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MTV News #MusicMonday: Shakira, Them Crooked Vultures And John Mayer

Posted 11/30/09 8:08 pm EST by in Music


Really, you should be listening to music every day, but thanks to Twitter, Monday has become the best day of the week to discover new songs, show some love to the tune currently dominating your iPod playlist and quietly judge the listening habits of your closest friends. Yes, it's #MusicMonday, one of Twitter's most enduring trending topic. Hence "MTV News' #MusicMonday," a weekly look at the songs we're obsessing about here in the Newsroom. Here's what's on our playlists right now.

Jim Cantiello, MTV News Correspondent: "She Wolf, Shakira's jaw-droppingly wild and deliciously unpredictable new CD, is one of my favorite pop albums of the year (if not the decade — yes, I said decade). The standout Shakira song for me is "Mon Amour," a playfully nasty kiss-off. In the song, the She Wolf hopes her ex and his new lover have a horrible relationship-ruining vacation in Paris. The brilliantly-specific lyrics elevate the song to dizzying heights of lover-scorned insanity. "Hope the French fleas eat you both alive/ And your room smells and the toilet doesn't flush." Love it. Even better? The track's new wave sound mashes influences as varied as the Cure, the Beach Boys and Cyndi Lauper. As far as "Pissed Off Ex-Girlfriend" anthems go, "Mon Amour" belongs right up there with Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" and Alanis' "You Oughta Know." Can I get an amen? (Or at least an "Awooooo?")"

Kyle Anderson, Newsroom Blog Editor: "Lately, my brain is melted daily by the self-titled debut album from Them Crooked Vultures, the supergroup that brings together Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme, Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl and Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones. The most brain-meltingest song on the album is a track called 'Mind Eraser, No Chaser.' Like the best Queens of the Stone Age tunes, it's probably about taking copious amounts of drugs (or at least contemplating taking copious amounts of drugs), and it's got an incredibly heavy riff. It's also one of the few spots on the album that features Grohl's vocals. The back half of the record gets a little too psychedelic, but I haven't found a better first six songs on a rock record this year."
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Tech N9ne Shows Off His Bling, Raps Backwards At The Woodie Awards

Posted 11/30/09 5:29 pm EST by in mtvU Woodie Awards, Music


One of the best surprises at this year's mtvU Woodie Awards was the victory by truly bizarre rapper Tech N9ne, who scored a victory when he took home the Left Field Woodie. While the Woodies look to celebrate independent music of all kinds, the Left Field Woodie recognizes the artists working at the extreme margins.

Tech certainly fits that description, as his fiercely independent brand of hip-hop mines Wu-Tang grime, horrorcore, rap-rock and old-school boom-bap. He even calls his label Strange Music, which Tech explained to MTV News on the red carpet at the awards a few weeks ago.

"Strange Music. S and M. Not sado-masochism, but Strange Music," Tech explained. He pointed out that the snake and bat on his chain also represented the logo for the label. "My partner Travis O'Guin and I have been independent since 1999, and it's been beautiful ever since. Forget the majors — we're going to do it our way. If I want to paint my face, I paint my face. If I want to color my hair, I color my hair. If I want to rap backwards, I can do it without somebody saying 'Tech, I don't think people are gonna get it.'"

Tech also explained that the inspiration for Strange Music came from the Doors. "I got the idea from being a big Doors fan, and being really into Jim Morrison," he said. "You know, 'People are strange.'"

You can catch Tech N9ne's Woodie victory when the show airs this Friday, December 4 at 10 p.m. on MTV, MTV2 and mtvU, and be sure to stay tuned to MTV News for more insider knowledge from behind the scenes at the loudest, wackiest, farthest-out awards show of the year.

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Adam Lambert's Identity Crisis Didn't Last Long: The MTV News Quote Of The Day

Posted 11/30/09 4:42 pm EST by in Music


"For a second there, I was like, 'Wait a minute?' Right after 'Idol' [I didn't know what to do] because that's when we started planning the album. And I was just like 'I don't really know what direction I need to go in. I don't know if I should be doing straight-up rock music because I got a lot of my cred on 'Idol' doing '70s rock, or if I should be doing the electro-pop dance stuff that I love, that I listen to now. I couldn't decide: Do I do what I love to listen to or what I'm best at or what am I best at? It was a moment of kind of tossing it around and then I thought to myself, 'Why not throw it all together in a big melting pot and come up with my own thing, so that's what we did."

-"American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert, talking to MTV News' Jim Cantiello about the genesis of his album For Your Entertainment, which just got released last week and should debut near the top of the Billboard chart this week. Lambert's performances on "American Idol" were so eclectic — he bounced from Broadway to glam rock to straight pop and back again — that the focus of his album was up for grabs from the beginning. But For Your Entertainment brings together everything that stood out about Lambert's personality (along with everything that is great about cutting-edge pop in 2009). Stay tuned to MTV News for more from our exclusive "Extended Play: Adam Lambert."

