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The Stock Market Takes A Dive: Wake-Up Video

Posted 10/29/09 9:00 am EST by in Wake-Up Video


October 29 is a notorious day in the history of American finance. In 1929, the stock market crashed on what became known as "Black Tuesday" and sent the United States spiraling into the Great Depression, which not only ended the boom of the 1920s but kept Americans struggling through the 1930s. Only the shift in international relations, President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal and the manufacturing boom that came out of World War II helped the country out of it. Though the country has faced economic downturns since then (including right now), nothing has ever compared to the sort of devastation that was brought on by the Crash of '29.

That being said, October 29 doesn't have to be a downer. On this day in 1998, John Glenn returned to space 36 years after he became the first man to explore the stars. In 1948, boxer Sandy Saddler out-punched Willie Pep (largely considered to be the greatest featherweight of all time) in their first of three fights at Madison Square Garden. And a handful of excellent people celebrate birthdays on October 29, including "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson, actress Gabrielle Union, alternative icon Winona Ryder, Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard, voice actor Dan Castellaneta (also known as Homer Simpson) and former pro wrestler "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff. But the birthday that we're actually celebrating today is that of Ryan Anderson, who turns 25 today. He's a legendary pitcher for the Accu-Rite Red Sox, guard for Somethin' Serious and a regulator at East Hartford Middle School. And he's also my brother. I'm not sure what he's been cranking in his Cadillac recently, but I've always considered Lloyd Banks' "I'm So Fly" to be his theme song.

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Lilith Fair Returns, And MTV News Was There The First Time Around

Posted 10/28/09 6:11 pm EST by in Music


It sometimes seems like we're living in a time warp here at MTV News. Today alone featured visits from old-school hip-hopper KRS-One and a visit to the set of the new video by Alice in Chains. Here's one more flashback to those strange days of the late 1990s: According to Billboard, Lilith Fair will return in 2010. For those unaware, Lilith Fair was an all-female touring festival created by Canadian songbird Sarah McLachlan in 1997. It was originally designed as counter-programming to the glut of touring festivals (Lollapalooza, Ozzfest, Warped) that seemed to cater specifically to a male audience. According to the report, the festival will hit 18 cities all over North America next year.

In the festival's three original years, there was a rotating lineup of performers who hopped on and off the tour for various legs of the summer, with McLachlan headlining every night of the festival. The original lineup in '97 was headlined by the Indigo Girls, Fiona Apple, Sheryl Crow, Jewel, Joan Osborne and Paula Cole. When the festival returned in 1998, McLachlan recruited a slightly more eclectic batch of performers, including Erykah Badu, Sinéad O'Connor, K's Choice and Missy Elliott.

MTV News was on the scene when McLachlan and a host of other performers held a press conference to announce the 1998 version of the festival. Check out this package from the MTV News vault, which came from the April 17, 1998 episode of "MTV News 1515," a week-ending digest show that covered the biggest stories happening in music and pop culture. Watch for the all-star jam of the Indigo Girls' "Closer to Fine" and see if you can identify all of the artists featured at the press conference (even I, a '90s aficionado, couldn't place two of them). To the time machine!

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'Michael Jackson's This Is It' Draws Stars And Fans Around The World

Posted 10/28/09 5:52 pm EST by in Music


Yesterday, collaborators, family members, admirers and fans came together around the world to celebrate the premiere of "Michael Jackson's This Is It," the concert film that gives fans a chance to enjoy live performances of some of the King of Pop's signature hits one final time. The film premiered in 17 cities around the world simultaneously last night, and there were red carpet extravaganzas all over the world. In addition to the big event in Los Angeles (which saw Will Smith, Jennifer Lopez and Adam Lambert show up), there were high-profile premieres in New York (featuring Ice-T and Rosie Perez), Sydney, Australia (which featured an appearance by T-Pain), London (where Passion Pit showed up) and Johannesburg, South Africa (which saw a multitude of fans get together to perform the dance from "Thriller").

But perhaps the greatest (and most unhinged) premiere took place in Tokyo, Japan, where Lionel Richie greeted a multitude of diehards — some clearly more enthusiastic than others.

