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Growing up, I went to the Palisades Mall in Nyack, New York, all the time with my friends. In high school, it was our hangout on Friday nights. So, as you can imagine, going back there now, all these years later, to cover an assignment following the Jonas Brothers around for MTV News — the job I told everyone in high school I would have one day — is quite mind-boggling.

First off, traveling to the Westchester airport to attend a press conference featuring the most famous group of guys in the world is pretty cool as it is, but it’s not often that these types of assignments give you the opportunity to go home, even if it’s only for a few hours. To say the least, it was a trip.

But back in the day, I loved the Backstreet Boys. I idolized Nick Carter the way girls idolize Nick, Joe and Kevin today. So, waiting in that movie theater room in that mall and seeing the sheer excitement on the faces of all those girls was pretty funny. I was once one of those girls in that very room — except the Backstreet Boys never showed up.

Now, of course, I get to hang out with guys like the JoBros for my job. The job I envisioned I would have when I was one of those girls. Now, I get to travel in police motorcades and private jets and be a part of the embedded crew of journalists that follow the moves of this generation’s teen idols.

All in all, not too shabby a job for a girl from New Jersey.

Growing up, I went to the Palisades Mall in Nyack, New York, all the time with my friends. In high school, it was our hangout on Friday nights. So, as you can imagine, going back there now, all these years later, to cover an assignment following the Jonas Brothers around for MTV News — the job I told everyone in high school I would have one day — is quite mind-boggling.

First off, traveling to the Westchester airport to attend a press conference featuring the most famous group of guys in the world is pretty cool as it is, but it’s not often that these types of assignments give you the opportunity to go home, even if it’s only for a few hours. To say the least, it was a trip.

But back in the day, I loved the Backstreet Boys. I idolized Nick Carter the way girls idolize Nick, Joe and Kevin today. So, waiting in that movie theater room in that mall and seeing the sheer excitement on the faces of all those girls was pretty funny. I was once one of those girls in that very room — except the Backstreet Boys never showed up.

Now, of course, I get to hang out with guys like the JoBros for my job. The job I envisioned I would have when I was one of those girls. Now, I get to travel in police motorcades and private jets and be a part of the embedded crew of journalists that follow the moves of this generation’s teen idols.

All in all, not too shabby a job for a girl from New Jersey.

Photo: Wargo/WireImage

Chris Brown enrolled in anger management classes as the fallout from his alleged altercation with Rihanna resulted in Brown’s role getting “erased” from the promotion of his upcoming film. Despite the backlash, Ne-Yo insisted Brown is “still my homeboy” while Kanye West showed some support for the beleaguered R&B singer.

Slumdog Millionaire and Sean Penn were the big winners at the 81st Annual Academy Awards, as were Styx after being randomly referenced in an acceptance speech. Plus, Rolling Stone movie critic Peter Travers wrote about what sucked and what didn’t at this year’s ceremony. Our personal Oscar highlight? The Jimmy Eat World covers at the Prince afterparty.

After a decade of waiting, Faith No More revealed plans to reunite for a European tour. Rock Daily also analyzed what other long shot reunions might happen, and we dedicated our Rock List to 1980s Hard Rock Singles like their “We Care A Lot.”

The Live Nation/Ticketmaster merger went to Washington for a hearing in front of the antitrust subcommittee. The hearing soon became a battle over the Chicago music scene, while Van Halen, Shakira and Seal all voiced their support of the merger. Who doesn’t support the merger? Bruce Springsteen fans, even after Ticketmaster settled that ticketing fiasco with the Attorney General of New Jersey.

Photo: Mazur/VF/WireImage

We are grinning ear to ear, ready to show you the week in photos. Apparently Madonna and Gwen are psyched too, as this picture from last Sunday’s Oscar party illustrates. Did you know that after this pic was taken, Maddy used those biceps to lift Gwen completely over her head… and both of them still looked stunning?

Since there’s free food and cameras, the Oscars brought out no shortage of famous people. Prince threw a wild party to celebrate and — in the tradition of Prince afterparties — it may actually still be going on. Beyoncé and Hugh Jackman brought out their best Mr. Peanut costumes, and Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer couldn’t possibly be a cuter couple unless they started carrying around baby ducks wherever they go.

As for the other six days of the week: The White Stripes said goodbye to Conan, Kid Rock said goodbye to some pesky Mardi Gras beads, and Katy Perry said goodbye to all decorum at a wacky show in London.

• Random Notes: Jonas Brothers, Gwen Stefani, Usher and the Week in Rock

Photo: Amary/Dalle /Retna Ltd.

This week, hair metal staples Poison, stadium-rockers Def Leppard and classic power-poppers Cheap Trick announced they will be embarking on a huge arena tour this summer. In addition, alt-metal weirdos Faith No More announced that they too will be reuniting after 10 years for a trip around Europe. These four bands couldn’t be more different — Def Leppard’s Joe Elliot even takes great pains to distance himself from the frizzy locks of tourmates Poison, telling Rolling Stone, “If we’re hair metal, so are Led Zeppelin.”

