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Freddie Mercury Wins Mustache Poll

Posted 8/21/09 1:24 pm EST by in Music


Late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury broke down boundaries, played to sold out stadiums and with "We Are the Champions" and "We Will Rock You" changed the way we experience sports. But he may have just received his greatest honor. In a poll taken in the U.K., Mercury took the top prize as "Britain's Greatest Ever Moustache." It's hard to argue with that logic, as Mercury's 'stache is pretty killer.

But is Mercury's lip fuzz the greatest in music? As this photo gallery proves, he's got some stiff competition. Brandon Flowers of the Killers sometimes rocks a very Mercury-esque facial accessory, and Rivers Cuomo of Weezer spent a few years carrying a full-on porn-stache. Of course, there are plenty of rockers who have spent their entire careers cultivating their mustaches, like David Crosby's bushy adventure and Bob Dylan's mysterious addendum. And the rap world is not without it's great facial hair either — just check out Ja Rule's fashionable 'stache.

But for my money, I've got to hand the award off to Metallica's James Hetfield, who has always toyed with his facial hair in various forms throughout his career. At the moment, he has a scary-looking goatee, but for a long time he had an elaborate mustache that was second-to-none.

(Click here for more of MTV's "Mustache Mania" gallery, including Jamie Foxx, Bob Dylan, the Beatles and Eagles of Death Metal!)

What do you think: Does Mercury's mustache reign supreme or does somebody else take the top nose-tickler prize? Leave your thoughts in the comments or head over to Your.MTV.com to make your voice heard!

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Mariah Carey Hopes To Dodge 'Forever' Curse With New Fragrance

Posted 8/21/09 12:29 pm EST by in Music


Her album may be delayed, but Mariah Carey's fragrance is right on time. Yesterday, she revealed the new poster for her forthcoming new perfume, which is called "Forever." She's no stranger to the scent game, as "Forever" (named after a Carey song of the same name from the Daydream album) is the singer's third perfume (following "M" and "Luscious Pink"). She told People magazine, "Fragrance is so personal, and 'Forever' captures that glamorous feeling that I want to share with my fans." The new scent is described as having "notes of lotus blossom, tuberose, gardenia, exotic woods and white musk." (I initially thought tuberose was something Carey had made up, but it turns out it's a real flower.)

Carey's past fragrances have sold extremely well (and have actually smelled delightfully pleasant and subtle). But she should step lightly with this one, because naming anything "Forever" in the music world tends to end poorly. The Spice Girls used that title for their third album and broke up shortly thereafter (following weak album sales). Diddy suffered the same fate when he dropped is album Forever in 1999, which landed with a thud despite the fact that it was a hotly-anticipated follow-up to his smash No Way Out. (He clearly learned nothing from that fiasco, as his R&B project Day26 called their second album Forever in a Day.) And though Kid Rock's album Cocky ended up doing big sales, its initial impact was weak thanks to a single called "Forever."

Obviously, the "Forever" curse isn't iron-clad, as Carey's "Forever" single was wildly successful and Wu-Tang Clan dropped an album called Wu-Tang Forever that may have been inconsistent but still sold like gangbusters (which perhaps only proves the fact that Ol' Dirty Bastard is sort of bulletproof). And obviously the fragrance world and the music universe run on different rules, so it's likely that "Forever" will do just as well as Carey's other scents. But if something goes awry, we'll know why.

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Spotted: Hilary Duff Hearts Ronson

Posted 8/21/09 11:00 am EST by in Music


Every day a multitude of stars wanders through the halls of MTV News to talk about their latest projects and goof around with staff members. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that's why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.

The always fashion-forward Hilary Duff paid a visit to the "I 'Heart' Ronson" event in New York yesterday, which celebrated the Charlotte Ronson-designed fashion line sold exclusively at JC Penny. Duff joined other clothes horses Jemina Pearl, Mischa Barton, Olivia Thirlby, Cisco Adler, Zoe Kravitz and MTV's own Alexa Chung at the event.

Duff has been steadily drifting away from her music and movie career to focus more on fashion: She has her own line called "Stuff by Hilary Duff" and has designed jeans for DKNY. But she hasn't totally neglected the outlets that made her a star, as she's working on several films and told MTV News back in November that she was working on a new album after parting ways with her former label Hollywood Records. Most notably, she's been in New York filming her guest appearances on "Gossip Girl."

Hilary wasn't the only star to get out of the house for a little fun yesterday. Ciara took a trip to Intermix in Los Angeles for a little shopping, Kourtney Kardashian stocked up on baby accessories and Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts hit the beach in Malibu. Check out all those photos plus the complete "Spotted!" gallery, featuring shots of Britney Spears, Madonna, Beyoncé, the Jonas Brothers, Lady Gaga and dozens more!

