion Tour has been released, and extreme-metallists Job for a Cowboy and Polish death-metal specialists Behemoth will be co-headlining. Gojira and Beneath the Massacre will be the opening acts on the trek, which will hit 28 North American cities, beginning October 18 in Baltimore and wrapping November 18 in New York. ...

Lana Clarkson's mother Donna took the stand Monday in the Phil Spector murder trial, testifying about shopping with the deceased actress shortly before she was shot on February 3, 2003, the Los Angeles Times reports. Refuting claims that Lana Clarkson was despondent over a failed acting career — the defense has argued that she was driven to suicide — the prosecution attempted to show instead that she was optimistic about the future. The defense asked Donna Clarkson to testify about apparently forged documents the actress used to try to get a loan, but prosecutor Alan Jackson said the documents would only provide "a look at what kind of person she is, not who pulled the trigger." Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler has allowed the letters to be admitted. ...

Sixteen solo albums by John Lennon debuted on iTunes on Tuesday, and for the next 30 days, exclusive video content will accompany six of them — including John Lennon/ Plastic Ono Band and Milk and Honey. The albums are available in iTunes Plus, which offers DRM-free tracks, and each song costs $1.29. ...

Phil Rizzuto, the New York Yankees shortstop who later became a longtime announcer for the team and was best-known for catchphrases like "Holy cow!" and "Unbelievable!," died Tuesday. He was 89. Rizzuto, whose nickname was "Scooter," will also be remembered as the voice providing the play-by-play commentary in Meat Loaf's infamous 1977 song, "Paradise by the Dashboard Light."

08.13.07

Britney Spears' assistant was served with court papers Sunday morning to give a deposition in a legal matter between the singer and Kevin Federline. Mark Vincent Kaplan, Federline's attorney, told The Associated Press that Alli Sims will be asked to offer a statement "in connection with the Britney Spears/ Kevin Federline issue," although he didn't elaborate. He added that Sims is "believed to have relevant information" but didn't go into specifics about that either. On Wednesday, Kaplan filed documents in Los Angeles Superior Court for primary physical custody of Federline's two sons with Spears. ...

Diddy will executive produce the upcoming biopic of the Notorious B.I.G., Variety reports. "Soul Food" director George Tillman will be behind the lens for "Unbelievable: The Life, Death and Afterlife of the Notorious B.I.G.," for which an open casting call was launched nationally on Sunday. ...

Jennifer Lopez has pegged October 9 as the release date for her English-language album Brave, her second LP of the year and sixth studio disc overall. The set is highlighted by the just-released single, "Do It Well," and will be produced by J.R. Rotem (50 Cent, Christina Aguilera), among others. J. Lo's other album this year, Como Ama Una Mujer, is the best-selling Spanish-language debut LP ever. ... Amy Winehouse, who was hospitalized last week for severe exhaustion, has scrapped two planned shows in Germany opening for the Rolling Stones, RollingStone.com reports. The singer told Britain's News of the World, "I don't know how to explain what happened. ... I can't remember what I looked like. I couldn't recognize myself. It was terrifying." ...

Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, Kid Rock and Velvet Revolver will anchor Los Angeles radio station KROQ's Inland Invasion fest — which has been renamed the L.A. Invasion, since its relocation from a venue in Devore, California, to one in Carson. Against Me!, Chris Cornell, Hot Hot Heat, Satellite Party, Paramore and Cypress Hill round out the bill for the show, which will take place September 15. ...

The French publisher of the "Harry Potter" series will not seek damages against a 16-year-old who allegedly posted online an unauthorized French translation of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," publishing house Gallimard Jeunesse said Monday (August 13), The Associated Press reports. The case is still being investigated by French authorities, who will decide whether to bring it to trial. ... Robert Smith of the Cure, Julian Casablancas of the Strokes, Frank Black and Tom Waits will judge this year's International Songwriting Competition, RollingStone.com reports. ...

Bloc Party, Múm, Of Montreal and more have been confirmed for the ninth annual Iceland Airwaves festival, set for October 17-21 in downtown Reykjavík. ... The Shins have beefed up their fall tour schedule with a smattering of new U.S. dates. After playing Seattle's Bumbershoot festival on September 1 and Chicago's Download Festival the following day, the band will take a month off, then hit

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Beyonce Visits Injured Fans; Plus T.I., Young Jeezy, Maroon 5, Jay-Z, Panic! At The Disco, Bloc Party, Phil Spector & More, In For The Record

09 Jul 2007 19:29:00 EDT

Jeezy checks out Tip's album-release party; Adam Levine's band plots North American tour; NAACP chairman takes swipe at Jay-Z.
By MTV News staff

Beyoncé made a surprise visit in an emergency room Sunday after her St. Louis show — two people were injured at the concert when pyrotechnics reportedly spilled into the front row, according to The Associated Press. Darryl Williams, head nurse at the hospital, told AP that Beyoncé, who met with the victims for 45 minutes, "was just very concerned about the people injured in the audience. [Her visit] was unannounced and we kept it very low-key so that she could spend time with them." A spokesperson for Barnes-Jewish Hospital told the news service that the injuries were minor and both victims were expected to make full recoveries. A spokesperson for Music World entertainment, which represents the singer, did not comment to the news service. ...

Taking a page out of Kanye West's book, the equally dapper T.I. hosted an album-release party over the weekend for T.I. vs. T.I.P. at the Louis Vuitton store in Atlanta's posh Buckhead district. (West struck first with LV, recently holding his 30th birthday bash at the store's New York branch.) Big Boi, Jazze Pha, Jermaine Dupri, Polow Da Don, Mya and Young Jeezy attended the festivities. ...

If Maroon 5's red-hot "Makes Me Wonder" song has you wondering when the band will be hitting a city near you, you're in luck. Adam Levine and his cohorts — with Swedish punks the Hives in tow, weirdly — will swing through 28 North American cities in support of their recently released It Won't Be Soon Before Long album. The jaunt begins September 29 in Detroit and ends November 10 in Las Vegas. ...

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Chairman Julian Bond took a swipe at Jay-Z over the weekend during the group's annual convention in Detroit, according to the Detroit Free Press. "There are certain words that ought not to be spoken, and the N-word is just one of them," he said in regards to the symbolic "burial" of the term to be staged with Kurtis Blow and others at the city's Hart Plaza on Monday (July 9). "I heard somebody say that when Jay-Z talks about ho's, he gets a gold record. When Don Imus talks about ho's, he gets fired," he later remarked. "We believe in equal justice and equal justice for everyone." ...

The Virgin Festival is ratcheting up the theatrics — Panic! at the Disco have been added to the fest's second day, set for August 5 at Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course. Explosions in the Sky and Dan Deacon have also climbed onboard. ... Finally, Bloc Party are scheduled to headline a real block party — Chicago's Hideout Block Party, that is, on September 7. The band has lined up a slew of September and October dates, taking the indie-rockers from Montreal on September 9 through the States, down to Mexico City for a gig on the 19th, then back up through the States and into Canada again — and then finally to the Theatre at Madison Square Garden for a closing gig on October 3. Might want to bring a TripTik for that one, guys. ...