But all of them made great unforgettable rock singles in the Eighties. Go round and round in your mind, discern what made you feel the noize, and pour some sugar on our comments section. Tell us your pick for best hard rock single released between 1980 and 1989, and we’ll be back (possibly in black) on Monday with the results. For now, our picks:

• Guns N’ Roses - “Welcome To The Jungle”

• Motörhead - “Ace Of Spades”

• AC/DC - “Back In Black”

• Living Colour - “Cult Of Personality”

• Van Halen - “Hot For Teacher”

Photo: BOUYS/AFP/Getty

As they do every Friday, our fearless interns navigated into the sordid depths we call our comments section to unearth the most thought-provoking statement from the Rock Daily readers. Following last weekend’s Oscars ceremony, our readers lamented Sean Penn’s win over Mickey Rourke, argued whether Slumdog Millionaire was deserving of its dominant performance and even played the role of Red Carpet Fashion Police. Yet, it was TheVM who took home the Academy Award for Best Comment when he said:

Some of you seem to be under the impression that Oscar night is about films. It isn’t. It is simply a mechanism for Hollywood to do what it enjoys more than any other single thing in the whole world…self-congratulate. Does your annual workplace Christmas party serve any nobler purpose? Did you get this emotionally involved in who won Accountant of the Year?

It sounds trite, but if you really want to celebrate film, go to more of them, buy more of them, and for god-sakes MAKE more of them.

Excellent advice, VM. We expect to see you in line for Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience this weekend. As for the rest of you, just don’t go to any of the films Peter Travers put in his Scumbucket.

Signed memorabilia donated by members of bands like Van Halen, KISS and Velvet Revolver are going to auction to help raise funds for Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputy Kevin Corrales, who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia last April. Among the items up for bid is a drum head, signed by Eddie, Wolfgang and Alex Van Halen, a Silverton guitar signed by KISS’s Paul Stanley and a guitar signed by Velvet Revolver’s Slash, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum and Dave Kushner. Additional items include a drum head autographed by Rush drummer Neil Peart. “Several of rock ‘n’ roll’s royalty immediately stepped up,” sheriff’s Deputy Mike Ascolese, who organized the fundraiser with Deputy John Maio, told L.A.’s Daily News. Because of Corrales’ Chinese-Mexican ancestry, finding a bone marrow donor has proven to be a difficult task. Ninety percent of proceeds from the auction will benefit Corrales, while the other 10 will go to the T.J. Martell foundation. Check out this eBay page to see all the items and make a bid.

Photo: Ufberg/WireImage

As they’ve done since 2005, the Allman Brothers Band will headline two nights at the fifth annual Wanee Music Festival in Live Oak, Florida, on June 5 and 6th. This year’s Wanee fest is especially noteworthy as it coincides with the band’s yearlong 40th anniversary extravaganza, which includes a 15-night run at New York’s Beacon Theatre. Helping the Eat A Peach rockers celebrate at Wanee are Gov’t Mule, the Doobie Brothers, Toots and the Maytals, the Drive-By Truckers and many more jam-happy artists spread over the fest’s two days. Plus, the Derek Trucks Band will perform a special midnight set on Friday night and the Wailers will perform Exodus in its entirety. Tickets go on sale March 7th. Check out the full Wanee lineup below:

Wanee Festival
The Allman Brothers Band
Gov’t Mule
The Doobie Brothers
Toots And The Maytals
Little Feat
Umphrey’s McGee
Susan Tedeschi
Arc Angels (Featuring guitarist and singers Doyle Bramhall II and Charlie Sexton and two former members of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s band Double Trouble, drummer Chris Layton and bassist Tommy Shannon)
The Wailers (Performing Exodus)
Drive-By Truckers
Bill Kreutzmann (featuring Oteil Burbridge and Scott Murawski)
Keller Williams
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Jorma Kaukonen
Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band
Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk
Col. Bruce Hampton & The Quark Alliance
The Lee Boys with Oteil Burbridge
Hill Country Revue (Formed by Cody Dickinson from The North Mississippi Allstars, also features Chris Chew from The Allstars, Kirk Smithhart, Ed “Hot” Cleveland and Dixie Dan Cobur)
Devon Allman’s Honeytribe
Bonobos Convergence
Mocean Worker
The Derek Trucks Band
The Radiators

If a grown man who occasionally dresses up in women’s clothing, complete with a blonde wig and fake boobs (purely for comedic purposes of course), and who has a very unhealthy obsession with all things pop culture (”American Idol,” “The Hills,” “ABDC” … you name it, he loves it) asks you if he can borrow your beloved dog for a shoot — you probably would say, “NO!”

But not when it’s Jim Cantiello from MTV “Detox”!

I’ve sat next to MTV’s resident pop-culture expert Jim for the last two years and from my very first day, my eyes and ears were well and truly forced open to the world of “Project Runway,” “ABDC,” kitsch YouTube clips, trashy blog sites and yes … “American Idol” (thanks, Jim!).

But one thing fans of “Detox” should know about Jim is that he has an obsession greater than all the others put together: Jim Cantiello is a big animal lover.

So when I brought the latest addition to the Kash clan — my Brussels Griffon/ Yorkshire Terrier-mix puppy — into the office to meet the news team, Jim, who was busy filming the latest installment of “Detox,” asked if the puppy could make a cameo on the show.

So check out the pic below of the puppy and Jim on the set of “Detox,” and catch them both on the latest episode on MTV.com on Saturday night.

P.S. Jim, the invoice for her cameo appearance is in the post!

Photo: Natkin/WireImage

For nearly 10 years now, Faith No More fans have mourned the demise of one of the most influential and under-appreciated rock acts of the 1990s — all with the firm understanding that there would be no return. And, well, they’ve never really been given much reason to believe a reunion could ever come to pass, with frontman Mike Patton insisting time and time again in interviews that a reunion wouldn‘t be happening on his watch. Imagine the shock this week when fans learned that the band had signed on for a strictly-European reunion run.

(Get reacquainted with Faith No More with our career-spanning photo gallery here.)

Unfortunately, Patton’s publicist says Mike, like the rest of the band, will not be talking to the media about the reunion trek, perhaps because it’s one of those monumental reunions that will succeed with or without press. But eight years ago, Patton was talking about Faith No More, telling me he just didn’t think a reunion was in the cards.

