MTV Newsroom › Kyle Anderson

Kid Rock Has A Rough Night Out: Wake-Up Video

Posted 2/16/11 8:30 am EST by in Wake-Up Video

Living the rock and roll lifestyle can be sort of complicated. After all, that level of excess can sometimes be overwhelming. But it's necessary for the sake of entertainment, and the best ones — like Axl Rose or Vince Neil — aren't afraid to occasionally brush up against the law every once in a while. Kid Rock is one of the few superstars who is totally willing to push the envelope, and on this day in 2005, he was arrested after a spectacular night of debauchery and rock and roll excess.

The evening began at a strip club in Nashville, Tennessee called Christie's Cabaret. Rock was there partying when at some point he assaulted a guy named Jay Campos, the club's DJ (supposedly, Rock was upset with Campos' choice of music). By the time police had arrived at Christie's, Rock had already taken off to make his way to a second strip club. On the way, he was even pulled over by a police officer who did not detain Rock (though did get his autograph).

After taking time to sober up at the second club, Rock returned to an apartment he had been renting in town, where he turned himself in. Rock pleaded no contest, and his bail was set at $3,000. It wasn't the last time Rock found himself in trouble because of a scuffle, as he got into a dust-up with Tommy Lee at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards and also got into a brawl at a Waffle House in Atlanta that same year.

Rock was going through a musical transition at the time, moving from his early rap-rock leanings to a more classic rock-influenced, country-kissed sound of his last few albums (including 2010's Born Free). But he hasn't lost the edge that let him cut hits like "American Bad Ass," a track from 2000's The History of Rock that borrows the riff from Metallica's "Sad But True."


Tags ,

The Bonnaroo 2011 Lineup: Five Acts You Must See

Posted 2/15/11 5:00 pm EST by in Music

With Coachella already set to go and a handful of Lollapalooza acts already leaking out, the summer festival season is already shaping up to be one of the biggest and best of all time. But what of Bonnaroo, the rural Tennessee camping adventure that began as a gathering of jam band obsessives but has evolved into one of the best music events in the world? On Tuesday morning (February 15), the Bonnaroo lineup was unveiled, with Eminem, Lil Wayne and Arcade Fire serving as the big headliners at this year's model (which will run June 9-12 in Manchester, Tennessee). The top line is rounded out by the likes of the Strokes, the Black Keys, My Morning Jacket, Florence and the Machine and a reuniting Buffalo Springfield (making their only festival appearance).

That's an eclectic lineup, for sure (there's more hip-hop on the bill than ever before, especially in the headlining spots), but there's still plenty for the Bonnaroo purists. No matter who you are, you'll be able to find something.

But what if you don't even know what you're looking for? Here are five acts on the Bonnaroo bill who should be circled, highlighted and checked off on your agenda as you make your way into the wilderness.

Lil Wayne
Sure, he's a headliner and a major star, but how often do you get to see him in a festival setting? With a crowd that size and a sound system of that magnitude at his disposal (not to mention an exceptionally mellow crowd), Lil Wayne could turn in one of those transcendent performances you always end up hearing about later. Except this time, you're actually there.

The Sword
For the uninitiated, the Sword play the sort of zonked-out, sludgy, chugging hard rock sometimes referred to as "stoner metal," but they're far more dynamic than that reductive moniker suggests. Their live show is legendarily sharp, and they should provide some much-needed evil amidst all the good vibes in Manchester (because you need balance, you see).

The Black Keys
Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney are secretly one of the best festival bands working, able to stretch their tunes into sweaty, fuzzy orgies of sound that dart, groove and explode. Their set at Lollapalooza 2008 was a revelation, and they've only gotten better since then.

Girl Talk
For a group that consists of little more than a guy and a laptop, Girl Talk is always shockingly dynamic. At festivals, Greg Gillis turns his anything-goes approach into the red, and his set at Bonnaroo is likely to end in mass hysteria and free hugs. So, you know, greatness.

Wiz Khalifa
If nothing else, this show should be an excellent test for one of the most buzz-worthy new MCs on the scene. Can Wiz handle the big crowds? Can his claustrophobic tracks work outdoors? Whether Wiz succeeds or fails (and the former is far more likely), it should be a heck of a party.

