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By Adam Stewart

A smash year is only going to get bigger for our friends in the globally acclaimed dance music masterminds Swedish House Mafia. "Take One," a documentary film on the collective, will be released on DVD in late November. In the film, mega-DJs/producers Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso and Axwell take viewers far beyond the frenzied night clubs (where they regularly wow thousands and thousands of loyal fans), behind the scenes and into the studios and minds of the guys Tiesto has called the rock stars of house music. This beautifully shot documentary takes die hard fans and newbies alike on a wild ride, jet-setting to major dance music hot spots like Miami and Ibiza as well as some more obscure (but still certainly beat-happy) corners of the Earth.

Director Christian Larson told MTV News that there will be plenty of goodies along the way. Not only has Larson tackled this documentary, but he has also turned out the clip for the SHM smash "One (Your Name)" (which featured a guest spot from Pharrell) and teamed up with renowned Swedish director Jonas Akerlund on Lady Gaga and Beyoncé's VMA-winning "Telephone" music video. "Take One" will be accompanied by their debut full length album Until One, which will hit shelves some time in October. Stay tuned to MTV News for more from Larson on what we can expect to see from the one of the hottest acts in house music. In the meantime, check out the tantalizing trailer, which proves that there's no such thing as "typical" when you're in one of the most in-demand dance collectives in the world.


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It's another busy and bizarrely eclectic weekend at your local cinema, which should make going to the movies a strange and wonderful experience over the next few days. There is a generous cross-section of flicks hitting screens, including big-budget wide releases ("Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole," "You Again"), buzzworthy indies (Gaspar Noe's "Enter the Void," the public education system-eviscerating documentary "Waiting for 'Superman'") and limited-release Oscar bait (the Ryan Reynolds trapped-in-a-box thriller "Buried," Woody Allen's "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger"). But the biggest release is undoubtedly "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps," Oliver Stone's sequel to his 1987 classic "Wall Street." The original first introduced the world to Gordon Gekko, a character played by Michael Douglas who came to represent the unfettered avarice of Reagan-era New York, where capitalism reigned supreme and (to paraphrase Gekko) "greed was good." Douglas reprises the role in the sequel, which sees Gekko getting out of jail and attempting to get back to the business of business. The new film reflects an entirely new economic climate, where actual economic villains like Bernie Madoff have actually gone to jail and the same sort of greed is looked upon less as ambitious and more as insidious.

In order to get yourself in the mood to spend some more time with Gordon Gekko, we put together the following money-centric playlist. There's no doubt that many, many rappers have served at the altar of Gekko (who was basically the non-violent version of "Scarface," another classic picture of '80s money obsession that also happens to be connected to Oliver Stone). So check out pro-dollar anthems from 50 Cent ("I Get Money"), Lil Scrappy ("Addicted to Money") and Ludacris ("Money Maker"), as well as Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing." We kick things off with OJ Da Juiceman's "I'm Getting Money," as powerful a capitalist anthem as there is.


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Whether you call it banging, smushing, smashing or getting it in, sex was on the mind of everyone on "Jersey Shore" on Thursday (September 23). Even more so than usual, if such a thing is possible.

Angelina declined to bang José, even though she smushed Vinny last episode. The Situation found a girl who was down to smash, only to lose her at the club and find her the next day (thanks to a classy note pasted on the gate outside their crib). JWoww and her boyfriend were in the midst of getting it in, when Snooki decided to play footsie with them. And so on.

Call it what you will, this episode was all about S-E-X. That's the first thing our latest "Jersey Shore by the Numbers" graph tells us. It also informs us Angelina has a bit of a hygiene problem ("Pad/tampon"), JWoww and Snooki take their cuticles super seriously ("Nail appointment") and the boys have no end of creative lingo (and catchy singalongs) for their pre-club wardrobe routine ("T-shirt time").

What else went down? There was GTL and there was DTF. Boobs were exposed, flowers were re-gifted, Angelina was declared "a loosey goose" and bedroom matinees were vigorously enjoyed. And one woman at the laundromat left us with the unforgettable phrase, "No ropa for Situation."

"If you don't do laundry, you ain't got no clothing," Senor Situation declared. Indeed. And if you don't obsesses over the cast's favorite words and phrases, well, you're missing out.

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Thursday night (September 23) was downright exquisite for great television. In addition to the season premieres of "30 Rock," "The Office" and "Fringe," there were also new thrilling episodes of "Project Runway" and "Jersey Shore" (the latter of which was especially great, as it featured some choice moments care of the Situation). But perhaps the biggest headline coming out of last night's television schedule was pop sensation Justin Bieber's guest starring turn on the season premiere of "CSI." Bieber was very active on the show, taking up a great deal of screen time with the stars of the show and acquitting himself relatively well in his television acting debut.

