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Anticipation is rising in Tampa. The tension is becoming palpable. Speculation runs rampant, and everyone has an opinion, a theory or a prediction about what will happen on Sunday night.

Yeah, we’re talking about Bruce Springsteen’s halftime set at Super Bowl XVIII.

There’s as much chatter and suspense on the ground around what Springsteen might have up his sleeve as there is for the game. NFL stars who’re more likely to rock Biggie than Bruce are being grilled about it. So far, Springsteen has only hinted that he’s putting together “a 12-minute party.”

In these quarters, there’s only one New Jersey resident with the same juice as Bruce — New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning. He brought his team to the Bowl a year ago and upset the allegedly invincible New England Patriots in one of the most dramatic contests the Super Bowl has ever produced. This year, he’s watching with the rest of us. But like any proud Jersey resident, Manning is eager to see what Springsteen has planned.

“I’m just looking forward to getting the boss back onstage,” he told us. “It’s a great band and should be a great performance.”

Follow our ongoing Super Bowl weekend coverage, and check out the best from our archives in our Super Bowl hub.

Photo: Halleran/Getty

As Super Bowl XLIII inches closer, Tampa feels like it’s divided into two camps — staging or showcasing. If you aren’t stepping in front of the lights right now, you’re probably busy preparing to do so.

Last night, Wyclef Jean and DJ Samantha Ronson had their moment, holding court under a sprawling tent in downtown Tampa at ESPN the Magazine’s pre-Bowl party. Playing for a crowd that mixed bone-crunchers, bombshells and beat-masters, Wyclef and Ronson worked through their sets under tarp stretched over a venue that, earlier in the week, was a parking lot. Benji and Joel Madden rubbed shoulders with retired NFL stars Shannon Sharpe and Cris Carter (”All athletes want to be musicians,” Joel said) under ESPN’s big top, while down the street, Jay-Z took over Club Underground for his demurely named “I Am Legend” pre-Bowl party. Searchlights slashed the Tampa night — DJ AM spun at Maxim’s exclusive event, Nelly and Jermaine Dupri took over MOSI while Diddy launched something called “The Good Life Experience.”

But while the parties raged, the work leading up to Sunday’s game — and the pageantry surrounding it — continued. We grabbed Faith Hill on Friday immediately after she ran through the rendition of “America the Beautiful” that she’ll deliver before the game. She was still riding high from rehearsals, deeming the dry run “really cool.”

Hill has been here before — she sang the National Anthem before Super Bowl XXXIV in Atlanta, a game that featured her beloved Tennessee Titans. She had hoped her slot at this year’s festivities would prove to be a good omen for the Titans, but the team failed to make it through the playoffs. Still, she’s thrilled to be back.

“It’s a huge honor to say the least,” Hill told us of her return invitation. “There’s an energy [at the Super Bowl] that’s hard to find anywhere else.”

Of course, she might just be in it for the game tickets.

“We’re huge football fans, so we’re definitely sticking around for the game,” she said. “The Super Bowl embodies everything that’s great about the sport,” she added. “It’s one game that determines the winner. It’s not like baseball or basketball where there’s a whole series.”

But more than its championship stakes (or the multimillion dollar advertising bonanza surrounding it), Hill said the Super Bowl’s true spell lies in its ability to unite and inspire millions.

“It’s a way to bring everyone together,” Hill told us. “It’s unlike any game you’ve ever been to.”

Follow our ongoing Super Bowl weekend coverage, and check out the best from our archives in Rolling Stone’s Super Bowl hub.

Related Stories:

• Springsteen’s Game Plan: “A 12-Minute Party”
• Rolling Stone Accidentally Kills Off Bruce Springsteen Super Bowl Betting
• Photos: U2, Prince, The Rolling Stones and More Memorable Super Bowl Halftime Performances
• Video: A Short History of Rock Stars in Super Bowl Commercials

Photo: Halleran/Getty Images

• Rock Daily had Las Vegas panicked when we revealed the winning answer to all those Bruce Springsteen Super Bowl Halftime Show bets, forcing most gambling sites to shut down all Bruce-related betting. We have the full story on that plus much more at our Super Bowl Hub — Rock Daily will be in Tampa this weekend to root on the Steelers and witness the Springsteen set.

• The music world was saddened by the deaths of Lynyrd Skynyrd keyboardist Billy Powell and Solid Air singer-songwriter John Martyn.
• The Grammys hired every gun possible to ensure people will tune in to this year’s show: Radiohead, Paul McCartney, Kanye West, Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake were all announced as 2009 Grammy performers on Monday, then yesterday U2, Kid Rock, Plant & Krauss and Rihanna were joined the Grammy bill. Speaking of Macca, Sir Paul will go from The Colbert Report to Coachella lineup.
• Weezy revealed he’s making the jump from beats to electric guitars with Lil Wayne’s “real rock album” Rebirth, due out April 7th. Wayne also debuted his new single “Prom Queen” and settled his lawsuit with the Rolling Stones.

Photo: Truscello/WireImage

Brace yourself for the sight of Gene Simmons enjoying a special moment with Carrot Top.