“It’s a band I was in, and I had a great time,” Patton said. “It’s not that I’m ashamed of it or anything. I think we made some great music. I just don’t believe in trying to relive that.”

News of the band’s impending return was buried at the bottom of a press release announcing Patton’s work on the score for the upcoming film Crank 2: High Voltage. The missive provided information on Patton’s upcoming live performances (including one with beatbox messiah Rahzel at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April) before cursorily noting Patton’s “highly anticipated reunion tour with Faith No More in Europe this summer.”

Eight years ago, Patton scoffed at the suggestion of new music. “We’d suck,” he reasoned. “We’d be horrible. It would be an absolute travesty to everything that we did that was good. We would ruin every great moment that we had, and things are not meant to last for long periods of time — especially in the music industry. We made four records, they all stand up, they’re strong, and we made a very good statement. We said what we had to say, and we fucking crawled off and died. What’s the problem with that? It happens.”

While the band has no plans to tour the U.S., one industry insider suspects that, if the European trek goes well, “the right offer” will be the only thing standing between Faith No More and a full American run.

On Thursday, bassist Billy Gould issued a statement detailing the band’s reunion lineup. He said the guys recently began talking again, and even hinted that new music could be forthcoming. But eight years ago, Patton could see one reason, and only one reason, for a reunion.

“Trying to rekindle that spark would be for money, and for money only, and the music would just be God awful,” he said. “We broke up not because we were not getting along or because one guy had a bigger ego than the other, or any of that crap. I think our music was starting to slow down. I think we’d come full circle, and hell, I thought we had a good thing. I thought it was a very good way of going out… realizing that we were slowing down, and pulling the plug.”

Of course, the lesson to be learned here is that you should never say never. Patton and the boys came around to the idea of reuniting. So did the Police, Van Halen, Phish, Blink-182, Limp Bizkit, Creed, and Rage Against the Machine. So what other fractured bands should mend fences and return to the stage? Here’s a wish list, as well as the reasons why you probably shouldn’t hold your breath.

Band: Guns N’ Roses’ original lineup
Date last seen: July 17, 1993 in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Why you shouldn’t hold your breath: The bad blood between Axl and Slash seems to have only deepened over time, with Rose telling Billboard recently, “What’s clear is that one of the two of us will die before a reunion and however sad, ugly or unfortunate anyone views it, it is how it is.”

Band: Led Zeppelin
Date last seen: December 10, 2007 in London, England
Why you shouldn’t hold your breath: Frontman Robert Plant said that the band’s surviving members explored a reunion after their one-off tribute to Ahmet Ertegun, but ultimately decided they couldn’t do it without late drummer John Bonham. “We were incomplete, and we’ve been incomplete now for 29 years,” Plant told Absolute Radio.

Band: The Smiths
Date last seen: December 12, 1986 in London, England
Why you shouldn’t hold your breath: Despite seven-figure offers to bury the hatchet, guitarist Johnny Marr and cheerless frontman Morrissey insist it’ll never happen, with the singer telling BBC Radio 2 as recently as this month “people always ask me about reunions and I can’t imagine why… The past seems like a distant place, and I’m pleased with that.”

Band: Pavement
Date last seen: November 20, 1999 in London, England
Why you shouldn’t hold your breath: While guitarist Scott Kannberg and bassist Mark Ibold have publicly expressed interest in reviving the band, Stephen Malkmus told NME recently that he’d be interested in doing “something small in 10 years, like the Zeppelin thing sounds good to me.” However, the latest rumors suggest the band’s retained a booking agent, so who knows?

Band: Soundgarden
Date last seen: February 9, 1997 in Honolulu, Hawaii
Why you shouldn’t hold your breath: While there doesn’t seem to be any animosity amongst the band’s members, frontman Chris Cornell told MTV News in 2007 that the band was “happy with how it ended. There was no unfinished business. Soundgarden wasn’t a band where we broke up and everyone was like, ‘I’m never fucking talking to you again.’ Its something we don’t feel we need to do.”

Band: System of a Down
Date last seen: August 13, 2006 in West Palm Beach, Florida
Why you shouldn’t hold your breath: The band’s self-imposed “indefinite hiatus” was upgraded by frontman Serj Tankian recently to “permanent,” and told New Zealand’s Stuff that “every few months, I am honored to hear interesting rumors about whether the band is going to tour or break up permanently. I find them all to be very entertaining.” Meanwhile, guitarist Daron Malakian said to MTV News last year that “if anyone’s holding their breath for a System record, they’re going to turn blue and pass out.”

Band: Talking Heads
Date last seen: March 18, 2002 in New York City
Why you shouldn’t hold your breath: Reunion talk caught fire soon after Talking Heads performed at 2002’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, but leader David Byrne later told Australia’s The Age that the split was too vicious for absolution. “Another [reason] is that musically, we’re just miles apart.”

Band: The Kinks
Date last seen: June 15, 1996 in Oslo, Norway
Why you shouldn’t hold your breath: Lead singer Ray Davies has said he thinks the seminal English rockers could reform, but for new music only. A tour, he told BBC Radio last fall, would be too difficult on his brother, guitarist Dave Davies, who suffered a stroke in 2004.

Band: Stone Roses
Date last seen: August 29, 1996 in Reading, England
Why you shouldn’t hold your breath: Both Ian Brown and John Squire have continually dispelled reunion rumors over the years, and neither has spoken a word to the other since Squire jumped ship in 1995. But last month, a spokesperson for Squire said he “has no plans to return to music.”