Jurors will be able to hear from a security guard who testified controversially in 1993 that he heard Phil Spector say all women should be shot in the head, AP reports. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler had previously chosen not to allow the testimony but reconsidered when prosecutors raised the issue again. Fidler said he thought before that the testimony wouldn't be admissible because the remark was made too long ago and wasn't specific to the shooting death of Lana Clarkson — who died after a bullet was fired through her mouth. But he changed his mind upon further research. "In this case, you have a woman who is shot in the head. It is highly particularized," he said. ... Almost 19 million people watched Live Earth on NBC and its affiliates, AP reports — far short of the 2 billion event organizers had hoped for. On the other hand, the organizers' estimate was also supposed to include online viewers, whereas the 19 million figure only includes viewers who watched at least six minutes of the telecasts. ...

Amid all the Live Earth happenings over the past week, Axl Rose found time to vent about why Guns N' Roses wouldn't be performing at the event's Rio de Janeiro installment. "We were not asked until the last couple weeks while we were on tour in Australia and have upcoming sold-out dates already rescheduled in Japan," he said in a press release issued Friday. "I was asked to perform individually with Lenny Kravitz by the promoters and Mr. Gore. As we were working this out, Lenny unfortunately became injured and temporarily canceled his involvement from the event." Rose claims he wasn't made aware that Kravitz's performance was reconfirmed until it was too late. "Guns N' Roses or I were not asked to play anywhere else, such as Japan or Australia (as we are already in the regions on tour), and in which we have formally offered to perform, but the offer of our involvement was declined." ...

Did Madonna's onstage hookup with gypsy punks Gogol Bordello at Live Earth London over the weekend leave you scratching your head? This might shed some light: Frontman Eugene Hutz, who starred alongside Elijah Wood in "Everything Is Illuminated," has been working with Madge on her directorial debut, "Fifth & Wisdom." "It was super-fun and perfectly respectable, and it ended up being quite a collaborative project," he told Billboard.com about the flick. ...

J.K. Rowling is taking Harry Potter on the road. The author will launch the Open Book Tour in October, answering fan questions and signing copies of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" during three events for schoolchildren and one special evening gathering for a lucky group of Harry Potter fans. Students from select schools will be randomly chosen at the start of the new school year for the Los Angeles (October 15), New Orleans (October 18) and New York (October 19) student events, while readers of all ages can enter at Scholastic's Harry Potter site beginning July 30 for a chance to score one of 1,000 tickets to Rowling's evening tour stop at New York's Carnegie Hall on October 19. ...

Diana Ross performed at Tao Restaurant in New York on Sunday night as part of a charity auction hosted by the New York Giants' Michael Strahan. Ja Rule, Nicole Murphy, and Dawn Richards of Danity Kane also made appearances at the event, which raised over $300,000 for the Supportive Children's Advocacy Network and was sponsored by the Dreier LLP law firm. ... Prince played three shows over 12 hours in his hometown of Minneapolis from Saturday into early Sunday, ending his live streak when police shut down his early morning homecoming show at the legendary First Avenue club — featured in "Purple Rain" — 70 minutes into a 24-song set, AP reports. After playing 15 songs, Prince pulled the plug on the show — which didn't start until nearly 2:45 a.m. — announcing, "The authorities say we gotta go. We always listen to the authorities. I promise I'll be back." Prince played a 45-minute set at Macy's for his fragrance launch early Saturday, followed by a full concert at the Target Center. ...

Nicole Richie is due in court on Wednesday to answer a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence, but dad Lionel Richie isn't coming down hard on his daughter, who he said is "just in an unfortunate situation." The singer, who spoke to the AP at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, said Nicole is sorry for her mistakes. "She keeps apologizing to me," he said. "I told her, 'You're doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing to your father at this age.' " Because Richie's case contains an allegation of a prior DUI conviction, she faces 90 days in jail and a suspension of driving privileges if found guilty. ... As for the Nicole Richie pregnancy reports, Lionel told People that he's a little out of touch ("Nicole, baby, call me!") and isn't sure whether he has a grandchild on the way. "I don't know if I'm going to be grandpa," he said. "I don't know if I'm ready to be called grandpa." ...

Foo Fighters will strike back on September 25 with Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace, their sixth studio album. Aside from rocking a totally grammatically correct title (Dave Grohl hates stodgy commas) the album will feature 12 tracks, with titles such as "The Pretender," "Long Road to Ruin," the emo-baiting "Cheer Up, Boys (Your Make-Up Is Running)" and "Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners," no doubt a tribute to the two Tasmanian miners who, while trapped in a collapsed mine, listened to songs by the band until they were rescued — and later met, and shared a beer with, Grohl and company. ...

Clay Aiken tangled with a fellow passenger on a flight to Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday morning, AP reports, leading to an FBI investigation but no arrests. The FBI told Tulsa World that there was a dispute on the aircraft between a male former "American Idol" contestant and a woman on the plane, but would not confirm Aiken's identity. The argument allegedly began over the male passenger's putting his foot on the woman's armrest, and the female passenger reportedly gave the man "a minor shove." There were no injuries reported, though Aiken did joke onstage Saturday night that he'd been beaten up by a girl earlier in the day. ...

Afeni Shakur — Tupac's mother — lost a North Carolina guest home in a fire late Friday night, according to local outlet News 14 Carolina. The blaze completely destroyed the property, which is part

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Arcade Flameout? Blog-World Darlings Hit Sophomore Slump In Bigger Than The Sound

25 Apr 2007 06:01:00 EDT

Second albums from Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah also land with a thud.
By James Montgomery

On The Record: The (Sorta) Sophomore Slump

Remember the Arcade Fire? Buncha Canadians ... liked John Kennedy Toole, one of 'em poo'ed clouds or something like that.

How about Bloc Party? Not the Dave Chappelle flick — the British band. Had a drummer with a collapsible lung, opened for Panic! at the Disco a while back (then bailed after a couple of gigs, reportedly due to that collapsible lung). They ruled!

This is not some conversation lifted from the snobby ILX message board in the year 2014 (provided both ILX and message boards still exist in 2014 — maybe by then we'll all be sharing our longwinded diatribes about the Boredoms via mental telepathy). It's the kind of thing that goes on in my head at 3:43 p.m. on a Saturday while sitting in McCarren Park — deep in the hipster epicenter of Brooklyn, New York — watching a buncha bearded dudes play kickball. Ah, the Williamsburg Weekend ...

But getting back to the fast-fading flavors of the month mentioned above, it's not exactly breaking news that we live in an era of, well, breaking news: a time of decreased attention spans and increased ways of consuming information. And in that era, the concept of "fame" has been morphed and stretched into ... well, who knows what (see: Hilton, Paris; Hilton, Perez). And perhaps nowhere is that more apparent than in the ever-crowded and tumultuous blogosphere, where, through endless hyperbole and a steady stream of blurry photos, kings are crowned — then subsequently dethroned — quicker than a Shane Douglas IC title reign.