Do we have an explanation for why the KISS merchandise-maniac and prop comic were hanging in Las Vegas? No, we do not. Perhaps they were talking about the relative merits of Canadian bands like Metric and the Dears, since Simmons is in the market for fresh indie talent for his new record label.

Thankfully, there was a lot more to this week’s Random Notes: Kanye West dropped in on a slew of Paris fashion shows, from where he ultimately fired off a lengthy caps-locked missive to the press (read Kanye’s full e-mail in the Smoking Section). The Kings of Leon prepared to take the stage at New York’s historic Madison Square Garden by taking in a Knicks game there (more on the Kings at MSG in the SS, too). Pete Wentz, Patrick Stump and Co. unveiled their metallic take on The Simpsons theme song (watch Fall Out Boy talk Simpsons theme here). Britney Spears and her dancers embarked up on rehearsals for her upcoming Circus tour at a Los Angeles dance studio.

Plus, Lily Allen hit the stage in London, Jessica Simpson hit a chili cook-off (yes, really) in Florida and Taylor Swift headed off to the set of CSI, where it seems she’ll be playing a dead girl.

All those photos and much more can be found in this week’s installation of Random Notes:

• Random Notes: Kanye West, Kings of Leon, Taylor Swift and the Week in Rock

Photo: Getty

Our favorite headline of the year also spawned our favorite comment of the week, as “Massachusetts Cop Reportedly Urinates On Metallica Fan At Concert” brought out the best and the worst of our loquacious readership. While many debated whether or not the police officer in question actually urinated or just poured a beer on his fellow concertgoer, the mysteriously named Anonymous won Class Clown when he said:

“I didn’t know R. Kelly was a Massachusetts cop.”

Well done, Anonymous. Now go back to your battle against Scientology! (And for the record, R. Kelly was acquitted of doing that… to a minor.)

To celebrate the legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd keyboardist Billy Powell and his legendary intro to the band’s “Free Bird,” this week’s Rock List is dedicated to Bird Songs. Whether it’s about an eagle, a pigeon, a double-crested cormorant… if it has wings and feathers, it’s applicable. Tell us your favorites, and on Monday we’ll tally the votes and reveal the Readers’ List. Here’s our picks:

• Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Free Bird”
• M.I.A. - “Bird Flu”
• David Bowie – “Dodo”
• The Beatles – “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)”
• Animal Collective – “Cuckoo Cuckoo”

The first time I ever flew to New York was about six years ago, to interview an artist whose single “In Da Club” had just dropped.

Six years on, 50 Cent is still going hard. He’s arguably the most internationally successful hip-hop artist in the game — 50 has elevated himself beyond the world of rap into movies, philanthropy, clothing and above all, business! But with all the executive swagger that 50 has, one thing he never steps away from is beef.

I doubt anyone — any artist, anyway — in music has ever had as much rivalry as 50 Cent, and that’s just with other recording artists! From the LOX, Fat Joe, Nas, Irv Gotti, DJ Khaled, Ja Rule, Kanye West, T.I., Camron, Diddy, Game, Cassidy, Young Buck, R. Kelly (50 dissed him at SummerJam), Big Pun, Jay-Z … from his early record “How to Rob,” 50 has never been afraid to go at anyone, whether jokingly or seriously. Even Oprah wasn’t safe!

It looks like 50 is hungry again, and next up are Rick Ross for an “appetizer” and Lil Wayne for the “full-course meal” — which are 50’s own words on the new dis track “Officer Ricky.”

By now, we’re used to beef as a marketing move, but obviously 50 loves the competition. His willingness to go in on other MCs is a reason why some love him and others hate him. He thrives on it. With a new album set to drop some time in the coming weeks, it’s time to build the hype, and there’s no better way it seems than engaging in a lyrical war of words with another heavyweight MC. I wonder how it works? Does 50 sit down with his crew and say, “OK, who can I go at this time?” Obviously, the bigger the name, the bigger the hype. So who’s next? (Hell, who’s left?)

Eminem is out; he’s family. Jay-Z is an obvious choice, but hasn’t risen to such challenges lately, being a grown man and all. And he’s been going at Kanye West for awhile now. So it all comes down to Lil Wayne, and responding to Rick Ross’ slam. Wayne should actually take it as a compliment!

I don’t mind a bit of competition between MCs, as long as it stays in the studio.

So who will come out on top: 50 or Wayne? Sound off below!

Photo: Michael Ochs Archive/Getty

Next Tuesday marks the 50th anniversary of the plane crash that claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson. In the current issue of Rolling Stone, Holly’s friends, family and fellow musicians remember an artist who helped invent rock & roll as we know it today. Jonathan Cott revisits 1959’s Winter Dance Party, which would become known as rock’s Tour From Hell, as it wound its way across the frozen Midwest hitting places like Duluth, Minnesota, where a young Bob Dylan stood in the crowd. “Buddy, Ritchie and I used to sit in the back and jam together,” Dion tells Cott of the tour’s lengthy bus rides. “It was a little bit of heaven.” On February 3rd, fed up with the grind of the road, Holly, Valens, Richardson and their dirty laundry boarded a charter flight to Fargo that fell out of the sky.