Band: Minor Threat
Date last seen: September 23, 1983 in Washington, D.C.
Why you shouldn’t hold your breath: Frontman Ian MacKaye would never sell out that hard, and said as much during a recent lecture at St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas, last November. “Why would you ever want that to happen?,” he said, later explaining that the band’s music was a reflection of the times, and that it wouldn’t be right to play those songs again.

Who else are you hoping against hope to see reunited? Let us know what you think, and tell us which never-going-to-happen reunion you’d like to see come to fruition.

Rock Daily will be at the Radio City Music Hall this weekend to catch David Byrne’s Everything That Happens tour, featuring the fruits of Byrne’s collaboration with producer Brian Eno. Thus, this week’s Flashback visits Byrne’s oddball interview on the Space Ghost Coast 2 Coast show, with the Talking Heads singer laying down the blueprint on how to act awkwardly when a TV host asks you questions. Just replace the superhero in the white jumpsuit with David Letterman and it’s like the Joaquin Phoenix interview all over again.

Check back Monday for our review of the Byrne show, but until then, click the jump for some vintage 1980 Talking Heads as the band performs “The Great Curve” live in Rome:

Photo: Mazur/WireImage

Axl Rose’s second official post-Chinese Democracy interview hit the internet today as the Guns n’ Roses frontman talked with Spinner about his new album, why the group’s original lineup dissolved and why he’ll never reunite with Slash. Even though the interview was conducted by Rose’s good friend and Guns road manager Del James, the questions definitely aren’t softball and, as usual, Axl doesn’t hold anything back.

As Rose clearly stated in his message board rants and Billboard’s interview earlier this month, he really has no intention of ever reuniting with Slash. “There’s zero possibility of me having anything to do with Slash other than by ambush, and that wouldn’t be pretty,” Rose tells James, adding later that, “Slash either should not have been in Guns to begin with or should have left after Lies. In a nutshell, personally I consider him a cancer and better removed, avoided—and the less anyone heard of him or his supporters, the better.” However, Rose did seem open to once again working with Izzy Stradlin or Duff McKagan (”I supposed Duff could play guitar on something somewhere.”) Duff recently told Rolling Stone, “I love Axl,” so maybe a mini-reunion is in order.

Rose still has no love lost for the media, accusing journalists of creating the myth that he set out to make Chinese Democracy the “best album ever made,” thus its 13 year delay. “No, that’s fucking ridiculous and more negative media nonsense. We were all just trying to do our best for the fans and ourselves,” Rose says to Spinner, “There types of comments are more from our detractors, pulled out of their ass if not thin air.”

The interview also provides some clues as to the future of Gn’R. Rose hints at a possible tour, and talks about the possibility that there will be some new material in the future. “Not as much as Baz [Sebastian Bach] thinks he heard,” Rose said regarding that time Bach revealed information about songs not on Chinese Democracy. Rose did mention one new song that features guitarist Robin Finck doing “a really great Stevie Ray Vaughn-type solo.”

Related Stories:
• Duff McKagan Opens Up About Guns n’ Roses, Punk Band Loaded and Steven Adler
• Axl Rose Gives First “Chinese Democracy” Interview, Says He’ll Never Reunite With Slash
• Did Axl Rose Swindle Guns N’ Roses and Steal Slash’s Song? A Guide to Rose’s Online Rants

By Nicole Tahan

Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz approves of the Obamas’ first-dog choice. Portuguese water dog it is!

Jessica Simpson surprises her fans with her hot new bod while performing in Daisy Dukes but forgets her lyrics yet again! Find out what’s going on with the country/pop star.

“Gossip Girl” will rock out with No Doubt. Check out the highly anticipated Gwen Stefani/ Blair Waldorf face-off, airing May 11.

If you live in Japan, “Twilight” fever is just heating up! Check out pics from the red-carpet premiere of “Twilight” in Japan.

Who’s up for “Sin City 2″? Michael Clarke Duncan says he’s game to come back as Manute if the movie happens.

It’s no secret that many citizens of indie-dom quietly wept on December 29, when it was revealed that quirky-cute actress/singer Zooey Deschanel was officially off the market, getting engaged to Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard.

In the wake of the announcement, there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth … riots broke out in cities across the country (especially in Portland). It was bad. In fact, it’s gotten so ugly that it appears Zooey and Ben have finally been forced to take action. In order to escape the indie world’s wrath, they’re moving their wedding to the most remote spot possible: the Moon.

At least that’s what Zooey told us when we caught up with her on the carpet at the Independent Spirit Awards in Los Angeles. And though lunar nuptials would prove to be a bit of a logistical nightmare, she appeared serious. Here, watch for yourself:

We hope the happy couple understand if we can’t make it. We used up all our space-travel budget earlier this year when we covered 50 Cent’s concert onboard the International Space Station. But we’ll definitely send a card …

Photo: Mazur/WireImage

After selling out countless arenas this decade, U2 are heading outdoors this year with their first U.S. stadium tour since 1997’s PopMart Tour. The band members, who release No Line on the Horizon on March 3rd, haven’t yet announced dates for the tour or details about what they’ll play. But they hope to keep ticket prices unusually low, and they’re already planning an innovative setup that will allow for 360-degree seating around the stage, which will be moved closer to the center of the field than in any other stadium show. “It’s an engineering feat that creates this real physical proximity to the crowd,” Bono tells Rolling Stone, adding that the band wants to maximize space in the enormous venues to accommodate the many young fans it has made this decade with hits such as “Vertigo.” “We’re going outdoors to try to meet that audience.

