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Weezer's Pinkerton Reissue: Breaking Down The New Tracks

Posted 9/28/10 10:30 am EST by in Music


Later this fall, Weezer will be headed out on the road for their Memories Tour, a very special two-night affair in several different cities during which they will play each of their first two albums in their entirety. Their landmark 1994 self-titled debut got a reissue back in 2004, but on November 2, the band will give its 1996 album Pinkerton the deluxe treatment it deserves.

The new version features the original album plus 25 bonus tracks — a full 16 of which have never been released before. Of course, the bulk of those songs are actually live versions or alternate takes of Pinkerton tracks, but there are a handful of genuinely new songs (including one that was nearly lost to history). Here's the rundown of the songs you may not be familiar with on the new version of Pinkerton.

"I Swear It's True"
Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo has never made any bones about his obsession with metal (with a particular fixation on Kiss), and it manifests itself on this delightfully loud, sludgy dirge.

"Long Time Sunshine"
Back in the Pinkerton era, Cuomo was constantly writing songs (rumor had it that he brought as many as 100 songs to the table at the beginning of the Pinkerton sessions), and many of them were brief experiments in other genres or types of instrumentation. "Long Time Sunshine" is an earnest piano ballad that could have appeared on a Ben Folds album and comes from an aborted project called Songs from the Black Hole that was left unfinished and eventually morphed into Pinkerton. In fact, it stands as one of the great unfinished masterpieces in rock history (though many of those songs ended up on Cuomo's Alone albums, composed of demos from throughout his career).
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The 'Dancing With The Stars' Situation: Baby (Quick) Steps

Posted 9/28/10 9:30 am EST by in Television


The bad news first: Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino's second week on "Dancing With the Stars" did not go all that much better than his first. Charged with pulling off a quickstep, he certainly seemed committed and enthusiastic, but his moves still lack polish and finesse, which will continue to hurt him. But the good news is that the judges recognized his improvement (however slight) and awarded his dance a totally respectable 18 points. That puts him right in the meaty part of the curve on an episode that saw no dancers score higher than 24 (and even that score earned a chorus of boos, for some reason).

The Situation finds himself in good shape, especially considering the dreadful scores for Michael Bolton (dude only picked up 12 points, including a three from one judge) and another unexceptional performance from Margaret Cho. That should all add up to an easy pass to the next round, where he will no doubt continue to improve (even despite the fact that he is apparently pigeon-toed, which will certainly get in the way of precision footwork).

On the other end of the spectrum, Audrina Patridge certainly had the best week of anybody. Her dancing was sharp and she was full of charisma. Even her costume stood head-and-shoulders above everybody else on the show. "Dirty Dancing" alum Jennifer Grey may have gotten the best scores of the night, but through two weeks, Patridge has established herself as the most worthy challenger in the field and a good bet to beat Grey at her own game.

Who performed best on "Dancing With the Stars" last night? Do you think the Situation is improving? Let us know in the comments!

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Creed Mold Themselves Into Clay: Wake-Up Video

Posted 9/28/10 8:30 am EST by in Wake-Up Video


Over the past decade-and-a-half, has there been a band more maligned than Creed? Constantly knocked for being too histrionic, too pretentious, too boring and too derivative, you could not escape their songs for love nor money for a stretch at the end of the '90s. You could not turn on the radio or MTV without catching singer Scott Stapp's long locks, glistening chest and bellowing baritone. On this day in 1999, the band released Human Clay, an absolute monster of an album that delivered some of the band's hugest hits.

Following the quiet success of their debut My Own Prison (which cobbled together all the scraps left over from the grunge movement and turned them into brooding post-grunge), the band went all-in on the follow-up. Human Clay is a classic second album, as it takes everything the band did well the first time around (dynamic songwriting, anthemic choruses, self-flagellation) and blows it up to a gigantic scale. Everything on Human Clay just sounds so big (some would say bloated), and the songs are each designed for maximum impact on rock radio and in sold-out arenas.

The increase in size paid off, as Human Clay sold over 11 million albums, racked up four hit singles and scored the band a Grammy for Best Rock Song (for "With Arms Wide Open"). But the song that pushed Human Clay from zero to 60 over the span of a single chorus was "Higher," the album's lead single. It's basically Pearl Jam's "Alive" in a shinier package, but considering how well it hits all its marks, there's no wonder why it was such a gigantic smash (and still getting spins today).

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Weezer's Memories Tour: What Will Be The Other Songs On The Set List?

