43 minutes ago

NEW YORK (Billboard) - The Beastie Boys are taking a break from the studio this week to play a handful of shows.

The hip-hop trio teamed up with Moby to play a charity concert in New York Tuesday, and will headline the Langerado Music Festival in Florida on Friday, and the MX Beat Soundfest in Mexico City on Saturday. Tuesday's gig, at Terminal 5, was a benefit for the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, which uses music as a medium for healing.

After the tour, the Beastie Boys will return to the studio. But fans shouldn't hope for a new record any time soon. It's all new, original," MCA, a.k.a. Adam Yauch, told Billboard.com, "but I don't think it's gonna come out this year, no."

The Beastie Boys won a Grammy last month when their 2007 release, "The Mix-Up," was named best pop instrumental album.

Reuters/Billboard

44 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Singer/songwriters Lionel Richie and Steve Miller will receive lifetime achievement honors at music industry group ASCAP's annual awards ceremony in Hollywood next month.

They will be presented with Golden Note Awards, which go to songwriters, composers, and artists who have achieved "extraordinary career milestones," ASCAP said in a statement on Wednesday. Previous winners include Tom Petty, Stevie Wonder, Jermaine Dupri and Quincy Jones.

ASCAP — the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers — collects royalties on behalf of its member songwriters and publishers from the public performance of their compositions from such outlets as radio, TV and Web sites.

The ceremony, to be held on April 9 at the Kodak Theatre, will honor the songwriters and publishers of ASCAP's most performed pop songs of 2007.

Richie, a former member of Motown group the Commodores, enjoyed huge solo success in the 1980s with such tunes as "All Night Long (All Night)" and "Hello." Miller is famed for such rock-radio staples as "The Joker" and "Fly Like an Eagle."

(Reporting by Dean Goodman)

By Steven Zeitchik 22 minutes ago

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Biggie is coming to the big screen.

Fox Searchlight has hired Jamal Woolard, a Brooklyn-based rapper, to play late rap icon Biggie Smalls, a.k.a. the Notorious B.I.G., in its upcoming biopic "Notorious."

Derek Luke, Angela Bassett and Anthony Mackie also have been cast in the movie, the art-house studio said. Directed by George Tillman Jr. ("Soul Food"), it goes into production this month and is set for release in January.

Luke ("Catch a Fire") will play Biggie record producer Sean "Diddy" Combs, who off-screen is an executive producer on the film. Mackie ("Brother to Brother") will play rival rapper Tupac Shakur, while Bassett ("Akeelah and the Bee") will play Biggie's mother Voletta Wallace.

The production held an open casting call last fall in the hope of finding the next Notorious B.I.G., ne Christopher Wallace, the generously built East Coast rapper who was killed in an unsolved Los Angeles drive-by in 1997.

The idea, executives said, was that as with casting for sports movies like "Miracle," the production would be better served with a non-actor who can rap and imitate Biggie than with a pro actor who might need to be taught how to rap.

More than 100 Biggie wannabes, many of them non-pros and all with the requisite size, turned out to show off their rapping and impersonation skills.

Woolard, who also is known as Gravy, is not a total unknown. He has released a number of albums, though he's perhaps best known for being shot before a radio appearance outside the New York hip-hop station Hot 97 two years ago, after which he proceeded with the interview and became a part of hip-hop lore.

Like Biggie, Woolard was a drug dealer before he became a rapper. He had released a number of albums on indie labels in the 1990s before being signed by Warner Bros.

Voletta Wallace cited "Jamal's charming personality, warm spirit, wonderful sense of humor and beautiful smile" as reasons for the casting. "He is a talented and charismatic actor, and I am excited that he will bring Christopher's character to life," she said.

Biggie, who drew on his experiences as a drug dealer in his rapping, is considered a seminal figure in the hip-hop world; his posthumously released "Life After Death" was a top seller and is considered one of the most influential hip-hop records of the modern era. "Notorious" is expected to examine his troubled life, his music and his impact.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

By Paul Gargano 29 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Linkin Park might have proved why it is at the top of the arena rock game in its sold-out Los Angeles homecoming Tuesday, but the band also demonstrated why it isn't yet at the top of its own game.

Having exploded onto the modern rock scene at the turn of the millennium with such teen-angst-driven rap-rock hits as "One Step Closer," and "Papercut," Linkin Park favored a decidedly more mature approach on its third and latest studio effort, "Minutes to Midnight." The stylistic swing took center stage at the Staples Center, where despite a rabid fan response, its 18-song set suffered at the hands of at-times stalled pacing.

