Music News & Videos

Who: Alabama's own Jamey Johnson, a shit-kicking, hard-drinking badass who is well on his way to being country music's biggest outlaw. Sounds Like: To start, think Steve Earle and Merle Haggard, not Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban. On his album That Lonesome Song, Johnson mixes tender ballads like "In Color" with barnstormers like "High Cost of Living" and raw country tales influenced by booze, drugs and his own divorce. "I was trying to reach that dude at the bar going through what I was going through," Johnson says of the album. Vital Stats:

A

To say that Kellie Pickler is excited about her sophomore album, which dropped today, is an understatement.  With more time to dedicate to recording (For her first album, her main recording time was in between shows on the AI tour.), a more seasoned approach, and even a new outlook on life, Kellie's new CD will reflect all the changes she's experienced since her debut album. As she explained in our exclusive interview yesterday, she had more time "to be able to make it me."  She also called the whole experience this time around more "enjoyable," as she was able to do some fun things, like collaborating with her new best friend Taylor Swift.  The two sing a duet on the album called "Best Days Of Your Life," about a bad break-up.  While there are other heartbreak songs on the album, Kellie is quick to note that it has a bit of everything, from the angst-ridden numbers to the more fun, rockin' songs.  In fact, "Rocks Instead of Rice," written by Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins (who also wrote "Before He Cheats" for Carrie Underwood) is a revenge fantasy about a girl who crashes an ex's wedding. The songs are all very personal to Kellie and her experiences, but she named two songs as being closest to her heart:  "Somebody To Love Me" and "One Last Time".  Somebody was a song that reflects a time in her life when all of her business endeavors were coming together but her personal life was "crumbling."  Writing the song with Aimee Mayo and Chris Lindsey gave her the sense of closure she needed on some tough issues in her life. On top of a whirlwind media tour to promote the new album, Kellie leaves right from an appearance on "Live With Regis And Kelly" to go tour with the band Sugarland.  Having toured with Brad Paisley and Rascal Flatts already, Kellie feels very blessed these days.  She calls the live shows an "incredible feeling," going on to say that hearing her fans sing along to her songs and scream her name "never gets old." Kellie is quite open about some initial missteps in her career just after her stint on "Idol," calling herself young and naïve.  These are all things she's been able to learn from, however, and unlike her image as a bit of an airhead while on AI, she definitely has a good head on her shoulders.  She has learned to put her foot down, and she's making smarter decisions these days.  Before American Idol, Kellie had never been on an airplane or even seen the inside of an airport for that matter.  Now, she's traveled the world, including a trip to Iraq with the USO, which she will be doing again later this year. With her star on the rise and a recent CMA nomination for Best New Artist, Kellie hasn't forgotten her "Idol" roots.  Instead, she says she feels "so blessed to have been a part of the show."  She went on to say that it has done nothing but help her in her career, and she even considers her fellow Idols and the people behind the scenes to be like family, saying that it's like a giant reunion when she goes back to perform. Kellie gushed about her relationship with the AI producers, saying that she knows each of them would help her if she ever found herself in crisis.  "Another amazing thing American Idol gave to me was long-lasting friendships," Kellie said.  She stays in touch with Bucky Covington and Mandisa, whom she calls "one of the most amazing people I've ever met in my life."  She was in Katharine McPhee's wedding back in February and counts her as one of her best friends.  She's generally impressed with each of her fellow Idols from season five, saying that each person in the top 10 is very successful. Kellie is most excited for her fans to be able to listen to the album in its entirety, as only clips have been available to them until now.  She looks forward to the feedback, and if her fans feel half as strongly as she does about this album and all of the songs' underlying means, they are going to love it.  It makes sense that her debut album was called "Small Town Girl" while her sophomore effort will be self-titled, as this is the real Kellie Pickler. Check out Kellie's Transformation gallery from Season 5!

Photograph by Bob Gruen

Rock Daily recently brought you the story behind legendary rock photographer Bob Gruen’s new book documenting the history of glam-punk pioneers New York Dolls. Click here to check out some awesome photos from the hardcover, with commentary from Debbie Harry, Iggy Pop, Joe Strummer, Johnny Ramone and more punk icons.