Bieber played a troubled kid who may or may not have been embroiled in a plot to plant bombs in an effort to extract revenged against the Las Vegas Police Department. The CSIs are left chasing him and his brother, both of whom are suspects and may hold the secrets to cracking the case. Interestingly, he seemed most comfortable with some of the darker, more evil moments of the show. "You'd better hurry," he threatened to one of the cops during an interrogation scene. "That show at the funeral was just fireworks compared to what's coming."

The Bieber character's story isn't entirely resolved, leaving the door open for him to return to the show at a later date (he's currently booked to return during February, right in the middle of sweeps). It remains to be seen where they writers decide to take his character, but for now both fans of "CSI" and fans of Justin Bieber can feel good that yet another Bieber collaboration went off as a smashing success.

What do you think will happen when Justin Bieber's character returns to "CSI" in February? Let us know in the comments!

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Today is Friday, which tends to be the best day of the week. Sure, you're still at work, but it's usually a pretty light day (hence the existence of casual Fridays). It's prime time for planning for your weekend, catching up on e-mail or trash talking your co-workers about the upcoming fantasy football weekend. It's also an excellent excuse for punching up the Cure's "Friday I'm in Love" and turning that thing up as loud as it will go.

For a band as gloomy as the Cure, they wrote some awfully effervescent tunes over the course of their career. Frontman Robert Smith did write "Boys Don't Cry," but he always had a bit of a romantic streak in him that came out in songs like "Just Like Heaven" and "The Lovecats." "Friday I'm in Love" is by far the best example of this approach. Released in 1992 as part of the album Wish, "Friday I'm in Love" was one of the Cure's biggest singles, topping out at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also nominated for a Grammy and won an MTV Europe Music Award in 1992. Curiously, its jubilation was almost an accident, as it was recorded in between two musical keys because it was accidentally recorded faster than it was supposed to be (which is why the live version of the song always sounds slightly slower).

The video also captures the joy of the song, as it is little more than the band playing the tune and frolicking against various backdrops. Turn it way, way up and enjoy your Friday.


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The new television season is underway, which means that a boatload of new series have debuted alongside the returns of all your old favorites. There is one returning show in particular that has the MTV Newsroom excited, and that is "Fringe" (which launches into its third season tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern). Starring Joshua Jackson, Anna Torv and John Noble, "Fringe" is a remarkably excellent show, combining elements of procedural drama with a spectacular sci-fi twist and a remarkably solid human element (in this way, it's the greatest television science fiction series since "The X-Files" — and yes, I'm including "Lost" in that argument).

But it isn't just the sharp writing, cool effects, rock-solid storytelling, creepy subplots and remarkably well-drawn characters that make "Fringe" one of the best shows on TV. No, it's a favorite because it is officially the rockingest show on the air at the moment.

Now, "Fringe" doesn't do this by using actual rock music (in fact, the moody score by Michael Giacchino is one of the show's many highlights). Rather, it is constructed like an awesome metal song, as there is an alternate universe, frequent bursts of violence, explorations into psychokinesis, lots of recreational drug use, rampant paranoia regarding the government and an obsession with delicious snack foods. Doesn't that sound like a fantastic reality dreamed up by the guys in Mastodon? In fact, the Observer characters on "Fringe" sort of resemble the creepy bald guy from Mastodon's "Sleeping Giant." In honor of the return of this truly awesome show, bang your head to "Sleeping Giant" and remember to trust no one.

What do you think is the best sci-fi show on television right now? Let us know in the comments!

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Here's a fact that might not be shocking to close observers of the MTV Newsroom Blog: I have something of a fixation with the music of the 1990s. And I have a particular obsession with the soundtracks of that era, partially because I think the movies are interesting and partially because those soundtracks usually act as delightful little time capsules that express exactly where the zeitgeist was at the time (down to the month, usually). Plus, music was all over the place then, so the beginnings of nu-metal lived next to hippie dippie rock, post-grunge, post-riot grrrl, industrial, dance music and most everything in between (this was especially true of the late '90s — pre-millennium tension did strange things to people.

With that in mind, I got really excited when I came across Buzzfeed's list of the top 13 '90s soundtracks posted today. They touched on many of the best, from the soundtrack to "The Crow" (which featured Nine Inch Nails, Stone Temple Pilots, the Cure, Rage Against the Machine and Pantera), "Can't Hardly Wait" (starring Third Eye Blind, Missy Elliott, Matthew Sweet, Run-DMC and Guns N' Roses) and "Empire Records" (Gin Blossoms, Edwyn Collins, Cracker, Better Than Ezra and Evan Dando). There was also a nice nod to "Batman Forever," which is a terrible movie but had a great batch of songs attached to it (U2's "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me," Seal's "Kiss From a Rose," PJ Harvey's "One Time Too Many" and others).

