MTV Newsroom ›

R.E.M. Debut Music From New Album Collapse Into Now

Posted 12/22/10 10:30 am EST by in Music


Ever since the departure of drummer Bill Berry, R.E.M. have been in a state of seemingly constant reinvention, so every piece of new music they put out is something of a revelation. Such is the case with the songs that have begun to surface from the band's forthcoming album Collapse Into Now, which will hit stores in March of 2011. It will be their fifteenth original full-length and their fifth since they became a trio, and based on the two full-length tunes that the band has released ("Discoverer" and "It Happened Today"), they have found a groove that they began to play with on their last album (2008's Accelerate).

The arc of R.E.M. has been unusual ever since they arguably ascended to (arguably) "Biggest Rock Band in the World" status around 1995 (in the wake of the release of the multi-platinum Monster and in the midst of a massive worldwide tour that seemed to go on forever). Near the end of that tour, drummer Bill Berry experienced some health issues (most notably a near-fatal brain aneurysm) and left the group to lead a quieter life. The remaining three members of R.E.M. — singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck and bassist Mike Mills — decided to soldier on as a trio and used the shift in personnel as an opportunity to explore new sounds and ideas. Following the release of New Adventures in Hi-Fi (which was recorded while on the road during the tour for Monster), the new version R.E.M. dropped the ambient Up, the Beach Boys-ian Reveal, the moody Around the Sun and the throwback-ish Accelerate.

Both "Discoverer" and "It Happened Today" take the sound the band tucked into on the latter album and pushes it a little deeper. "It Happened Today" is especially great, building a warm groove around a simple acoustic guitar riff. Stipe's words remain delightfully inscrutable (even with the assistance of the lyrics video, it's still somewhat impenetrable thanks to SAT-caliber words like "deference" and "allegory"), but his voice remains one of the greatest and most mysterious instruments in rock (it somehow sounds both tough and delicate thanks to a lived-in rasp).

When Accelerate dropped, everybody celebrated it as a return to form. But it was more like a reinvention of their old sound, and Collapse Into Now promises to continue on that trend. It appears as though we've arrived at R.E.M. Version Three — not bad for a band entering its fourth decade of existence.

Tags

The SR-71 Takes Flight: Wake-Up Video

Posted 12/22/10 9:30 am EST by in Wake-Up Video


Even during peace time, this country spends hundreds of billions of dollars a year on military development and defense research. It often seems like a gigantic waste of money, time and resources, but many of the innovations developed in the military have filtered down into everyday civilian life. And even when those developments aren't all that practical, at least they are unspeakably cool. Such was the case of the SR-71 spy plane. Known alternately as "Blackbird" (because of it's cool exterior) and "Habu" (named after a species of Japanese snake), it was one of the greatest, most badass pieces of hardware available to the American military, and it made its first flight on this day in 1964.

Designed by Lockheed for the CIA, the SR-71 needed to be both fast and quiet, two things necessary in a reconnaissance aircraft. The plane was built mostly out of titanium, which prevented overheating at top speeds, and contained a new engine system that allowed for both quiet cruising and supersonic aggression. The result was a plane that could carry large payloads, move deftly through the air and generally avoid radar detection. Over the course of its history (the plane was finally retired in 1998), not a single SR-71 was lost due to enemy intervention (though about half the planes were destroyed because of technical malfunctions or operator error). It still has the air speed record for manned aircraft, topping out at just over Mach 3 (that's three times the speed of sound).

The SR-71 also lent its name to a short-lived pop punk band from the turn of the century who had a hit with "Right Now." Dig those haircuts.


Tags ,

Jamie Foxx Keeps Fans Pumped During Hour Long Visit To 'The Late Show With David Letterman'

Posted 12/22/10 8:30 am EST by in Music


By Vanessa Denis

Jamie Foxx's just-released fourth album is called Best Night of My Life, which turned out to be a fitting sentiment for many of the audience members at New York's Ed Sullivan Theatre following Foxx's performance on "The Late Show With David Letterman" on Tuesday night (December 21).

"It's actually my first time seeing him in person," fan Ronda Charles explained. "I've seen him on award shows. Yeah, I'm a fan."

There were no shortage of true fans present for Foxx's 59-minute set, which included runs through the smash hits "Freak," "She Got It," "Blame It" and the current chart-climbing single "Fall For Your Type." In fact, the true hardcores — like Alicia Dawkins of New York City — had their dedication to Foxx rewarded via social networking.

