Today we celebrate the birth of one of the more controversial performers of the last two decades. Fred Durst, the red-hatted frontman of Limp Bizkit, turns 39 years old today. Back in 1997, Durst's band stormed onto the rock scene with a bristling mix of metal, hardcore, hip-hop and Red Hot Chili Peppers-esque sex funk. The group first gained attention with their extra-loud cover of George Michael's "Faith," but they made the crossover into superstardom with 1999's Significant Other (which featured the hits "Nookie" and "Break Stuff"). Durst became a staple on "TRL" and — along with his friends in Korn — built a tiny nation of disaffected suburban youth.

His career has not been without controversy. In addition to being accused of inciting riots at Woodstock '99, Durst has had public altercations with stars like Creed's Scott Stapp and Stone Temple Pilots' Scott Weiland, while he's claimed in public to have had sexual relationships with Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears. (There was also an unfortunate sex tape incident.)

The turn of the millennium wasn't kind to Limp Bizkit. Despite the success of Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavored Water, the band produced a pair of albums that landed with a thud and had to deal with the departure of guitarist and muse Wes Borland. But Durst made hay getting involved in film. A longtime director of Limp Bizkit videos (as well as clips for Korn, Cold and Staind), Durst has directed two feature films: The surprisingly sensitive "The Education of Charlie Banks" and the underrated football film "The Longshots." He's currently touring with the reunited Limp Bizkit (once again featuring Borland on guitar) and plans on releasing a new album once the run wraps up. Here's hoping he gets back to the business of making videos, for as "N 2 Gether Now" proves, he has a knack for it.

By the summer of 1992, grunge was already beginning to establish it's stranglehold on rock radio. Nirvana had peaked, Pearl Jam was cruising and the first wave of bandwagoneers (like Stone Temple Pilots) were already making waves. The effect was also being felt elsewhere on the radio, as people scrambled to sign bands who sounded even vaguely fuzzy in order to give them credibility. The point is this: Without grunge, it's unclear whether or not Gin Blossoms would have ever made it onto the radio.

But they did, and on this day in 1992, the band released the breakout album New Miserable Experience. It came armed with a controversial story: Gin Blossoms guitarist and main songwriter Doug Hopkins was fired just before the release of the record because of his alcohol problems (he later committed suicide right as his former band was becoming gigantic). The album, full of driving jangle pop with just the right amount of distortion and angst, spawned several huge radio hits, including "Mrs. Rita," "Until I Fall Away" and "Found Out About You." But the biggest smash was the lead single "Hey Jealousy," which became an instant anthem for any kids who grew up in go-nowhere suburbs (meaning about 95% of the population) as soon as everybody heard the signature "We can drive around this town/ And let the cops chase us around" lyric (because if you're a high school kid in a small town on a Saturday night, cruising around with no particular destination is often your best option). New Miserable Experience often gets overlooked because it didn't look or sound much like the prevailing rock trends of its era, but it's secretly one of the most consistent and punchy slices of guitar pop of the decade. Enjoy the low-budget, black and white, turtlenecked clip for "Hey Jealousy."

By Lindsay Wallace

Anyone familiar with Denis Leary's sardonic, gritty dramedy "Rescue Me" knows actor Michael Lombardi — a.k.a. Mike "Probie" Silleti. Lombardi, 32, recently put together a band called Apache Stone, which will be featured in an upcoming season of the show. He fronts the band, which also features bassist David Leatherwood, drummer Mark Greenberg and guitarists Nick Bacon and Hank Woods.

Citing some very '90s influences — Pearl Jam, Audioslave, Stone Temple Pilots, Guns N' Roses and Alice in Chains — Lombardi said, "It's definitely influenced by all that heavy rock of the '90s. It's not cookie-cutter music. It's real rock n' roll."

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It's been 17 years since Guns N' Roses released a studio album full of fresh material — the one-two punch that was 1991's Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II — and in that long stretch, fans have learned one thing: Axl Rose refuses to rush the creative process. OK, they've also learned that a lot of lies can be told over 17 years and that a band can still tour successfully, even if that band looks nothing like anyone remembers.

