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Get Close To Alice In Chains With The BLACKDIAMONDSKYE Contest!

Posted 8/31/10 7:25 pm EST by in Music


It's the hardest, heaviest tour of the year, featuring three of the biggest acts on the planet, and to celebrate, we're having one helluva contest.

It's BLACKDIAMONDSKYE the ass-kicking Alice in Chains, Deftones and Mastodon triple-bill, and we're going to give four fans (and their friends) and appropriately ass-kicking good time.

One lucky fan will win a pair of VIP tickets to a BDS tour date of their choice, a meet-and-greet with Alice in Chains, a limited-edition tour poster signed by all three bands and—perhaps coolest of all—an official, personalized Black Gives Way To Blue gold record, courtesy of the guys in AIC.

Three runners up will win a pair of tickets to BDS tour stop and an autographed poster.

Pretty awesome, right? All you've got to do to win is create an eye-catching video trailer for the tour... you can download assets over at BLACKDIAMONDSKYE.com, cut a video piece and then upload it to Your.MTV.com. For inspiration, check out the Official BDS Video Page.The winning submissions will be chosen by Alice In Chains themselves, so you better impress.

The contest starts right now, and the deadline for submissions is 10 a.m. PST on September 14. All entries must include the BLACKDIAMONDSKYE.com URL, and must be under 1 minute in length. Winners will be announced on September 15.

BLACKDIAMONDSKYE kicks off September 16 in Chicago, so should probably get cracking on this.

Full rules and whatnot after the jump. Read More...

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Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Jay-Z Try To Prove Who Collaborated Best: Better Know A VMA Category

Posted 8/31/10 5:30 pm EST by in VMAs


The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards are fast approaching, which means that in only a few weeks you'll be treated to an excellent night of performances and appearances by the likes of Eminem, Linkin Park, Usher, Paramore, Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Drake, Florence and the Machine, B.o.B and Deadmau5 (who will serve as the house DJ at the show). While people tend to remember the classic performances and the unhinged moments, the coveted Moonman is the reason why people show up and tune in. This year, there are 16 categories wherein some of the biggest music stars in the universe will compete for the coolest trophy in awards shows. Today, we take a look at the nominees in the Best Collaboration category.

The award for Best Collaboration at the MTV Video Music Awards is by far the newest entry on the list of categories. It was first given out in 2007 when Beyonc&233; and Shakira scored the Moonman for their now-forgotten "Beautiful Liar" (besting Akon and Eminem's "Smack That," Justin Timberlake and Timbaland's "SexyBack," Gwen Stefani and Akon's "The Sweet Escape" and U2 and Green Day's "The Saints Are Coming"). The award has been on hiatus for two years, but it's back with a vengeance this time around.

It's appropriate that Best Collaboration return this year, as it has been a killer year for artists getting together and making a little magic. Two of the entries on the list involve both Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, as the pair hooked up twice in the past year for "Video Phone" and "Telephone." Those videos are up against some heavy hitters, including Jay-Z and Alicia Keys ("Empire State of Mind"), 3OH!3 and Ke$ha ("My First Kiss") and B.o.B and Paramore's Hayely Williams ("Airplanes"). Because there are twice as many artists on each song, that means twice as much star power, making Best Collaboration the most star-studded category of the entire 2010 MTV VMAs.

It's possible that Gaga and Beyoncé will cancel each other out, leaving the rest to battle for supremacy. While "Empire State of Mind" was a ubiquitous chart-topper, it feels like this award will end up in the hands of B.o.B and Williams. Who will win Best Collaboration, and what tag-team efforts will go down on the VMA stage? There's only one way to find out.

The 27th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on September 12 at 9 p.m. ET.

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The 2010 VMA Countdown: Pee-Wee Herman Wonders What's So Funny

Posted 8/31/10 4:30 pm EST by in VMAs


The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards are only a few weeks away. The biggest party of the year features nominated clips by Lady Gaga, Eminem, Jay-Z, Ke$ha and Katy Perry and will feature performances by Kanye West, Eminem, Drake, Paramore, Usher, B.o.B and Florence and the Machine (with many more to be announced). In order to properly prepare yourself for what's to come, every day the MTV Newsroom Blog will deliver a classic moment in the history of the MTV Video Music Awards. Today's installment: Pee-Wee Herman calls it a comeback.