Of course, no one seemed to notice this in the heady days of 2004-2005, when both the Arcade Fire and Bloc Party — plus acts like the Arctic Monkeys and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah — rode waves of "blog buzz" into the mainstream. Back then, the quick-to-pick foibles of the hype machine were lauded as revolutionary, and authors of blogs from here to Helsinki were being touted as tastemakers. Composing breathless odes to undiscovered bands became less of a hobby and more of an honest-to-goodness job (you could get paid for sitting around in your underwear and writing about the Hong Kong!) — a job that thousands were interested in landing. And shouting the loudest was the easiest way to be heard through the crowds.

But then, something rather unfortunate happened: All those "next big things" turned out to be nothing more than, well ... bands. They toured, did interviews, landed some high-profile gigs. And then, perhaps reacting to the fast-tracked success they were afforded, they all got back to doing what bands do: making their follow-up records. And suddenly, none of them really seemed to matter much any more.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's Some Loud Thunder bowed in January, and has, to date, sold less than one-third of what their self-titled debut did — and has garnered thoroughly middling reviews, to boot. Bloc Party's sophomore album, A Weekend in the City, followed in February — though, to be honest, I had to Wiki that — and has all but disappeared from the cultural zeitgeist (as has the band, save frontman Kele Okereke's ever-entertaining, grammatically enlightened feud with Oasis). Most notably, the Arcade Fire's Neon Bible hit shelves in March, and though it debuted at #2 on the Billboard albums chart, it's quickly begun to drop down the charts and hasn't had nearly the, er, "life-affirming" effect that Funeral did (read: these guys no longer care).

And on Tuesday, the Arctic Monkeys' second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, dropped, and though it's still early, I'll go out on a limb and say that it's not gonna have the same Stateside impact that Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not did. Call it a hunch.

Of course, this phenomenon is in no way the fault of the artists. They did what good bands are supposed to do: release interesting sophomore albums that were stylistic departures from their debuts (some of them, like Weekend and Nightmare, are arguably even better than their predecessors).

It's just that the hype machine worked so well that nothing they did could possibly live up to the expectations. Everyone associated in the process was looking for a brilliant follow-up along the lines of Paul's Boutique or The Bends, and what they got was a series of Second Comings: perfectly serviceable — though certainly not world-changing — albums.

And there's nothing necessarily wrong with that. After all, the sophomore album has been the bane of the music industry. What's troubling is that, in our rush to the next big thing, we tend to be too dismissive, too close-minded. We miss too much. And though you get the feeling that most bands welcome the return to (relative) obscurity, it's certainly a bummer to see a lot of really good albums go unloved.

It's both frustrating and comical to see the wheels of the hype machine keep spinning, but we're living in an era when careers are measured in months, not years, when success is measured not just in sales but cyber-picas. And it doesn't look like that's gonna change anytime soon. So you're left with two options: You can rage against the machine ... or you can hype the New Young Pony Club. The choice is yours.

B-Sides: Other Stories I'm Following This Week

This is exactly the kind of insightful, socially responsible political commentary I'd expect from a guy who spells his first name Deryck: "Sum 41 Kill President In New Song — Deryck Whibley Says It's 'A Metaphor'."

My Chemical Romance bassist ties the knot. Millions of MCR fans "OMG!" and "WTF?" in unison: "My Chemical Romance's Mikey Way Gets Married, Takes Break From Band."

Chris Cornell covers Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" on his new solo album with predictably hilarious and horrifying results: "Chris Cornell Ready To Carry On As Solo Artist: 'I'm Best In My Own World.' "

Lists Are Lazy: A Hastily Assembled Collection Of "15-Minutes-Till-Deadline" Musings

A few weeks back, news broke (and I use that term rather loosely) that Swedish popsters Rednex were auctioning themselves off on eBay for the low, low price of $1.5 million dollars. Amazingly, they didn't find a buyer. But that hasn't stopped them from posting the auction again. (It ends on Friday, in case you are trying to get your funds in order.) Initially, I thought about bidding, but after realizing that I was a few bucks short (1,499,873 of them, to be exact) I decided to look elsewhere for a cleaning service. But upon discovering that the auction was still going on, I got to thinking: If I did own some of today's rock acts, how would I put them to work for me? Here's a partial list of what I came up with:

Panic! at the Disco: Responsible for organizing my vast menagerie of gauzy blouses and newsboy caps, procuring circus-themed entertainment for any and all soirées.

TV on the Radio: Officially in charge of updating my blog and going completely ballistic over seemingly inconsequential issues (Dave Sitek is particularly adept at this).

White Stripes: Duties to include color-coordination, updating and drafting my various numerological charts, periodic throttling of the Von Bondies' Jason Stollsteimer. Member-specific: Jack to convert all my MP3s into sufficiently retro phonograph form; Meg to giggle slightly, stare vacantly into the distance.

Björk: Continue to rival Manny Ramirez for the title of "Most certifiably nuts person I spend an inordinate amount of time IMing friends about"; assembling and training the army of robed, effervescent background singers that I got on loan from the Polyphonic Spree.

Deftones: Breaking in my collection of massive boardshorts and tube socks; delivering my long-awaited-yet-ultimately-disappointing new album (this will happen every four to five years).

Questions? Concerns? Quick and easy quiche recipes? Hit me at BTTS@mtvstaff.com.

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'Apocalyptic' Stooges Close Out SXSW With A Bang

18 Mar 2007 12:26:00 EDT

Plus: Fest's last night and St. Patrick's Day celebrations make Austin apocalyptic.
By MTV staff

AUSTIN, Texas — Every March, the music industry throws on a pair of shorts, slathers on the SPF 45 and heads on down to Austin for South by Southwest, a weeklong celebration of bands, BBQ and (sometimes free!) beer. It's a brutal bacchanal and music marathon powered by thousands of acts playing in hundreds of venues — at all hours — plus an unreal number of complimentary drinks and fancy private parties.

Sleep is not exactly a top priority, so MTV News dispatched three of its most tireless reporters into the fray. They filed reports twice each day and, as you'll see below, endured all kinds of hardship — endless lines, hipster infestation and a diet consisting almost entirely of fried food — to bring you incisive reportage on the event's hottest happenings. Saturday's report is below, and at the bottom you'll find links to coverage of the previous days. Dig in: If you spill a little BBQ sauce on your shirt, it's the next best thing to being there.

The Afternoon

James Montgomery, MTV News writer: Growing tired of the SXSW rigmarole — a routine that could charitably be described as "Get up, shake off the cobwebs, eat something fried, drink, walk to a field, drink, watch some band, drink, walk to a dingy club, eat something else fried, drink, watch another band, drink, drink, pass out" — I decided to take my pal (and Beirut/ Bishop Allen multi-instrumentalist) Jon Natchez up on his promise of a full-blown "BBQ excursion, deep into the wilds of Texas."