For a look at what the unveiling of "Michael Jackson's This Is It" was like around the world, click here for the complete photo gallery of the events in New York, London, Sydney, Johannesburg and Paris!

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'Fireflies' Singer Has Low Self-Esteem: The MTV News Quote Of The Day

Posted 10/28/09 4:54 pm EST by in Music


"The past six months have been nothing but a colorful, brilliant blur. I'm so thankful for being allowed to do what I do. I'm a silly shy boy from the middle of nowhere. I have the worst sense of direction imaginable. I was afraid to eat lunch with the other kids in high school. I can't even drive in big cities. I'm a totally nobody. I spill coffee all over myself. I am so undeserving."

-Adam Young, the performer known to most of the universe as Owl City and the man behind the Billboard Top 10 hit "Fireflies." Young's crazy rise to fame is remarkable, especially considering a mere six months ago he was working a menial job and living in his parents' basement in tiny Owatonna, Minnesota. And apparently, his songs were meant for his consumption alone. "I heard a quote once by ['Lord of the Rings' author J.R.R.] Tolkien that went something like, 'Nobody is writing the kinds of books I want to read ... so I have to.' The same went (and goes) for myself in terms of music," he told MTV News. "I write for my own ears. If people choose to listen, I'm thrilled and certainly honored, but there's a lot of music I imagine in my head that virtually nobody today is creating, so in a sense, I feel the need to take a stab at it for fear of never hearing it again. It's almost like a bizarre sense of duty."

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World Series At-Bat Music Preview: New York Yankees

Posted 10/28/09 4:31 pm EST by in Music


Earlier today, we attempted to handicap the 2009 World Series (which starts in only a few hours) by taking a look at the at-bat songs for the Philadelphia Phillies. This time, we take a look at the lineup offered up by the New York Yankees. It's a less eclectic batch of tunes for sure, but possibly more effective, as it's filled top-to-bottom with badass New York hip-hop and tough guy tunes sure to swing any game in the Bronx's favor.

It begins with Derek Jeter and Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind" (which he and Alicia Keys will perform live during Game 2 on Thursday night), a great New York anthem for a great New York team (and a great New Yorker). Johnny Damon uses Saliva's "I Walk Alone" as his entrance tune, yet another track that connects baseball and wrestling (it's the same song used by WWE star Batista). Mark Teixeira uses Twisted Sister's "I Wanna Rock" (another New York-centric selection, as the band is from Long Island) while Nick Swisher saunters in to Ludacris and R. Kelly's "Rockstar."

There are some stranger moments, most notably Hideki Matsui's use of Billy Joel's "Big Shot" — a New York tune for sure, but probably not in Matsui's regular iPod rotation.

Still, the Yankees have the advantage. Sure, they've got three Jay-Z songs, but they also have a secret weapon: Closer Mariano Rivera, who enters every game with Metallica's "Enter Sandman" pumping through the PA. With a playlist like that, the World Series is the Yanks' to lose. They will "Run This Town," indeed.

Official MTV Newsroom Prediction: Yankees in 6

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Adam Lambert Defends Album Cover Via Twitter

Posted 10/28/09 3:06 pm EST by in Music


The glittery fall-out from Adam Lambert's campy For Your Entertainment album cover reveal continues. Lambert woke up this morning (after spending part of his evening at the "Michael Jackson's This Is It" premiere), and took to Twitter to defend his artistic vision.

The "Idol" rocker wrote, "Thank you to those who appreciate and understand that the album cover is deliberately campy. It's an homage to the past. It IS ridiculous. For those that don't get it: oh well. Glad to have gotten your attention." He closed with, "Androgyny. Rock n roll."

He's right. The androgynous look and science-fiction influence were both very much a part of the glam rock movement in the '70s, even spilling into the early '80s with New York City-based artist (and personal fave) Klaus Nomi. Lambert's makeup on the For Your Entertainment cover seems more of a throwback to '80s glam rock, however, when bands like Poison and Mötley Crüe made cross-dressing as American a pasttime as baseball and apple pie. It's less androgynous and more drag. I agree with Michael K at Dlisted.com, who snarkily pointed out that Lambert's look is way more Nina Flowers than David Bowie.