For obvious reasons, the most memorable moemnts in the history of the MTV Video Music Awards tend to be centered around music. But there are a handful of incidents that had little to do with music and everything to do with the culture at large. The VMAs are often topical and fully entrenched in whatever is happening in pop culture, which is why they provided a perfect venue for Paul Reubens to make his first public appearance since an embarrassing arrest.

Back in July of 1991, Reubens — known to the world as lovable man-child Pee-Wee Herman — was arrested for masturbating in public at an adult movie theater in Sarasota, Florida. CBS immediately pulled syndicated episodes of "Pee-Wee's Playhouse" from their schedules (though the show had stopped production of new episodes a year prior) and Toys-R-Us removed Pee-Wee-related toys from their shelves. Reubens was instantly turned into a tabloid figure and became the subject of a perpetual stream of jokes.

So when he walked on stage at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards, it was a shock to everybody. Reubens, dressed in full Pee-Wee regalia (something he had not done in over a year), received a standing ovation from the raucous crowd in Los Angeles. He calmly stepped to the microphone and asked, "Heard any good jokes lately?" It wasn't a comeback or an apology — it was just a guy taking back control. And it happened on the stage of the MTV Video Music Awards.

The 27th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on September 12 at 9 p.m. ET.

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Lindsay Lohan Knows She's A Good Actress: The MTV News Quote Of The Day

Posted 8/31/10 3:30 pm EST by in For The Record, Music


"I don't care what anyone says. I know that I'm a damn good actress. And I know that in my past I was young and irresponsible — but that's what growing up is. You learn from your mistakes. I've admitted to the things that I've done — to, you know, dabbling in certain things and trying things 'cause I was young and curious and thought it was like, OK, 'cause other people were doing it and other people put it in front of me. And I see what happened in my life because of it."

-Actress, singer and tabloid fixture Lindsay Lohan, pouring her heart out to Vanity Fair in her first published interview since she was released from jail. In the magazine's cover story, Lohan touches on a number of subjects, including her incarceration, the future of her career, the mixed messages circulated about her substance abuse issues and her complicated relationship with her father Michael. "I think my biggest focus for myself is learning how to continue to get through the trauma that my father has caused in my life," she told the magazine. "The worst part of it is you turn around and you see your dad crying and normally you'd be, like, happy that your father's there [in the courtroom]. But then he has to go and do an interview right after."

Lohan also denies ever using prescription drugs for recreational purposes ("I never have — never in my life. I have no desire to," she said) and told her side of the story about the night her SCRAM bracelet — a court-ordered accessory that monitored her alcohol intake — was set off, triggering the chain reaction that landed her behind bars. "If I were the alcoholic everyone says I am, then putting a bracelet on would have ended me up in detox, in the emergency room, because I would have had to come down from all the things that people say I'm taking and my father says I'm taking," she said. "So that says something, because I was fine."

The star of "Mean Girls" and "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" has already started her comeback, as she'll be portraying famous porn star Linda Lovelace in a biopic about her life called "Inferno."

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'Dancing With The Stars': Handicapping The New Cast

Posted 8/31/10 2:30 pm EST by in Television


Though we don't yet know who their partners will be (which, let's face it, is an important factor in deciding who can win and who can't), the celebrity contestants for the new season of "Dancing With the Stars" have been announced. Ever since the launch of the show back in 2005, it has evolved from a charming summer replacement show into one of the most popular reality programs on television.

At this point, they've figured out exactly how to cast these things. In fact, you can even tell how everybody is going to finish based on the role each person plays in the cast. Check out the predictions below.

The Ringer
Role: The professional performer (usually a musician with some kind of dance background) who provides the gold standard for the rest of the contestants. These people are usually the finalists.
Past Versions: Mya, Nick Lachey, Nicole Scherzinger, Aaron Carter
This Year's Model: Brandy. As Mya proved, a little R&B pedigree goes a long way.

The Football Player
Role: Twofold. First, for the sheer hilarity of seeing huge guys doing the cha cha. And second, to (theoretically) get men interested in the show. These guys tend to overachieve because of a combination of the above.
Past Versions: Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice, Jason Taylor, Warren Sapp
This Year's Model: Kurt Warner. Expect the quarterback to get pretty deep into this one.

The Other Athlete
Role: To prove that athletic prowess doesn't necessarily translate into greatness on the dance floor.
Past Versions: Clyde Drexler, Floyd Mayweather, Chuck Liddell
This Year's Model: Rick Fox. Considering the guy retired from NBA competition with bad knees, his chances are not great.