To mark the tenth anniversary of the crash, Greil Marcus wrote a memorial for Rolling Stone in which he compared Holly to Dylan and took a closer look at Valens’ artistic accomplishments. “Traces of Holly’s vocal style, his phrasing rather than his insane changes from deep bass to something resembling soprano, pop up all through Dylan’s career: on an obscure 1962 Columbia single, ‘Mixed-Up Confusion,’ on ‘Absolutely Sweet Marie,’ on ‘I Shall Be Free No. 10,’ anywhere you look,” Marcus writes. “Dylan and Holly share a clipped, staccato delivery that communicates a sly sense of cool, almost teenage masculinity.”

• Ritchie Valens, J.P. (The Big Bopper) Richardson and Buddy Holly by Greil Marcus

Remember other rockers lost before they reached age 40 in our Not Fade Away gallery:

• Not Fade Away: Rockers Lost Before Their Time

There’s a lot going on in the world that doesn’t necessarily get addressed in our Newsroom blog. Here’s a look at some top stories making headlines today.

Rick Ross isn’t too impressed with 50 Cent’s new dis track, “Officer Ricky (Go ‘Head Try Me).” How do you feel about this latest war of words in the rap world?

A lot of you are upset about the Danity Kane split. Dawn Richard thinks Diddy is too.

“Twilight” alert! Check out the story behind the newly surfaced, and quite revealing, Robert Pattinson photos.

Is Jackie Chan dramatic enough to play Mr. Miyagi in Will Smith’s upcoming “Karate Kid” remake? Original Kid Ralph Macchio weighs in.

Game-players: How psyched are you for Activision’s “DJ Hero”?!?

Taylor Swift plots a 2009 headlining tour that’ll keep the chart topper on the road until October, Black Mountain travel the West Coast states and “It’s Not Unusual” to see Tom Jones performing in California and Florida these next few months. Full dates for all three treks are after the jump.

Taylor Swift
February 10 - San Antonio, TX
March 1 - Plant City, FL
March 20 - Houston, TX
April 23 - Evansville, IN
April 24 - Jonesboro, AR
April 25 - St Louis, MO
April 30 - Charleston, SC
May 1 - Jacksonville, FL
May 2 - Biloxi, MS
May 14 - Spokane, WA
May 15 - Seattle, WA
May 16 - Portland ,OR
May 17 - Yakima, WA
May 21 - Phoenix, AZ
May 22 - Los Angeles, CA
May 23 - Las Vegas, NV
May 24 - San Diego, CA
May 26 - Salt Lake City, UT
June 4 - Enterprise, AL
June 11 - Baltimore, MD
June 12 - Greensboro, NC
June 24 - Oshkosh, WI
June 25 - Caddott, WI
July 8 - Calgary, ALB
July 10 - Craven, SAS
July 11 - Winnipeg, MAN
July 16 - Twin Lakes, WI
July 17 - Columbus, OH
July 18 - Charleston, WV
July 23 - Cheyenne, WY
July 24 - Rapid City, SD
July 25 - Minot, ND
August 7 - Detroit Lakes, MN
August 9 - Omaha, NE
August 27 - New York, NY
August 28 - Uncasville, CT
August 29 - University Park, PA
August 30 - Louisville, KY
September 4 - Greenville, SC
September 5 - Charlotte, NC
September 10 -Lafayette, LA
September 11 -Bossier City, LA
September 12 -Birmingham, AL
September 25 -Dallas, TX
September 26 -Little Rock, AR
September 27 -Tulsa, OK
October 1 - Cleveland, OH
October 2 - Grand Rapids, MI
October 3 - Pittsburgh, PA
October 8 - Indianapolis, IN
October 9 - Chicago, IL
October 10 - Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN

Black Mountain
March 20 - San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Shop
March 21 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echoplex
March 22 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah
March 23 - Santa Cruz, CA @ The Crepe Place
March 25 - Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre:
March 26 - Bellingham, WA @ The Wild Buffalo
March 27 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos

Tom Jones
February 24 - New York, NY @ Terminal 5
February 25 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
February 26 - Albany, NY @ Palace Theater
February 27 - Asbury Park, NJ @ Paramount Theater
March 1 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues
March 3 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
March 6 - Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia
March 7 - San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
March 10 - Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
April 19 - Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
April 21 - Sarasota, FL @ Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
April 22 - Naples, FL @ Philharmonic Center for the Arts
April 23 - West Palm Beach, FL @ Kravis Center
April 25 - Miami Beach, FL @ Fillmore Miami Beach
April 26 - Melbourne, FL @ King Center for the Performing Arts

By Christina Garibaldi

One of the many perks of working at MTV News is the people you get to meet and talk to. Yet only a few have ever gotten me really excited, like my teen dreams the Backstreet Boys, Yankees slugger Derek Jeter, and now … Poison frontman/ “Rock of Love” star Bret Michaels!

Well, I didn’t actually get to talk to Bret directly, but he did leave me a pretty kick-ass voicemail. See, yesterday, two of my co-workers were talking about doing a phone interview with Michaels about his picks for the Super Bowl (since he’s a Pennsylvania native but an Arizona resident, that’s a bit of a dilemma — read what Bret’s got to say about it here).