I'm still on the fence as to whether I like Adam's album cover. On one hand, I'm stoked that he's making such a bold statement. (Just think of how epic it will be when hundreds of those will be displayed in every Wal-Mart.) On the other hand, if he's truly trying to pay tribute to his glam rock forefathers, I'm not sure he's entirely successful. The execution reminds me of something I'd see on the hood of a car. (Or, even worse, this.)

But head-scratching graphic design is nothing new for "American Idol" album art. As we mentioned last night, the pop culture force has a long history of giving their artists the short end of the CD artwork stick. We premiered part one of our "Top 11 Most Insane Idol Album Covers" flipbook yesterday, and now we are happy to present the conclusion.

Take a break from defending (or bashing) Lambert's CD art and feast your eyes on this:

The Top 11 Most Insane Idol Album Covers Ever, Starring Jim Cantiello

A thousand rounds of applause to digital producer Sohyung Kang for being a Photoshop genius, and for dreaming up this cray-cray idea in the first place!

Which insane album cover is your favorite? How does Lambert's stack up against the other cuckoo "Idol" albums? And how stoked are you to hear Adam's CD when it hits stores November 23? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

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Justin Timberlake Inks Tequila Deal With Live Nation

Posted 10/28/09 1:38 pm EST by in Music


Justin Timberlake is everywhere. He's in our iPods, on our televisions, starring in our movies and playing through on our golf courses. Now Timberlake will be at our concert venues whether he's performing or not. According to Billboard, Timberlake has signed a deal with Live Nation to make his 901 Tequila the official tequila sponsor at clubs, arenas and amphitheaters across the country. It's the first time Live Nation has entered into this sort of deal for something as specific as tequila, and it's possible it could lead to more business between Timberlake and Live Nation.

Though their artist-signing bonanza from two years ago has quieted down significantly, Live Nation remains one of the new powers in music management and distribution. To date, the massive music promotion company has signed mult-platinum deals with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Madonna, U2, Jay-Z, Nickelback and Shakira. It would make sense for Timberlake to team up with Live Nation down the road, as he is one of the most lucrative touring entities in pop (his last tour in 2007 grossed $127 million).

Then again, it might just be another business deal for Timberlake, who has diversified so well that he is often mentioned in the same conversation with multi-platform moguls like Diddy and Jimmy Buffett. Besides the tequila, Timberlake owns his own golf course, three restaurants and a clothing line.

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Eminem, Mos Def And Black Thought: Who Ruled The Cypher?

Posted 10/28/09 12:50 pm EST by in Music


By Steven Roberts

The BET Awards aired last night, and there were plenty of memorable moments. Jay-Z and Young Jeezy opened the show with a performance of "As Real as it Gets," Hov took home the MVP of the Year Award and Ice Cube was honored with the "I Am Hip-Hop" lifetime achievement award for "knockin' n----s out the box, daily, weekly, monthly and yearly." There were also performances from Snoop, Gucci Mane — excuse me, GUCCI! — and the recently-reunited Goodie Mob.

But the main segments everyone is talking about this morning are the three cyphers that took place during the show, most notably the cypher featuring Mos Def, Black Thought of the Roots and Eminem. Half of the MTV Newsroom is still debating who came the hardest.

Mos Def started off the cypher introducing the three MCs and proclaiming that since they were in his hometown, "I gotta do this for Brooklyn." The Mighty Mos proceeded to shout out various blocks in the borough in his freestyle. Black Thought represented for Philly and completely blacked out. And Eminem brought up the rear and completely murdered it. Slim Shady blended the pill-popping, inane pop culture references and amazing lyrical talent that everyone was expecting from Rehab.

There were also plenty of stand-outs from the first two cyphers. The first saw Nicki Minaj switch up her cadence between her regular high-pitched voice to an even squeakier animated one, while Joe Budden brought the same lyrical prowess that has made him such a polarizing figure. The second was a blend of teachers and students: Old-schooler KRS-One introduced newcomers Wale, Nipsey Hussle and Tunisian MC Gsan, each of whom threw down like veterans.