The Athlete Who Is Actually A Ringer
Role: To fool you into thinking there isn't a second ringer on the show. These people tend to win outright.
Past Versions: Kristi Yamaguchi, Apolo Anton Ohno, Shawn Johnson, Helio Castroneves
This Year's Model: Change the word "athlete" to "actress," and you've got Jennifer Grey.

The Old Person
Role: To prove that age ain't nothin' but a number (except when it keeps you from winning, save for one case). Read More...

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Lady Gaga's New 'Living On The Radio' Continues The Tradition Of Road Songs

Posted 8/31/10 1:30 pm EST by in Music


A few months ago, Lady Gaga unveiled a new song called "You and I" that has been making regular appearances on stops on the multi-platinum singer's Monster Ball tour. On Monday night (August 30), Gaga unleashed another new composition. This one is called "Living on the Radio," and much like "You and I," it's a mostly piano-based shuffle with the same sort of '70s Elton John vibe. Lyrically, however, Gaga seems to be covering a very well-trod road in American music.

"Living on the Radio" is Gaga's road song — the tune the expresses the highs and lows of living out of a suitcase (or in Gaga's case, out of a dozen or so tractor trailers) and engaging in a series of all-too-brief relationships with fans and friends while traveling the world. "Baby, you've got a friend/ And so many little monsters/ Keep living on the radio," she sings in the tune, suggesting that the comfort of hearing your songs played for the masses trumps the inherent loneliness of the road. "And when there's nowhere to go/ And all your friends are gone/ And you've only got your daddy to call/ You're gonna be all right, honey/ Because your songs are on the radio."

Gaga's latest tune joins the legendary tunes below among the great American road songs.

Bob Seger, "Turn the Page"
Seger's view of the road is pretty dire — it's all exhaustion and anonymous highways and empty roadside restaurants. It's so dark, in fact, that it was fit enough for Metallica to cover.

Mötörhead, "(We Are) The Road Crew"
Accompanied by Lemmy's savage growl and his band's buzzsaw dynamism, this tale of working on rock tours is told from the perspective of roadies. It's as bipolar as they come, with another drive, another party and another faceless crowd always around the corner.
Read More...

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Spotted: Miley Cyrus Lands In New York With Her Mother

Posted 8/31/10 12:30 pm EST by in Music


Every day a multitude of stars wander 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.

Miley Cyrus may have broken up with boyfriend Liam Hemsworth and may not be exactly lighting up the charts with her latest album Can't Be Tamed, but nothing seems to be stopping the 17-year-old from taking care of business (and from remaining in demand). Eschewing a tour for her album, Cyrus has been hard at work on the set of "LOL: Laughing Out Loud," a remake of a French film that also stars Demi Moore (playing Cyrus' mother) and "Twilight" star Ashley Greene that is set to hit theaters next April. Filming is scheduled to wrap in Chicago soon, but Cyrus took some time out to stop in New York City on Monday (August 30), where she was spotted hitting the street with her mother Tish.

Cyrus wasn't the only star rolling through JFK, as both Jessica Alba and Bradley Cooper were also seen working their way through the airport. Click here for these photos as well as the entire "Spotted" archive, which features nearly 500 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Jay-Z, the Jonas Brothers, Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Shakira, Eminem, 50 Cent, Adam Lambert, the Black Eyed Peas and Diddy!

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What Should Justin Bieber Sing At The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards?

Posted 8/31/10 11:30 am EST by in VMAs


The next few weeks will be some of the biggest in the still-nascent career of 16-year-old superstar Justin Bieber. The Canadian superstar will take the stage tonight (August 31) at Madison Square Garden, perhaps the biggest and most high-profile show of his arena tour. Considering it's New York in the most famous arena in the world, and considering the film crew will be capturing part of the show for Bieber's upcoming 3-D movie, there's a distinct possibility that there will be some special guests joining him on stage tonight. (Stay tuned to MTV News for reports from both inside and outside MSG tonight.)

And in less than two weeks, Bieber will join the likes of Eminem, Drake, Kanye West, Paramore, Usher, Florence and the Machine and B.o.B as a performer at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. It will be his debut on the VMA stage, and considering he made his national television debut at the 2009 VMAs in New York City, it will be poetic icing on the cake that has been his previous 12 months.