Upon hearing that, I was completely envious and begged just to listen in. I mean, who wouldn’t want to talk to him? Isn’t every girl’s guilty pleasure a little “Rock of Love”? Well, it certainly is mine.

So today was the big day — and although, unfortunately, I couldn’t listen in, my two co-workers had a little surprise for waiting for me. Once the interview was over, I went back to my desk and found the voicemail light blinking, and this is what I heard.

Pretty awesome right? Bret, if you are reading this, thank you so much!

You rarely ever see Tom Waits on late-night television anymore, and perhaps this is the reason why: Here we have two different clips from Waits’ visits to Late Night with David Letterman, one from 1983 to support Swordfishtrombones and perform a kick-ass rendition of “Frank’s Wild Years” (above video), the other in 1986 during the release of Rain Dogs (after the jump). Waits and Letterman trade joke for joke, and it seems like Letterman has a real familiarity with the gravel-voiced singer, and for good reason: As you’ll notice in both videos, a much-hairier Letterman asks Waits the same questions, from being born in the back of a cab to living in his car when he moved to Los Angeles. Thankfully, Waits’ answer makes us laugh both times.

On the new Web show “MTV Detox,” our pop-culture superfan Jim Cantiello recaps the wildest happenings from the network’s prime-time programming. Stream the show on your mobile phone and on MTV.com. New episodes air Sunday-Thursday at 11 p.m. ET.

On Thursday night’s “Detox,” Lil Mama — actually we mean famed Lil Mama impersonator and viral video sensation, Britney Houston — stopped by and helped Jim recap another mind-blowing episode of “America’s Best Dance Crew.” Also on hand for the crazy antics was Dawn Richard of Danity Kane and “Making the Band” fame, who knocked Jim’s socks off and bumped Nolan Gerard Funk down the list of favorite “Detox” guests. Wanna know why? Check out the show at the Remote Control blog.

You’ll have to forgive Tampa if it’s a bit giddy this week. The Bay town is playing host to a week-long carnival of music, beer and (eventually) football that will draw Bruce Springsteen, Faith Hill, Jennifer Hudson, Fall Out Boy, Rihanna, Lil Wayne, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and hundreds of thousands of fans.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals are rumored to be here as well.

Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday will mark the culmination of a week’s worth of late-night parties and afternoon celebrity powderpuff games. Red carpets will sprawl, champagne will be popped and many stages will be rocked. Holding court on the grandest of them all, of course, will be Bruce Springsteen, flanked by his E Street Band for Sunday’s halftime extravaganza (expected to be viewed by close to 100 million). It’s fairly light work for a man who just played Washington’s Lincoln Memorial to mark Barack Obama’s inauguration.

“It was a good warm up,” Springsteen told reporters on Thursday. “You’ll have a lot of crazy football fans, but you won’t have Lincoln staring over your shoulder.”

While the inaugural performance was born of Bruce‚s activism, Sunday’s showcase grew from more practical thoughts. “We have our mercenary reasons,” Springsteen said, alluding to his new album, Working on a Dream, which hit stores on Tuesday. “Besides our love of football, blah blah blah.”

Further joking about his low football IQ, Springsteen admitted, “When I hear Steelers, I think Terry Bradshaw,” the four-time Super Bowl winning quarterback who played his last game for the team 26 years ago.

The NFL had been courting Springsteen and the E Street Band for years, but Bruce told reporters that the timing never felt right. “This is the year,” he said. “I really believe our band is going through a golden age.”

So what will the rejuvenated E Street Band offer at halftime on Sunday? Fans and oddmakers have been speculating about the set list, but Springsteen would only promise “a 12-minute party.” He also reminded everyone exactly who would be calling the shots.

“Who decides? The boss decides,” Springsteen joked.

Follow our ongoing Super Bowl weekend coverage, and check out the best from our archives in Rolling Stone’s Super Bowl hub.

Related Stories:

• Rolling Stone Accidentally Kills Off Bruce Springsteen Super Bowl Betting
• Photos: U2, Prince, The Rolling Stones and More Memorable Super Bowl Halftime Performances
• Video: A Short History of Rock Stars in Super Bowl Commercials

Photo: Kravitz/FilmMagic

With Velvet Revolver’s future uncertain, guitarist Duff McKagan, already a columnist for Seattle Weekly, will share his advice about all things business with the readers of Playboy.com as the site’s new financial columnist. “How the hell is it that I will to be writing about money matters for Playboy?” Duff asks rhetorically in the Seattle Weekly. “Well, over the last few years, I have been doing more and more TV and print interviews regarding some faction of finance. It started in 2004 when a writer for some music newspaper asked me about my experience going to business-school after my career with Gn’R.”

And just to show he means business, McKagan even name-checks Adam Smith, “the founder of capitalism.” “I do find how money works rather fascinating,” McKagan writes. “I think part of my mission statement for Playboy may be to perhaps try and shed some light and maybe even bring down some of the criminals on Wall St. Wouldn’t that be cool? Maybe be a voice for the people — one that can’t be bought (well, no one has ever actually tried to bribe me, but I’ll let you know if they do!).”