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Quentin Tarantino: Video Inspiration For Beyoncé, Missy Elliott

Posted 11/30/09 3:52 pm EST by in Music


Even though the clip for "Video Phone (Extended Remix)" features two of the most recognizable women in pop music in Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, perhaps the most notable and striking image in the video has little to do with either of those stars. The opening scene of the clip perfectly apes the credit sequence of Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs," which, like "Video Phone," features a line of people in black suits walking in slow motion.

Tarantino is a popular character in the hip-hop world (he has most notably worked with Wu-Tang Clan mastermind the RZA) and has been given nods in music videos since he first became a major player in the film world in the early '90s. Though he was not aware of the latest homage when MTV News' Eric Ditzian caught up with him last week, he was still flattered. "There's been a lot of videos that have used my imagery and stuff," Tarantino said. "I love it. I think it's great." He noted that he was especially amazed that Jay-Z named a song "Reservoir Dogs" (from 1998's Vol. 2 ... Hard Knock Life) and called out the video for Missy Elliott's "I'm Really Hot." "Missy Elliott did a whole take-off on 'Kill Bill,'" he explained. "She even rented the P---y Wagon for her video!"

Tarantino's popularity in the hip-hop community is not difficult to parse: Both QT and rappers love gangsters, slick-talking hustlers and Blaxploitation flicks, so they've got a common language between them. Tarantino concurs. "My stuff has always done well in that community," he explains. "I'm thankful for that. It's cool, it's larger than life and you can have fun with it."

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American Girl Sales Require Counting Crows' 'American Girls'

Posted 11/30/09 3:06 pm EST by in Music


We've already provided your Cyber Monday playlist (which features holiday commerce-friendly tunes from the likes of 50 Cent, My Morning Jacket, those bizarre robot hamsters, Chicago-based doll company American Girl has gotten in on Cyber Monday action and has subsequently become one of the most sought-after sales across the Internet today. Though the company rarely puts things on sale, there are dozens of accessories available for cut rates (though the incredible surge in traffic has slowed the company's retail site to a crawl, so best of luck getting to the deals).

Still, even if you can't get your hands on some top-shelf doll clothes at discount prices, you still have an excuse to crank up Counting Crows' 2002 hit "American Girls." Since their instant classic debut August and Everything After hit the airwaves in 1993, Counting Crows have managed to swing with all manner of rock trends: Though they mostly borrowed their sound from the Byrds and Bob Dylan, they were a clear product of the grunge era (what with all the moping) and have found a home with fans of jam bands, mainstream rock, '90s alternative and pure pop. In 2002, they dropped their fourth album Hard Candy, which featured the lead single "American Girls," a big-hooked blast of pop that sounded like summertime but evoked the ache of the changing of seasons. It's a wholly underrated song that deserves a second listen.

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Spotted: Lil Mama Gives Thanks

Posted 11/30/09 2:39 pm 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 our intrepid correspondents. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that's why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.

Lil Mama got a bit of a bad rap after she jumped up on stage during Jay-Z's performance with Alicia Keys at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. Sure, she wasn't invited up on stage while the duo performed "Empire State of Mind," but at least she didn't confiscate the microphone the way another VMA party crasher did earlier in the evening. Following the incident, she said that she was so overcome with the awesomeness of the song (and of Brooklyn, her home borough) that she couldn't help but join Jigga and Keys. Mama should be cut a break, partially because she is responsible for "Lipgloss" (which isn't showing up on very many end-of-decade lists but really, really should) and partially because she took time out to volunteer at the New York City Rescue Mission on Thanksgiving. Lil Mama truly represents for her community — how can anybody stay mad at that?

She wasn't the only star giving back on Thanksgiving, as "High School Musical" star Corbin Bleu volunteered at the Los Angeles Mission and Jay Rock helped hand out turkeys at Nickerson Gardens in Los Angeles. Click here for these pictures plus the entire "Spotted!" archvie, which features over 250 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, the Jonas Brothers, Katy Perry, Adam Lambert, Shakira and Mariah Carey!

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Lady Gaga's 'Monster Ball' Tour Opens With A Tumble

Posted 11/30/09 1:35 pm EST by in Music


The stage is typically a safe place for performers, as it tends to be the only time they are in the public eye on their own terms with a familiar group of people executing everything the right way. However, lately it seems like the mid-song spotlight has been pretty treacherous. Last week, Adam Lambert slipped up in the midst of his controversial performance of "For Your Entertainment" on the American Music Awards. During the same show, Jennifer Lopez lost her footing during her live rendition of "Louboutins." Meanwhile, Justin Bieber's misstep on stage in London lead to a fractured foot and a cast on his leg.

Even the always-put-together Lady Gaga wasn't immune to a lack of traction. Her "Monster Ball" tour kicked off in Montreal last night (November 29), and as promised, it was a fantastically theatrical, over-the-top production that featured incredible costumes (including one outfit made entirely out of firearms) and muscular dancing. But at the beginning of "Teeth" (the excellent, tough final track on the new EP The Fame Monster), Gaga fell into formation with her dancers ... and then fell down. Since she's a consummate professional, so she got right back up and picked up the choreography where she left off.