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Usain Bolt Was Born To Run: Wake-Up Video

Posted 8/21/09 9:00 am EST by in Music, Wake-Up Video


It's been a good week for celebrating athletic feats. On Monday, we raised a glass to the stunning Olympic performance of Michael Phelps with some Lil Wayne, and today, we present a candle-filled cake to Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. Phelps grabbed the headlines at last year's Olympiad, but the 23-year-old Bolt's stunning runs through the 100 meter and 200 meter sprints were thrilling to behold (Bolt actually took first place in the 200 — breaking the world record in the process — just hours before his birthday last year). Not just a remarkable athlete, Bolt is seen as a salvation-bringer for international track sports, which have been plagued by doping scandals over the past decade.

Not content to rest on his previous accomplishments, Bolt grabbed headlines again this week at the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin. In taking first place in both the 100 meter sprint, Bolt broke his own world record, racing to the finish line in a stunning 9.58 seconds. (If you haven't seen the incredible video of that performance yet, prepare to drop your jaw.) And then a few days later, he destroyed the world record in the 200 as well (which is an even more stunning piece of video). It's amazing that one human could be so enthralling and entertaining just by running, but greatness comes in many forms.

Usain Bolt and Bruce Springsteen don't have very much in common — in fact, Springsteen is the musical equivalent of a pleasant countryside jog, not a whirlwind sprint. But once they draw you in, it's impossible to take your eyes off of either of them. Plus, they were both "Born to Run."

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Slash, Joan Jett, Richie Sambora Celebrate The Life Of Les Paul

Posted 8/20/09 5:56 pm EST by in Music


Yesterday in New York City, a small group of friends and admirers got together in New York City to pay their respects to late guitar legend Les Paul. Paul — who invented and lent his name to the Gibson model axe that may be one of the most identifiable instruments in the world — passed away last Thursday at the age of 94. Another service is planned for tomorrow in Paul's hometown of Waukesha, Wisconsin. The attendees at yesterday's service included Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, Joan Jett, Tony Bennett and Slash. In the wake of Paul's death, Slash said, "[He] was a shining example of how full one's life can be. He was so vibrant and full of positive energy. I'm honored and humbled to have known and played with him over the years. He was an exceptionally brilliant man." Like Sambora, Slash was not only an admirer of the legendary guitarist but also a friend.

Jett also had somber and appreciative words for Paul's memory. "He was a genius inventor, musical innovator and a wonderful person. Without the advances he pioneered, the recording sciences and the electric guitar would have been left years behind. I will miss him so much," she said. In addition to the burial tomorrow in Waukesha, Paul's memory will also be celebrated at the Discovery World museum in Milwaukee. Their "Les Paul's House of Sound" exhibit tells the story of Paul's life, explains his many musical innovations and features a number of his instruments on display.

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Quentin Tarantino Tickles The Germans: The MTV Quote Of The Day

Posted 8/20/09 5:21 pm EST by in Movies


"When it comes to World War II movies, Germans are used to cringing. That is their constant state of being. They are used to watching these movies through the eyes of guilt, and that's always how it is. Well, there becomes this moment in the film where the laughs start, and then they keep going and they keep going — all of a sudden, you actually have a German audience thinking to themselves, 'Wait a minute, I'm watching a World War II movie that I am allowed to enjoy. I'm actually allowed to laugh at this. I'm actually allowed to enjoy this movie. I'm actually not looking through the eyes of guilt. I'm actually into this story.' And it ended up being a very liberating thing for the theater."

-"Inglourious Basterds" director Quentin Tarantino on watching his new film with a German audience. The movie, which opens Friday, follows a soldier named Aldo Raine (played by Brad Pitt) who leads a team of rogues on a quest to bring down the Third Reich. Though he is a history buff, Tarantino allowed himself to play fast and loose with history. "It takes place during World War II," Tarantino told MTV News. "But it's not really about World War II."

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'Where The Wild Things Are' Soundtrack Gets Band Name, Single

Posted 8/20/09 3:49 pm EST by in Movies, Music


By Cara Alwill

Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs has been enlisted by director and ex-boyfriend Spike Jonze to craft the soundtrack for the upcoming movie adaptation of the mysteriously whimsical book "Where the Wild Things Are."

With the help of her YYYs band mates Brian Chase and Nick Zinner, the singer has teamed up with fellow indie rockers from bands like the Raconteurs, Queens of the Stone Age and Deerhunter to deliver the album under the moniker Karen O and the Kids.

Karen O talked to MTV News UK last spring and discussed Jonze's desire to get her involved in the project. "I got involved because of Spike. I guess there is a childlike innocence about my music or my persona that he always just kind of dialed into," she said.

As for the sound, the Brooklyn native promises that the songs are raw and filled with heart. "I didn't want to make music that was hammering you over the head or go for some kind of pushbutton emotion," O says. "What I initially wanted to do was close to Cat Stevens in 'Harold & Maude' — really simple, but memorably and seamlessly woven into the movie." She's clearly enthusiastic about Jonze's work. "I think what he has accomplished with the film is basically the impossible," O said of the hotly-anticipated movie.