Make no mistake, Linkin Park has earned its spot at the top of the modern rock mountain, and its latest album is a profound example of why and how, transforming the band into a well-oiled, music-first machine no longer willing to sacrifice the song for the sake of a simplified break-beat and sing-along chorus. The problem is: Sometimes it's that simplicity that rules on the live front.

From a musical perspective, a midset trio of ballads from the latest release formed the focal point of the set: "The Little Things Give You Away" delivered a lush soundscape in the spirit of Coldplay, backlit by videos of hurricane-ravaged New Orleans; "Shadow of the Day" tore a page from U2's "With or Without You"; and "Valentine's Day" brought Chester Bennington to a riser behind the drum kit, where he sang to the fans seated behind the vast open stage.

The ballads should have provided a much-needed pause from the unbridled energy in Linkin Park's more incendiary hits but instead delivered a lulling calm. When "Valentine's Day" gave way to "Crawling," the verses lacked the muscle needed to elevate the crowd, transforming what should have been raucous screams of the chorus ("I've felt this way before, so insecure") into little more than a loud chant. To the band's credit, it blew early hit "In the End" out of the water, tearing it from its rap-rock confines and delivering a memorable arena rock anthem.

"Bleed It Out" ended the main set with guitarist Brad Delson squibbing tight riffs over the rapid-fire vocals of Bennington and Mike Shinoda, and a Rob Bourdon drum solo broke the frenetic pace for long enough to end the small mosh pit or two on the general admission floor. Like the music, the mosh pits were far from dangerous. But at this level it's not about danger, it's about feeling good and offering a release, and Linkin Park delivered capably on both accounts.

The 90-minute set ultimately would have fared better with more energetic peaks to match the band's vision and bravado, but Linkin Park has chosen its musical path, and a transformation is under way, trimming the muscle from its delivery and stretching out songs with a heavy alternative slant that not only allows the band to grow but its audience to grow with them. The results lend themselves magnificently to the band's present and future; it's a just a question of finding that balance within the fires that flamed their past.

Coheed and Cambria was tight and dynamic in the support slot, its 50-minute set offering more progressive rock crunch and arena-ready polish than the metallic fury of its early recordings might indicate. Lead singer-guitarist Claudio Sanchez bore a nod to Triumph's Rik Emmett, albeit with a more grisly presence, his five-piece band (with two female backing vocalists) churning through retro-fueled art metal that bled with the influence of Rush and Tool.

Opener Chiodos was similarly memorable, its rough-around-the-edges fusion of My Chemical Romance-styled modern rock churning infectiously within progressive metal keyboard trappings and guitar riffs.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Natalie Finn Wed Mar 5, 12:01 PM ET

Los Angeles (E! Online) - Despite talk of a band reunion, Scott Weiland won't cop to being a stoned Temple Pilot.  

The alt-rocker pleaded not guilty Wednesday to driving under the influence of drugs with a prior conviction, maintaining he was sober when he bumped into another car on a Los Angeles freeway in November. 

A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Apr. 4. Weiland doesn't have to appear in person because the charge is a misdemeanor. 

If convicted, the 40-year-old Velvet Revolver frontman, who checked into rehab early last month, is facing a maximum sentence of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. He's guaranteed at least eight days behind bars if he's found guilty, and his car could be impounded for 30 days, as well. 

He was ordered into a six-month treatment program and spent three years on probation after pleading no contest to misdemeanor DUI in 2004. 

Weiland was arrested Nov. 21 on a Hollywood Freeway onramp in the San Fernando Valley after his Mercedes collided with another vehicle and he reportedly refused to take a chemical test. He was booked on suspicion of DUI and released after posting $40,000 bail. 

The musician hasn't commented on the bust, but Velvet Revolver's management said at the time that Weiland was not driving under the influence and that a Breathalyzer test would prove his blood-alcohol level was "well within the legal limit." 

Meanwhile, the original members of Stone Temple Pilots—Weiland, guitarist Dean DeLeo, his bassist-brother Robert DeLeo and drummer Eric Kretz—have announced plans to reunite onstage for the first time since 2002 at the Rock on the Range Festival May 17 in Columbus, Ohio.