And deep we went, indeed, heading way west through the dusty foothills ... driving for more than two hours (we got lost) until we came upon the sleepy town of Llano, home to a BBQ mecca by the name of Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que. Joining us on the excursion was Isaac Green, head honcho of Almost Gold Records (home of Peter Bjorn and John) and self-described BBQ connoisseur. He told me that SXSW vets swear by Cooper's, a true carnivore's cornucopia of smoked meats.

We downed pounds of ribs, brisket and Cooper's famous BBQ pork chops; talked about some of our festival faves (a list that included Midlake, Beach House and Jamie T) and reveled in the fact that we were literally miles away from the SXSW buzz. Oh yeah, and we had some cobbler, too.

But now it's back to the grind as we enter the festival's final raucous hours ... of course, there's more rumors of a Rage Against the Machine reunion Saturday night (March 17), plus the triumphant return of the Stooges. What'll happen? Nobody knows ... but we're certainly gonna close with a bang. And some of the brisket I brought home.

John Norris, MTV News correspondent: Just what Austin needed this week — another reason to drink!

But yes, it is St. Paddy's Day ... so by early afternoon, the South by Southwest-ers were tying on the booze bag again, and I found myself among a 50-percent-green-wearing crowd at the Cedar Street Courtyard, an outdoor patio wedged between Irish pubs. But taking the stage at this party sponsored by Filter magazine was a trio of not Irish but English lasses: the Pipettes. Their names are Becki, Rose and Gwenno. Think Lisa Loeb, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Linda Evangelista in polka dots. Musically, think '60s girl group meets punk sass — a combination in full effect as the ladies ran through songs like "Tell Me What You Want" and "Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me." Shangri-Las for the 21st century? Bananarama with a backing band? Time will tell.

Since one music-publication event deserves another, we made our way from the Filter party to the Blender house, where I met up with those Southern-indie-twang-rock-sons of a preacher man, the Kings of Leon. The brothers Followill and cousin Matthew have a third album, Because of the Times, just a few weeks away, and they're in town to play their first-ever SXSW. When I reminded them that they are one of the three or four biggest bands at this year's fest, they said there is still a challenge.

"There are so many of these beautiful girls around here hanging out with these new bands," famously randy frontman Caleb Followill laughed. "We feel like, hey, we're supposed to get our pick of the girls."

Something tells me the Kings have no problem in that department.

That said, their "kingly" status in the U.K. has yet to be replicated on their home turf, where the guys are still pretty much princes. Will that change with Because of the Times, a much more expansive record — with a seven-minute opening track called "Knocked Up" and forays into jam-band territory? Whether it does or not, the Kings are loving life.

"We'll play our show [Saturday's Esquire party at Stubb's]," Caleb said, "then sit back and watch Iggy Pop and the Stooges. And probably party."

No doubt. Good luck guys.

Gil Kaufman, MTV News writer: We've entered the dead zone: My feet hurt from standing on cement club floors 14 hours a day, my eyes hurt from constant smoke and cavelike conditions, and my soul aches from constantly denying my urge to pummel every clown I see wearing a headband and ripped-to-shreds low-top Keds.

The day started off promisingly with some smokin' Afro-Cuban funk from the 11-piece Los Angeles band Rhythm Roots Allstars. Then not-so-hot mess Mickey Avalon took the stage looking like a cross between Pauly Shore and a down-on-her-luck gutter-punk girl and sounding like the Beastie Boys on a bad day. The only saving grace was when he handcuffed an audience member to a chair and then lost the key and practically dragged her across the stage by her wrist in search of release.

Not wanting to fight the inevitable lines, I camped out at Red 7 and saw a mix of horrible "indie" comedy — OK, portly comedian Brian Posehn's set about how the closest he'll ever come to a sex scene in a movie is playing the demented killer who offs the comely teen couple was kinda funny, and David Cross was great as usual — and yet another set by the Black Lips. No vomit this time, just lots of spitting and bad wigs. The best part was when some fan tried to give Cross a copy of early porn actress Linda Lovelace's autobiography, "Ordeal," and he looked puzzled and politely declined in favor of bobbing his head to the Lips.

Toronto hardcore band F---ed Up thrilled an afternoon audience with a set of smashing tunes and lived up to their name when frontman Pink Eyes bashed his forehead bloody with the microphone and then put a drumstick where the sun don't shine. The crowd later went nuts when hardcore punk legend and original Circle Jerks singer Keith Morris took the stage and yelped one out while swinging his hip-long graying dreadlocks.

And finally: How can you tell an indie-rocker is tired? They cop a squat on the squalid, sticky floor of Red 7 and close their eyes for a quick catnap in the middle of a show.

The Evening

James Montgomery: Well, it's over. More than 100 hours of non-stop rock (and the occasional hip-hop act looking for directions back to the interstate) came to a close on a hectic, dude-master-terrific Saturday night in Austin. And as if the last night of SXSW 2007 weren't enough to pack the streets, it was also St. Patrick's Day (WOOOOOOOOOO!!!) which meant that every steakhead within a 30-mile radius was required to thrown on a green T-shirt — or backwards ball cap — and head down to Austin to gawk at girls, get in fights and get really really inebriated (Sixth Street will surely be awash in green vomit come sun-up — WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!) ...

Quote-of-the-night honors went to the — ahem — gentleman in the cocked fedora and black tank top, who bellowed into his RAZR, "No, we're down here on Fifth Street and Colorado ... No, Colorado — like the city."

Yeah, man. And after spending more roughly 30 minutes trying to navigate the packs of heavily gelled dudes (careful to avoid brushing their shoulders and setting off a testosterone OD), I sorta gave up and ducked into Habana Calle 6, where, as luck would have it, the Changes, four clean-cut young men who make strummy, summery pop, were just launching into an exceedingly nice set (seriously, these dudes make the Shins look like Turbonegro — your mom totally wants your sister to marry one of them immediately). Then, in one of those "Woah, look who's playing?!?" moments that totally makes SXSW worth it, I glanced at my schedule and noticed that former Helium frontwoman/my teenage crush Mary Timony was about to take the stage at Emo's tiny "IV" venue. So I rushed over and heard her unspool songs from her upcoming album The Shapes We Make, which were pretty excellent in that spacey, super-proggy "Revolution of Hearts, Pt. 1 & 2" kind of way (OK, 14 people in the world know what I'm talking about right now, and most of them were probably at the show) ...

Then, I bade farewell to SXSW '07 with a late-night performance from Australia's finest hirsute rockers (Jet be damned) Youth Group, who were great, but didn't hold my attention as I was starting to see spots. Soon after that I was making the seemingly 17-mile walk back to the Embassy Suites, and as I crossed over the Congress Avenue Bridge, I began to mull over my SXSW experience.

