There are some things that we don’t understand about our intern Rya. To wit: how is it possible that someone obsessed with “Gossip Girl” can also be a Blockhead? Yes, that’s right — our “GG” expert is also a huge fan of New Kids on the Block, which explains why she woke up at the crack of dawn this morning:

This morning, Manhattan’s renowned Rockefeller Center became Block-efeller center — a strip of city blocks packed with grown women who came from all ends of the Earth to witness an event a decade-and-a-half in the making: the triumphant return of the hottest pop group of yesteryear, New Kids on the Block. A month after an older, sleeker incarnation of the five men from Boston was unveiled, another curtain dropped – this time, a banner with the band’s new logo. The band performed a medley of their greatest hits and their newest cut as a part of the “Today” Summer Concert Series.

Naturally, yours truly was on the scene. I was there for the very same reason many other women were in the audience: to see a band that they were far too young to see in concert during their heyday. Quite frankly, I felt all too much like my four-year-old self as I scrambled for a better view (or for that matter, any view), got pushed around my much older fans wearing NKOTB shirts (some threadbare, presumably from being worn in heavy rotation two decades ago), yearned for face time with Joey, and sang along far too loudly to songs I didn’t realize I still knew by heart… Read more…

Chili Pepper Anthony Kiedis is set to curate a new summer fest in…Pittsburgh?

The two-day New American Music Union will give attention to 15 new college bands — and other little-known acts such as the Raconteurs and Gnarls Barkley. The college acts taking part will also be judged (like “American Idol”!), with the winner given a full day of recording in a top LA studio for free. American Eagle, which is sponsoring the fest, will also promote the band’s record in their stores.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow.

The lineup thus far — including the college acts in competition — after the jump. Read more…

Undeniable, unbelievable. I’m trying not to get caught up in the moment and jump all the way out the window, but Kanye West’s show last night at Madison Square Garden may have been the best one-man performance I’ve ever seen outside of Michael Jackson or Prince. Like he says, Graduation is not just an album name, it’s the trumpeting of his career evolution as the most innovative man in his genre.

The “Glow in the Dark” tour is about Kanye landing on a planet called Universe-City and what he encounters on extraterrestrial soil. You have never seen anything like it before.

Favorite songs of the night were (and it’s tough to pick) “Champion” and “Hey Mama.”

Scarlett Johansson kept a low profile at the concert among other marquee names such as Jay-Z, Beyonce, Diddy, John Legend, and Anthony Anderson. Backstage, many of Kanye’s hometown friends joined him in celebration.

Kanye West also appears on the just-released remix to “Lollipop”! Weezy and Yeezy — what a combination. A few weeks ago, Wayne had told MTV News this might be coming down the line…

I love “Low Down Lo-Retta Brown,” aka Ms. Erykah Badu. I’m not putting any gas on it when I say she’s phenomenal in concert — and she proved it again on Friday, at Radio City Music Hall with the Roots.

I say Badu’s the R&B equivalent of Nas, Mary J. being our Jay-Z. Whereas Mary capitalizes on being a legend — with an album and tour every two years, media blitz, endorsements, the full shebang — Badu reminds me of Nas, dropping projects sorta when she wants. (I think she needs to drop more music more frequently, but that’s for a whole ‘nother blog post.) Ms. Bad Bad Badu could care less about the accolades of the mainstream or the dollars that are associated with parlaying your stardom into business ventures. Also like Nas, she is just so profoundly lyrical. Her songs are way more than just “ooh baby, make love to me.” Erykah has jewels for days.

“What if there were no n*****s, just master teachers?” she sang on Friday during “Master Teacher.” “Hip-hop is bigger than religion, bigger than the government,” she would profess earlier in the midst of singing “The Healer.” Highlights from the show for me were “Me” and “Solider” (my two favorite joints from her latest album, New Amerykah: Part One (4th World War)), “Tyrone,” and, of course, “Bag Lady.”

And at the end of the night, Badu brought out two surprise guests. I’m thinking Talib and Mos Def, maybe Common and Kanye — nope. She brought out two regular people, so regular I can’t even remember their names. They were fans of hers, a couple from Cincinnati. After telling everyone how great E. was, the man laid it on really thick and professed his love to his woman: “Being without you is like looking in the sky and sun not shining…We need to go ‘head and do this thing.”