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• New York Dolls Make Their Return

• All New York Dolls Album Reviews

• New York Punk, In Photos: Remembering CBGBs

We've been fans of Kanye West-approved Chicago MC Kid Sister since catching her set at last year's CMJ fest in New York. Her album Dream Date is out November 25th on Downtown Records, and you can check out the bouncy "Family Reunion" (featuring a sharp verse from David Banner) right here: "Family Reunion" [right click and select "save as"]

James Taylor’s Covers leads this week’s loaded slate of new reviews. In his review, Rolling Stone’s Anthony DeCurtis calls Taylor’s new record, “a fan’s notes: a great singer-songwriter playing DJ, showcasing songs he loves for listeners who love him.” Click below for the full review, as well as reviews of new releases from T.I., Ben Folds, Jack’s Mannequin, Lou Reed, Robin Thicke and Tom Morello, as well as reviews of reissues from Roy Orbison, the Jesus and Mary Chain and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

• Album Review: James Taylor, Covers (3.5 stars)

• Album Review: T.I., Paper Trail (3 stars)

• Album Review: Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman, The Fabled City (3 stars)

• Album Review: Lou Reed, Berlin: Live at St. Ann’s Warehouse (4 stars)

• Album Review: Ben Folds, Way to Normal (3.5 stars)

• Album Review: Jack’s Mannequin, The Glass Passenger (3.5 stars)

• Album Review: Robin Thicke, Something Else (3 stars)

• Album Review: Roy Orbison, The Soul of Rock and Roll (5 stars)

• Album Review: The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Power of Negative Thinking (3 stars)

• Album Review: Creedence Clearwater Revival, Cosmo’s Factory, Willy and the Poor Boys, Green River and Bayou Country

By Elena Torres

Ever since I was 13 and bought the Californication CD back in 1999, I’ve always found some kind of weird way to identify with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Since then I’ve seen them in concert three times, bought every CD they’ve ever made, read Anthony Kiedis’ autobiography “Scar Tissue” and done everything else that goes along with being a superfan.

This weekend I got to add another item to my list of personal RHCP milestones: I got to interview Flea. The band’s bassist held a charity event for the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, and MTV News was invited to the shindig. The Chili Peppers are currently on hiatus, and we wanted to get an update on what Flea has been up to in the meantime. Of course I made sure to be there.

The occasion included jazz-music performances by students of the conservatory as well as teachers — one of which was Flea. Seeing him play jazz trumpet at a charity event full of happy families was definitely different than the last place I had seen him rocking out onstage.

When it was finally time for the interview, I was really nervous. (I mean, really, what do you say to one of the members of your favorite band of all time?) I was also pretty upset because I forgot my camera, but that died down fast. Flea was a really down-to-earth guy, happy to talk to us and clearly excited to be supporting a children’s music program.

During our talk I found out Flea is currently studying music at the University of Southern California, which also happens to be where I went to college. I just missed him! If I had graduated a year later, there is a possibility that I would have been going to class with Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers!

Who would have thought that when I finally got to meet one of my favorite rock stars, we would end up talking about running through campus, trying to make it to class on time?

Look up the word “cool” in any dictionary, and you’ll see that it has a lot of different meanings. In my book, artists like Bob Marley, the Beatles and Prince are the very definition of the word “cool.” Well, add to that list the name Robin Thicke. It’s a bold statement, I know … but then, so is Robin’s new album.

It hits stores today, so we put the call in and got him to stop by MTV HQ on the eve of his big album launch. Something Else is definitely not what you would call ordinary. It’s not cookie-cutter R&B, it doesn’t have a whole load of big-name collaborations (only one … yes, Lil Wayne on “Tie My Hands”), and it’s undoubtedly the album that Robin always wanted to make. You see, that’s something that’s very important to Thicke. He’s an artist who holds his own musical integrity in the highest regard. Simply put, Thicke would rather busk on the street all his life than put out an album that he had no creative control over.

We chopped it up about his new album; the lead single, “Magic” (and why it wasn’t his first choice); collaborating with his lovely wife, Paula Patton (who starred in “Mirrors” with Kiefer Sutherland and “Déjà Vu” opposite the legend that is Denzel Washington); and of course, my new favorite song right now, the excellent “Dreamworld.” This album might be his best yet. Trust me — go buy it, call over your “special friend” and press play. By the fifth track, it’s pretty clear: A lot of babies are going to be made to this album.

We’ll have much more from this interview in the coming days.