While McKagan does seem to be business-savvy, let’s face facts here: We don’t know the difference between a cerebrum and a cerebellum, but we could probably author a column on brain surgery for Playboy.com, because nobody who actually visits Playboy.com will be interested in brain surgery or finance or anything else unrelated to the main reason why people visit Playboy.com, and that’s naked women. Duff could write a column that single-handedly fixes the entire economy and it would probably go unnoticed there for months unless it was surrounded by pictures of The Girls Next Door. Despite his new job, McKagan will continue to write columns for the Seattle Weekly, whose writing staff also includes Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic.

On his way to Rolling Stone headquarters in New York to talk about his new three-CD career spanning box set, Graham Nash began thinking about a song he wrote in the city more than 40 years ago. “I was seduced by a beautiful woman down in Long Island,” Nash says. “She was married. The song is a confession to a friend.”

Nash sang us an acoustic version of the track, “Right Between The Eyes,” for what he believes is the first time in 20 years (click above for the exclusive video). It’s one of 64 tracks on Reflections, which traces his career from the Hollies through the many incarnations of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young to his recent solo work. “I went through 44 versions of the set before I settled on this one,” he says. “It was painful for me because I’m not for introspection or resting on my laurels. A lot of the musical soundtrack to my life is on this box set.”

Nash plans on hitting the road this summer for Crosby, Stills and Nash’s 40th anniversary tour. He’s also in the early stages of recording a new covers album with his famed trio under the guidance of producer Rick Rubin.

The last time Nash was hanging at Rolling Stone along with David Crosby and Stephen Stills, the trio took us track-by-track through the making of their landmark self-titled debut album:

• Track by Track: Crosby, Stills & Nash on Their Self-Titled Debut

Related Stories:

• Crosby, Stills and Nash Talk About Their New Movie and Old Bands
• Exclusive Clip: CSNY: Deja Vu
• Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: 2000 Feature

By Akshay Bhansali

Curiosity brought me to Le Poisson Rouge in New York City last night for the release of N.A.S.A.’s first album, The Spirit of Apollo. Come to think of it, it brought MTV News correspondent Kim Stolz there as well. Why? Well, the debut album from N.A.S.A. (stands for North America, South America) — made up of DJ Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon — features Chuck D, Spank Rock, M.I.A., Lykke Li, David Byrne, DJ AM, Santogold, Kanye West, Kool Keith, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O, Method Man, Sizzla and the Cool Kids … and yes, the list goes on and on. Not bad for a first record from a yet-unheard-of recording pair.

Based solely on the guest roster of The Spirit of Apollo, one would think the music gods commanded “LET THERE BE LIGHT!” and this record was conjured up. But really, as the duo say on their MySpace page: “The Spirit of Apollo is an ongoing creative collaboration between two lifelong music aficionados, Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon, and their friends, friends of friends and musical heroes.”

Expect Brazilian-infused funktastic club bangers. Here’s some video from last night’s party, with Squeak E. Clean, a.k.a. Spike Jonze’s brother Sam Spiegel, on the decks and Martian chicks, an ape and some other thing dancing.

PS: Here’s the track list. CRRAAAZZYYY!!!

» “Intro”
» “The People Tree” (featuring David Byrne, Chali 2na, Gift of Gab and Z-Trip)
» “Money” (featuring David Byrne, Chuck D, Ras Congo, Seu Jorge and Z-Trip)
» “N.A.S.A. Music” (featuring Method Man, E-40 and DJ Swamp)
» “Way Down” (featuring RZA, Barbie Hatch and John Frusciante)
» “Hip Hop” (featuring KRS-One, Fatlip and Slim Kid Tre)
» “Four Rooms, Earth View”
» “Strange Enough” (featuring Karen O, Ol’ Dirty Bastard and Fatlip)
» “Spacious Thoughts” (featuring Tom Waits and Kool Keith)
» “Gifted” (featuring Kanye West, Santogold and Lykke Li)
» “A Volta” (featuring Sizzla, Amanda Blank and Lovefoxxx)
» “There’s a Party” (featuring George Clinton and Chali 2na)
» “Whachadoin?” (featuring Spank Rock, M.I.A., Santogold and Nick Zinner)
» “O Pato” (featuring Kool Kojak and DJ Babão)
» “Samba Soul” (featuring Del Tha Funkee Homosapien and DJ Qbert)
» “The Mayor” (featuring the Cool Kids, Ghostface Killah, Scarface and DJ AM)
» “N.A.S.A. Anthem”

Photo: Benc/Getty

Lil Wayne has settled the lawsuit the Rolling Stones’ publishing company Abkco slapped him with after the rapper’s Tha Carter III song “Playing With Fire” was deemed too similar to the Stones’ 1965 hit “Play With Fire.” Abkco originally sued Lil Wayne in July 2008. The lawsuit cited lyrical comparisons like the Stones’ original chorus “But don’t play with me, ’cause you’re playing with fire,” and Wayne’s line “But you can’t blame me if I set this stage on fire,” and also alleged that the public might assume the Rolling Stones approved of Wayne’s use of “explicit, sexist and offensive language” — because in no way would the Stones ever want to affiliate themselves with explicit, sexist and offensive lyrics. (See: Some Girls.)