Now that Hits Daily Double is reporting a firm November 23 release date for Chinese Democracy, the wait for some fresh GN'R — at least in the way Rose meant for it to be heard — looks like it may soon be over. It also got us to thinking about what's transpired since Guns N' Roses' last studio LPs dropped. And the short answer is "a lot." Read more...

By Christopher "CJ" Smith

Yesterday we ran a story about this fall's slate of superstar releases, but there are plenty more albums due out this leaf-changing season.

October 7

Rise Against's Appeal to Reason: Will these punkers be able to follow up on the success and critical acclaim of 2006's The Sufferer & the Witness?

Oasis' Dig Out Your Soul: The Brit rockers cling to legitimacy on their seventh album, which (surprisingly) has been getting favorable reviews. Can they stage a comeback to relevancy? Read more...

· That was quick. Season-six "American Idol" runner-up, beat-boxing '80s-lover Blake Lewis, has been dropped by his label, Arista Records, after only one album. Audio Day Dream only moved 300,000 copies. The "Idol" boys curse strikes again.

· So, it turns out the California blogger who posted those nine Chinese Democracy tracks over the weekend didn't just get shut down by Guns N' Roses' label, he also got a visit from the FBI.

· Radiohead are offering 10 live recordings of In Rainbows tracks on the iTunes store. The songs are from a recent show at the Hospital in London and were recorded by frequent collaborator Nigel Godrich. Read more...

· Now that the cat's out of the bag about the bun in her oven, Ashlee Simpson's summer tour has been put on hold.

· Over the weekend, My Chemical Romance fans staged a protest outside the Daily Mail offices in London, after the tabloid blamed the band for the suicide of an MCR fan. One-thousand people said they'd show, but only about 40 made it to the protest.

· Need another Korn album? Um, really? Well, they're entering the studio in November with producer Ross Robinson, who helmed the band's 1994 self-titled debut and 1996's Life Is Peachy.

· First Rage Against the Machine. Then the Police, Led Zeppelin and Stone Temple Pilots. But a Rock Star Supernova reunion? It happened May 28 at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles — and may it never happen again.

· Disturbed's David Draiman and funnyman Howie Mandel ... separated at birth? You be the judge.

Last month, Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland was sentenced to serve 192 hours (8 days) behind bars, following his arrest in November on a misdemeanor driving under the influence. Yesterday morning, just before 9am, Weiland reported to the Van Nuys, California lockup to begin serving his time.

By 7pm, he was a free man.

Weiland served just 10 of those 192 hours. Of those 10 hours, according to his prison records, he spent a total of 14 minutes in a prison cell. Weiland, who has struggled with substance abuse off-and-on for years [Ed: Understatement!], had until May 28th to serve out his sentence; Stone Temple Pilots’ reunion tour kicks off May 17th in Columbus, Ohio.

On November 21st, Weiland, who recently split with Velvet Revolver on very sour terms, was involved in a non-injury collision on an LA highway. The cops who were investigating the scene reported that he “exhibited signs of impairment,” and he was arrested. This was his second DUI arrest.

In addition to jail time, Weiland was also ordered to complete an 18-month alcohol program and pay almost $2,000 in fines. He has also been put on a four-year summary probation period.

We’ll just have to see how his recent troubles are going to affect the STP dates –- and his solo double-album with producer Steve Albini.

· With 98 murders in Chicago since the beginning of the year, Kanye West has had enough.

· You know how Spank Rock was a no-show at Coachella? Turns out Naeem “Spank Rock” Juwan had to undergo surgery for a “serious sudden ailment.” Here’s hoping he recovers.

· Not enough Scott Weiland in your life? The ex-Velvet Revolver and once-again Stone Temple Pilots singer says his upcoming solo album will be a double CD.

· Everyone knows these are financial hard times. But how hard? Even a player like Lil' Kim is getting her Bentley repossessed -- though her camp claims the matter is “currently being resolved.”

Trent Reznor's reunited Nine Inch Nails, Scott Weiland's reunited Stone Temple Pilots, and the amazingly-still-together R.E.M. are set to headline this year's Voodoo Experience in New Orleans.

Also appearing, for the first time, are the Neville Brothers. Check back for more details on the lineup.

The festival was originally put together in the wake of Hurricane Katrina as a way of reviving local tourism and showcasing local talent, who always make up a big chunk of the bill.

And get ready to buy tickets here after May 2nd.