MTV Newsroom › James Montgomery

Kanye West Teams With Angry Birds, Gives Us Plenty Of App Ideas

Posted 1/19/12 3:29 pm EST by in Kanye West


Kanye West

In news that either signifies the first phase of the DONDA world-domination plan or is a complete fabrication (since it was first "reported" by England's the Sun), Kanye West supposedly met with the developers of the ultra-addictive "Angry Birds" app earlier this month in London, where, according to a source, "they brainstormed ideas and talked about ways they could work together."

Obviously, this development is huge for anyone who enjoys both avoiding human interaction in all forms and limited-edition scarves, and while we can't vouch for the validity of the story (a spokesperson for West could not be reached for comment), the possibilities of a team-up between the rapper and Rovio already have our brains swirling. When it comes to Kanye-centric apps, the sky truly is the limit.

So, while we wait for any type of official confirmation on the collaboration — our download fingers are already quivering with anticipation — we've created a wish list of potential apps, all of which are not only Kanye ready, but waay better than that stupid "Plants v. Zombies" game. Play on, player. Read More...

Tags

Assessing Coachella 2012: Expected Headliners Lead An Awesome Undercard

Posted 1/10/12 12:27 pm EST by in Coachella, Dr.-Dre, Radiohead, Snoop-Dogg


Here's my take on the lineup for Coachella 2012, which was revealed Monday night: At least it's not the fake one that was making the rounds in November.

Back then, the rumored headliners were No Doubt, Foo Fighters and Radiohead, with acts like Chris Cornell, Feist and LMFAO (!) on the sub-ledger. It was a pretty good guess (I mean, they got Radiohead), but would have made for a pretty bland weekend … which is why it comes as a great relief that the actual Coachella lineup does not feature a single member of Berry Gordy's extended family. Instead, we get headliners the Black Keys, the aforementioned Radiohead and the double-bill of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg — all solid, all worth the price of admission and all filling various slots (the new kings of rock, the established, professorial legends and, uh, the hip-hop act) — and an undercard that ranks amongst the best in the fest's history.

Of course, the usual suspects are all accounted for (Bon Iver, Beirut, the Shins, Florence and the Machine, Justice, et al), but it's the spate of reunited acts — always a Coachella tradition — that really makes this year's edition truly special: Britpop titans Pulp, the gauzy, gorgeous Mazzy Star, doomy instrumentalists Godspeed You! Black Emperor and a pair of proto-punk stalwarts — art-damaged Texas thrusters At The Drive In and Sweden's Refused, who, with their oddly prescient 1998 album The Shape Of Punk To Come, basically predicted the next ten years of angular, angsty rock — all of whom elevate Coachella 2012 to can't-miss status. Read More...

Tags , , , ,

Guns N' Roses Make Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, But What Will Happen When They Show Up?

Posted 12/7/11 2:14 pm EST by in guns-n-roses


Axl Rose

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced its 2012 inductees, a list that includes the usual spate of HOF-y names (the Small Faces, ‘60s singer Donovan, blues guitarist Freddie King, etc) plus a handful of artists that made their mark in the MTV era: the Beastie Boys, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Guns N’ Roses.

And while none of those latter three are exactly surprising (though, we gotta admit, the Cure, who were also in the running this year but didn’t make the cut, were robbed), what may transpire when they’re enshrined at the Hall’s annual induction ceremony — set for April 14 in beautiful Cleveland — could shock the rock world to its very core. Because, as is tradition, the honored acts will take the stage to perform a medley of their biggest hits, and while we’re reasonably sure what will happen when the Beasties and the Peppers do their thing, when it comes to GN’R … well, let’s just say all bets are off.

Unless you’ve been off the grid for most of the past two decades, you are probably aware that things aren’t exactly rosy in the Guns camp … and haven’t been for quite some time. The majority of the acrimony has been evenly split between frontman/mastermind Axl Rose and iconic top-hatted guitarist Slash (though, given how many folks have come and gone from GN’R’s lineup in the time since, there’s plenty of bad blood to go around). The two have traded barbs ever since Slash left the band in 1996, and though Guns continues to tour, many of their diehard fans believe that they’re just not the same without his masterful axe work and mercurial stage presence (no disrespect to the dude who plays the guitar shaped like a foot, of course). It’s been nearly 20 years since Slash has performed with the band, though, at April’s HOF induction ceremony, that could change. And yes, the Rock Gods will be smiling if it does.

Then again, it’s no sure bet that Slash and Axl will be able to bury the hatchet … after all, in the grand history of the Rock Hall ceremony, there’ve been plenty of examples of bands that just couldn’t get past the hatred — or the past, for that matter — when it came time to take the stage. And though we’re hoping the same doesn’t happen with GN’R, here’s a look back at some of the most acrimonious, disharmonious and downright uncomfortable moments in Rock Hall history. Read More...