And you know what? I don't have any definitive closing statement. As I re-read my notebook, I found myself thinking things like "Wait, I saw that band?" and "Wow, I went there?" And maybe it's because, after three straight years of SXSW, things tend to blur together — or maybe because there just wasn

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Amy Winehouse Raises Eyebrows, Bloc Party Draw A Mob As SXSW Wakes Up

16 Mar 2007 08:32:00 EDT

Plus comedian David Cross reps Against Me! at Texas fest; Melvins roar.
By MTV staff

Sleep is not exactly a top priority, so MTV News has dispatched three of its most tireless reporters into the fray. They'll be filing reports a few times each day (scroll down for the evening report), which will chiefly serve as a way of keeping you up to speed about what's going on deep in the heart of Texas, but also double as a convenient way — for us, anyway — of making sure everyone's still alive.

The Day

James Montgomery, MTV News writer: Just had my first totally random, totally awesome moment here at SXSW. I was waiting at a crosswalk on Congress Avenue when a dusty wood-paneled station wagon pulled up at the light and all the dudes inside, clearly in a band, clearly trying to look super-cool — think vintage vests, scraggly beards, wide-brim hats and bellbottoms straight out of Haight-Ashbury — were summarily laughed at by a gaggle of passing females. Next time get a tighter ride, bros.

Spent Thursday afternoon (March 15) baking in the sun at the Levis/Fader fort, where Interscope was debuting Queens of the Stone Age's upcoming Era Vulgaris record. Expect plenty of spooky, windswept guitars à la Lullabies to Paralyze — plus a whole lot of stompers circa their Songs for the Deaf era.

Then I headed over to Waterloo Records for an interview with Lily Allen, who was nice in an "I don't give a f----" kind of way. She talked about her plans to hit the studio in May and dismissed any notion of working with a producer du jour like Timbaland: "I don't want to be Nelly Furtado," she hissed. "And I don't want to spend $250,000 on a song I didn't write." She also got down to dissing the world-famous BBQ at Stubb's, declaring it "too gristly" (I would, respectively, have to disagree.)

Then it was back to the Fort for the Black Lips, who were missing a bassist ("He's still down in Mexico," one bandmember said) but still managed to fill the air with the kind of bludgeoning blooze-rock — and onstage French kissing — that they've been garnering much attention for in recent months. ...

Just back at the hotel for a minute, as I'm off to go interview the Cold War Kids at La Zona Rosa, then an evening filled with Elvis Perkins, Lo Fi Fink and (hopefully) the absence of heat stroke.

John Norris, MTV News correspondent:

"John Norris!!"

"Dude, I've been watching you since I was 5!"

"Nice to see you guys actually covering music!"

Ah yes — just a sampling of the greetings you get trying to shoot a news brief at 11 a.m. in the middle of Sixth Street on day #2 of SXSW. Who said they don't get up before noon at this festival? In fact, one person who was up early was none other than Chris Kirkpatrick. Yes, as in, formerly of 'NSYNC Chris Kirkpatrick ... though decidedly more tattooed than the last time I saw him. Chris has been to South By before but was ready to proclaim this one "maybe the wildest one yet." (Uh, totally awesome, bro.)

Other sights and sounds on a sunny Thursday in Austin:

"Nothing like a matinee. We're from Montreal. It's our first time in Texas. We want some chicken-fried chicken, whatever that is." · Canadian ambient rocker Patrick Watson, during a 1:45 p.m. set at Emo's

"We hope you find happiness and places to park." · Will Sheff, frontman for local band Okkervil River, to the packed afternoon crowd at Bourbon Rocks. Great band by the way: They've been playing SXSW for seven years and have a deservedly faithful following. Folk-rock sound that would not be out of place on a Bright Eyes bill.

"Doesn't that bicycle seat hurt your ass?" · The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne, to a cycling semi-drag queen (gray hair and beard, painted nails, tiara, butterfly thong and, apparently, breasts). Wayne was last seen on Sixth Street at SXSW 2006 as a pied piper in a huge bubble; this year he's a roving reporter for "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno."

Gil Kaufman, MTV News writer: Not a whole lot of time to file right now, as I'm putting in a marathon day of shows (Amy Winehouse, Daniel Johnston, El-P). But I wanted to share this gem from Wednesday night with you all: Sometimes even the most horrible band can teach you something.

Walking down Sixth Street, you hear so much music bleed out of every hole-in-the-wall bar that it's hard to figure out who you're hearing, even if you consult your festival guide. British blues yelpers Kava Kava, with a lead singer who looked like Bo Bice on a bender, were totally unexceptional, except for this genius bit of technology: The keyboardist had a little LED display taped onto his instrument that said "read me" and scrolled the band's name over and over in red 2-inch-high letters. Genius.

P.S.: No truth to all those "Rage Against the Machine played a reunion show last night" rumors floating around Austin. Tom Morello's manager told me the axeman was in Los Angeles on Wednesday night and that the supposed show "couldn't have happened." Though Morello's show Thursday night at Parish — where he is slated to perform as his alias, the Nightwatchman — is being billed as featuring "special guests," so ... who knows?

The Evening

James Montgomery: Important SXSW Lesson, Number One: No matter how boring you think the Cold War Kids may be, do not — under any circumstances — avoid their live show, which from the sound of things will be one that fest vets will be talking about for remainder of the week. Of course, I wasn't there, having dipped out to go watch Lo Fi Fink goof around onstage for 20 minutes, but apparently — from the roughly 37 text messages I received about it — I missed an epic effort, culminating with a mega-jam involving hotly tipped folkster Elvis Perkins.

(Check out exclusive front-row footage of Morello's jam session with Slash, Perry Farrell and more, right here.)

Important SXSW Lesson, Number Two: No matter how inconsequential you think Tom Morello might be, do not — under any circumstances — skip out on a performance by his side project, the Nightwatchman, especially when said performance is billed as "featuring special guests." Sure enough, I missed out on another sure-to-be-blogged about highlight — but don't worry, other members of the MTV News crew were in the front row, cameras and notebooks in hand (see "Morello's SXSW Gig Turns Into Raucous All-Star Jam With Slash, Perry Farrell").

Important SXSW Lesson, Number Three: I am a huge dumbass.

Thursday night wasn't all bad though ... I did get to witness a blistering set of anthemic, honest-to-goodness punk rock from Gainesville, Florida's Against Me!. (Of course, I had to sit through 45 minutes of Jack's Mannequin to do it, so let's call it a Pyrrhic victory.)

The fiercely DIY quartet turned the punk community on its collective head in late 2005 when they announced that they had signed with — gasp! — a major label, but if their sweaty set at the Sire Records showcase was any indication, all those old wounds have healed. Many fists were pumped, many hard-charging choruses bellowed and many unfortunate tattoos revealed, and the band seemed to be having a ball unveiling songs from their upcoming album New Wave, which displayed a decidedly dance-y streak.

Hey, even comedian David Cross, who caught the show in his "official undercover celebrity uniform" (read: a flannel shirt and a ratty ball cap) approved. And if it's good enough for America's foremost indie humorist, then it's certainly good enough for you.