The Buzzfeed list settled on "Grosse Point Blank" as their favorite, but I am more partial to their second place winner: "Singles." While the movie has aged somewhat poorly, the soundtrack remains awesome, featuring a great Smashing Pumpkins song, a pair of Pearl Jam classics, some top-shelf Paul Westerberg and Alice in Chains' "Would?" — one of that band's finest moments.

What is your favorite '90s soundtrack? Let us know in the comments!

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"We've been talking to Gaga's people about some stuff. Gaga's very difficult to get a hold of as of late, for obvious reasons. She's very busy. We've been talking to her people about doing some stuff. That's kind of the intriguing thing that I have no idea what that song would sound like. Like, would I jump into her world? Would I pull her into mine? I don't know, but I feel like it would be interesting to see. Maybe we should get a camera crew over when that happens."

-R&B singing and songwriting sensation Ne-Yo, discussing a potential collaboration with art-pop superstar Lady Gaga. Ne-Yo, who has applied his skills to collaborations with the likes of Beyoncé and Rihanna, told MTV News' Tim Kash that he is excited about the prospect of working with Gaga but is not sure if it can come together or not.

Meanwhile, Ne-Yo also let MTV News know that he is at work on new music with Beyoncé, who he deeply respects as an artist and a collaborator. "The thing about working with Beyoncé is that she definitely has her own agenda," he explained. "She's an artist that knows exactly what she wants to do. She's going to give you directions [like] 'Here's where I'm going, so here's where I need you to be.' And, you know, I'm a person that follows direction well. [And she'll be like], 'So this is the sound, this is the vibe; make it happen.' And I write and she likes it or she doesn't. And in this case she did, and there you have it."

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Starting in January, "American Idol" will open up on a new era. When the show returns to the airwaves, the judges' table will look entirely new, as Jennifer Lopez and longtime Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler will be joining Randy Jackson as the new adjudicators of talent on the hit show. (The producers also announced a bunch of other changes for next season, including the elimination of theme weeks and a permanent position for music business mastermind Jimmy Iovine.)

Tyler and Lopez certainly lend the show a healthy dose of star power (they each have a long history of success on stage, in the studio and out among the people), it will be interesting to see exactly what kind of vibe and chemistry they bring to the table. They have an uphill battle ahead of them, as according to the results of yesterday's poll, the original three judges (Jackson, Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul) are by far the most beloved of any combination the show has ever had. That trio took home just about 70 percent of the vote, blowing away the nearest competition. Second place went to the new lineup (which at least bodes well for the show compared to the most recent seasons), grabbing 16 percent. The team of Cowell, Abdul, Jackson and Kara DioGuardi got eight percent, and bringing up the rear is season nine's combination of Cowell, Jackson, DioGuardi and Ellen DeGeneres (they took home a mere six percent).

Of course, we won't know how well Tyler and Lopez perform until the cameras roll on their work and the shows are broadcast. But even though they haven't been a team in several seasons, that original trio remains on a pedestal. At least people seem to be more interested in the new team than last year's squad, which gets them off on the right foot.

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Unless you're a top-shelf superstar with major label clout or a cult band with a fiercely devoted following (and a healthy merchandising business), it can be difficult to get the funds together to record an album. Plenty of artists have turned directly to their fans to solicit donations for production purposes (including high profile campaigns from Public Enemy and Jill Sobule), but few have gone to the lengths that hip-hop outlier Princess Superstar is willing to go to make her next album.

Superstar (born Concetta Kirschner) has had a bit of buzz in her career (the media called her "Feminem" when she first debuted because she was a white female rapper, her single "Bad Babysitter" got a bit of traction and her Kool Keith-assisted 2001 album Princess Superstar Is got a healthy dose of attention), but has never really had anything close to a hit. So without a label behind her, Superstar has turned to the power of Pledge Music to bankroll her upcoming project.

While artists have offered downloads, liner note thanks and even some lyrics in exchange for cash, Princess Superstar's menu of donations may be the most eclectic yet. The donations start at $10, which nets you a download of the music when it is done. But as you move up the scale, the rewards get larger and more elaborate. $50 buys you a rap lesson from Superstar, while a donation of $75 will net you a yoga session with the rapper. Got $200 lying around? You can get a personalized birthday recording. For $1,500, you can duet with Princess Superstar in the studio, and for the princely sum of $10,000, she'll perform a private burlesque strip tease.

Superstar is an incredibly inventive musician who blends together elements of hip-hop and various bits of electronic and dance music that is always interesting and typically profoundly funny. There are elements of Lady Gaga, Robyn and Katy Perry in her approach, and Ke$ha is essentially Princess Superstar with a couple of Bad Religion CDs. It's prime time for her to make a comeback, which is why we hope she manages to build up the funds to deliver an album. Just in case you need convincing, check out "Perfect," a muscular jam from her 2005 album My Machine.


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