Who wrote that, Tyler Perry or Wingo from Jagged Edge? Lucky for the man, love is blind. The lady never did say yes, but she took the ring and they kissed. When Erykah came back on the mic, she joked the guy pinched her ass on the sly.

Anyone out there catch the show? Are you feelin’ New Amerykah?

Earlier, we visited a behind-the-scenes clip from John Norris’s exclusive interview with Madonna and Justin Timberlake backstage after their recent Roseland show. Well, there’s more…

We couldn’t resist sharing this with you: John getting schooled by the Queen of Pop.

Ever the dutiful journalist, John refuses to give up on his line of questioning about Madonna’s “milestone” 50th year – but Madge is having none of it. She even starts quoting her own lyrics from her song “Give It 2 Me” to prove her point. As the interview ends, John is still trying to defend himself, telling the diva how much she’s going to miss him when she’s stuck talking to some real idiots during her Hard Candy press junket…

Watch and enjoy. And John, we think you’re adorable — and we kind of suspect Madonna thinks so too.

In case you hadn’t noticed in Newsroom, in the 400 articles on MTVNews.com, and on TV, John Norris got to sit down for an exclusive interview with Madonna and Justin Timberlake last week after their surprise NY show at the Roseland Ballroom.

While we’ve shown you just about everything there is to show from the interview — from Madge and Justin’s take on Miley, to how they created Hard Candy together — there are still a few amusing moments that hit the cutting room floor.

As here, when John goes fishing for some drama, and Madonna gets all confessional — about her gardener. Even Justin looks confused…

First, there were the rumors of a reunion. Then there was the excitement surrounding their All Tomorrow’s Parties headlining gig. And now we may present you with…an actual My Bloody Valentine mini-tour. For reals. In honor of this mini-momentous event, the clip for one of our favorite MBV tunes above.

Dates after the jump. Read more…

This in from MTV News super-shooter Akshay Bhansali:

I just spent a rather bizarre weekend down in New Orleans. My dad serves on the board of directors of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and the final weekend wrapped yesterday. It all started with a party at the family house, which involved consuming copious amounts duck po-boy, boudin balls, and soft-shell crawfish (yes, you can apparently soften more than just crab), and fixing Gwyneth Paltrow’s mom’s cellphone(??). Blythe Danner is an incredibly cool woman!

After the party I cruised over to Frenchman Street in the Marigny to catch M.I.A. perform in a crazy steamy warehouse. The crowd hardly seemed to care about the heat — when she opened her epic show with “Bamboo Banger,” the room became pure, awesome chaos. Maya had Cherry, always at her side, onstage with her, and even her brother Sugu was hyping up the crowd! She ended with the album closer “Paper Planes,” which not only puts a new spin on a Clash classic but works shockingly well in the “Pineapple Express” trailer, correct??

Pics from JazzFest — and what M.I.A. reveals to Akshay backstage — after the jump. Read more…

My Bloody Valentine are going to headline All Tomorrow’s Parties. We repeat: My Bloody Valentine.

Perhaps we’re dating ourselves a bit by revealing that Loveless was one of the great make-out albums of our overly intense ‘n’ artsy junior-high years. If you haven’t heard it, get off your Vampire Weekend-, MGMT-lovin’ arse and appreciate the sexy, drone-y genius that is Kevin Shields.

Also in the lineup — curated in part by MBV themselves — are Built to Spill, Meat Puppets, Shellac (Steve Albini), Mogwai, and Aussie rockers The Drones. Remember, just a few thousand people will snatch up the ATP honor of living on-site for three entire days (no one-day passes), drinking, eating, breathing the music by a lineup this damned good.

Done.

The complete bill after the jump. Read more…

So last night, amidst much pomp, circumstance, and flashing lights, Kanye West kicked off his big-buzz, even-bigger-budget “Glow in the Dark” tour at the Key Arena in Seattle. And if you weren’t one of the 20,000-or-so Emerald City denizens lucky enough to be there, well, don’t fret, because those that were in attendance have been kind enough to flood the InterWeb with breathless show reviews, wordy-yet-self-obsessed blog posts, and blurry and bass-heavy YouTube clips.

After the jump, our compilation of reactions to the mega-event. Because the only thing better than going to a concert is reading about a concert. Or something like that. Read more…