Tags , , , , , , , ,

PJ Harvey's Let England Shake: The Reviews Are In!

Posted 2/15/11 1:00 pm EST by in Music

With Arcade Fire winning Album of the Year at the 53rd Grammy Awards and the Decemberists recently finding their way to the top of the Billboard album chart, could 2011 be the year that indie rock breaks through (again)? Polly Jean Harvey has spent the better part of two decades grinding out an ever-morphing hybrid of blues, folk and electronic music that has seen both highs (1993's breakthrough Rid of Me, 2000's intense and moody Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea) and lows (1998's sleepy Is This Desire? and 2007's even sleepier White Chalk). For her new album Let England Shake (which hits store shelves today), Harvey has left the soft piano tinkling of White Chalk behind in favor of her core guitar-driven sound. Is Harvey's return to form a welcome experiment or an exercise in treading water?

According to the reviews, everybody seems completely on board with Harvey's latest work. Entertainment Weekly's Mikael Wood called Let England Shake "a hoedown for the end of civilization" and said the album was "her loosest, most eclectic effort in years." The Guardian shared that same sort of excitement, declaring the album "a richly inventive album that's unlike anything else in Harvey's back catalog." Critic Alexis Petridis also noted that Let England Shake "sounds suspiciously like the work of a woman at her creative peak."

In a four star review in the Los Angeles Times, writer Ann Powers also heavily endorsed Harvey, who she called "rock’s master polymorph." "The gore in Harvey's words, the eerie strum of the autoharp and rattle of the guitars and drums, all keep fracturing these songs even as they come together," she wrote. "Harvey's song structures give rise to the feelings we've been taught are proper about nationhood (pride, vigor), but her arrangements — the off-kilter instruments and the sometimes almost Muezzin oscillations of her singing — topple that response, send it somewhere dark and dangerous." Harvey's recurring lyrical themes about nationalism's ghosts also sucked in J. Edward Keyes of eMusic. "England is Harvey's love letter to and, occasionally, bitter reproach of, her homeland," he wrote. "Recorded in a church near Harvey's birthplace and bolstered by expert underplaying of longtime collaborators John Parish and Mick Harvey, the album is both familial and strange, a valentine cooed from a crooked mouth, the kind of sonnet that makes room for lines like, 'let's head out to the fountain of death.'"

Of course, not everybody is as enamored of Let England Shake. "The feral vivacity with which Harvey shook the pop-music world back in the '90s is in short supply here," wrote USA Today's Elysa Gardner. "There's some potent social commentary here, but nothing that will likely re-establish Harvey as a rock goddess." Still, the greatness of Let England Shake was summed up perfectly by Spin writer Amanda Petrusich. "Arguably her most pop-friendly record since 2000's Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea, it's an intense indictment of the way countries fight, apolitical only in that it outlines what war does to human beings, not governments," she wrote. "Sung with warmth, these tracks offer a welcome antidote to her more familiar performance mode — spectacular austerity. They're as bloody and forceful as the battles Harvey references."

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

Tags ,

Trey Songz' 'Love Faces' Video: The Key Scene

Posted 2/15/11 11:00 am EST by in Music

Trey Songz maintains a grand tradition in R&B, and his latest video "Love Faces" — which premiered on Monday (February 14) and represents the third single from Songz' excellent 2010 album Passion, Pain & Pleasure — is the latest entry in said legacy. His brand of music is the sort of stuff that R. Kelly, Ginuwine and D'Angelo made huge at the turn of the century, full of sexed-up imagery, limited vocal histrionics and solid grooves that underscore the fantastic filth of the lyrics.

As a song, "Love Faces" has a pretty straightforward narrative — one that Songz explains in the spoken word intro to the tune. "When I met you woman, I couldn't help but notice a face so beautiful," he says. "I imagined the faces you would make if we ever made love." Following some sweet nothings, Songz actually gets to find out what those faces might be.

