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Vic Chesnutt, The Rev And Kris Allen: This Week's Deep Cuts

Posted 12/31/09 11:30 pm EST by in Deep Cuts


Not only is the week nearly over, but the year is just about over as well. But before you drink too much cheap champagne, dress a baby up in a sash that says "2010" and finish that screenplay you swore you were going to complete before the decade was out, be sure to check out everything that happened this week in the MTV Newsroom. Sure, it was quiet, but that doesn't mean we weren't talking about news and keeping track of all the stars you love. Be safe, enjoy the long holiday weekend and be sure to check back in with us in 2010.

» The week opened with a bit of melancholy, as the music world reacted to the death of singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt, who passed away due to a drug overdose over Christmas.

» Chesnutt wasn't the only tragic loss this week, as the rock world was shattered by the passing of Avenged Sevenfold drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan.

» Those two deaths capped off a year full of sad celebrity losses, including Michael Jackson, Brittany Murphy and DJ AM.

» We also looked back on some of the images that defined the year, from the inauguration of Barack Obama to Kanye West and Taylor Swift's little run-in.
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A Few Words About 'Auld Lang Syne'

Posted 12/31/09 5:00 pm EST by in Music


If you're like us, you're going to go to a New Year's Eve party tonight, and as soon as the calendar turns over, somebody will inevitably start slurring the tune "Auld Lang Syne" because they thought they heard it in a movie or something (perhaps "200 Cigarettes" was on TV earlier in the day). But people very rarely nail down the correct melody, nor do they know all of the words. And what does "Auld Lang Syne" even mean?

Glad you asked! It began as a poem written by Scotland's Robert Burns (pictured!) in 1788 (with a few of the lyrics cribbed from a James Watson ballad from 1711 called "Old Long Syne"). The tune is a traditional Scottish folk song, and it quickly gained popularity in the U.K. as a song sung at the end of the year as well as at funerals. As Brits emigrated to other parts of the globe, the tradition spread, and took hold in the United States as early as 1896. It didn't become a popular American staple in this country until band leader Guy Lombardo played the tune during his year-end radio broadcast in 1929.

The title of the tune literally translates to "Old Long Since," though people readily accept "Long Long Ago" or "In Olden Times" as reasonable transpositions. The first verse goes a little something like this: "Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?/ Should old acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne?/ For auld lang syne my dear/ For auld lang syne/ We'll take a cup of kindness yet/ For auld lang syne." That second part is actually the chorus, but it usually just gets treated as another verse.

So enjoy this particular version of the song or fire up one yourself (it helps if you have bagpipes or a pump organ), and raise your glass to a successful 2009 and an even better 2010.

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No Doubt Warned Against The End Of The World On New Year's 1999

Posted 12/30/09 4:40 pm EST by in Music


A decade ago, MTV played host to a slew of celebrities hanging out in Times Square to ring in the New Year. Although everyone was there to party, the big question was: Is the world going to end tonight? The Y2K bug* was plaguing the world. Would we make it to the millennium? (Spoiler alert: We did! We made it!)

Up until those final seconds of panic, Diddy performed, as did Jay-Z and Bush (which is funny because Gwen Stefani and No Doubt were also on hand to perform), Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson cuddled and Christina Aguilera chatted with Carson Daly.

As the final countdown took place, the clock struck midnight, confetti fell and the world (obviously) didn't end. But just in case, No Doubt was on hand to ring in the New Year with the classic R.E.M. tune, "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)." How ironic! They then segued into their own tune, "Ex-Girlfriend." The fact that the world didn't end doesn't leave us very much surprised, but you may be surprised to know that in 1999, Gwen Stefani had pink hair, blunt bangs and braces. We wonder what look she'll use to ring in 2010 with?

*For those of you who may not be familiar with the problem, yourdictionary.com defines it as: "The predicted malfunction of some computer systems prior to or at the beginning of the year 2000 because of their inability to distinguish between dates in the 1900s and dates in the 2000s. This inability results from the coding of year dates in some software and chips with only the final two, rather than all four, digits." Anyways, it doesn't matter because it didn't happen, but that's what we were worried about ten years ago.

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Avenged Sevenfold Drummer The Rev Was 'Smart As They Come': The MTV News Quote Of The Day

Posted 12/30/09 4:00 pm EST by in Music


"He was somebody who just had a warmth and an easy smile and a laugh, and he was as smart as they come. You could sit and talk to him about anything. He was expressive. He'd tell you how he felt about you — you didn't wonder, because he'd put his arm around you. He knew how to tell his friends he loved them."