What do you think? Did Eminem steal the cypher or should the lyrical crown be given to Black Thought or Mos Def? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

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World Series At-Bat Music Preview: Philadelphia Phillies

Posted 10/28/09 11:50 am EST by in Music


Assuming the wet, frosty weather in New York cooperates, the 2009 World Series will kick off tonight at Yankee Stadium. The New York Yankees (featuring perennial All-Stars Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez) will square off against the Philadelphia Phillies (who are the defending champs) in a best-of-seven series that will decide who the best team in baseball is. Unlike in past years, these two teams match up relatively evenly, as they both have explosive lineups, solid starting pitching and deep bullpens. According to most online betting parlors, the Yankees are the slight favorite, though it's really anybody's Series.

But that doesn't mean we can't handicap the teams anyway, and there's really only one way to really decide which squad will be truly dominant: Analyzing the at-bat music for key players on either side. A relatively new tradition at ballparks, just about every player in Major League Baseball has a song (or a series of songs) that plays when he comes up to the plate for an at-bat. It's not unlike the songs that announce the arrival of professional wrestlers.

The Phillies have an eclectic lineup, which also means that they have a batch of at-bat songs that are sort of all over the place. Leadoff man Jimmy Rollins starts it off nicely with Clipse's "I'm Good" (an appropriate title for a former MVP). But after that, it gets a little cagey. Shane Victorino uses Bob Marley's "Buffalo Soldier" (a swell song, but not exactly something that strikes fear in the hearts of opposing pitchers), while Jayson Werth goes with Marilyn Manson's "Arma-goddamn-motherf-------geddon" (a recent, tepid single for the Antichrist Superstar). Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz both use big swagger hip-hop tracks (Drake's "Forever" and Soulja Boy Tell'Em's "Turn My Swag On," respectively), and Matt Stairs successfully bridges the world of baseball and wrestling when he comes to bat to Disturbed's "Glass Shatters," which was the entrance music for WWE superstar "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

But it's the pitching staff who really have the best musical selections. Cole Hamels warms up to AC/DC's "Thunderstruck," Scott Eyre uses Flo Rida's "In the Ayer" (clever!) and closer Brad Lidge has two songs (a Linkin Park tune for non-save situations and a Drowning Pool track for saves).

We'll take a look at the Yankees lineup later today, but for now, enjoy this musical trip through the Philadelphia lineup. Leading off: Jimmy Rollins with Clipse's "I'm Good."

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Happy Birthday, Lady Liberty: Wake-Up Video

Posted 10/28/09 10:20 am EST by in Wake-Up Video


There are a handful of symbols that are associated with the United States of America: The White House, the Washington Monument, the Golden Gate Bridge, that new football stadium in Dallas. But perhaps the most enduring icon that sums up this country — both practically and ideally — is the Statue of Liberty. It's a little ironic, then, that it came from France. It was a gift from that country to celebrate the centennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and to symbolize the friendship between the two nations that was established during the American Revolution. Standing at 151 feet tall (for a total of 305 feet with the pedestal), the Statue of Liberty represents the promise of the United States as a land of opportunity and a place to start over. On this day in 1886, President Grover Cleveland dedicated the monument. On the same day 50 years later, President Franklin Roosevelt re-dedicated the statue to celebrate its anniversary.

It's been a rough decade for Lady Liberty. The monument was closed to the public following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and security and structural upgrades kept it closed until this past summer, when it was re-opened to the public on the Fourth of July.

The Statue of Liberty has appeared all over popular culture, from iconic appearances in the films "Planet of the Apes," "Ghostbusters II" and "X-Men" to providing iconic imagery for television shows and music videos. In fact, one of the greatest is from Michael Jackson's notorious video for "Black or White," which features the late superstar singing in front of the torch (though obviously on a re-creation of it on a soundstage). With "Michael Jackson's This Is It" in theaters right now, it seems more than appropriate to celebrate both Jackson and Lady Liberty in one fell swoop.

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