Tags ,

Noel Gallagher Hates Twitter, Doesn't Want You To Be His Facebook Friend

Posted 11/11/11 3:06 pm EST by in Music, The Interweb, Twitter


Noel Gallagher

I realize this may come as a shock to you, but Noel Gallagher does not care about maintaining a robust online presence.

In fact, after interviewing him on Thursday, I'm reasonably sure he is unaware he even has a Facebook page, official website or Twitter account. Why? Well, for starters, because he is Noel Gallagher. But also because he thinks they're a complete waste of time.

How do I know this? Well, he told me, in a delightfully unhinged rant that began when I asked him if releasing his first post-Oasis solo album (the genuinely pretty great Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds) meant that he'd also have to step up his social-media game, since the prevailing logic these days seems to equate online connectivity with, well, sales. Here's his answer. And yes, it was everything I'd hoped it would be ... and then some.

"No, life's to short to tweet. I don't understand what's interesting about rock stars and their tweets and what color socks they wear. Who gives a sh--? People used to be interested in rock stars because there was a sense of mystery to them; you didn't know what David Bowie was doing, you didn't know what makeup he was wearing, you didn't even know if he was going to be Ziggy Stardust one year or the Thin White Duke the next. You cannot convince me that it is in any way magical for me to be tweeting 'On the way to the studio. Wearing green socks. It's going to be a great day. Should I have coffee or tea? Hmmm, food for thought.' Who gives a sh--? Seriously, who cares? Sad people, they care."

Of course, if you think he stopped there, well, then you probably don't know Noel Gallagher. After the jump, watch as he not only rips Facebook, but manages to put a member of his inner circle on notice, too. It's the kind of multitasking that they make Apps for, really.

Read More...

Tags ,

Justin Bieber Shows Chris Brown How To Not Lose Your Cool When Confronted With A Tough Question

Posted 11/4/11 3:59 pm EST by in Chris Brown, Justin Bieber


Justin Bieber

Circumstances, by their very nature, are rarely the same twice. I realize that. Yet, this morning, after watching Justin Bieber deftly and appropriately address the recent paternity suit filed against him, live on the "Today" show, with hundreds of fans surrounding him and millions more watching at home, I couldn't help but think about Chris Brown. And how, hopefully, he was taking notes.

You probably remember earlier this year, when Brown stopped by another morning show — in this case, ABC's "Good Morning America" — to promote his just-released F.A.M.E. album, and got (depending on your opinion of him) understandably or irrationally angered by host Robin Roberts' repeated questions about his 2009 assault of then-girlfriend Rihanna. And you probably remember everything that happened after that appearance, especially the parts where Brown allegedly broke a window in a dressing room and exited the "GMA" studios shirtless (and then played a pickup basketball game on West 4th Street). Needless to say, it wasn't a good look for Brown, a guy who has sort of turned the phrase into an art form. Read More...

Tags ,

Justin Bieber Fans Get Loud As Pop Star Wraps Up Massive 'My World' Tour

Posted 10/17/11 9:24 am EST by in Behind The Scenes, Concerts, Justin Bieber


SANTIAGO, Chile — The screams started early, like around 1 PM, a full eight hours before Justin Bieber took the stage at the Estadio Nacional on Saturday night. Actually, they started well before that, like on Friday morning, when the first throngs of True Beliebers began setting up camp on the street outside, passing the hours chanting, singing ("Baby" was a particular favorite), and, of course, screaming. Always screaming.

If you've ever attended a Bieber concert, you know what I'm talking about. His fans, young and overwhelmingly female, seem incapable of containing their excitement, and as such emit a particular high-pitched squeal, one that is near constant (though it tends to flare up every so often, like whenever a car with tinted windows drives by, or when Justin bobs his shoulders just so). But on Saturday night in Chile, things seemed to have been taken to another level — by my estimation and according to several folks in his inner circle — because not only were the screams incredibly loud, and constant, but there was a general level of insanity that bordered on, well, insane.

Make no mistake about it, Chile was ready for some Justin Bieber. His face was shown on national news every hour on the hour, his fans shut down the W Hotel (thanks to a report that he was staying there on Friday night, despite the fact he didn’t arrive in the country until Saturday), and 55,000 packed inside the Estadio to catch his show … with several thousand more listening from the streets. Vendors hawked JB headbands and glossy photos, homemade hats and bootleg T-shirts. There were phalanxes of police, angry-looking German Shepherds, trucks festooned with riot-gear finery, and so many security guards milling about that you might’ve thought Barack Obama was in town. It was a very big thing. Read More...

Tags ,

Justin Bieber's Chilean Fans Are Ready To Party

Posted 10/14/11 5:00 pm EST by in Music


We landed at the Aeropuerto de Santiago at 8 a.m., and already they were there: the squealing throngs of Justin Bieber's Chilean army. They were packed in tight against guardrails in the arrivals lounge, holding signs, waiting with bated breath for just a glimpse of JB, even though he had wrapped a pair of shows in Argentina less than 12 hours ago (and, as he would later reveal on Twitter, he wouldn't arrive in Chile until six hours later).