“We want to play for each other as much as we want to play for the crowd this time,” Bono adds. “You just don’t know how long you will be going to be doing this. I just sat everyone down the other day, because some concerns about the tour had come up, and nobody wants to be away from their families. I just said,’This is an unbelievable and rare opportunity to be in this band and to play at this level. You don’t know what is around the corner, you don’t know if you will be up for it or the audience will be up for it. Right now, we are perfectly riding across those two thoughts and every single night should be the best night of your life. If not, then we are just the worst of those Seventies dinosaur bands that felt it was enough to just turn up and play and that people were lucky to be in their presence.’ ”

Related Stories:
• U2 “Spider-Man” Musical Swinging Onto Broadway February 2010
• Label Leak to Blame for Early Arrival of U2’s “No Line on the Horizon”
• U2 Book Letterman Residency For “No Line on the Horizon” Release Week

Photo: DeGuire/WireImage

Before embarking on their reunion tour, No Doubt will reuinite on an episode of Gossip Girl on May 11th. Why Gossip Girl? Probably because there’s no more TRL and that entire audience has emigrated to GG. According to the No Doubt website, Gwen Stefani and the rest of the gang will perform a cover of Adam & The Ants’ “Stand And Deliver,” from the new wavers’ Prince Charming album.

We’re not sure in what context the band will appear, whether they’ll be integrated into the show’s plot or just appear in concert. Gossip Girl lacks a common venue like Beverly Hills 90210’s Peach Pit, which once hosted the Flaming Lips, so it’s possible Blair, Serena and the rest of those Upper East Siders will spend that episode at a No Doubt concert, a plotline stolen directly out of Season 6 of Dawson’s Creek, when that whole WB crew went to see the band perform. Don’t ask us how we know these things.

No Doubt will perform their first reunion show together at East Rutherford, New Jersey’s Bamboozle East on May 3rd before their tour kicks off officially on May 16th with a special performance at Tiger Woods’s Tiger Jam benefit in Las Vegas. Paramore will serve as No Doubt’s opener on the tour. Get all the tour dates here.

Related Stories:
• No Doubt Drummer: New Album Won’t Be Ready In 2009
• No Doubt to Return With New Album, Tour in 2009
• Tour Tracker: No Doubt’s Reunion Tour

Photo: Ochs/Getty

The Beatles, “Revolution 1 (Take 20)” [Unreleased Track]
Take 20? Really? 20 takes? That’s not revolution, that’s just procrastination. No wonder this rendition sounds so weary. Takes 15 - 17: all tuba. Nothing but tuba.

Kings of Leon, “Pistols of Fire”
[Mark Ronson Remix]
This is a Mark Ronson remix, so six guesses what it might sound like. Did you say “throwback R&B with brass fanfare and a bouncing bassline”? Then you, my friend, should invest in a lottery ticket. Up next, Ronson turns Foetus’s “Clothes Hoist” into a Four Tops song.

Portishead, “The Rip”
[Hidden Cat Remix]
A regular poster on a forum for London DJ Erol Alkan put together this icy and awe-inspiring Portishead remix, transforming the song from desolate to danceable. More importantly, it finally justifies the existence of message boards.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, “Poor Song”
[Death to the Throne Remix]
What if, when a renowned guitar band shucks said guitars to make an electronic record, and instead of making Kid A they end up making a bunch of Moby B-sides? We deeply love the YYYs, but this fierce and fiery Death to the Throne remix indicates how their forthcoming record maybe should have turned out.

Various Artists, Billy Joel Covers
[Cover Me]
All the Long Islander in S-M can say, very loudly, is “Holy f—ing s–t.” There’s 10 Billy Joel covers here. The time for the critical re-evaluation is NOW. Listen to After the Fall’s take on “Only the Good Die Young” and tell us it’s not half-click away from being a Spoon song. Come on. Say it to our face. Or to our comment section. Say it to our comment section like 15 times. And then forward us to your friends and have them say it to our comment section. It’ll be like a revolution. Take 20.

By Nicole Tahan

Simon Cowell’s prayers for Nick Mitchell/Normund Gentle to get booted were answered Thursday night, much to our disappointment. And Megan Joy Corkrey, Jesse Langseth and Matt Brietzke also failed to make the top 12 cut. Is this the last we’ll see of these Idol wannabes? Who will get the wild card? Check out our “American Idol” recap, along with Jim Cantiello’s “Idol” in 60 Seconds.

Kanye West told the audience at his taping of “VH1 Storytellers” that he wants everyone to give Chris Brown “a break”! He also labeled O.J. Simpson and Michael Jackson as “amazing.”

Taboo assures us that The E.N.D. is not actually the end of the Black Eyed Peas. All four members are back and excited for fans to learn what the acronym in the new album’s title truly means.

After his response to Andy Samberg’s “Say ‘Hi’ to your mother” send-up, many said Mark Wahlberg needed to chill out and laugh a little. Teaming up with Will Ferrell for “The B Team” might help out with that.

EA announced that games like “Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10″ will support Wii’s MotionPlus. So when will the new Wii accessory be available? Check out the update Nintendo gave us on our Multiplayer Blog!

Photo: Charriau/WireImage

If the material edited out of Kanye West’s VH1 Storytellers is any indication, what the rapper has to say promises to be just as entertaining as the performances themselves. Reuters reports that West spent three hours on a Los Angeles soundstage for the performance, airing this Saturday, February 28th, with only 90 minutes of it making it to television. Left on the cutting room floor is West railing against Radiohead, one of his favorite bands, and telling the audience that everyone should give Chris Brown “a break.”

According to Reuters, the VH1 Storytellers filming came five days after West was supposedly snubbed backstage by Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke. West has constantly declared his love of Radiohead and especially Yorke’s solo album The Eraser. “I don’t listen to rap in my apartment, I listen to Thom Yorke,” Yeezy posted in November 2008. But the snub perturbed the 808s rapper. “So when he performed at the Grammys, I sat the fuck down,” West said of the band’s “15 Step” with the USC Marching Band at the Grammy ceremony. However, two days before Storytellers took place, Kanye posted on his blog “Oooooh Mr. Yorke… You Are Very Much The End All Be All… Amazing” and embedded a video of Radiohead’s “15 Step” from the Grammys.