But like Paramore, Bieber has an interesting problem: What does he sing at the show? He has scored a number of huge hits in the past year, and it seems like his cup runneth over with options. He was nominated for Best New Artist for "Baby" (a song that is also his biggest hit), so it would make sense that he would bring that one. But there are a few variables to consider. Knowing that Usher will also be in the building, wouldn't it make sense for the two of them to perform their remix of "Somebody to Love"? The single "U Smile" is just making an impact on the radio, so that could be an option as well. He could bust out his first hit "One Time" as a way to bring it back around again, or he could bring out tourmate Sean Kingston for a little "Eenie Meenie" action. Or maybe he does a little jiu jitsu with Jaden Smith for the first live presentation of "Never Say Never." And hey, who says he can't knock out the remix of "Runaway Love," which features Kanye West and Raekwon?

But we'll leave it to you: Which song should Justin Bieber perform when he takes the stage at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards? Vote below and let us know your arguments in the comments!.

The 27th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on September 12 at 9 p.m. ET.

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Happy Birthday, Debbie Gibson!

Posted 8/31/10 10:30 am EST by in Music


First of all: Yes, we know she's officially Deborah Gibson now, but for anybody who grew up with "Shake Your Love" and "Out of the Blue," she'll always be Debbie. Today is her 40th birthday, so be sure to save her the big slice of cake and let her take a few extra swings at the pinata.

Gibson broke onto the pop scene just before her 17th birthday when she dropped her debut album Out of the Blue in 1987. Though most teenage pop sensations are the product of an army of producers, songwriters and stylists, Gibson was a completely self-made star who wrote, produced and arranged all of the songs on her debut. The album spawned a cavalcade of hit singles, including "Only in My Dreams," the aforementioned "Shake Your Love" and the title track. Those songs drove Out of the Blue to sales of three million in the U.S. and over eight million worldwide.

Following a hugely successful world tour, Gibson struck again with Electric Youth in 1989. That album scored another set of giant singles, including the title track and "Lost in Your Eyes." Though her subsequent albums started to fade in the United States, she continued to have international success (especially in the U.K. and Japan). She continued to release albums throughout the '90s while she made her way into acting. She put together an excellent theater career, starring in a beloved London production of "Grease" and then coming back to the stages to star in shows like "Beauty and the Beast," "Gypsy" and "Chicago." Lately, she has become something of a cult star in sci-fi movies, such as last year's "Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus" and the forthcoming "Mega Python vs. Gatoroid" (which co-stars former rival Tiffany, she of "I Think We're Alone Now" fame).

Gibson's biggest hit was "Foolish Beat," which came from Out of the Blue and peaked at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. She still holds the record for being the youngest star to ever write, produce and perform a chart-topping song. Gibson was an MTV staple in the '80s, and the clip for "Foolish Beat" is one of the biggest in the channel's history.

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The 'Dancing With The Stars' Cast Has 'The Situation' And Audrina, But What About The Other MTV All-Stars?

Posted 8/31/10 9:30 am EST by in Television


On Monday night (August 30), the new cast of "Dancing With the Stars" was revealed, and like previous seasons, it's an incredible cross-section of actors, musicians, athletes and whatever category Bristol Palin falls into. The headliners include two championship ring-owning athletes (Kurt Warner and Rick Fox), everyone's favorite television mom (Florence Henderson), a platinum R&B star (Brandy), an actress who once played a dancer (Jennifer Grey) and David Hasselhoff.

The lineup also includes a pair of MTV stars: "Jersey Shore" philosopher Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino and "The Hills" vixen Audrina Patridge. If "Dancing With the Stars" really wanted to go all-in with the MTV crowd, they should have made the cast an all-MTV affair, featuring the following network all-stars.

(Click here for the MTV stars we'd like to see on "Dancing With the Stars"!)

Mike "The Miz" Mizanin
The veteran of "The Real World: Back to New York" and seemingly dozens of seasons of "The Challenge," the Miz is both an athlete and a TV star, which makes him an immediate favorite for television's premiere dance competition. He would have to take some time off from his day job as the United States Champion in the WWE, but he's just versatile enough to pull it off.

Warren the Ape
The foul-mouthed star of the show of the same name has enough bon mots to hang with the judges and is certainly light on his feet (or perhaps just light). The only con? He's, you know, a puppet.

Spencer Pratt
Does he have any dance experience? Probably not. But he does have a savvy eye for television and a commitment to competition, which would make him a formidable opponent for the rest of the field.

Farrah from "Teen Mom"
Before she became a teenage mother, Farrah was a cheerleader, which means she already has some appropriate athletic training. Compound that with her big personality and you've got a winner.
Read More...

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