Somewhat lost amidst the madness that was Austin City Limits was the stirring set by Conor Oberst, who unleashed a pair of new tunes and covered a Paul Simon song. Oberst treated the crowd to a cover of Paul Simon’s “Kodachrome,” reportedly a popular singalong on Oberst’s tour bus. As for the new ones, “I Got A Reason #2″ is a Dylanesque rave-up that even name checks this magazine — Oberst sings “In the glass houses, in the pages of the Rolling Stone” at the top of the second verse. The other new song “10 Women” doesn’t reference us, but it’s still a pretty good tune. Oberst has been playing around with both songs on his “solo” tour, including the above rendition of “I Got a Reason #2″ at an in-store performance at San Francisco’s Amoeba Music.

Related Stories:

• Foo Fighters, Beck Give Summer Festival Season a Rocking Send-Off at Austin City Limits

• New Music Report: Conor Oberst

• Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band Channel Rock Icons in Seattle

Photo: Latz/AFP/Getty

The Backstreet Boys invade Canada on the second leg of their tour, Yes hit the road without Jon Anderson and Nick Lowe plays some clubs to further cement himself as the Jesus of Cool. Follow the jump for the complete set of tour dates.

Backstreet Boys
October 30 - Reading, PA @ Sovereign Center
October 31 - Montclair, NJ @ Wellmont Theatre
November 1 - Wilkes-Barre, PA @ Wachovia Arena
November 2 - Wallingford, CT @ Chevrolet Theatre
November 4 - Quebec City, QUE @ Pavillon de la Jeunesse
November 5 - Chicoutimi, QUE @ Centre Georges-Vezina
November 6 - Sherbrooke, QUE @ Palais Des Sports
November 8 - London, ON @ John Labatt Centre
November 9 - Hamilton, ON @ Copps Coliseum
November 12 - Winnipeg, MAN @ MTS Centre
November 13 - Saskatoon, SASK @ Credit Union Centre
November 15 - Grande Prairie, ALB @ Canada Games Arena
November 16 - Prince George, BC @ CN Centre
November 17 - Kamloops, BC @ Interior Savings Centre

Yes
November 4 - Hamilton, ON @ Hamilton Place Theatre
November 5 - Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
November 7 - Hampton Beach, NH @ Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
November 8 - Williamsport, PA @ Community Arts Center
November 9 - Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
November 11 - Hershey, PA @ Hershey Theater
November 12 - Columbus, OH @ Lifestyle Communities Pavilion
November 14 - New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
November 15 - Asbury Park, NJ @ Paramount Theatre
November 16 - Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live!
November 18 - Reading, PA @ Sovereign PAC
November 19 - Richmond, VA @ The National
November 21 - Atlantic City, NJ @ Borgata Casino Event Center
November 22 - Westbury, NY @ Capital One Bank Theatre
November 23 - Albany, NY @ Times Union Center
November 25 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
November 26 - Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit
November 28 - Cincinnati, OH @ Taft Theatre
November 29 - Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theatre
November 30 - Bloomington, IL @ US Cellular Coliseum
December 2 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
December 3 - Chicago, IL @ The Chicago Theatre
December 6 - Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
December 7 - Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
December 9 - Louisville, KY @ Palace Theatre
December 10 - Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
December 14 - Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
December 16 - Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
December 17 - Hollywood, FL @ Seminole Hard Rock Casino

Nick Lowe
October 6 - Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern
October 7 - Tempe, AZ @ Rhythm Room
October 11 - Minneapolis, MN @ Dakota Jazz Club
October 12 - Madison, WI @ The Barrymore Theatre
October 14 - Chicago, IL @ The Green Mill
October 15 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
October 16 - Rochester, NY @ German House Theater
October 17 - New York, NY @ Zankel Hall
October 19 - Tarrytown, NY @ Tarrytown Music Hall

Related Stories:

• Backstreet Boys Prep New Album, Solo Projects

• Yes Frontman Jon Anderson Upset His Band Replaced Him

• Smoking Section: Nick Lowe

Last weekend’s Austin City Limits festival was an ample opportunity for people in Texas to see some great bands, but it also allowed Tegan and Sara to catch up with their old pal Tom Gabel from Against Me! Click above for the three-way interview, including news on Gabel’s solo album and the benefits of being the only girls at a rock festival.