Meanwhile, the video actually has a nice little story line that sees Songz and his girlfriend pretending they don't know each other at her first gallery show (she is a painter, and there are several pieces that come to life over the course of the clip). The video is show mostly in black and white, and the few splashes of color include Songz' isolated performance shot (which is tinted a deep red) and the centerpiece painting of the art show. In the key scene, we learn the significance of that piece, as it contains Songz' hand print — one that occurred while Songz and the woman were indeed making love faces. The final shot tells it all.

The clip, co-directed by Songz and Justin Francis, is the singer's most narrative-heavy video — which, according to him, was by design.

What do you think of Trey Songz' "Love Faces" video? Let us know in the comments!

Tags , ,

LCD Soundsystem Bid Farewell To Television On 'The Colbert Report'

Posted 2/15/11 10:00 am EST by in Music

When James Murphy announced that he would be hanging up the performing and recording spurs as LCD Soundsystem, it sent a ripple of sadness and disappointment through his community of fans who have danced and banged along with Murphy since the group's inception back in the early part of the 21st century. But at least Murphy is making the most of his farewell, as he already has already scheduled a massive goodbye show at New York's Madison Square Garden (which sold out so quickly — mainly due to virtual gate-crashing by scalpers — that Murphy had to add a series of other shows at New York's Terminal 5), and on Monday night (February 14), he made what was billed as his final appearance on television as a guest on "The Colbert Report."

The host seemed vaguely incensed that Murphy, 41, was walking away from the rock and roll lifestyle. "Why walk away from the rock world?" Colbert asked. "Retirees get very few honey-dipped coeds waiting in the wings for them."

"It seemed like the right thing to do. I'm 41, and I think at some point it gets embarrassing," Murphy explained. "Because it started later, I had a life beforehand, and there's a lot of things I want to do. I have a label I run. I like to produce."

Colbert was tickled by the idea of Murphy as "the man." "You're going to say to young rockers, 'You know what? I don't hear a single. Let's put a reggaeton beat on that and add some Auto-Tune. We'll get Shaggy to sing with you.' That's going to be you now." Colbert also explained that Murphy was going about his exit all wrong. "There are only three ways to end your career if you're a rocker: Overdose, overstay your welcome, or write 'Spider-Man: The Musical,'" he joked.

"I don't want to do any of those three," Murphy deadpanned.

Following the interview, Murphy delivered an impassioned live version of "I Can Change," one of the key songs from LCD Soundsystem's much-loved 2010 album This Is Happening. If this is it, then he certainly is walking out on top.

Tags , , ,

Whitney Houston Knows Hot To Get To Number One: Wake-Up Video

Posted 2/15/11 9:00 am EST by in Wake-Up Video

When Lady Gaga took the stage at the Staples Center in Los Angeles to receive the award for Best Pop Vocal Album at Sunday night's (February 13) Grammy Awards, she gave a shout-out to a very special diva who has been relatively under the radar as of late. While accepting her award (one of three she took home on Sunday night), Gaga noted that she was picturing Whitney Houston singing "Born This Way" when she wrote it. "I need to say thank you tonight to Whitney Houston," Gaga said. "I wanted to thank Whitney because when I wrote 'Born This Way,' I imagined she was singing it because I wasn't secure enough in myself to imagine I was a superstar. So Whitney, I imagined you were singing 'Born This Way' when I wrote it."

"Born This Way" will likely be at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 this week, but on this day in 1986, Houston herself was at the top of the chart heap with "How Will I Know." The fourth single from her self-titled debut album (which was released on Valentine's Day in 1984), "How Will I Know" found Houston hitting an incredible groove. "Saving All My Love For You" had already gone to number one, and Houston would end up dropping an unprecedented streak of seven consecutive chart-topping singles ("Saving All My Love For You" and "How Will I Know" were followed by "Greatest Love of All," "I Wanna Dance With Somebody," "Didn't We Almost Have It All," "So Emotional" and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go").

"How Will I Know" spent two weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 before it was replaced by Mr. Mister's "Kyrie." The video became a big hit for Houston, and it's easy to see why. Since she was mostly known as a balladeer, it was eye-opening to watch her cut loose in a fun environment.