John Norris: Now that's the South by Southwest I know and love. After a kinda sleepy Wednesday on Sixth Street ("Pete Wentz Clones Descend, Lily Allen Warbles As SXSW Gets Under Way"), on Thursday night things were back to the Bourbon-Street-with-a-great-soundtrack vibe that defines this week in Austin. Not always easy to maneuver, especially when every block there's another two or three CDs shoved into your hand. And — note to the guy who said, "You probably just throw these things away" — rest assured I try to make a point of listening to each and every record that comes my way.

Anyway, making it to see four artists at four different clubs in five hours does require a plan, and that's what I and my friend Chris, who was in from New York, had. For the most part, it worked.

First stop: Norway's Sondre Lerche, a power pop guy whose records seem to just be getting better. Not only is his latest, Phantom Punch probably his best to date, it also brings him closest to one of his musical heroes, Elvis Costello. Sondre and his very tight band had the crowd at Antone's — part of a showcase for Astralwerks that also included Sparklehorse — rocking.

The same could also be said for Mute Math. The electronic outfit — and former "You Hear It First" artist — is a band that, it is said, is best appreciated live. Tonight, everyone packed into the Dirty Dog found out why.

No doubt one of the three or four "

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Fall Out Boy Take It To The Top, Score First Billboard #1

14 Feb 2007 11:36:00 EST

'High School Musical' star Ashley Tisdale, Bloc Party also debut high.
By Chris Harris

When Fall Out Boy released their third full-length album, From Under the Cork Tree, no one realized just how well the LP would do. It ended up being one of the surprise breakout hits of 2005 and sold more than 2.5 million copies in the U.S. alone — making for much less surprising first-week sales totals for the band's follow-up effort, Infinity on High.

With close to 260,000 copies flying off record store shelves last week, FOB's Infinity on High has earned the Chicago rockers a career first: a #1 debut on Billboard's albums chart — a debut one could say was foreshadowed by the group's cross-country, three-gigs-in-one-day stunt last week (see "Infinity Ends: Fall Out Boy Wrap Epic Trek With L.A. Rooftop Gig"). Comparatively, From Under the Cork Tree opened at #9 the week after its release on 68,000 scans. But it was still a tight race for the chart's peak position, with last week's #1, Norah Jones' Not Too Late, selling close to 236,000 units, and slipping one spot to #2, according to the latest SoundScan totals.

But Fall Out fans weren't just snatching up copies of Infinity on High — many evidently also grabbed a copy of Cork Tree, and that album returns to the top 200 this week at #168, selling 5,300 units.

Elsewhere on the chart, for a third straight week, Daughtry, the self-titled debut from "American Idol" finalist Chris Daughtry's rock outfit, holds at #3, with 76,000 copies sold, while Akon's Konvicted climbs two places to #4, selling 64,700 copies. Bowing at #5 on next week's chart is Headstrong, the debut studio offering from Ashley Tisdale, who plays Sharpay Evans in the Disney Channel original movie "High School Musical." The LP sold close to 64,000 copies and was one of just three albums to debut in the chart's top 10; the other, country singer Jason Michael Carroll's Waitin' in the Country, claims the #8 slot, with 57,600 scans.

Robin Thicke's Evolution of Robin Thicke jumps three positions this week to #6, with sales reported at 60,800 (a 17 percent sales surge). The 2007 Grammy Nominees compilation — featuring 23 tracks from this year's award contenders, including Gnarls Barkley, John Mayer, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Justin Timberlake and James Blunt — follows at #7, selling just 50 fewer copies than Thicke's LP. Meanwhile, Grammy nominee Corinne Bailey Rae's self-titled album — which enjoyed a 32 percent spike in sales — takes the chart's #9 spot, with 51,500 scans, and Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds enjoys a 24 percent sales boost to round out the top 10 with 48,400 copies sold.

A total of 11 new releases found their way onto next week's chart, including Bloc Party's latest, A Weekend in the City, which bows at #12 with 47,700 sold. Patty Griffin's Children Running Through debuts at #34 with 26,600 scans, while Jordan Pruitt's No Ordinary Girl fills the #64 slot, selling 14,000 units; Pruitt was the opening act for "High School Musical: The Concert." The Used's live Berth set follows at #71, with 12,800 copies sold, while Bayside's Walking Wounded opens at #75 with 12,600 scans. The Barenaked Ladies' Barenaked Ladies Are Men claims the #102 spot with 9,800 copies snatched up, while Rickie Lee Jones' Sermon on Explosion Boulevard opens at #158 with sales of 5,800.

Prince's Super Bowl halftime performance two weeks ago helped boost sales of his third hits collection, Ultimate, by a whopping 170 percent. The album sold close to 4,800 copies — around 3,000 more than the album had netted the week before.

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For The Record: Quick News On 50, Cam'ron, Ozzfest, Bloc Party, Snoop, Game & More

09 Feb 2007 17:25:00 EST

50 dis track demotes Cam; Ozzfest organizers reveal free-fest details; Bloc Party seek fill-in drummer.
By MTV News staff

50 Cent is at it again. After a heated exchange with Cam'ron last week on New York radio station Hot 97, the G-Unit general took aim at the Diplomats top dog on the track "Funeral Music," which made its debut on DJ Kay Slay's MySpace page Thursday night. In the YouTube video clip, 50 poked fun at Cam being shot last year and mocked the Harlem, New York, rapper's rhyme style before adding, "I'm not gonna destroy Dipset, just gotta make some changes." He then proceeded to rearrange the Dipset ranking order to put Jim Jones and Juelz Santana over Cam in the hierarchy. "From now on, Jimmy's the boss of Dipset and Juelz is the capo," 50 says in the clip. "Cam's demoted to soldier!" ...

We've learned that Ozzfest will be free this summer — but how will one gain admission to the traveling metal monstrosity? Well, tickets will be paid for and distributed by the festival's sponsors, including Jägermeister and Monster Energy Drink. Those signed up at Ozzfest.com will get info on how to score their free tickets first. Once you've landed one, you'll need to print it out and bring it to Ozzfest the day of the show. The shows will be general admission and seats will be divvied out on a first-come, first-to-claim-a-seat-and-watch-the-show-from-there basis. The prices of merchandise, beer, soda, water and food will not be raised at all, according to organizers. A limit on tickets has yet to be determined, and more information on the free fest will be revealed in the coming weeks. ...

Bloc Party are in need of a fill-in for drummer Matt Tong, who has a serious respiratory condition that caused his lung to collapse during the band's last U.S. tour. Tong is likely to suffer complications from his condition during the band's upcoming U.K. tour, and the temporary replacement should help Bloc Party avoid cancelling any gigs. ... Tha Dogg Pound aren't ready to be muzzled just yet. After reconciling in spring 2005, Snoop Dogg, Daz Dillinger and Kurupt dished up a reunion LP, Cali Iz Active, in June. Now they're ready to issue that LP's successor less than a year later: Dogg Ch--, due March 27. The album was completely produced by the group, but it features a veritable guest list to boot, including the Game, Jayo Felony and Too Short. ...