-Avenged Sevenfold manager Larry Jacobson, speaking candidly to the Orange County Register about late A7X drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan, who died earlier this week of still-undetermined causes. As we reported earlier today, the outpouring of support and sympathy for Sullivan's bandmates, friends and family has been as overwhelming as his passing. The people closest to him got together on Monday (December 28) to share memories and stories about the drummer, an event that, according to Jacobson, ranged from "deep and somber to smiles and laughs as they began to reminisce about the experiences everybody had with him. He was a loving son and a loving brother — like no one you'd ever seen, and talented beyond people's perception." The band, who started out as teenagers in their hometown of Huntington Beach, were at work on their fifth full-length studio album, and though it isn't clear how they will go about working without Sullivan, Jacobson thinks their bond will help them through such a tough time. "Never in my life have I seen a relationship like that," he said. "And I think the relationship the four have right now will help them get through this traumatic time."

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Kris Allen's Mom Sends A Belated Christmas Gift

Posted 12/30/09 3:00 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes, Music


Christmas came late thanks to the insanity of the MTV mailroom around the holidays. But boy, did Santa come through big time!

Although it was delivered a week ago, today I finally received a magical package from the North Pole. And when I say the North Pole, I really mean Arkansas.

Kris Allen's adorable, beautiful, witty, hilarious, amazing, irresistible, phenomenal, Nobel Peace Prize-deserving perfect mother sent me my very own PajamaGram after catching a silly subliminal message about jammies in a recent "Kris Allen Outtakes" video. Enclosed with the Christmas-themed pajamas? A card that read, "Because you asked nicely."

Mama Allen and I have shared a fun little Twitter friendship over the past several months. (She started it, Kris. I swear to you on my Paula Abdul "Touched By Evil" DVD.) I've been trying to keep our Twitter parties on the DL after Kris jokingly asked me to stop cavorting with his mom in the digital world. But you know what? I'm in love with Mama Allen and I want the world to know.

So from the bottom of my bursting heart: I thank you, Mama Allen! You helped make this Christmas season more kick-awesome than I thought was humanly possible.

To my real mom: Don't worry. You're still number one in my book. Also, I'm glad you didn't buy me pajamas for Christmas, because that would be some "Sophie's Choice" ish right there.

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Today's Poll: What's Your New Year's Resolution?

Posted 12/30/09 2:12 pm EST by in Music


The end of 2009 is upon us, which means that it's time to toast to the year that was and make predictions and draft resolutions about the coming 12 months. We caught up with a handful of stars who have vowed to make changes in 2010, including Adam Lambert (he wants to stay positive), Usher (he told "Access Hollywood" he wants to embrace new things), Holly Montag (she is going to cut down on texting) and Emily Blunt (who resolves to not make any resolutions).

Traditionally, resolutions for the new year tend to get dropped before February, but that doesn't stop people from making them. As proof, we hit the streets of Times Square (where preparations are well underway for the annual New Year's Eve countdown celebration) to find out what people were resolving for the coming year. Some people want to improve their lives more (there's a lot of interest in working out and eating better), while others seem bent on self-destruction (many, many people resolving to drink more in 2010).

As for MTV News, we resolve to keep bringing you the stories you need to hear about the people you want to hear about, and we're going to do it with even more intensity and razor-sharp wit than ever before. Also, we plan to drink some more.

What's your resolution for 2010? Leave your thoughts in the comments or tweet us @mtvnews!

Don't miss MTV News' "Top 9 of '09" — which counts down the year's biggest stories, from Michael Jackson to Eminem and everything in between — airing New Year's Eve at 11 p.m. on MTV.

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Spotted: Leighton Meester Gets Up In The Club

Posted 12/30/09 1:13 pm EST by in Music, Television


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.

It's freezing cold here in New York, so anybody who has the wherewithal to spend the winter months in warm weather climates has the right idea. Even though Leighton Meester makes her living on "Gossip Girl" (which films on location in Manhattan), she used her time off from the show to head to Miami Beach for the opening of Klutch, a new nightclub. That dress she is wearing wouldn't fly in the arctic tundra that is NYC right now, but the Florida heat is treating her quite nicely. Meester has plenty to celebrate, as she gave her music career a healthy kickstart with a guest spot on Cobra Starship's hit "Good Girls Go Bad" (her full-length debut is expected some time in 2010).

Meester wasn't the only star out last night, as "Twilight" star Kellan Lutz also attended the opening of Klutch and Brad Pitt braved the NYC cold with his kids. Click here for these photos as well as the entire "Spotted!" archive, which contains over 300 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Adam Lambert, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, the Jonas Brothers, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Kris Allen, Madonna, Shakira, Rihanna and Jessica Simpson!

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Jay-Z, Diddy, Shakira And The Jonas Brothers: The Best Newsroom Photos Of 2009

Posted 12/30/09 12:22 pm EST by in Music


No matter what stars were grabbing headlines this year — from Taylor Swift to Jay-Z to Drake to Shakira to Adam Lambert — they no doubt had some sort of encounter with the MTV News team. Whether on location or right in the MTV Newsroom, every star worth talking to sat down for a chat with one correspondent or another.