"Facebook said they were giving away tickets of Jamie Foxx, and I'm a huge fan of Jamie," Dawkins explained while eagerly waiting outside the theater. "I follow his fan page and I decided to take a shot, and they actually sent me some tickets. I'm excited — it's like a late birthday present."

Those committed followers had no trouble explaining what drew them to Foxx and his music. "I just like him as an entertainer, he seems like a nice guy," Nadine Martin said. "Any time I've ever seen him on an interview he's very articulate. He's just a really nice guy."

Foxx's combination of talent and warmth kept the crowd going for the full hour. He managed to keep everybody at the same fever pitch they felt before he hit the stage, and the buzz carried the crowd back into the New York night. "Best night of my life"? Could be.

Tags , ,

Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry And More: The Best Feuds Of 2010

Posted 12/21/10 5:30 pm EST by in Music


Sometimes it seems like the entire cultural universe is ruled by conflict, doesn't it? One movie is always battling another for box office dominance, actors go head-to-head for roles and awards and TV networks jockey for the best shows and the biggest numbers. Social networking has taken a lot of these conflicts from the boardroom to the chat room, working them into the central narratives of some of these artists very lives. In the music world, some of the most intriguing stories of the year came out of feuds between stars, and MTV News has brought together a compilation of the best of those conflicts from the year that was.

Some of those feuds were the very backbone upon which the product was built (like Angelina versus the rest of the cast of "Jersey Shore," a tete-a-tete that finally reached its conclusion near the end of the second season). Others came out of simple professional gamesmanship (such as the words exchanged between Katy Perry and Lady Gaga over the video for "Alejandro"). Still others came from personal relationships, like John Mayer calling former flame Jessica Simpson "sexual napalm."

But by far the most intriguing feud in 2010 was actually one that got started in 2009. Kanye West and Taylor Swift played out most of their feud in the days following the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, but when both stars returned with new albums in the second half of 2010, the fruits of that conflict were ripe for the picking. Swift purged her demons using a song called "Innocent" and a powerful performance at the 2010 VMAs, while West spun his self-imposed exile into an even more bombastic version of his already-outsized personality. Without their feud, neither Speak Now nor My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy would have been as excellent as they are, so in that particular instance, it appears as though the feud was good.

What was your favorite feud of 2010? Let us know in the comments!

Tags , , , , , ,

James Van Der Beek Is Uncomfortable: The Best Of 2010 You Didn't See

Posted 12/21/10 4:30 pm EST by in Television


Over the course of the past year or so, I had some really awesome interviews. The Jonas Brothers offered to put me on TV (I'm still waiting for my contract, boys). I had adulthood crush Joshua Jackson (along with his TV dad, John Noble) explain "Lost" to me. (Keri Russell and Will Arnett also made an equally hilarious attempt at it.) And I had the pleasure of hitting up the Cosmo Fun Fearless Male Party where I met up with a number of Hollywood's hottest dudes. I tend to cover lots of red carpets, and sometimes you get cool encounters, like the time that Mark Wahlberg assaulted Tom Felton during my interview with him at the MTV Movie Awards or the time Drake and Justinb Bieber had an impromptu Canadian summit right in front of me at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards.

Other times, I get the opportunity to sit down with an entertainer (be he an actor or musician or both) and chat. In 2010, I sat down with Katy Perry, Justin Bieber and the New Kids on the Block (among many others). And yes, aside from meeting NKOTB, I will admit that meeting Dawson Leery was kind of tops. I had the pleasure of interviewing former "Dawson's Creek" star James Van Der Beek this year, and things got weird when I blurred the lines between reality and TV. Also shout out to fellow "Dawson's Creek" fan and MTV Newsroom Blog editor Kyle Anderson — he's the creepy guy Mr. Van Der Beek references.


Tags , ,

Britney Spears Is 'Damn Professional,' Says Producer: The MTV News Quote Of The Day

Posted 12/21/10 3:30 pm EST by in Music


"[Britney]'s actually damn professional. You read a lot on the Internet that Britney is not singing and mimes, but she is actually damn professional. She's done it since she was 16. And just rhythmic way, she is f---ing awesome! And you do not have to go through and talk about the rhythms and stuff that you sometimes have to do. She's very easy in the studio."

-Swedish music producer and songwriter Shellback, discussing the experience of working with Britney Spears in the studio. Spears is currently working on a new album that is currently set for release in March 2011, and it will be her first new batch of new music since her extremely successful and well-received 2008 effort Circus. As part of Max Martin's Maratone team, he has had a hand in the creation of such huge hits as Pink's "Raise Your Glass," Usher's "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love," Adam Lambert's "Whataya Want From Me" and Spears' own "If U Seek Amy."