While originally denying any wrongdoing, Wayne wisely removed “Playing With Fire” from all TC3 copies being sold through digital music services to avoid having to lose any royalties from online sales. (It was replaced by a track called “Pussy Monster.”) Tha Carter III sold over a million copies in its debut week in 2008. We won’t find out how much of that royalty money is going to Abkco, however, as “terms of the settlement are governed by a confidentiality agreement.” Both parties are “satisfied with the amicable settlement,” a statement reads.

While the Stones deprived Weezy off rocking out to “Playing With Fire,” the rapper will have an opportunity to get his thrash on when he explores his rock star alter ego on his new album Rebirth, due out April 7th. Check below for more on Wayne’s transformation from MC to MC5:

• Inside Lil Wayne’s “Real Rock Album”: “Prom Queen” Producers Talk “Rebirth”
• Lil Wayne Plots Rock Album “Rebirth,” First Single “Prom Queen” Leaks

Related Stories:

• How Lil Wayne Became a Superstar
• Inside the Strange Mind of Lil Wayne

I knew little about guitarist Stephane Wrembel when I caught his acoustic quartet, the Django Experiment — named after the Belgian Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt — opening for Patti Smith at New York’s Bowery Ballroom in December. The set was a revelation. The Parisian-born Wrembel studied Reinhardt’s fleet precision and soulful swing the hard way — playing in actual Gypsy camps — and Wrembel played his long, racing breaks at the Bowery with passionate concentration. Woody Allen knew all this long before I did: Wrembel’s “Big Brother,” from a self-released 2006 record, Barbes-Brooklyn, is featured in the director’s 2008 romp, Vicky Cristina Barcelona. That album wasn’t at the merch table at the Bowery, so I bought two others instead, including a fantastic concert document, Live in Canada (also self-released), which includes Wrembel’s generously extended versions of Reinhardt’s “Nuages” and “Minor Swing.” Something else I discovered that night: Wrembel lives in New York (he moved here after a spell at the Berklee College of Music in Boston), and the Django Experiment play around town almost nightly.
I will be back for more.

How do you make Super Bowl Sunday even more of a spectacle? By adding Bob Dylan, even if it is just for a $3 million minute. The legendary singer-songwriter and the Black Eyed Peas‘ once again ubiquitous Will.i.am will make a cameo appearance during this Sunday’s Super Bowl broadcast when the pair team up for a new ad for Pepsi. As Billboard reports, the duo will sing a new song penned specifically for the commercial. No other details have been released, but Pepsi executives are reportedly considering selling the new song through iTunes. We’re kind of baffled why Will.i.am and not Jay-Z or Kanye West would be given the opportunity to appear in a commercial with Dylan, but we’ll take what we can get when it comes to the Highway 61 man.

By appearing in the Pepsi ad, Dylan becomes a part of Super Bowl advertising tradition that in the past has included artists like Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Willie Nelson and many more. For your viewing pleasure, we’ve collected the 20 best rock star-filled Super Bowl ads. And just a reminder, Rock Daily will be at the Steelers vs. the Cardinals, so check back for all things Springsteen and gridiron this weekend.

• A Short History of Rock Stars in Super Bowl Commercials

In other commercial news, Billboard also reports that Dylan has granted permission for his “Blowin’ in the Wind” to be used in a U.K. TV spot. The ad, for the Co-operative Group — which allows its members to collectively run businesses like food stores, banks and pharmacies via — will run next month.

Related Stories:

• Best Rock Sell-Outs Ever
• Worst Rock Sell-Outs Ever
• The 25 Best Super Bowl Commercials Ever

It’s beginning to feel like I write this same thing every single year (and, lo and behold, I have), but, wow, the lineup for Coachella 2009 is super underwhelming. Again.

Perhaps it’s due to the inflated expectations from previous years, or the constant stream of hype, speculation and false-starts that accompanies the unveiling of the lineup each and every winter, but once again, I am let down by the spate of bands the promoters at Goldenvoice have lined up for Coachella ‘09. For the second year in a row, there are no big-ticket reunions (long a ‘Chella staple), no “Man-I-gotta-see-’em” headliners (Paul McCartney, probably playing stuff from his crummy electronic side-project! The Killers! The Cure!). There is Franz Ferdinand. And the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. And, Amy Winehouse, provided she makes it until April. Oh, and there is Leonard Cohen, who should actually be pretty rad now that I think of it.

But overall: “Meh.” And yeah, I get that I probably sound like a totally spoiled indie jerk when I say that, but there was a time when Coachella used to mean something. It was the event. You would break into your savings to score tickets and flights to Ontario, California. Now the competition has caught up with them. I mean, Bonnaroo could possibly have both Phish and the Dead (and maybe the Boss) on the bill … that’s awesome. I think my head will explode.

Sure, there are plenty of totally worthy acts on the undercard: Conor Oberst and his Mystic Valley Band, Antony & the Johnsons, Superchunk, the Hold Steady, Gang Gang Dance, No Age, the Vivian Girls, etc., but I’ve seen them all before (and chances are a lot of Coachella-goers have too). And while I am excited to find out just who Supermayer are (perhaps five John Mayers combined into one, Voltron-style?) there’s no sizzle on this year’s bill. We were tempted with reports of Pavement reunions and secret Britney Spears shows in Dance Tents. We still might get some of them, who knows? Perhaps Goldenvoice has a few tricks up their sleeves. I certainly hope so. Because, for the second year running, I find myself thinking only one thing: “Meh.”