By PETER PRENGAMAN, Associated Press Writer 1 minute ago

LOS ANGELES - A court commissioner ruled Wednesday that Britney Spears’ father will retain control of the troubled pop star’s finances and estate for another five months.

Superior Court Commissioner Reva Goetz extended Jamie Spears’ control until July 31, said court spokesman Alan Parachini. Parachini wasn’t immediately able to provide more information.

James Spears was named co-conservator of the pop star’s estate after she was hospitalized twice in January. His temporary authority to handle her affairs was to expire March 10.

In the year leading up to the hospitalizations, Spears had been caught on camera by paparazzi engaging in increasingly bizarre behavior. She shaved her head, beat a vehicle with an umbrella, wore skirts sans underwear and left her car on a busy thoroughfare after getting a flat tire.

The strange outbursts and hospitalizations contributed to the 26-year-old losing custody of her young sons, Jayden James, 1, and Sean Preston, 2. Ex-husband Kevin Federline continues to have full custody.

Spears was allowed brief visits with the boys beginning in late February after not seeing them for nearly two months. That happened after Spears and Federline “agreed to a modification of the court’s order” that had stripped Spears of her visitation rights, according to Federline attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan.

Spears’ parents came to Los Angeles around the time of her second hospitalization. They pushed to restore visitation rights with the boys.

41 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES - Scott Weiland has pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence of drugs when he crashed his car in November.

An attorney entered the plea Wednesday for the Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver singer, who was not required to appear in court for his arraignment because of the misdemeanor count.

A pretrial hearing was set for April 4.

Weiland was arrested Nov. 21 after he crashed his car on a state highway. The rocker, who had a prior DUI conviction in 2004, could face eight days to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted, prosecutors have said.

By Christine Kearney 28 minutes ago

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. songwriter and record producer Linda Perry is suing Warner Music Group for not turning over millions of dollars in royalties from the debut album of her protege, English singer James Blunt.

Perry's California-based record company, Custard, filed suit against Warner Music Group and one of its labels, Atlantic Records, which distributed Blunt's wildly successful album "Back to Bedlam," claiming breach of contract. The suit, seeking lost royalties and $5 million in punitive damages, was filed Tuesday in Manhattan federal court.

Perry, the former lead singer and songwriter for rock group 4 Non Blondes, has written and produced hits for Gwen Stefani, Pink and Christina Aguilera.

"Back to Bedlam" sold more than 11 million copies worldwide. A single from the album, "You're Beautiful," reached the No. 1 spot in the United States, United Kingdom and other European music charts. Atlantic has grossed more than $100 million dollars in sales from Blunt, the suit said.

"Atlantic's wrongdoing follows the far too familiar scenario involving a large multinational corporate record company which takes advantage of a small, independent production company after the production company presents the major label with a promising new artist," the lawsuit said.

Warner Music Group spokesman Will Tanous said Atlantic Records valued its relationship with Perry.

"Custard has always been and will continue to be compensated in accordance with the terms of its contractual arrangement with Atlantic," he said.

Perry said after discovering Blunt in 2003, she signed him to her label and delivered "Back to Bedlam" to Atlantic, which initially showed a "general lack of support" for the album, according to the suit.

Had it not been for Perry and Custard, "it is likely that Blunt's album would never have been released and no one would ever have known who he was," the suit said.

Under the original 2003 contract, Atlantic agreed to turn over a basic royalty of 20 percent of U.S. sales from Blunt's album to Custard, which then passed 13 percent onto Blunt.

After the album became successful, Atlantic reacted to demands from Blunt's management for a greater share of the royalties by reducing Custard's share from 7 percent to 4 percent, instead of cutting their own profits, the suit said.

Both sides agree Blunt had nothing to do with the dispute.

By DERRIK J. LANG, AP Entertainment Writer 29 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES - No finalist as ever been portrayed as openly gay during the past six seasons of “American Idol.” With more details about contestants’ personal lives being exposed — both on the show and unofficially online — that could change, and soon.

Or will it be “Idol” business as usual?

“It feels like we’re closer now than ever to having an openly gay contestant on the show,” says Jim Verraos, who came out after his run as a finalist on the first season of “Idol.”

“I’m not here to name any names, but I feel like there are some definite possibilities for this to happen this year,” he said. “Do I think it’ll happen? I don’t know. I hope it does.”