Some of the best stories of the year came out of our travels around the country. We got the chance to hang out with Paramore in Tennessee and hung out with Lil Wayne and the rest of the crew from the America's Most Wanted Tour when they kicked everything off in Scranton, Pennsylvania. We rubbed elbows with the Jonas Brothers in Texas and stormed New Orleans in search of the Pussycat Dolls.

But some of the biggest stars ended up right here in the Newsroom, from Alicia Keys and 50 Cent to Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt. Through it all, the MTV Newsroom blog brought you the inside scoop on what it has been like hanging out with some of the biggest stars of music, movies, television and beyond.

Producer Akshay Bhansali has been snapping photos all throughout the year, keeping track of where we've been and who we've talked to. He put together a compendium of some of the best shots. Enjoy the all the inside pics, and know that 2010 will keep bringing more behind-the-scenes excitement, all of which you can find right here on the MTV Newsroom blog.

Click here for the best photos from the MTV Newsroom in 2009!

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Jay-Z, Wilco And The Yeah Yeah Yeahs: 10 In 2009

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


2009 is coming to a close, which means that it's time to check in on what the favorite albums, artists, songs and moments were among the fine folks in the MTV Newsroom. Be sure to check out James Montgomery's definitive year-end list for 2009, and enjoy the "10 In 2009" series that will be running over the next two weeks.

By Rya Backer

I listened to a lot of good albums this year, and there were a lot of great songs on them. So I'll make like a girlfriend and give to you, the readers, my 2009 in song. The title of this mixtape? I'mma Let You Finish, But These Are My Favorite Songs of 2009. I'm hilarious?

Side A
Jay-Z, "On to the Next One"
I kept hearing this song in clubs and I really liked it, so I finally Googled "Somebody bring me back some money please." Now I cut a rug to it in the comfort of my own home.

Lightning Bolt, "Funny Farm"
I get that people think all their songs sound alike, but those people just don't get it. When you listen to this on full blast on the subway, you'll quickly find yourself with ample elbow room.

Suckers, "It Gets Your Body Movin'"
I knew this was special when I saw them live and during the big crescendo my friend (hi, Andy!) and I turned to each other and high-fived.

No Age, "You're a Target"
Apart from the fact that Dean is a true Hannukah Hottie, I really like the bigger sound. If I made skate videos, I'd probably use this song all the time.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Zero"
Their drummer, Brian Chase, is a very important Hannukah Hottie as well.
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Fans And Friends Memorialize Avenged Sevenfold Drummer Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan

Posted 12/30/09 10:58 am EST by in Music


By Gil Kaufman & Kyle Anderson

The shocking news about the passing of Avenged Sevenfold drummer Jimmy Sullivan — known to fans as the Rev — has hit the rock world exceptionally hard. While police have declared that there was no foul play involved in his passing, the initial autopsy was deemed "inconclusive," and it will be a few weeks before we find out what lead to his death.

Regardless, Avenged Sevenfold have an army of fans, industry friends and collaborators who have reached out in the Rev's memory. God Forbid guitarist Doc Coyle issued a statement, in which he said, "I just wanted to send our deepest condolences on behalf of God Forbid to Avenged Sevenfold and Jimmy's family and close friends after news of his passing. God Forbid got to know Jimmy and the rest of the band when we took A7X out on tour in 2002 when they were a brand new band, and they've continued to treat us with warmth and respect over the years since their meteoric rise. This is a true tragedy, and he will be missed greatly. Love and respect."

The band Papa Roach posted this tribute on their Twitter page: "This is a sad day for rock and roll. RIP, Jimmy 'Rev' Sullivan. You will be greatly missed, my friend." Buckcherry followed suit, tweeting, "The Rev... You will be missed. Rest in peace, our brother from the road. The entire A7X family is in our thoughts." And, posting on AOL's Noisecreep, Shadows Fall singer Brian Fair wrote, "The Rev was truly one of a kind. No one threw it down quite like he did. He will be missed terribly. May he rest in peace."

Fans flooded Twitter, the band's official Web site, Facebook and MTV News offering up their sympathy and prayers. "Jimmy, you were an inspiration to many across the globe. You were one of a kind and as much as it breaks my heart to say this, A7X will never be the same without you," wrote Sham on yesterday's blog post. "Rest in peace, beautiful drummer boy. I'll always love you." Commenter James added, "He inspired me to play drums, I will never forget that. A7X will never be the same without one of the most skilled drummers I have ever seen. He was unique and taken away from the world way too soon."

The Facebook message announcing Sullivan's passing inspired over 11,000 comments, many of which focused on his bottomless well of skill. "The Rev was a sick drummer. Sounded like he had eight arms!" wrote Teresa Doucette Madore. "I admired his skill. He's irreplaceable." Sukhmani Dhaliwal added, "RIP Rev, truly one of the greatest drummers out there. I pray for the band and the families. And no matter what I will still support A7X and whatever there decisions for the future may be."

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