Posted 9/27/10 5:30 pm EST by in Music


Weezer fans apparently managed to make convincing arguments to their local concert promoters, as the band has already booked dates on its Memories Tour, which will feature two nights of Weezer in each city. On the first night, the band will play their classic self-titled debut (otherwise known as "The Blue Album") in its entirety, while the second night will feature a run through their cult-classic 1996 follow-up Pinkerton. Of course, both of those albums are particularly brief (they each contain 10 tracks and "Blue" is only 42 minutes long; Pinkerton is an ever more efficient 35 minutes), which means that the band will be filling in the rest of each concert with a set list of hits from other albums (much in the same way Trent Reznor did when he played The Downward Spiral front-to-back during the Nine Inch Nails farewell tour last year).

Considering how much Weezer like to cram into every show on the road, that leaves at least an hour's worth of music to crank out. But it shouldn't just be a run through the band's biggest singles. Rather, they should be songs that are vital to the band's history. Assuming that the songs from "The Blue Album" and Pinkerton are disqualified on either night, here are the songs we'd like to hear from Weezer to augment these classic jams.

"Memories"
Sure, it's the current single from the new album, but it also happens to be the title of the tour and a delightful throwback to their early years. In fact, it seems like it would be extra dramatic to open the shows with this and then launch into the old albums (which would give the whole show a sort of time-travel effect).

"(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To"
Another sorta-throwback jam (this one from Weezer's 2009 release Raditude), it brings together the squirmy teenage angst and unrestrained jubilation that has colored the best songs in the band's back catalog.

"Hash Pipe"
Following the release of Pinkerton and the departure of bassist Matt Sharp, Weezer went underground for a while (which allowed the legend of Pinkerton to grow). When they returned in the spring of 2001, this was the first piece of new Weezer music anybody heard, and it was a refreshing blast of driving power pop that still holds up today.

"You Gave Your Love to Me Softly"
This track, which appeared on the soundtrack to the movie "Angus" and was a reject from the Pinkerton era, would be a fitting addition to the Pinkerton night. It's got the same level of jittery sweetness and metallic drive that made Pinkerton so weird and wonderful.
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Lil Wayne's 'I Am Not A Human Being': Song Of The Year?

Posted 9/27/10 4:30 pm EST by in Music


At this point, there's no doubt that Lil Wayne has a permanent home on the list of the most inventive and envelope-pushing artists in the hip-hop universe. Only Kanye West and the guys from Outkast have possess the sort of playfulness that Weezy exploits to excellent effect on his albums (and especially on his mixtapes). Of course, it helps that Wayne's flow is incredibly versatile and doesn't seem to have an off switch, which means that no matter what surrounds the words, every song is interesting for one reason or another.

Wayne just released a new digital album today (his birthday) in I Am Not a Human Being, which contains 10 songs worth of traditional bangers ("Hold Up," "Right Above It"), sweet seduction tracks ("With You") and at least one absolutely bananas song (the title track). In fact, the latter just might be the craziest, most thrilling song released on a commercial hip-hop album all year (or at least until we hear the deep cuts on Kanye's album).

Though the reaction to Weezy's rock-influenced album Rebirth was mixed at best, he uses crunching guitars to excellent effect on "I Am Not a Human Being." The metallic riffs and thudding drums recall early Beastie Boys tracks (think "So What'cha Want"), and Weezy's delivery is just as rugged. When the guitars drop out, they are replaced by trippy keyboard pops, which give the track its very own multiple personality disorder. Weezy even shifts from his in-the-studio rolling cadence to his arena-filling grown. In between, it's all crazy free associations ("I would try you/ I wouldn't lie dude/ I must be sticky because them b----es got they eyes glued/ Young Money baby/ We the s--- like fly food/ Y'all can't see us/ Like the bride shoes").

"I Am Not a Human Being" doesn't sound very much like the rest of the album of the same name, but it is one of the stranger entries in Weezy's catalog (and think about that statement). While I Am Not a Human Being is not quite at the level of Tha Carter III or the Dedication mixtapes, it remains a strong entry in Wayne's career and bodes well for the type of music he'll be working on once he finally tastes freedom again.

What's your favorite track on Lil Wayne's new album? Let us know in the comments!

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Gloria Stuart Will Be Remembered For 'Titanic,' Immortalized In Britney Spears Song

Posted 9/27/10 4:00 pm EST by in Music


On Monday (September 27), "Titanic" star Gloria Stuart passed away at age 100. While she will always be remembered as the present-day version of Kate Winslet's Rose who tosses away a priceless blue diamond into the ocean, for fans of Britney Spears' "Oops!... I Did It Again," she will also be remembered as the woman who inspired the spoken word portion of the song.