As for his comments on Brown, West reportedly told the crowd, “Can’t we give Chris a break? I know I make mistakes in life.” To West’s credit, that comment to the Storytellers crowd came out before there were more damning details regarding the incident between Rihanna and Brown, and well before the photo of a battered Rihanna leaked out. Thus, that comment was edited out before the telecast. But West’s support of Michael Jackson and Michael Phelps, as well as a strange observation about O.J. Simpson. (”What he did, when he did, what he did. Was he not amazing though?”) all will air tomorrow.

Getting to the music, West performed a 14-song set of his greatest hits and 808s & Heartbreak tracks including “Stronger,” “Touch the Sky” and “Amazing.”

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• Kanye West Proves Allegiance to Indie Rock, Shares “Heartbreak” Video Concept With Chairlift
• Kanye West E-Mails the Smoking Section: “I Am Nuclear Energy”
• Kanye West: A Genius In Praise of Himself

Photo: Becker/FOX

After 25 million votes were cast, America picked the theatrical Adam Lambert, teenage belter Allison Iraheta and smooth vocalist Kris Allen to join Alexis Grace, Michael Sarver and Danny Gokey in the Top 12 of American Idol season 8. Once again we didn’t find out which male contestant came in first, but it’s safe to conclude that performing last, being heavily featured throughout the previous episodes, and being on the receiving endless judge praise leaves Adam Lambert as this week’s winner.

But we could be wrong. That Lambert was the only contestant this week to move on after significant exposure during Idol’s audition episodes— and that Nick Mitchell’s Normund Gentle isn’t continuing on — may mean America is breaking free of Idol producer brainwashing. (Yes it’s true that Allen’s meh rendition of “Man in the Mirror” got rave reviews from Paula, Simon and Randy but it would have been a travesty if clip-package star Matt Giraud got to pass go after his horrific “Viva La Vida.”)

And there’s more good news! Despite Ryan Seacrest awkwardly interrogating the contestants at the top of the show (the always entertaining Nick Mitchell told Ryan he’s always looking for employment), last night’s broadcast was surprisingly tolerable. The group sing of Ne-Yo’s “Closer” veered away from the pain of last week’s “I’m Yours” and verged on entertaining. The elimination process was drawn out (this is a results show, after all) but not excessively so. And the parade of alumni continued, with Brooke White debuting the delightful single “Hold Up My Heart,” staying true to her Carole King/Joni Mitchell vibe.

Next week we’re in store for three nights of Idolmania: On Tuesday the last group from the top 36 performs (featuring Joanna Pacitti replacement Felicia Barton, blind dude Scott MacIntyre, sob story star Lil Rounds and exaggerated facial expression enthusiast Von Smith). On Wednesday we’ll find out who makes it to the Top 12 and on Thursday we’ll see previously eliminated contestants compete to land one of three “Wildcard” spots. When all is said and done, we’ll finally have our Top 12. Who do you think has a chance of making it back for the Wildcard round? Will Normund Gentle make a comeback? Which early favorites are going to fail epically? Share your theories in the comments.

Related Stories:
• Allison Iraheta, Megan Joy Corkrey, Adam Lambert Break Out Of The “American Idol” Top 36
• “American Idol” Says Farewell to Anoop, Tatiana as Grace, Sarver, Gokey Advance
• Early Favorites Danny Gokey, Alexis Grace Impress on First “American Idol” Semifinal

Photo: McCarthy/WireImage

Indie rock will get slathered in EVOO at Rachael Ray’s SXSW showcase this March, as the Hold Steady, the New York Dolls, Ra Ra Riot, Semi Precious Weapons and many more will help the 30 Minute Meals host party up in Austin, Texas. Rock Daily will be all over SXSW, bringing you video and reports with the biggest names and best new acts, so keep an eye out when the festival begins March 18th.

The slumping music industry claimed another two victims yesterday as Virgin Megastore revealed plans to close their stores in New York’s Union Square and San Francisco’s Market Street. The Union Square location will shutter at the end of May, while the Market St. store will close by April 30th, Billboard.biz reports. As announced earlier, the Virgin Megastore in New York’s Times Square will close this April as well.

Ghostface Killah and MF Doom (or just DOOM these days) have collaborated on the theme song for the upcoming video game Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. Check out the song and the game’s trailer over at Gorilla vs. Bear.

Neo-burlesque queen and Marilyn Manson’s ex-girlfriend Dita Von Teese has signed a recording contract with Interscope Europe, E! reveals. Von Teese reportedly told partygoers at Elton John’s AIDS Foundation Oscar Party that she hopes to record Irving Berlin’s “Lazy” for her upcoming album.

Photo: Ochs/Getty

Beatles fans still patiently waiting for Paul McCartney to release the band’s 1967 sound collage “Carnival of Light” were surprised by an even better gift this weekend as a 10-minute version of The White Album’s “Revolution 1″ leaked onto the internet, giving fans a never-before-heard listen of what the White Album sessions must have been like. The track makes it clear why seemingly unrelated “Revolution 1″ and the maniacal “Revolution 9″ sound collage share the same name: In “Revolution 1 (Take 20)” John Lennon steers an extended, more experimental version of “1″ to its breaking point, using it as a conduit before launching into the avant-garde “9.”