Tags , ,

The Rock Returns To The WWE After Seven Year Layoff

Posted 2/15/11 8:00 am EST by in Television

In the words of the guest of honor on Monday night's (February 14) episode of "Raw," "Finally, the Rock has come back!" Dwayne Johnson walked away from professional wrestling back in 2004 (his last appearance was at WrestleMania XX) to follow his dream of becoming a movie star (a goal he has accomplished several times over). In the years since his departure, plenty of stars have been made (John Cena, Randy Orton) and plenty of veterans have left and returned (Mick Foley, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin), but fans have been clamoring for the Rock to step back into the wrestling world in some capacity or another. On Monday night, they got their wish.

The show had been hinting at the idea of having a host at WrestleMania XXVII (which will be held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on April 3) for a while, and last week WWE chairman Vince McMahon announced to the audience that said host would in fact be revealed this week. The rumors immediately began to circulate, and while both Bob Barker and Justin Bieber had been batted around the Internet as possibilities, most fans believed that this role belonged to Johnson (who went along with the Internet rumors and teased the reveal on his Facebook page).

In an attempt to throw the audience off one last night, the producers of "Raw" suggested that the host would actually be a woman (they shot footage of what was supposed to be the host's car arriving at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California). But after a complete blackout and a strange video package of a lightning storm, that old familiar music kicked in and the Rock walked into the ring for the first time in seven years.

He hasn't lost a step, either. Over the course of a 15 minute speech, the Rock explained why he came back and issued challenges to both top superstar John Cena and current WWE Champion (and MTV reality show alumnus) the Miz. He also took the time to rip into much-loathed WWE play-by-play man Michael Cole and hit on all of his classic catch phrases. It's uncertain exactly what his hosting of WrestleMania will entail and whether or not he'll actually step into the ring to compete (he certainly still looks in fighting shape), but the fact that the Rock has returned is enough to not only keep current fans thrilled but also to bring back people who loved Johnson the first time around.

What did you think of the Rock's return? What do you think he'll do at WrestleMania? Let us know in the comments!

Tags , , , ,

Radiohead Dropping The King Of Limbs, Following In Footsteps Of Nine Inch Nails And Themselves

Posted 2/14/11 2:00 pm EST by in Music

Considering that indie icons Arcade Fire walked away with the Album of the Year prize at Sunday night's (February 13) 53rd Grammy Awards, perhaps the biggest news in the indie rock universe came from the United Kingdom. In the wee hours of Monday morning (February 14), Radiohead announced that not only was their new album completely done and would be called The King of Limbs, but it would also be available for a download this Saturday, February 19. The sudden announcement echoes the way Radiohead's In Rainbows first got introduced to the universe back in 2007, when the band made the announcement that they were done with the album and then released it on the very same day (though this time around you'll actually have to pay full price for the album, rather than pay what you want).

Radiohead's latest album represents a continuing trend in the music world. In an age when early leaks can cost artists and labels a hefty sum, getting the music out there (and establishing the cost of it) as early as possible has been a boon to a number of bands over the past few years. Here are a few of the greatest (and most successful) experiments from the past few years.

Radiohead, In Rainbows
Back in the fall of 2007, rumors had circulated that Radiohead were in the studio and working on an album, though nobody knew when it would be finished or released. The Internet got its answer one morning when the band not only announced that In Rainbows was done but that it was also available immediately. Fans could pay whatever they felt like for a digital download of the album, with the option to order a deluxe edition for significantly more.

Nine Inch Nails, Ghosts I-IV
Once Trent Reznor liberated himself from his record label, he went on a crazy jag of creative output. First up was Ghosts I-IV, a series of instrumentals that he described as "soundtracks to daydreams." A mysterious post went up on the Nine Inch Nails website that said "2 weeks!" and two weeks later Ghosts I-IV appeared as a free download (in an interesting twist, Reznor even made a free torrent available). Like Radiohead, more deluxe editions of the album were made available at greater price points, including a "Ultra-Deluxe Limited Edition" that sold for $300 and moved all 2,500 copies made.