The first single, "All is Love," is scheduled for release on Tuesday. Fans can hear the album when it gets released on September 29, and the film hits theaters on October 16.

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Them Crooked Vultures Unleash More Music

Posted 8/20/09 3:17 pm EST by in Music


Them Crooked Vultures, the strangely-named supergroup that brings together members of Led Zeppelin, Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age, made their live debut two short weeks ago at a Lollapalooza after-party in Chicago. They surfaced for their second show ever last night in Amsterdam and also released a teaser video that shows the trio — drummer Dave Grohl, bassist John Paul Jones and guitarist Josh Homme — messing around in a recording studio while a clip of their song "Nobody Loves Me and Neither Do I" plays over it. Though they have an album done, the band has been mysterious about when those songs might see the light of day, and they've been similarly secretive about their live shows. Rumors are swirling (via the band's official message boards) that they'll be making a few festival stops in Europe over the next couple of days. But most details remain hazy — even their official Web site is little more than a board, a store with one sold-out T-shirt and a creepy illustration of the band's part-man/ part-vulture mascot.

But what does this group mean for each member's respective primary projects? Grohl has drifted away from Foo Fighters before (most notably to curate his metal all-stars album recorded under the name Probot) and for all intents and purposes Homme is the only real permanent member of Queens of the Stone Age. The news of the existence of Them Crooked Vultures will probably most bother hardcore fans of Led Zeppelin. Since the legendary band reunited for a one-off concert in December of 2007, enthusiasts have been clamoring for a full-scale reunion tour, and though several rumors about more shows have surfaced over the last 18 months, it looks less and less likely Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant will do any more shows any time soon.

It might be for the better, as video shot of a live performance of "Dead End Friends proves that the band is the sort of heavy, low-ended monster that will fill in for an absent Zeppelin nicely.

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Heidi Montag's New Song: The Oh Snap! Poll

Posted 8/20/09 2:45 pm EST by in Oh Snap Poll


The release of Heidi Montag's first full-length album is about a month away, and the star of "The Hills" and "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!" is ready to dive headlong into the next stage of her career. First up is her new single "Body Language," which is now available on iTunes and will get a music video treatment next week following Montag's performance at the Miss Universe pageant this Sunday night (August 23). "Body Language" is a dance tune built around a sample of Yaz's "Situation" that features Montag cooing Auto-Tune-assisted lines like "Come and take control over me/ Show authority." You can listen to the track here.

But what do the people think? As always, we took the elevator down to the street and stuck some microphones in front of a random sampling of people in Times Square (including a handful of fans waiting to get in to watch Alexis Bledel on today's episode of "It's On with Alexa Chung") and asked them what they thought of Montag's new song.

The mind-blowingly unscientific results are in, and they're not so good for Montag. 64 percent of the folks we talked to gave "Body Language" the thumbs down, many citing the weakness of her voice as their reason for voting nay. Interestingly, the 36 percent who endorsed the track were pleasantly surprised at the quality of the beat and the effectiveness of the hook.

What do you think: Is "Body Language" a hit or a horror? Leave your thoughts in the comments or head over to Your.MTV.com to make your voice heard!

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Tony Yayo: MC Of The People

Posted 8/20/09 1:52 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes, Music


By Selina Kaye

On Tuesday, I hung out with MTV News' Mixtape Daily crew on their trip to G-Unit headquarters in New York City to check in on Tony Yayo. The rapper was promoting his latest mixtape: A project called Gangsta's Paradise that is hosted by DJ Drama, one of the hottest DJs in the game.

Though he always projects a steely cool alongside fellow crew members 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks, Yayo was energetic during the Mixtape Daily shoot. He shook my hand like a real gentleman and asked me about working for MTV while wearing a killer pair of Louis Vuitton sunglasses (which easily must have cost him $700) with a matching Vuitton headband.

Yayo talked about his mixtape as well as his upcoming projects for G-Unit and how he feels about former crew members Young Buck and the Game. And of course he weighed in on MTV's "Hottest MCs" countdown, which will be unveiled next month.

The biggest challenge of the shoot? The weather. We got all the equipment set up on the building's balcony (which gave us an amazing view of the city) only to bring everything back in once it started raining. Once it finally cleared up, Yayo and Drama unveiled a few Gangsta's Paradise tracks before Yayo headed downstairs to give an interview sitting in his cream-colored Cadillac Escalade. Pretty soon a crowd formed around the car, and I heard a girl on her phone saying "Oh my god, that's Tony Yayo!" He signed a few autographs for his fans before heading back into the building. Like his always glad-handing G-Unit cohort 50 Cent, Yayo remains a man of the people despite his stardom.

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