According to the Ateaseweb message board, the song first surfaced on an upcoming, Europe-only bootleg Revolution: Take… Your Knickers Off, as nod to Lennon saying “Take your knickers off and let’s go” before “Revolution 1 (Take 20)” started rolling. As for how the song leaked out, that’s an even bigger mystery. According to Mark Lewisohn’s book The Beatles: Recording Sessions, only two copies of the take were made when recording the song was completed on June 4, 1968. One copy left the studio with Lennon that day, and the other remained behind. It’s unclear which copy appears on the bootleg, nor how the Revolution makers even acquired it.

“As someone who’s heard, I’d say, 99.8 percent of the Beatles music that has leaked onto bootleg, this is really interesting,” Beatles expert Richie Unterberger told EW.com. The site also reports Lennon was lying on his back while recording the vocals to make his voice sound different. 2009 is shaping up to be a big year for Fab Four fans still clamoring for unreleased material. Talking about “Carnival of Light” back in November, McCartney said “The time has come for its moment. I like it because it’s like the Beatles free.” YouTube has been pulling down the videos of Take 20, so get a listen over at Twelve Major Chords.

Related Stories:
• McCartney On Lost “Carnival” Track: Don’t Expect “Strawberry Fields”
• Paul McCartney Wants to Release “Lost” 14-Minute Beatles Track
• Beatles to iTunes “Stalled,” Says McCartney

By Kathleen Newman-Bremang and Melanie Wolfson

Most interns fetch coffee, file papers and do other mindless tasks, but here at MTV News, we have to be up for just about anything. Today, that meant dancing in front of a green screen. That’s right — we were asked (read: forced) to break it down “stanky leg”-style in order to bring Dallas dance moves to the masses.

We kicked off our shoes and jumped in front of the camera as part of a video that imitates dances from the Dallas scene. We’re not sure which dance was more embarrassing: the “stanky leg” or the “Ricky Bobby.” Both involve moves we never thought we’d be making when we came into work today.

We thought we’d share our experience, because it was just too ridiculous to keep to ourselves. Dancing around like you’re in an iPod commercial sounds like fun, right? Try terrifying. We’re pretty sure the “stanky leg” turned into “twitchy knee” halfway through the process. Even after watching and rewatching the videos on YouTube, we still don’t think we got it.

But when producer Andrew started blasting Biggie’s “Hypnotize,” we started having a little fun — just a little. That said, we’ll probably stick to channeling our inner-Soulja Boy solely in the privacy of our homes.

In the end, “MTV Detox” host Jim Cantiello proved to have more rhythm than both of us combined. He even threw in his best Beyoncé impression! You can check out the video here.

Photo: Miller/FilmMagic

Willie Nelson is on the road again (again), Dinosaur Jr. are living all over America and Boyz II Men go well beyond the end of the road. Full details for all three treks, after the jump…

Willie Nelson
March 1 - Austin, TX @ Paramount Theatre
March 11 - Lakeland, FL @ Lakeland Center Youkey Theatre
March 12 - Hollywood, FL @ Hard Rock Live
March 13 - Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues Orlando
March 14 - St. Augustine, FL @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre
March 15 - North Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
March 17 - Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
March 18 - Melbourne, FL @ King Center
March 19 - Panama City, FL @ Marina Civic Center
March 20 - Choctaw, MS @ Silver Star Resort
March 21 - Marksville, LA @ Paragon Casino-Mari Center
March 22 - Springdale, AR @ Springdale Convention Center
April 5 - Kingston, ON @ K-Rock Centre
April 7 - Ottawa, ON @ Ottawa Civic Centre
April 8, 9 - Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
April 10 - Montreal, QUE @ Place Des Arts
April 11 - London, ON @ John Labatt Centre
April 14 - Stamford, CT @ Palace Theatre
April 15 - Torrington, CT @ The Warner Theatre
April 17 - Amherst, MA @ Mullins Center
April 18 - New Brunswick, NJ @ State Theatre
June 6 - Elizabeth, IN @ Horseshoe Casino Indiana
June 7 - Interlochen, MI @ Kresge Auditorium

Dinosaur Jr.
March 20 - Austin, TX @ Cedar Street Courtyard
April 1 - Milford, CT @ Daniel Street
April 2 - Providence, RI @ Club Hell
April 3 - Portland, ME @ The Station
April 4 - Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
April 6 - Buffalo, NY @ The Town Ballroom
April 7 - State College, PA @ Lulu’s
April 8 - Akron, OH @ Musica
April 9 - East Lansing, MI @ The Small Planet
April 10 - Bloomington, IN @ Bluebird Nightclub
April 11 - DeKalb, IL @ Otto’s Nightclub
April 13 - Chattanooga, TN @ Rhythm and Brews
April 14 - Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall
April 15 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Varsity Theatre
April 16 - Little Rock, AR @ Revolution Music Room
April 17 - Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge
April 18 - Oxford, MS @ Proud Larry’s
April 20 - Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Club
April 21 - Augusta, GA @ Sky City
April 22 - Gainesville, FL @ Common Grounds
April 23 - Tallahassee, FL @ The Moon
April 24 - Jacksonville, FL @ Freebird Live
April 25 - Charleston, SC @ The Music Farm
April 26 - Asheville, SC @ The Orange Peel
April 27 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
April 29 - Charlotte, NC @ Neighborhood Theatre
April 30 - Richmond, VA @ Toad’s Place
May 1 - Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon Club
May 2 - Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar