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• Foo Fighters, Beck Give Summer Festival Season a Sendoff at Austin City Limits

• Tegan Quin Talks Against Me! Video, Side Projects

• On Tour: Tom Gabel of Against Me!

Check Out Full Coverage of Austin City Limits and the Rest of the Summer’s Biggest Festivals on the Backstage Blog

[Video: Pete Maiden]

Photo: Dyson/Getty

Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen will reportedly team up for a Barack Obama benefit concert at NYC’s Hammerstein Ballroom on October 16th. The concert will be Obama’s last NY appearance prior to the November 4th election. Donors were notified about the concert today. The performance will be the first time Springsteen and Joel — two titans of the tri-state area rock scene — ever played the same bill. And while Joel recently sold out two nights at Shea Stadium and Springsteen is about to be broadcast to the millions at this year’s Super Bowl, their Hammerstein Ballroom will harbor a scant 2,500-person capacity. As if the concert wasn’t amazing enough, the show also promises more “exciting guests.” Tickets range from $500 for the balcony to $2,500 for premium seats to $10,000 for “lounge tickets.” Springsteen announced on his website back in April that he endorsed Barack Obama. Bruce and Billy join artists like the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers who have come together for concerts to support the Democratic presidential candidate.

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• Bruce Springsteen Endorses Barack Obama for President

• Bruce Springsteen Will Headline Super Bowl Halftime Show

• Grateful Dead to Play Another Show for Barack Obama

The video for Jack White and Alicia Keys’ Quantum of Solace theme “Another Way To Die” hit the internet today. The video is surprisingly un-Bond-like, with no explosions, cartoon women being shot out of pistols or even any footage from the actual film. Instead, it’s just Keys and White singing their duet in that desert where they shoot all those car commercials. It’s very unusual to see White in a video with a woman that doesn’t have that red and white motif. Check out the whole video above.

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• Jack White and Alicia Keys: The First “Bond” Interview

• Jack White Talks Bond Theme Collaboration With Alicia Keys

• Alicia Keys, Jack White to Duet on New “James Bond” Theme

By Jocelyn Vena

On occasion, it’s our job to crash movie and television sets, and today that occasion came our way. And as you fine readers may know, we here at MTV News love us some good gossip. So it was our pleasure to find that “Gossip Girl” was taping right in front of the MTV building.

And what we saw is juicy. We have a breaking “Gossip Girl” spoiler alert for all you fans. If you don’t want to know what will happen in Serena’s love life, do not read on!

Picture this: The newly single Serena van der Woodsen — clad in straight-legged pants, a cream-color blazer, a cute little blouse and sky-high platforms — is making her way through Times Square. Suddenly, she gets a text message from a mystery person. She laughs to herself. She looks up, and there she is on the mega-screen. She turns around, and there is what we surmise to be her new love interest: a shaggy-haired fellow named Aaron.

They exchange some words — and since we sneakily got a sort-of peek at the script, we know more or less what they were talking about. Aaron, played by John Patrick Amedori, tells her that she is beautiful and asks if she’ll pose for him. (We’re hoping he’s a photographer. Otherwise, that would just be creepy!)

She says yes (we wonder what that photo shoot will be like), and then they — wait for it — make out! Take that, Dan Humphrey. We wonder how Dan is going to feel about his competition? Things are sure heating up for those “Gossip Girl” kids …

TV On the Radio, “Halfway Home”
Brooklyn rockers mash up New Wave guitars, doo-wop vocals and nursery-rhyme melodies for a genre-exploding anthem that’s thoroughly modern.
[Review]

Jackson Browne, “Off of Wonderland”
A lovely, soft-rockin’ jam that celebrates the best of the Sixties, from MLK and RFK to the days of living “ankle-deep in contraband.”
[Review]

Jenny Lewis, “Jack Killed Mom”
Finger-snapping acoustic blues that’s sharper than the knife Lewis brags about brandishing. Murder ballads never sounded so sexy.
[Review]

Blitzen Trapper, “Stolen Shoes & a Rifle”
Channeling Neil Young circa Harvest, these Oregon kids spin the prettiest-ever folk tribute about a giant tree-shaking bird.
[Review]

Jamey Johnson, “High Cost of Living”
Whores, motel raids, coke binges — it’s just another day for this gothic country crooner. Shooter Jennings, meet your new drinking buddy.
[Review]

[From Issue 1062 — October 2, 2008]

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• Album Review: TV on the Radio, Dear Science (4 stars)

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• Album Review: Jackson Browne, Time Conqueror (3.5 stars)

Chrissie Hynde saw a familiar face among the few hundred fans crowding the aisles Monday at the Pretenders’ in-store performance at Amoeba Records in Hollywood. It was Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook, and Hynde waved happily from the small stage, declaring “It’s always good to have the Sex Pistols in the house.”