Shellback says that the sessions with Spears have been extremely focused and exciting, and that he likes working with Spears because of the unpredictable nature of the environment. "Right now we are preparing for Britney's upcoming album, which will be released in March. Some other things too, but the main focus is the album," Shellback said in a recent radio interview. "It works in many different ways [when you work with Britney]. You can make something absolutely new, or take a beat that's three years old and come up with a good sound."

Spears seems to share Shellback's enthusiasm, as she tweeted, "I'm almost done with my new album and it will be coming out this March. I AM IN L-O-V-E WITH IT!"

Tags ,

Justin Bieber, Pavement Lead The List Of The Best Concert Moments Of 2010

Posted 12/21/10 2:30 pm EST by in Music


With 2010 coming to a close, it's time to reflect on the cultural year that was. And while most of the MTV News staff is focused on putting the best (and not-as-good) moments, songs, albums and performances of the year in grand perspective, it's also important to take a look back at some personal highlights. That's why the MTV Newsroom Blog posed this question to a handful of staffers: What was your single favorite concert experience of 2010?

We see a lot of shows here, so a few people cheated and named more than one event. But that's OK, because the more the merrier. Check out our picks below and let us know what your favorite concert was in the comments!

Jocelyn Vena
It's my job to go to concerts, and this year I had the pleasure of seeing some really big stars in concert, including the Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, Lady Gaga and even Rihanna. But the one guy I saw the most of in 2010 live was Justin Bieber. I saw him a number of times, but the best spectacle I saw all year was when he was at Madison Square Garden back in September.

The show, which he was taping for his upcoming 3-D movie, included appearances by Usher, Sean Kingston, Boyz II Men, Jaden Smith and even Miley Cyrus. There was confetti and pyro and even an airborne Bieber flying over the audience in a heart-shaped cage. Sure, I'm a bit too old to groove at a Bieber show, but seriously, some of those tunes are quite catchy.

James Montgomery
Look, I am 32 years old. I dislike crowded rooms and loud noises and standing in one place for too long, mainly because it gives me lower back pain. (I have considered orthopedics.) Life isn't what it used to be. These days, I won't go see a band if they're on too late, or if it's too cold out, or if the club is in Manhattan and I have to kill a few hours after work. Or if it's at some firetrap in Bushwick. I realize that this has probably robbed me of several "revelatory" moments over the years, but I'm okay with that. Also, AMC just started re-airing "Breaking Bad," so I'm pretty good on revelatory at the minute.

And yet, in spite of that, there are still rare occasions when I actually make it out to a show and then that the show is actually totally amazingly great, to the point where I find myself thinking something like "I should go to shows more often, even if they're in Manhattan." Here are three of them from 2010, one of which actually took place in Manhattan, which basically proves that I'm totally full of sh--.

1) Titus Andronicus at GlassLands Gallery: This was a benefit for something, but I can't remember what. In that respect, I guess it was sort of a failure. But in terms of everything else (sonic wallop, sweaty camaraderie, sheer spectacle), it was probably the show of the year. Read More...

Tags , , , , ,

Spotted: John Mayer Gives Back For Christmas

Posted 12/21/10 1:30 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.

No matter what holiday you celebrate around this time of year (or even if you don't celebrate anything at all), you have to feel good about the outpouring of support that charities and social programs get in December. It is the season of giving, after all, and it's always inspiring to see stars take time out from their busy schedules to do something altruistic. Such was the case with John Mayer, who met with and performed for a group of kids at Blythedale Children's Hospital in New York as part of the 19th annual "Scott & Todd Live Holiday Spectacular" presented by radio station WPLJ. Mayer did an acoustic set for a group of kids and then handed out presents, signed autographs and took pictures with them during what was an extremely festive, positive event. Mayer shared the stage with Goo Goo Dolls frontman Johnny Rzeznik and Rob Thomas, both of whom also spent some quality time with the kids. Here's hoping their generosity is contagious to people year-round.

Mayer wasn't the only star getting out among the people, as Lady Gaga was spotted wearing a no-pants ensemble in Paris while attempting to perform a show there (inclement weather forced a cancellation) and Akon hosted the toy drive for his Konfidence Foundation in Atlanta. 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, Eminem, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Madonna, Jay-Z, the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Jessica Simpson and the Black Eyed Peas!