The Raconteurs, Consolers of the Lonely
Jack White had always protected his music while with the White Stripes (journalists used to have to jump through hoops to hear new albums, especially when Icky Thump came out), and he transferred that same philosophy over to his band the Raconteurs. When the time came to put out their second album, rumors swirled around the Internet for a day or two before the band officially announced that Consolers of the Lonely existed and that it would be ready to buy at iTunes in a week (though iTunes did end up selling it early).

Nine Inch Nails, The Slip
Following the success of Ghosts I-IV, Reznor dropped a proper Nine Inch Nails album a few months later. Called The Slip, it appeared on the Nine Inch Nails website with the simple message, "This one's on me." Once again, a physical edition was made available some time later.

What's your favorite last-minute album? Let us know in the comments!

Tags , , ,

Jay Sean Teaches Snooki Some Slang On The Grammy Red Carpet

Posted 2/14/11 1:00 pm EST by in Grammys

Sunday night's (February 13) 53rd Grammy Awards featured no shortage of stars, from the nominees to the performers to the parents of the nominees and performers (we're looking at you, Drake's mom and the Smith family). Even stars who weren't directly involved in the show were there to help celebrate, including Cyndi Lauper (who got an awful lot of screen time thanks to her always-reliable reaction shots) and Nicole Kidman (who accompanied husband Keith Urban and sang and danced along to most everything on stage).

Both international R&B sensation Jay Sean and "Jersey Shore" star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi were in attendance as well. Snooki was busy hosting the MTV News live stream "Snooki & Sway: Live From the Grammys," which Jay Sean was there to build buzz for his upcoming album Freeze Time.

When the two came together on the red carpet, they bonded over slang. Snooki has done plenty to introduce new words into the lexicon, and Jay Sean was more than happy to explain a British word to her.

"I just wanted to say that I really, really love your accent," Snooki told Sean in the midst of his red carpet interview. "Can you say, 'Yo Snooki, let's smush'?"

Sean was game, though he wanted to take it a step further. "Instead of smush, I'll tell you what we say," he told the television star. "Let's snog."

Snooki had a bit of trouble with the vowel, but in the end, it made for a great step forward in international relations (especially following Snooki's British accent). "I want to bring the British lingo over here, man," Jay Sean told Sway. "We've got so many words you guys don't use."

Tags , , , ,

Lady Gaga Basks In Grammy Victory In This Week's 'Late Night Lineup'

Posted 2/14/11 12:00 pm EST by in Television

If you're anything like the MTV Newsroom staff, then the 53rd Grammy Awards kept you up until all hours on Sunday night (February 13). So now that you're already used to staying up past your bedtime, why not spend the rest of your week staying up late and watching talk shows? It's a good week for it, as there are some truly top-shelf guests hitting the studios this week — many of them fresh from their Grammy victories. For example, Lady Gaga will sit down and chat with Jay Leno on "The Tonight Show" on Monday night (February 14), where she will no doubt discuss her much-talked-about egg-assisted entrance on the red carpet. Other guests on "The Tonight Show" this week include John Legend (Monday), Charles Barkley (Wednesday, February 16) and 30 Seconds to Mars (Friday, February 18).

Meanwhile, David Letterman has cast his lot in another direction this week, as both his Monday and Tuesday (February 15) shows will prominently feature models from the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. They'll read a Top 10 list on Monday (where Letterman will also reveal the cover), and the cover model will sit on the couch on Tuesday. Letterman will also chat with Paris Hilton on Thursday (February 17), which means it should be an epic week on "The Late Show." Jimmy Kimmel has a big week on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" as well, as he'll have Jewel (Monday), Jeremy Renner (Tuesday), Javier Bardem (Wednesday) and Keri Hilson (Thursday). Jimmy Fallon will have a big music week, as the performers on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" include Greyson Chance (Monday), Drive-By Truckers (Tuesday) and the supremely strange hip-hop collective Odd Future (Wednesday).

Meanwhile, Conan O'Brien might have everybody beat this week, as his Monday show features both Justin Bieber and Grammy winners the Black Keys. This week will also see visits from Dr. Phil (Tuesday), Fred Armisen (Wednesday) and Miami Heat star Chris Bosh (Thursday).

Tags , , ,

16171819202122232425
SPONSORS
AD:
©2013 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. MTV and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.