It’s a connection that dates back to her days in England during the punk rock ’70s, when she worked briefly as an expat American rock critic and then began her three-decade success as leader of the Pretenders. (She was set today to join another Pistol friend: guitarist Steve Jones, on his freeform Indie 103.1 FM show “Jonesy’s Jukebox.”) The singer-guitarist had come to L.A. and Amoeba to celebrate Break Up the Concrete, the first new Pretenders album in over five years.

With the help of fiery new Pretenders guitarist James Walbourne, Hynde translated new and old songs into vivid acoustic performances at the in-store. She was in great voice both during and between songs. “I like that Amoeba Records trusts everyone not to shoplift,” she joked to fans pressed against the CD racks. “If anyone wants to borrow my hoodie…”

The nine-song, half-hour set began with the straight-ahead acoustic chords of the new album’s “The Nothing Maker” and soon moved onto the early Pretenders classics “Talk of the Town” and “Kid,” finding a rich vein of passion in the raw acoustic format. The duo ripped through some urgent rockabilly riffs on “Boots of Chinese Plastic” and the electric “Don’t Cut Your Hair,” both from the new album. Before it was over, they had also slowed down for the delicate, jazzy sounds of “Almost Perfect” and the bluesy torch song “Don’t Lose Faith In Me.”

After that last one, Hynde leaned forward in her chair to hear the reaction of a female fan wearing a Pretenders jacket in the front row. “Did you?” Hynde said as she sat back. “It brought tears to my eyes too.”

Set List:
“The Nothing Maker”
“Love’s a Mystery”
“Don’t Lose Faith In Me”
“Talk of the Town”
“One Thing Never Changed”
“Almost Perfect”
“Kid”
“Boots of Chinese Plastic”
“Don’t Cut Your Hair”

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• Fall Music Preview: The Pretenders, Break Up the Concrete

• Coldplay Cover The Pretenders

• The Pretenders Announce Release of Break Up The Concrete

Photo: Getty

The Red Hot Chili Peppers, No Doubt, the Offspring and many more will contribute hand-signed merchandise and other items to a charity auction that will benefit Lit drummer Allen Shellenberger. Shellenberger was recently diagnosed with a grade 4 malignant brain tumor. RHCP will provide a copy of their Stadium Arcadium signed by all four members of the band, while No Doubt will auction off an autographed amp. Among the other cool items are a guitar lesson with virtuoso Steve Vai, a Knocked Up poster autographed by Judd Apatow, a painting by actor Pierce Brosnan and a dinner with Lit. The auction is going on now on eBay. Shellenberger, who is currently undergoing radiation and chemotherapy, is optimistic and ready for the fight ahead.

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• Red Hot Chili Peppers Full Album Download Coming to Rock Band Sequel

• Anthony Kiedis on Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Hiatus

• Offspring, Metallica Turn Up the Volume at KROQ Weenie Roast

AC/DC fans in Florida finally have reason to rejoice: The band’s Black Ice tour has been extended into the New Year, with the band coming to the Sunshine State, the Sooner State, the Cornhusker State and a bunch more additional markets the band skipped over during the first leg of their tour. The band kickstart the fun with their first U.S. show in eight years on October 28th in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The additional 16 concert dates for the Black Ice jaunt are below.

In other AC/DC news, the band will lend 18 songs to AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack. The stand-alone game will be playable on both Rock Band and Rock Band 2 and will feature live versions of hits like “Thunderstruck,” “Highway to Hell” and “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.” The full track list is below. The game will be released this December and, like Black Ice, will be available exclusively at Wal-Mart.