Still, that didn't stop them from eyeing each and every arriving passenger, searching them up and down for some semblance of Bieber. They were egged on by a local newscast playing on a TV in the corner, which showed JB no less than four times in 30 minutes and, in one particularly cruel move, actually deployed a Bieber look-alike on the streets of Santiago to further froth the frenzy. It was, in no uncertain terms, rather amazing to watch ... the mania, the devotion, the excitement in the air. Make no mistake about it, Chile is ready for Justin Bieber.

Read More...

Tags , ,

'Someone Like You' Director Jake Nava's Greatest Hits

Posted 9/30/11 1:33 pm EST by in Adele


On Thursday evening, Adele's somber — and frankly, quite stunning — "Someone Like You" video premiered, and once we had finished wiping the tears from our eyes, we quickly realized that director Jake Nava really deserves a video Oscar or something.

Not only did he deliver a video that perfectly matches the song's heartbroken, haunted feel (not an easy feat), but, whether you know it or not, the British-born Nava has also been responsible for some of the greatest pop clips in recent memory, only adding to a resume that stretches back to the early '90s (and includes work for everyone from System of a Down to the Spice Girls).

And sure, while the eye-catching clips being churned out by Lady Gaga tend to grab the headlines (since, you know, it's Gaga), what makes Nava's work so impressive is that, rarely, if ever, does he make the same video twice. In fact, if you didn't pay attention to the credits, you'd probably have no idea who was responsible ... he's not only one of the most malleable directors in the business, he's also one of the most unassuming, and really, that's what a good director should be. The video is about the artist in front of the camera, after all.

So, in celebration of a man who doesn't get the credit he deserves, we've compiled a list of Nava's most iconic music videos. Because, as you'll soon learn, while you may not know his name, you most certainly know his work. Read More...

Tags ,

Nirvana's Nevermind Made 1991 Rock, But Was It The Greatest Year?

Posted 9/14/11 4:00 pm EST by in Music


On September 24, Nirvana's epochal Nevermind turns 20 ... a milestone that's not only given us pause (since it's downright unfathomable to anyone who came of age during that era) but has caused us to reflect on what, in retrospect, was a pretty staggeringly great year for rock music in general.

Because, while Nevermind gets the majority of the headlines, there were no shortage of other iconic albums released that year, too ... a fact we illustrated last week, when we shone the spotlight on some of '91's greatest; everything from alt-rock tent poles like the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Blood Sugar Sex Magik and Pearl Jam's Ten to big-budget blockbusters like Metallica's Black album and Guns N' Roses' Use Your Illusion series and overlooked indie gems like Fugazi's Steady Diet of Nothing and Slint's Spiderland.

In a lot of ways, it seems like 1991 was the last year rock truly rocked. But, is that really the case? Well, we've decided to find out. We've taken a look back at the past 30 years of rock music — since, you know, MTV just celebrated its 30th anniversary — and come up with five other years that could possibly touch 1991's legacy ... and we're going to let you vote on which is really the greatest in rock history.

But first, here's a look at our nominees.

Read More...

Tags ,

Nirvana's Nevermind: An All-Time Great, But The Greatest Of 1991?

Posted 9/14/11 9:06 am EST by in Music, Newsroom Poll


With the 20th anniversary of Nirvana's Nevermind just around the corner, the mythology machine has been kicked into high gear, churning out oral histories, round-table retrospectives and vault-clearing reissues with a force comparable to the opening riff of "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

And justifiably so; after all, Nevermind was the album that changed everything, bringing the underground to the forefront and making an unwilling icon out of Kurt Cobain (also, it was the reason the Melvins got signed to Atlantic). Twenty years after its release, we're still trying to come to grips with its influence, a fact that's just about as telling as any oral history could ever be.

Of course, we've been talking about the anniversary for a while here in the MTV Newsroom (there were meetings and everything). And a funny thing kept happening during all those discussions; we couldn't help but reminisce about just how amazing that era of rock and roll was ... and, in particular, the epochal year of 1991: the last time rock truly rocked.

To wit, last week, we rolled out a series of pieces that shone a light on some of the other iconic albums released that year, a list that includes everything from Guns N' Roses' Use Your Illusion I + II and Metallica's Black album to Pearl Jam's Ten and Dinosaur Jr.'s Green Mind. In short, it was the kind of year that probably comes around once in a generation ... and 20 years later, we're still waiting for the sequel.

And now, as we get set for our own tribute to Nevermind (it'll kick off next week), we figured it was time to put all this 1991 talk to bed ... by determining just what is the greatest album of rock's last great year. And we're going to let you decide the winner.

But first, let's take a look at the 10 albums we've selected from 1991: the year rock truly rocked. Read More...

Tags ,

Page 1 of 28123451020...Last »
SPONSORS
AD:
©2012 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. MTV and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.