Cartoon Network General Manager and Executive Vice President Jim Samples resigned Friday (February 9) in the wake of the network's botched "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" publicity campaign, CNN reports. "I deeply regret the negative publicity and expense caused to our company as a result of this campaign," Samples wrote in a letter to employees, referring to the stunt that led to a terrorism scare in Boston last week. "As general manager of Cartoon Network, I feel compelled to step down, effective immediately, in recognition of the gravity of the situation that occurred under my watch." The Cartoon Network's parent company, Turner Broadcasting System — along with marketing company Interference Inc. — agreed earlier this week to pay $2 million to reimburse local agencies and fund homeland-security programs. ...

Weeks after bloggers began posting unofficial lists of artists they claimed would play this year's South by Southwest music conference, organizers have confirmed an initial lineup for the annual fest, which will hit Austin, Texas, on March 14-18. The Stooges, Bloc Party, Mastodon, the Strokes' Albert Hammond Jr., Kings of Leon, Jack's Mannequin, Chingo Bling, Dirty on Purpose, the Horrors, Spoon, Apples in Stereo, the Bravery and Amy Winehouse are among the acts on the fest's current list of performers. For more information on the conference, visit SXSW.com ...

The reunited Stooges — who will release The Weirdness, their first album in more than 30 years, March 20 — have announced several shows planned for the spring. The band will play its SXSW gig March 17, followed by concerts in Boston (April 7), New York (April 9), Detroit (April 13), Denver (April 17), San Francisco (April 19) and Seattle (April 27). ... Gus Van Sant has agreed to an alcohol-diversion program after being arrested on drunken-driving charges in December, The Associated Press reports. The director appeared briefly in a Portland, Oregon, court Friday morning. Those who enter the program have to plead guilty or no contest, but a DUI conviction can be avoided if the participant successfully completes the program. ...

Saves the Day's next album has a title, even though the band hasn't started working on the LP just yet. Frontman Chris Conley revealed that the group's next record will be called Under the Boards, in a statement posted on the band's MySpace page. Saves the Day have demoed 13 tracks for the effort but have no plans to enter the studio anytime soon. Conley said he hopes the album will be in stores before the end of the year. ... Gomez are chasing their recently released Five Men in a Hut (A's, B's & Rarities: 1998-2004) CD anthology with a similarly titled DVD: "Five Men in a Hut: Singles 1998-2004." The career-spanning collection, due February 20, compiles 12 music videos along with six unreleased performance clips, two interviews and more. ...

Maybe Steve Jobs is on to something. Just days after the Apple Inc. boss wrote an open letter saying he'd support removing copy protection from the iTunes store, one of the major labels, EMI Group PLC — home of the Rolling Stones, Beastie Boys, Beatles and Coldplay — has revealed that it is talking to online retailers about possibly selling its digital catalog without copy protection, according to The Wall Street Journal. Citing people familiar with the talks, the Journal reported that EMI asked retailers to submit proposals telling the company what size advance payments it would offer in exchange for the right to sell EMI's music as unprotected MP3s. A decision on whether to go ahead with the plan could come soon. Over the past few months EMI has experimented with copy protection-free MP3 by Norah Jones, Lily Allen and Relient K, getting positive results from fans.

02.08.2007

Dust off your record players, Coldplay fans: The band is compiling all 14 of its singles on vinyl, each pressed as a 7-inch in a sleeve with its original artwork. The box set, dubbed The Singles 1999-2006, will also include 1999's The Blue Room E.P. — the band's first Parlophone item — and is set for a March 26 international release. A U.S. release date is not scheduled, and Coldplay have stipulated that a CD version will not be made. ...

(+44)'s injured drummer, Travis Barker, won't be returning to the road anytime soon. According to a MySpace post by frontman Mark Hoppus, Barker continues to recover from a broken arm — his bones were so brittle that they broke while he was playing drums back in October. Barker is to strap a bone stimulator, a device that encourages the healing process, to his forearm, and doctors also ordered a casual return to the drums as rehabilitation. There's no word on when Barker will be back behind the kit. ...

Jadakiss was indicted Thursday (February 8) in a New York state court on weapon and drug-possession charges stemming from an arrest last year, according to The Associated Press. The Yonkers native and three other men were pulled over by police October 7 after authorities allegedly smelled marijuana coming from the car the rapper was in — and then discovered a gun in the vehicle. In the police report, Jada's lawyer, Clement Patti, said he had "yet to see or hear of any evidence connecting my client to possessing this weapon." If convicted, the rapper could face up to seven years in prison. Through an Interscope spokesperson, Jadakiss declined to comment to MTV News regarding the matter. ...

The performer list for Sunday's 49th annual Grammy Awards keeps growing, with the latest additions including T.I. and James Blunt as well as Earth, Wind & Fire, who will join a previously announced hook-up between Mary J. Blige and Ludacris. More presenters have also been added, including Mandy Moore, Common, Quentin Tarantino, Luke Wilson, Reba McEntire, Natalie Cole and legendary songwriter Burt Bacharach. The Grammys air Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. MTV News' "All Up in the Grammys" preshow begins at 7:30 p.m. on MTV. ... And the Grammys' star-studded green room won't be green at all this year. The Recording Academy and Gap have teamed up to create the first (RED) Room backstage at the 49th annual Grammy Awards in honor of Product (RED), an initiative spearheaded by Bono to help combat HIV/AIDS in Africa. ...

Dr. Dre is setting himself up for the next act in his creative life: movie mogul. According to Variety, Dre has signed a multiyear feature production deal with New Line through his new company, Crucial Films. Dre plans to produce alongside longtime collaborator Phillip Atwell, focusing first on dark comedies before moving on to genres such as horror. He'll be heavily involved in the music side of the film projects. "This is a natural switch for me, since I've directed a lot of music videos," Dre said. "And I eventually want to get into directing." ...

Aching for a night with Justin Timberlake or the celebrity treatment at the VMAs? That wish can come true for the right price. R.S.V.P. to Help, an online charity auction led by Jon Bon Jovi and designer Kenneth Cole, includes a VIP package to see Timberlake perform in London i

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06 Feb 2007 06:01:00 EST

Also due Tuesday: Bayside, Barenaked Ladies, Patty Griffin, Sondre Lerche, Clouds, Arab Strap, Apocalyptica.
By Kurt Orzeck

It's been a slow year so far for rock fans, with a best-of Unwritten Law CD and new Shins effort among the most prominent releases so far in 2007. Now it's finally time to strap on the guitars: With nary a rapper in sight — save Jay-Z, who drops a verse on the new Fall Out Boy album — this week is all about the rock.

Doing It Up Right: Say what you will about Fall Out Boy, but they sure do know how to sweeten a deal. In the wake of their Infinity on High being leaked online, the band promised to reward fans who actually buy the set with online access to a live EP, Leaked in London, that was just recorded January 29. But the pop-punk princes aren't stopping there: A limited-edition deluxe digipak comes with five tarot cards and an exclusive booklet cover, while fans who preordered have been treated with an exclusive pack of five buttons.