Let me refresh your memory. During a particularly strange and kind of brilliant part of the song, Spears gets a gift from her man (an astronaut!), and her response to receiving the priceless heirloom is, "Oh, it's beautiful! But wait a minute, isn't this... ? But I thought the old lady dropped it into the ocean in the end!" He confirms that it is in fact that diamond (which was called the "Heart of the Ocean" in the movie). Her feelings on him risking his own life to get her the gift? "Aw, you shouldn't have." Guess what Brit Brit? He did. Be a little more appreciative!

The part of the song didn't appear in just the video, but also on the CD that many teen girls went out and bought. It's kind of a bonkers moment, when you really think about it. How many Britney Spears snogs had spoken-word interludes? You can count'em on one hand. But it paid homage to a movie that girls of Brit's generation loved. So, how did they end up making that part work for the video?

"There's a bit about the Titanic in the middle, and I was like, 'What are we going to do about that?'" the video's director Nigel Dick recalled to MTV News earlier this year. "And she says, 'Don't worry. You'll sort it out.'"

Clearly, Dick did indeed sort it out. It stands to be a moment as memorable to teenage girls in 1999 as the film itself. Don't believe us? Re-watch Brit's video and relive all the magic.

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Audrina Patridge Is Ready For More 'Dancing With The Stars': The MTV News Quote Of The Day

Posted 9/27/10 3:30 pm EST by in Television


"I'm taking in everything the judges told me, [and] I'm using that as motivation to become a better dancer. We're going to start on the quickstep and push the limits. I think everyone's really good. I know Brandy's very driven; she wants to win really bad. She's really good. Jennifer Grey is really good too. Rick Fox is good. Kyle [Massey] is hilarious. It's really not that competitive. Everyone's really supportive of each other. We bonded."

-Former star of "The Hills" and current "Dancing With the Stars" competitor Audrina Patridge, commenting on her apparently friendly rivals on the show. Patridge acquitted herself well during the first week of the show (which premiered last Monday, September 20), picking up 19 points (as well as the opinion that she performed even better than that number). For her second week on the show, Patridge will be unleashing a quickstep, which she feels fairly confident about. "I'm feeling relieved and happy, and I can't wait to get back into the studio and start learning the quickstep," she told MTV News. "[Partner] Tony [Dovolani] showed me some of the steps last week. Now we're really going to work hard and focus on that dance only. It's very different than the cha-cha. The quickstep is very fast. It's challenging in a different way."

Patridge said that the entire cast of the show has been getting along, including already-departed former "Baywatch" icon David Hasselhoff and her fellow MTV veteran Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino. "I talked to Mike. He's a real sweet guy. Watching 'Jersey Shore,' that's not him at all," she said of the Situation. "He's so sweet and nice and funny."

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Billie Joe Armstrong Joins Sebastian Bach, Other Rockers On The Broadway Stage

Posted 9/27/10 2:30 pm EST by in Music


It was unusual enough for three punks from California to turn their music into a splashy Broadway musical, and now the producers of "American Idiot" have managed to kick it up a notch. Starting on Tuesday (September 28th), Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong will be assuming the role of St. Jimmy on Broadway. He'll be filling in for star Tony Vincent, who had to take a break to handle a family affair. Fans of both the band and the Great White Way will have until this Sunday (October 3) to check out "American Idiot" starring the show's co-author and musical godfather.

While Armstrong doesn't have any formal acting experience, he certainly has years of experience performing the songs in the show. And who knows? Maybe he'll get bitten by the bug and find himself a solid second career. He'll join the pantheon of the following rock stars who have stepped onto the Broadway stage.

Sebastian Bach
The Skid Row singer had a fruitful career at the end of the hair metal era, racking up big numbers with hits like "Youth Gone Wild" and "18 and Life." His focus turned to acting, where he appeared in shows like "Jekyll & Hyde" and "Jesus Christ Superstar." (He also had a memorable run on "Gilmore Girls" as the singer in a band called Hep Alien.)

Constantine Maroulis
Many "American Idol" veterans have found work on Broadway, though none of them have had as rock-centric an impact as Maroulis. Before his stint on "Idol," Maroulis was the frontman of a hard rock band called Pray for the Soul of Betty. Later, Maroulis found work in "Jesus Christ Superstar" and can currently be seen in the Broadway production of the metal-centric hit "Rock of Ages."

Nick Jonas
The youngest member of the Jonas Brothers went in the opposite direction than the rest of the people here, as he started his performing career in shows like "Beauty and the Beast" and "Les Miserables." Later, he got his brothers together to form a rock band (but has returned to the stage since then, and will perform in London at the concert for the 25th anniversary of "Les Miserables" next month).