"The Monster Ball" — which also features opening sets by Kid Cudi and Jason DeRulo — continues tomorrow night (December 1) in Boston and will keep her on the road until the end of January. After that, "The Monster Ball" goes international, as she will take the tour to the U.K., Australia and Japan.

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Susan Boyle Covers We'd Like To Hear

Posted 11/30/09 12:34 pm EST by in Music


Saying you're disappointed in Susan Boyle's debut album is kind of like complaining to your grandma about how lame you think her local weatherman is. You could do it, but what's the point?

Susan Boyle was not meant for you. Despite racking up hundreds of millions of views on YouTube since April, the infamously dowdy Scottish singer has released a full-length album I Dreamed a Dream that is laser targeted to the over-40 demo. When I unwrapped the disc last week, I have to admit I was excited. I'd heard her cover of the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses" and I was blown away by the depth of emotion and richness of Boyle's voice.

But by the time I slogged through predictably schmaltzy takes on "How Great Thou Art," the forgettable Madonna tune "You'll See" and — ugh — the Monkees' "Daydream Believer," I began to wonder if mentor Simon Cowell had not missed a grand opportunity.

Yes, Boyle has already broken records in England for the biggest debut in history, and she's poised to smash the charts in the U.S. with an album that has reportedly already sold more than two million copies around the world. But I think Boyle and her collaborators could have aimed much higher and hit a much broader target if they had only taken the Johnny Cash/Rick Rubin route.

Much like uberproducer Rubin revived Cash's career late in life with a series of albums that brilliantly saw Cash covering contemporary acts including Beck and Nine Inch Nails, Boyle could easily have risen above Broadway cheese and traditional retreads for an album that might have appealed to both blue-hair sets: grannies and their punk grandchildren.

Here's my suggestion for what could have been:

» Johnny Cash, "I Still Miss Someone"

» Beck, "Guess I'm Doing Fine"

» Kasey Chambers, "The Captain"
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Katy Perry Celebrates An Early Christmas In Austria

Posted 11/30/09 11:39 am EST by in Music


The holiday season is upon us, which means that it's time to put the Bob Dylan Christmas album on your iPod, hit up your local mall to fight with other shoppers and gorge yourself on marzipan snowmen. Everybody celebrates this period differently, but for Katy Perry, the Christmas season is about dressing up in a sexy Santa outfit and treating fans in Austria to one of her traditionally balls-out concerts. After spending time snowboarding with boyfriend Russell Brand at the Silvretta Arena Ischgl-Samnaun ski resort, she took the stage in Ischgl and performed for 20,000 fans on Sunday night (November 29).

The show, which was the season-opening celebration for the resort, featured a hit-packed set and all of Perry's usual assortment of live gimmicks (including a giant glowing heart). The stage also had a pair of cannons re-creating the conditions outside the venue. "I hadn't realized they would have canons blasting snow onto the stage during the performance," she admitted from the stage. "It's f---ing cold!" As always, Perry bent over backwards to entertain her audience (quite literally, as you can see).

While many people will be taking time off over the next month, Perry will stay busy. She's still working on her second album (which includes collaborations with Rivers Cuomo, Greg Wells and Tricky Stewart) and her voice can currently be heard on the just-released MTV Unplugged (which features her cover of Fountains of Wayne's "Hackensack") as well as Timbaland's upcoming album Shock Value 2.

Click here for more photos of Katy Perry dressed as Santa Claus in Austria!

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The Best Cyber Monday Deals Require Assistance From 50 Cent, De La Soul And The Smiths

Posted 11/30/09 10:56 am EST by in Music


The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is not just about gluttony and football (though it is mostly about that). For many, it's the official opening of the Christmas shopping season. In fact, the day after Thanksgiving has become known as "Black Friday" because of the crowds, traffic and stress caused by the huge sales that retailers roll out at the beginning of the shopping season. In recent years, the Monday after Thanksgiving has been designated as "Cyber Monday," where online retailers introduce their best deals for the season and often offer deals on shipping (the logic being that everybody has gone back to work but is still thinking about Christmas shopping in front of their computers at the office).

While you're clicking around looking for the best sales from your favorite online stores (as well as online-only sales from traditional brick-and-mortar outlets), you're going to need a little bit of music to simulate the shopping experience. One of the benefits of doing your shopping online is that you don't have to put up with the terrible Christmas music pumped deep into your skull while you pick through sale tables. With that in mind, MTV Newsroom presents the official 2009 Cyber Monday video playlist, featuring commerce-friendly hits like 50 Cent's "Window Shopper," Birdman's "Money to Blow" and N.A.S.A.'s "Gifted." There are also cheeky nods to online shopping like the Smiths' "Shoplifters of the World Unite," Hard-Fi's "Cash Machine" and Mary J. Blige's "It's a Wrap." And just in case you really want to feel like you're elbowing other shoppers at Macy's, we've even included one requisite awful Christmas song (in this case, it's Kenny G's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"). So break out your list, have your credit card information ready and get your Cyber Monday started with De La Soul's "Shopping Bags (She Got From You)."

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