AC/DC Black Ice Tour
December 20 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center
December 21 - Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum
January 5 - Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
January 7 - Pittsburgh, PA@ Mellon Arena
January 9 - Toronto, ONT @ Rogers Centre
January 11 - Cincinnati, OH @ U.S. Bank Arena
January 13 - St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center
January 15 - Omaha, NE @ Qwest Center Omaha
January 17 - Fargo, ND @ Fargodome
January 19 - Minneapolis, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
January 21 - Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
January 23 - Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
January 26 - Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
January 28 - Little Rock, AR @ ALLTELL Arena
January 30 - Memphis, TN @ FedEx Forum
January 31 - Nashville, TN @ Sommet Center

Track List For AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack
“Thunderstruck”
“Shoot to Thrill”
“Back in Black”
“Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be”
“Heatseeker”
“Fire Your Guns”
“Jailbreak”
“The Jack”
“Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”
“Moneytalks”
“Hells Bells”
“High Voltage”
“Whole Lotta Rosie”
“You Shook Me All Night Long”
“T.N.T.”
“Let There Be Rock”
“Highway To Hell”
“For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)”

Related Stories:

• AC/DC’s Angus Young Comments on iTunes Snub

• AC/DC Reveal “Rock N Roll Train” Video, Go Paperless Ticket Route

• AC/DC Announce North American Black Ice Tour Dates

Photo: Getty

• 50 Cent has posted a new song on his website entitled “50 Cent for President.” 50’s new album Before I Self-Destruct is out December 9th.
• Kanye West will host a benefit concert in Washington, D.C. on November 4th. The Give Back concert will help out the Live to Give Campaign and the Dr. Donda West Foundation, which is in honor of Kayne’s mother.
• Janet Jackson canceled her concert in Montreal last night after getting sick during sound check, forcing her to go the hospital. The concert will likely be rescheduled.
• Country singer Mindy McCready will begin to serve a sentence of 60 days in prison today after violating probation for previous drug charges.

With her new album Circus ready to go, Britney Spears told New York pop radio station Z100 yesterday that she’s planning on embarking on a massive tour. “Oh definitely, next year,” Spears said of her tour plans, adding that the jaunt would likely take her “around the world.” The tour would be Spears’ first large scale set of shows since 2004. Talking also about her three VMA award wins and the “Piece of Me” video, Spears said “It’s a cool video, but I think by far I’ve done videos that are way better, so I was really shocked that it got the award.” Spears also said that her role on Circus is complete and that she expects the album to be released December 2nd, her 27th birthday and the rumored release date for Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3.

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A

By Emily Donahue

Amongst bustle skirts and corsets, top hats and tails, brass-rimmed goggles and time-traveling arm bands, it was me, in a black tank top and jeans, that received the most stares in Brooklyn a few weeks ago. I was at the first day of the Dances of Vice festival, an evening that also served as my first taste of Steampunk, a wide-reaching subculture that lately has been, well, picking up steam. Yet people are still hard-pressed to define what is, on the surface, an embrace of the neo-Victorian, but deeper than that, a keenly felt reaction to the stark modernity that has come to homogenize a generation with iPods and Ikea.

Over the course of shooting two separate Steampunk events — Dances of Vice, which spanned both Brooklyn and Manhattan; and SalonCon, a two-day event held in Somerset, NJ — I was exposed to a mix of concerts, fashion shows and lectures. Vendors sold handmade corsets, jewelry made from clock gears and even wings. People’s imaginations were on full display in their clothing and accoutrement. I expected to simply observe from a distance, but the more I learned, the more the Steampunk artists and their philosophy began to appeal to me. Musicians I knew and liked were mentioned, such as Tom Waits, Smashing Pumpkins, the Decemberists and even Sufjan Stevens; “Edward Scissorhands,” “The Prestige” and “Wild Wild West” were a small handful of the “steamy” movies that I had seen.

I sat in on an interview with Voltaire — a regular on the Steampunk festival circuit — as he broke Steampunk music down into something that, while using classical instruments, can be anything, and is just sort of “old-time” and “anachronistic.” I began to realize that between the costumery, the music and the movies, Steampunk is really about stepping away from our everyday lives and having a good time. And I can get behind that, even though I may not wear a corset anytime soon.

Flea Goes Back To School

The Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist talks about being both a teacher and a student during the band's hiatus.