Party On: Believe it or not, there's actually a second-degree connection between FOB and this week's other heavyweights, Bloc Party. Infinity on High features guest guitar licks by Ryan Ross of Panic! at the Disco — last year, Bloc bailed from a tour with that same band. The sophomore hipsters are feeling less generous than FOB, though: Fans who preordered A Weekend in the City have received only a bonus remix of the song "The Prayer," and the CD itself is frill-free. The album — which lead singer Kele Okereke has called "the living noise of a metropolis" — includes "Song for Clay (Disappear Here)," "Hunting for Witches" and "Waiting for the 7.18."

Get Used To It: One of the most annoying ways record labels try to make an extra buck is by releasing a band's live CD and DVD separately — sometimes at different intervals and sometimes without warning. On that count, fans of the Used have nothing to worry about: The pop-punk group's Berth contains both the CD and DVD versions of its 2005 headlining show in Vancouver, British Columbia. Better yet, the Used have stuffed the package with videos, making-of features and clips of them answering fan questions — and if you order Berth through TheUsed.net, you'll get a T-shirt too.

Snoop Dogg piped up a month ago with a new cut on the "Arthur and the Invisibles" soundtrack, and now he's contributing a fresh slice to another musical companion disc — albeit to a slightly different type of movie. The alternately funny and gory "Hood of Horror" — its tagline is "It ain't all good in da 'hood" — stars the rapper alongside choice B-actors Ernie Hudson and Danny Trejo. Snoop chipped in "Welcome to the Hood" for the soundtrack, which also includes his "Shake That Sh--" (featuring Young Walt, Terrace Martin and Tiffany Foxx), plus selections from Cool & Dre, Al Kapone and, bizarrely, blues-rock fiends the North Mississippi Allstars.

They Do Not Rock: But if your ears are ringing from all the rock and roll this week, don't worry: There are some lower-volume alternatives, as always. "High School Musical" darling Ashley Tisdale — who made history as the first female artist to debut two songs simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 — proves how Headstrong she is with her new LP. Fans who got a head start and ordered through AshleyMusic.com have been gifted with an autographed copy of the disc and a sticker pack.

Someone else who is decidedly not rocking is Jessica Simpson hero Patty Griffin, whose Children Running Through trots out R&B- and gospel-inflected tracks including "Up to the Mountains (MLK Song)," "Burgundy Shoes" and "Someone Else's Tomorrow." Griffin gets a boost from Emmylou Harris on "Trapeze."

Also toning things down is ex-Gus Gus lead singer Daníel Ágúst, whose Swallowed a Star was crafted with Madonna remixer Bix and features mild, bleep-y tunes. U.K. trio Fujiya & Miyagi take it one step further with Transparent Things, which is heavy on kraut and other electronic sounds, and was named after a Vladimir Nabokov novel.

Comp'd: This week also sees the release of a litany of compilation CDs, some slightly more freakish than others. While you're likely to find Yes, I'm a Witch filed in the CD bins under "O," the Yoko Ono collection was largely crafted by other artists. Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips, Cat Power and Antony scooped up chunks of previous Ono recordings — mostly her vocals — and spliced them with new musical tracks. Also participating are the Apples in Stereo, who drop their own New Magnetic Wonder LP this week — the album is the first one distributed through Elijah Wood's Simian Records.

The long-winded but self-explanatory 8-Bit Operators: The Music of Kraftwerk Performed on Vintage 8-Bit Video Game Systems is another odd tribute of sorts, blipping and bleeping its way through 15 chestnuts by the electro-kraut pioneers. The roster involves an array of international artists who have delved deep into the genre also known as "chiptune" or "bitpop."

Unlike those tributes, Brian Wilson actually participated directly in a salute to himself that was staged by MusiCares, a group that helps people in the music industry with financial and medical assistance. Everyone and their mother turned up for the 2005 event, and their renditions of classic Wilson/ Beach Boys cuts are captured here: the Red Hot Chili Peppers tackle "I Get Around," John Legend re-creates "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times," the Backstreet Boys reinterpret "When I Grow Up to Be a Man," and more. Wilson helps cap the show by running through "Pet Sounds," "Heroes and Villains" and three more numbers.

Polishing off this week's batch of bizarre comps is A Date With John Waters, a set of 14 love songs handpicked by Mr. "Pink Flamingos" himself. Claiming to go "back to the first record Waters ever shoplifted, 'Tonight You Belong to Me' by Patience and Prudence," the album also encompasses selections by Ike & Tina Turner and Ray Charles, as well as the more obscure Elton Motello and Eileen Barton, the latter of whom appeared in a long list of Waters flicks. And no, the disc doesn't come with a chicken.

Song Title of the Week:

"They're Not Horses, They're Unicorns" from Bayside's The Walking Wounded

Other Notables:

Aereogramme's My Heart Has a Wish That You Would Not Go: The fourth album by the Scottish ensemble doesn't sound all that much like the band's previous releases — instead of alternating big blasts of distorted guitar with introverted, mellow passages, this effort is much more even-tempered. That's largely because a nasty throat infection left singer Craig B mute for a portion of the recording session, which took place in Glasgow. The band can't take credit for the powerful album title, though: It's a line from William Peter Blatty's book "The Exorcist" that didn't make it to William Friedkin's big-screen version.

Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter's Like, Love, Lust & the Open Halls of the Soul: Jesse Sykes's career has an enormous span, what with her having once been a member of alt-country commandos Whiskeytown but more recently collaborating with the likes of doom-noise metallers Boris and Sunn0))). Her latest with backing band the Sweet Hereafter is their third outing, and it continues the minimalist approach forged with 2002's Reckless Burning and 2004's Oh, My Girl. Scandinavian singer/songwriter Nicolai Dunger lends a hand, but the entire effort was produced by Decemberists collaborator Tucker Martine.

The Makes Nice's Candy Wrapper & Twelve Other Songs: In yet another example of a musician doing the unexpected this week, Josh Smith of Bay Area stoner-metal faves the F---ing Champs and Drunk Horse has come up with ... an R&B album? Recalling the Zombies and Small Faces, Smith gangs up with Aaron Burnham — who graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a music degree — and software engineer Jack Matthew for the 13-track opus. Trans Am's Phil Manley, who is also a member of the F---ing Champs, helped the band record Candy Wrapper.

New Releases:

· Aereogramme - My Heart Has a Wish That You Would Not Go (Sonic Unyon) [Buy Now] · Daníel Ágúst - Swallowed a Star (One Little Indian) · Angels & Agony - Unison (Metropolis) · Animal Collective - People (EP; Fat Cat) [Buy Now] · The Apples in Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder (digipak; Simian/ Yep Roc/ Elephant 6) [Buy Now] · Backyard Tire Fire - Vagabonds and Hooligans (digipak; O.L.E.) [Buy Now] · Bayside - The Walking Wounded (Victory) [Buy Now] · Peter Bjorn and John - Writ

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