Photo: Cattermole/Getty

Lily Allen, “22,” “The Fear,” “He Wasn’t There” [Live]
Lily Allen, looking lovably scruffy and periodically bored, blows through three songs from her forthcoming record, all of them proving that she remains smarter, sharper and more tuneful than any of her close competitors.

Kings of Leon, “Sex on Fire” [Tenzin Remix]
We remembered how much everyone “loved” Hayley Davis’ cover of this song, so we figured, “Hey, maybe people will like a remix just as much! Especially one that kinda makes them sound like Billy Ocean!”

Ben Kweller, “Undone (The Sweater Song)” [Weezer Cover]
Kweller turns “Sweater” inside out, toning it down and making its slow parts creepier and its chorus more triumphant. All it took was an acoustic guitar.

Various Artists, Various White Stripes Covers [Covers]
We’re not sure where to start in this stack of 10 White Stripes covers. Nikka Costa’s soulful — and surprisingly successful — take on “Ball & Biscuit”? The Dynamics mind-blowing reggae/R&B run-through on “Seven Nation Army”? Chris Thile of Nickel Creek’s barnburning bluegrass spin through “Dead Leaves & the Dirty Ground”? It’s like hearing them all for the first time — in the best possible way.

Axis of Awesome, “4 Chords” [Multiple Covers]
Proof positive that there is nothing new under the sun, Australian comedy team Axis of Awesome prove that everyone — from Journey to U2 to Maroon 5 to the Beatles — owe their entire careers to four simple chords.

Photo: Becker/FOX

Since Simon Cowell and Co. are always on American Idol hopefuls’ cases about not sounding contemporary and skewing old, the show kicked off with references to the very young and hip West Side Story and A Tale of Two Cities last night. The towns in question — New York and San Juan, Puerto Rico — hosted the (thank you, lord) final auditions, provided an opportunity for an enthusiastic New Yawker to yell “Where’s Brooklyn at!?” into the camera and briefly revived the career of U.K. glam rockers the Darkness (we do not soon forget watching Ryan Seacrest strut around to “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”).

In the end, the judges doled out 9 golden tickets in PR and 26 in NYC to Hollywood Week. Here’s a quick rundown:

Ones to Watch:

• Smooth-voiced, smiley Melinda Camille likes to dance naked, auditioned barefoot and could be Rose Flack’s hippie soul sister. Which is why we were sure we misheard this quote the first time around: “Humanity is taking a shift right now and I want to be a part of it.”

• After Jorge Nunez beautifully sang “My Way” in Spanish, Cowell essentially admitted the show went to PR in search of a wider Latino audience. What ratings problems?

• Watch Nick Mitchell a.k.a. Norman Gentle for his sparkly shirt, khaki shorts and sass (”You mean the way you like it when Seacrest does it?” — even out of context, that’s amusing).

• Sixteen-year-old high school student Kenny Hoffpauer got approximately five seconds of screen time, but only needed that long to show he’s a contender.

Meh:

• Patricia Lewis Roman dares to sing Whitney! “Crazy song choice,” says Simon.

• Jackie Tohn makes guitar faces while singing (Song Face?) and had her audition interrupted by an act of God: the screen on the windows collapsed just as Simon started to criticize her.

• The judges imply Monique Garcia Torres got her ticket to Hollywood on the strength of her brother’s cuteness. They have half a point.

Ones to Wipe From Your Memory With Bleach:

• Hopefully Apple will sue Joel Contraras for dressing as an iPod for his audition and then performing like a Zune.

Thanks for the Memories:

• Wait … is that? … could it be? Our old friend Alexis Cohen from last year’s auditions! This time she shows off her “new attitude” for about five seconds before returning to her wildly cursing self. (For a good time, check out Cohen’s season seven Idol audition.)

• Adeola Adegoke from the Bronx was billed as a “former bank teller” because she stupidly quit her job before auditions. As Randy put it, “Singing is not your steez, dude.”

• Compulsive singing-contest-enterer Jessica Baier traveled to San Juan from Michigan with nine family members to set up Simon’s punchline by singing Celine Dion’s “I Surrender”: “So do we. It was absolutely awful.”

Taylor Swift Is Hitting The Road

The chart-topping country star plans to headline her own tour this April.

• Taylor Swift
• Kellie Pickler

• Julian Lennon denies he’ll perform with his half-brother, Sean. The erroneous story was first reported by Fox News, who claimed John’s sons would perform at a UN gala on February 26th. Julian wrote on his MySpace blog: “Hi Folks, sorry to say, but the news today about Sean & I playing together at the UN Awards, came directly out of [Fox News writer] Roger Friedman’s Ass! DO they ever tell the truth at FOX?”