If you've been on the americanidol.com forums recently, you've seen the intense yet friendly debate between The Archies and The Word Nerds over which David has the better single.  The bottom line is that both have released songs that the public loves, and the Billboard charts reflect just that.  The top two debuts of 2008 are "Crush" by David Archuleta at No. 2 and "The Time of My Life" by David Cook at No. 3. Congratulations to both of them! See how much David Cook and David Archuleta changed over the season in their Transformation Galleries: David Cook Transformation Gallery David Archuleta Transformation Gallery

Los Angelenos and Jon Peter Lewis fans will be excited to hear about his local show this weekend.  JPL will be playing at Genghis Cohen in Los Angeles--see details in the image to the right. Check out the video for "Break The Silence," the title track from JPL's latest album, right here on americanidol.com! Then, catch up with Jon by checking out his most recent MyIDOL blog post!

Tomorrow is the big day for Jennifer Hudson fans, as the season seven top 7 finalist will release her self-titled album, featuring the summer jam "Spotlight" and the soundtrack hits "And I Am Telling You" (Dreamgirls) and "All Dressed Up In Love" (Sex and the City). Jennifer's significant success since her time on AI has certainly paid off, as the highly anticipated CD also contains several new tracks penned and produced by music veterans like Timbaland, Robin Thicke, Diane Warren and Missy Elliot.

Riding high from her recent CMA nominations for Album of The Year and Female Vocalist of The Year, Carrie Underwood starts the fall part of the "Carnival Ride Tour" tomorrow with a show in Cleveland.  The tour ends Dec. 14 in Gainesville, Fl.  More than 700,000 fans have attended the tour so far, with 51 more shows planned this fall in the U.S. and Canada.  By the end of the year, Carrie will have performed 137 live shows.  Little Big Town will open the shows.  As if the hundreds of thousands of fan testimonials aren't enough, the critics have given the CARNIVAL RIDE tour extremely high praise. Have you seen Carrie's video for her smash hit "All American Girl" yet?  Watch it now on americanidol.com!

This week’s New Music Report focuses on T.I. and his new album Paper Trail. The record, recorded mostly while the rapper was under house arrest, is more contemplative than his past work, but does this new perspective suit him? Click above to get the full scoop from Rolling Stone Contributing Editor Christian Hoard.

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[Video: Eric Helton]

Photo: Courtesy Jonathan Levine Gallery

Chris Mars made a name for himself as the spastic timekeeper in the Replacements, the booze-soaked Minneapolis post-punk band he helped co-found. But with rock stardom in his rearview, Mars has made a second splash in the art world. Tolerance, his first book, collects 159 paintings created between 2000 and 2007. Mars’ work is surreal and gothic, equal parts Tim Burton film, Tool video and demented children’s cartoon, with titles like “Fuck If I’ll Hold My Tongue” and “Miserably Obedient.” Tolerance also includes essays and notes by Mars, which helps to illustrate the evolution of his work from the deeply personal (his early work was inspired by his brother’s schizophrenia) to the intensely political (as the intro to a piece called “The Plea,” Mars writes, “Mother (Cindy) Sheehan at top is represented in all-out anger as her voice and her every breath relases the spirit of her fallen son Casey…Bush, yellow dunce, is at the center of the mess.”).

Tolerance is available through Billy Shire Fine Arts Press.

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Photo: Whittaker/Getty

Tom Morello embarks on his “Fabled City” tour, Letters to Cleo reunite for the first time in eight years for some 20th anniversary shows and Oasis & Ryan Adams schedule more North American dates as Noel Gallagher’s ribs heal. Follow the jump for the complete set of dates.

Tom Morello
November 1 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
November 2 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
November 5 - Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
November 7 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
November 8 - Aspen, CO @ Belly Up Aspen
November 9 - Boulder, CO @ Fox Theater
November 11 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Café
November 12 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom
November 13 - Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
November 20 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
November 21 - New York, NY @ The Fillmore

Letters To Cleo
November 8 - Los Angeles CA @ The Roxy
December 8 - Boston MA @ Paradise Rock Club
December 9 - Boston MA @ Paradise Rock Club

Oasis & Ryan Adams
December 3 - Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena
December 4 - Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
December 6 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Pearl
December 8 - Denver, CO @ Broomfield Events Center
December 10 - Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
December 12 - Chicago, IL @ Allstate Arena
December 13 - Detroit, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills
December 15 - London, ON @ John LaBatt Centre
December 17 - New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
December 19 - Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Center
December 20 - Washington, DC @ GMU Patriot Center

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