Boyz II Men
March 7 - West Wendover, NV @ Peppermill Casino
March 13 - Fayetteville, NC @ Crown Center of Cumberland County
March 14 - Greenville, SC @ Peace Center for Performing Arts
March 20 - Chandler, AZ @ Sheraton Wild Resort
March 21 - Santa Fe, NM @ Buffalo Thunder
March 27, 28 - Sparks, NV @ John Ascuaga’s Nugget
April 3 - Norman, OK @ Riverwind Casino
April 4 - Austin, TX @ Town Lake Auditorium Shores
April 25 - Gary, IN @ Westside Theater
May 5 - Alexandria, VA @ Birchmere
May 7, 8 - New York, NY @ B.B. King Blues Club and Grill
May 9 - Foxboro, MA @ Showcase Live
May 10 - Bridgeport, CT @ The Klein
June 27 - Atlantic City, NJ @ Resorts Atlantic City
July 1 - Fort Worth, TX @ Bass Performance Hall
July 2 - Houston, TX @ Arena Theatre
July 3 - Biloxi, MS @ Imperial Palace Casino
July 15 - Hammond, IN @ Festival of the Lakes
July 16 - Santa Maria, CA @ Santa Barbara County Fair
August 14 - Detroit, MI @ MotorCity Casino Hotel
August 21 - San Mateo, CA @ San Mateo City Fair
August 28 - Syracuse, NY @ New York State Fair
August 29 - Chattanooga, TN @ Chattanooga Trade & Convention
September 25 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Oklahoma State Fair
September 26 - Coachella, CA @ Spotlight 29 Casino
October 26-28 - Lake Buena Vista, FL @ Walt Disney World Resort
December 30, 31 - Richmond, BC @ River Rock Casino Resort

By Matt Wenzel

Is Normund Gentle the best American Idol contestant ever? Sound a little far-fetched? We’re not joking. OK, maybe a little bit.

Is Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus sending out secret messages through his blog? We talked to Mark about his mysterious Morse code message.

Hasn’t DMX ever been told not to play with his food? The jailed rapper is facing more jail time after allegedly assaulting a prison guard by throwing a lunch tray at him.

First he was a backup dancer. Then he released an album (does anyone even remember “PopoZao”?). Now, K-Fed is … designing children’s clothes?

On our Splash Page blog, graphic novel writer Greg Rucka explains why he thinks that a shot-for-shot remake of his book “Whiteout” would not be a good movie.

Fresh off the news that veteran jam institution Phish will be reuniting for a series of summer dates, Rhino is set to release the seven-DVD Phish box set, The Clifford Ball. The collection covers the two-day concert held in upstate New York in 1996, the first of seven huge outdoor music festivals thrown by the band. The DVDs feature over nine hours of performance covering all three sets, as well as a slew of bonus jamming. In its latest issue, Rolling Stone’s Kevin O’Donnell writes, “This is the most comprehensive DVD the jam kings have released yet.”

Get a sneak peek of one of the nine DVDs above. Our video of “Fluffhead” features the band playing the jaunty number from 1988’s Junta, complete with three-part harmonies, plenty of blacklights and solos galore.

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Photo: Nikola/FimMagic

Britney Spears’s restraining order against former manager Sam Lutfi and ex-boyfriend Adnan Ghalib has been extended, a judge ruled yesterday, February 25th. Also named on the restraining order is lawyer Jon Eardley, whom Britney allegedly contacted to fight father Jamie Spears’s conservatorship.

According to MTV, the court heard from both Jamie Spears and Britney’s hairdresser, both of whom testified that the trio attempted to undermine the court-imposed conservatorship. Jamie Spears told the court that Lutfi and Ghalib tried to smuggle a prepaid cell phone to Britney, which was a violation of court order. Hairdresser Roberta Romero, who intercepted and turned over the supposed cell phone, then began receiving text messages herself from Lutfi. “So please just relay to [Britney] the truth so she can free herself,” one Lutfi text message read, while another said, “I’m very close to getting her free now… her family sent her to the hospital.”

It was Britney who asked Romero to cease communicating with Lutfi, the hairdresser said in court. However, the nature of text messages caused Spears to beef up her security. The new restraining orders last until March 23rd in the case of Lutfi and Ghalib, while Eardley’s is until April 1st. Britney Spears was not at the hearings as she was rehearsing for her upcoming Circus tour.

In other Spears legal news, Ghalib finally turned himself in after allegedly hitting a process server with his car. The process server was trying to hand Ghalib the restraining order. Ghalib pleaded not guilty to one count of assault with a deadly weapon, battery and hit-and-run and was booked and released without posting bail.

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• Britney Spears: The Rolling Stone Covers and Cover Stories
• Cover Story: Britney Returns

Behind the Britney Story: A Conversation With Writer Jenny Eliscu

Photo: King/WireImage

Singer Chris Isaak returned to television last night as his new show, The Chris Isaak Hour, made its debut on the A&E/Biography channel. Not to be confused with the situation comedy The Chris Isaak Show that was on Showtime a few years back, Isaak Hour shares a similar feel as fellow songwriter Elvis Costello’s Spectacle over on the Sundance Channel, both shows featuring guest artists both talking music and playing music.

Among the guests that will hit up Isaak’s couch in the first season are the Smashing Pumpkins Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin, Stevie Nicks, Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens), Chicago, Michael Buble and Trisha Yearwood, who appeared on last night’s debut episode. The show will feature the guests performing around five or six songs, with Isaak collaborating on a couple of the tracks. The one major difference between Costello’s program and Isaak’s show is that Spectacle records in front of a live audience.

The Smashing Pumpkins episode looks especially promising, with Corgan bringing his trademark stage banter to Isaak’s set. “Life is dark, and we know we’re going to die one day,” Corgan tells Isaak, according to a set visit by the LA Times. The band’s publicist told the paper that Corgan talks to Isaak about things “he’s never opened up about before.”

Isaak also released his new album Mr. Lucky on Tuesday to coincide with his new television venture.