• Joining headliner Beyoncé at this year’s Essence Festival in New Orleans: Ne-Yo, Al Green, Maxwell, John Legend, Robin Thicke and two of our ’90s favorites: Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue. The three-day festival will take place July 3-5 at the Big Easy’s Superdome.
• Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider is holding an open casting call for his horror film Strangeland: Disciple, the sequel to his 1998 movie. The role of “Vigilante Jackson Roth” will be played by Freddy Krueger actor Robert Englund, reports ScreenTest.
• 50 Cent is planning on getting into the dietary supplement business, according to All Hip-Hop. Fiddy made this decision after training for his role as a boxer in The Dance with Nicholas Cage. “When [my career] blew up, I developed the Diddy syndrome,” 50 said. “As soon as you develop the Diddy syndrome, you put a little more grease in your hair, and soon enough, you’re selling cologne.”

The organizers of the first big festival of 2009, California’s Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, have finally announced the lineup for their epic desert fest: Paul McCartney, the Killers and the Cure will headline on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively (the fest runs April 17th, 18th and 19th at the Empire Polo Club in Indio). The date will mark the U.S. festival debut of Sir Paul, who says in a statement, “I have heard that Coachella is one of the greatest festivals in the world. I’m really excited to get out there and rock!” The April 17th lineup will also include Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Leonard Cohen, Franz Ferdinand and Morrissey (not the Smiths, as many had hoped). Joining the Killers on the April 18th are TV on the Radio and the return of Amy Winehouse.

Robert Smith and Co. are headlining on April 19th, but the real draw may be My Bloody Valentine, who will finally make their Coachella debut after being at the forefront of most booking rumors last year. Sunday night is ’80s Night at the Indio festival, with bands like X, Throbbing Gristle, Public Enemy and Paul Weller all performing. Plus, there will be sets from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Lupe Fiasco.

On the smaller stages, each day is dotted with top shelf indie acts, ranging from the Black Keys, Girl Talk and the Hold Steady on Friday to Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses and Liars on Saturday and Okkervil River, Antony & The Johnsons and No Age on Sunday. And that’s just naming a few.

If there’s one night that maybe looks weaker on paper, it’s probably the Saturday, April 18th lineup. Coachella had a cure to improve their slow-selling Saturday bill last year: adding Prince at the last minute. This year, there’s a star by the name of Bruce Springsteen who happens to be available during Coachella because of a six-day gap in his tour schedule that leaves him in Los Angeles with nothing to do starting on April 15th. Coincidence? We’ll find out soon.

Keep in mind, today’s announcement doesn’t include all those specialty dance tents that Coachella features. Britney Spears is among those rumored to be playing a dance tent in a move similar to Madonna’s appearance at the festival in 2006. Tickets for this year’s festival go on sale today at noon at the Coachella site, and interested buyers may want to take advantage of a layaway payment plan: today through February 28th, fans can pay 50 percent of the cost of a weekend pass now and the rest in either two installments or one final payment in March and April.

Are you going to this year’s festival? The full Coachella lineup is after the jump. And of course, Rock Daily will be on the Coachella grounds exactly 77 days from now with interviews, reviews, photos and more.

FRIDAY APRIL 17:  Paul McCartney, Morrissey, Franz Ferdinand, Leonard Cohen, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Beirut, The Black Keys, Girl Talk, Silversun Pickups, The Ting Tings, The Crystal Method, Ghostland Observatory, Crystal Castles, The Airborne Toxic Event, We Are Scientists, N.A.S.A., Patton & Rahzel, M. Ward, The Presets, The Hold Steady, A Place to Bury Strangers, Felix da Housecat, Buraka Som Sistema, Ryan Bingham, Bajofondo, Peanut Butter Wolf, Noah & the Whale, White Lies, The Bug, Alberta Cross, Los Campesinos!, Craze & Klever, Molotov, Switch, Gui Boratto, Steve Aoki, The Aggrolites, People Under the Stairs, The Courteeners, Cage the Elephant, Dear and the Headlights.

SATURDAY, APRIL 18:  The Killers, Amy Winehouse, Thievery Corporation, TV on the Radio, Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes, MSTRKRFT, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Atmosphere, Mastodon, TRAV$DJ-AM, Henry Rollins, Crookers, Turbonegro, Hercules and Love Affair, Superchunk, Glasvegas, Dr. Dog, Drive-By Truckers, Booker T & the DBT’s, Amanda Palmer, The Bloody Beetroots, Surkin, Para One (Live), Calexico, Liars, Bob Mould Band, Zane Lowe, Electric Touch, Blitzen Trapper, James Morrison, Drop the Lime, Glass Candy, Thenewno2, Gang Gang Dance, Billy Talent, Ida Maria, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Zizek, Cloud Cult, Tinariwen.

SUNDAY, APRIL 19:  The Cure, My Bloody Valentine, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Throbbing Gristle, Lupe Fiasco, Paul Weller, Peter Bjorn and John, X, Antony & the Johnsons, Roni Size, Public Enemy, Jenny Lewis, Groove Armada, Paolo Nutini, Christopher Lawrence, Lykke Li, The Kills, Okkervil River, M.A.N.D.Y., Clipse, Sebastien Tellier, Fucked Up, Perry Farrell, The Horrors, Late of the Pier, K’naan, Junior Boys, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Supermayer, No Age, Vivian Girls, Shepard Fairey, Themselves, Gaslight Anthem, The Knux, Mexican Institute of Sound, The Night Marchers, Marshall Barnes.

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