Tony Vincent
The guy who normally plays St. Jimmy in "American Idiot" actually has his roots in the rock world. Before finding himself steady work on stage, Vincent released three albums as a solo artist (two of which were put out by major label EMI).

Joey Fatone
OK, so he isn't much of a rock star, but the *NSYNC member has an extensive Broadway resumé, including stints in "Rent" and "Little Shop of Horrors."

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Which Kanye West 'G.O.O.D. Fridays' Track Has Been The Best So Far?

Posted 9/27/10 1:30 pm EST by in Music


Kanye West's "G.O.O.D. Fridays" series is quite an ambitious project, but he has managed to keep it up with impressive results. West's guarantee — one free song every Friday until the end of the year — was a bold one, and most everybody assumed these tracks would (necessarily) vary wildly in quality. But West has managed to deliver top-notch tracks featuring inventive beats and a wide variety of guests (including A-list talent like Jay-Z, Rick Ross and Swizz Beatz).

So far, there have been seven tracks released as part of the "G.O.O.D. Fridays" series (not counting "Runaway," which surfaced online shortly after its debut at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, though was never presented as part of the series on Kanye's official Web site), and each one has had at least one key moment of transcendence. But which one has been the best so far?

"Power" (Remix)
Has there been a more insane five minutes of music all year? Between Kanye's breathless delivery, Jay-Z's killer verse ("F-- all these labels/ F--- what everybody wants from you/ They trying to Axl Rose you/ Welcome to the jungle!") and the interpolation of Snap!'s "The Power," it goes all over the place but still sounds hardcore. Plus, it introduced us to the "Power Clap."

"Monster"
West is aware of the demons that live inside him (just watch the "We Were Once a Fairytale" short film for proof), and he embraces them on "Monster." Nicki Minaj and Rick Ross show up and do their best to keep up with West's version of horrorcore.

"Runaway Love" (Remix)
Easily the most written-about track from the project (mostly due to the appearance by Justin Bieber), it's also the most unconventional of all the songs. Rather than construct a fresh beat, West mashes up the beats from Wu-Tang Clan's "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F' Wit" and Bieber's "Runaway Love" for a jarring, fascinating remix jam.

"Devil in a New Dress"
The only true solo "G.O.O.D. Fridays" track, "Devin in a New Dress" feels like old-school West, with a soul-sampled beat and some plain-faced confessions in the verses.

"Good Friday"
Most of these tracks sound pretty dark, but "Good Friday" is as effervescent as West has been since his debut album. The beat sounds like it's coming out of a '70s transistor radio, which melds well with the chunky piano loop and the smooth crooning in the chorus. West sounds extra hungry during his verses.

"Lord Lord Lord"
Most of the "G.O.O.D. Fridays" tracks have been pretty long, mostly to make room for all the guests spots and to let the beats breathe a bit. "Lord Lord Lord" has a real old-school-sounding beat and some real around-the-way verses from Mos Def and Raekwon.

"So Appalled"
The latest entry in the series is another epic track, clocking in at nearly seven minutes. Like "Lord Lord Lord," it needs to be that long to allow for all the guest appearances — one each from RZA, Jay-Z, Pusha T, Swizz Beatz and Cyhi the Prince. The beat is fantastically claustrophobic and dramatic, and the verses by Pusha T and RZA are particularly savage.

So which one stands tallest so far? Vote in the poll and let us know your arguments in the comments!

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Spotted: Rihanna Shoots A New Video In New York

Posted 9/27/10 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.

There are a handful of stars in the music business who take music videos seriously, including Lady Gaga, Kanye West and Rihanna. So it's no surprise that the latter was busy in New York over the weekend shooting the clip for "What's My Name?," a track from her upcoming album Loud (which is apparently done but still does not have a release date). The star hit the streets of Manhattan's Lower East Side with fiery red hair and a typically eclectic outfit. According to several photos that circulated around the Internet, she appears to have hit a number of different locations and at one point even dances on a chain-link fence. Rihanna has already shot at least one video for Loud (for lead single "Only Girl in the World," which should be premiering soon), and both that video and "What's My Name?" follow in the footsteps of her excellent visual output from her 2009 album Rated R (including smashes like "Hard," "Rude Boy" and "Rock Star").

She wasn't the only star taking care of business over the weekend, as Bono continued his comeback tour with U2 at a show in San Sebastian, Spain, while the Miami Dolphins welcomed Fergie and minority owner Mark Anthony to sing the national anthem at Sunday night's game against the New York Jets. Click here for these photos as well as the entire "Spotted" archive, which features over 500 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, 50 Cent, Madonna, the Jonas Brothers and Eminem!

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