On Thursday, the current 16 semifinalists will be narrowed down to 12 finalists, who will perform live each week until the seventh winner of “American Idol” is selected by the voting public. At its core, “Idol” is a singing competition, but finalists’ popularity has always seemed to play a big role in who moves forward.

When reached for comment about this story, Fox and “Idol” producers issued the following statement to The Associated Press: “We do not comment on the personal lives of the show participants.” None of the current contestants have been made available for comment.

Over the years, however, “Idol” has devoted plenty of screentime to participants’ personal lives, ranging from asking intimate questions of the contestants (this week it’s “What was your most embarrassing moment?”) to aiming the camera at their sobbing significant others in the audience, to airing fully edited segments about their backgrounds.

“The show hasn’t seemed very conducive or gay friendly to contestants coming out,” says Michael Jensen, editor of AfterElton.com, a Web site about gay and bisexual men in entertainment and the media. “Simon and Randy have not hesitated to mock effeminate contestants and crack the occasional gay joke. It has not communicated to contestants that it would be a good place to come out.”

Every season, blogs and message board users endlessly speculate about the sexuality of contestants. Online clues hinting at their sexual orientation often emerge, but Fox and “Idol” producers have never addressed such rumors or depicted openly gay finalists as such on the show or on AmericanIdol.com.

Such speculation isn’t new.

Will Young, the first champion of “American Idol’s” British predecessor “Pop Idol,” was rumored to be gay — then publicly came out following his win. In 2005, a gay personal ad featuring U.S. season-four finalist Anwar Robinson was discovered on BlackPlanet.com. And second-season runner-up Clay Aiken continues to be a constant source of “is he or isn’t he?” gossip — though he’s always maintained that he isn’t.

“Gay people, like everybody, want to see themselves reflected on television,” says Jensen. “I think that when a show hasn’t reflected that, and goes on and on not reflecting that, it sort of raises the ante, and each season people begin speculating even more intensely about who may be gay.”

This week, a video of flamboyant current semifinalist Danny Noriega lashing out against Santa Claus appeared on MySpace and was posted on several blogs. Another video of Noriega singing Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools” and rapping about being gay — all while wearing a do-rag — was also posted on YouTube.

“Yeah, I’m gay,” raps Noriega in the video. “But you eat hay for dinner, ‘cause you look like a horse … .”

Last week, “Idol”-bashing VoteForTheWorst.com posted photos of scantily clad semifinalist David Hernandez working at gay nightclub Burn, as well as rumors that he was a stripper at Dick’s Cabaret in Phoenix. Club manager Gordy Bryan told the AP on Monday that Hernandez did indeed dance fully nude and perform lap dances for the club’s “mostly male” clientele.

Club manager Bryan says he did not know anything about Hernandez’s personal life while he was stripping at Dick’s Cabaret. Hernandez’s MySpace profile lists his sexual orientation as straight.

First-season finalist Verraros, who says he was out to fellow contestants and “Idol” staff but not on the show, was publicly outed when an online journal he kept in college, which included comments about dating guys, was discovered. “Idol” producers later asked Verraros to take down the LiveJournal.

“The message boards were so homophobic. The gay-bashing was awful,” says Verraos. “It was horrible. They said a faggot would never win ‘American Idol.’ It was pretty intense. I think it’s something you have to expect in this industry, whether it’s ‘American Idol’ or a sitcom or Broadway. It’s going to happen the more exposed you are.”

Verraos decided not to come out until after the show and the subsequent tour, doing so in the pages of gay magazine The Advocate. Since then, Verraos released his first album, starred in the gay-themed indie film “Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds” and his currently working on his second album.

“Regardless of whether or not a contestant is gay, the talent is there,” says Verraos. “That should always come first and foremost.”

___

On the Net:

http://www.americanidol.com

30 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. rocker Scott Weiland pleaded innocent on Wednesday to driving under the influence of drugs, a charge stemming from his November arrest on a Los Angeles freeway onramp.

The 40-year-old singer for the band Velvet Revolver was not in court but entered his plea to the misdemeanor charge through a defense attorney.

Weiland is free on $40,000 bail and was due back in court for a pretrial hearing on April 4.

If convicted he faces up to one year in jail because he has a prior conviction for driving under the influence, a spokesman for the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office said.

Weiland, who first gained fame as lead singer for Stone Temple Pilots, was stopped by police on November 21 while driving onto the Hollywood Freeway. He was taken into custody after refusing to take a sobriety test.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Xavier Briand)