Tags , ,

The 'Children's Hospital' Guys Talk 'Star Wars' Sex At Comic-Con: The Best Of 2010 You Didn't See

Posted 12/21/10 12:30 pm EST by in Television


As the year 2010 comes to a close, we looked around the MTV Newsroom and noticed that there was an awful lot of tape hanging around that you never got to see. Sometimes it's completely irrelevant, sometimes it's filthy and sometimes it's just too odd to broadcast. Over the next few weeks, we'll be unveiling some of those amazing pieces of tape that will finally be revealed.

By Kara Warner

Today's installment is brought to us by the wise-cracking, wildly inappropriate musings from "Children's Hospital" cast members Ken Marino, Rob Huebel and Nick Kroll, all three of whom should be very familiar faces for fans of funny things like "The State," and "Human Giant," "Party Down" and "The League."

Back in July, MTV News headed to San Diego Comic-Con for our annual pilgrimage to what has become one of the year's biggest events in pop culture news. For those unfamiliar with the four-day extravaganza, check out this year's highlights here and here.

Looking back on that fateful day, I should have been prepared for what went down. And I probably shouldn't have started the conversation by asking if their fellow castmate Rob Corddry had summed up the show's premise correctly when he told me it was basically "'Grey's Anatomy' with kid erections." So with that in mind, feast your eyes upon what should have been Marino, Huebel and Kroll (who introduced himself as and pretended to be "Hospital" executive producer David Wain the whole time) chatting about the new season of their hilarious TV show, but turned out to be full of talk about erections, masturbation and this very important question: "Who would you rather do: Jabba the Hut or Darth Vader?"

Also, a special shout-out to the three musketeers Marino, Huebel and Kroll, who told me this video would never see the light of day. I have made liars out of all of you. Thanks for the memories, boys!


Tags , , , , , ,

Keri Hilson's No Boys Allowed: The Reviews Are In!

Posted 12/21/10 11:30 am EST by in Music


The year is almost over, but that isn't stopping some extremely high-profile artists from dropping big-time albums on the penultimate Tuesday of 2010. New albums from Jamie Foxx (Best Night of My Life), Keyshia Cole (Calling All Hearts) and Ghostface Killah (Apollo Kids) will all be hitting store shelves today, and the new album from Duran Duran (All You Need Is Now, which was produced by Mark Ronson) is also available digitally. But perhaps the most anticipated release this week is the new album by Keri Hilson, which is called No Boys Allowed. Hilson has been on the cusp of greatness for a while, scoring a bit of buzz thanks to one big hit ("Knock You Down," which featured drop-ins from Ne-Yo and Kanye West) and a lot of critical respect for her sweet voice and esoteric beat selection. Is No Boys Allowed the project that will make her a household name?

It's possible, says Glenn Gamboa of Newsday. After noting that the title of No Boys Allowed is a bit deceptive (it features Ne-Yo, Rick Ross and Kanye West, among others), he made a positive comparison. "Considering all the support she gets on No Boys Allowed, Hilson is practically the female Drake, and she doesn't fail, either."

Most of the rest of the evaluators are not quite as enthusiastic but do see a great deal of potential and promise in Hilson's second album. Though the review in Entertainment Weekly was somewhat middling, there was light at the end of the tunnel. "This zigzagging sophomore disc suggests she's not quite sure where to go next," wrote Mikael Wood. "Our advice? Sidestep the lukewarm dancehall and raunchy electro and stick to sensual future-soul slow jams."

Ben Ratliff of the New York Times also felt lukewarm about No Boys Allowed, and couldn't help but compare Hilson to another R&B singer who often shows up on high-profile collaborations. "It's clear that Rihanna, as of her troubles with Chris Brown and the album that resulted from it — last year's Rated R — has something big that Ms. Hilson probably wants: a narrative," he wrote. "But a few songs here are good enough to stop the overthinking comparisons. One is 'Pretty Girl Rock,' produced by Ne-Yo and Chuck Harmony, four minutes of schoolyard singsong about her fabulousness."

Meanwhile, Elysa Gardner of USA Today thought that No Boys Allowed was marred by the distinct lack of Hilson. "Given Hilson's record as a hit-shaping tunesmith for other stars, in fact, it's ironic how little of her own voice comes through on this set of smart and pleasurable but mostly disposable pop-soul candy," she wrote. That general attitude seems to resonate throughout the reviews of No Boys Allowed: It's good, but Hilson is capable of transcendent.

What do you think of Keri Hilson's new album? Let us know in the comments!

MTV News hung out with Keri Hilson in preparation for the release of No Boys Allowed. Stay tuned to MTV News for all the Hilson-related excitement!

Tags ,

Page 6 of 21« First...456781020...Last »
SPONSORS
AD:
©2012 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. MTV and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.