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Coachella Aspirations For Black Sabbath Curbed By Guitarist's Lymphoma Diagnosis

Posted 1/11/12 2:29 pm EST by in Coachella, Music


Black Sabbath

By Zachary Swickey

While Coachella announced their nothing-to-scoff-at lineup chock full of stellar acts, one huge reunion was originally supposed to be headlining one of the nights as well: Black Sabbath (who would’ve been the perfect closing act on Sunday, the Sabbath).

Unnamed sources have revealed to Billboard that the recently reunited metal legends, who are fronted by the iconic Ozzy Osbourne, were forced to pull out of the festival at the last minute due to guitarist Tony Iommi’s recent lymphoma diagnosis. It’s anyone’s guess as to which act was made the new, last-minute headliner. (Although, our money is on the Black Keys; other headliners Dr. Dre and Snoop are too legendary and Radiohead is … well, Radiohead).

As recently reported, 63-year-old Iommi is working with doctors to figure out the best plan of action for treatment. In a serious case of bad timing, Sabbath had just announced their reunion in November. All original members – Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, Iommi and Bill Ward – will be conducting a massive world tour in addition to a new studio album being helmed by producing legend Rick Rubin (Slayer, Beastie Boys, Adele). The effort will be Sabbath's first release with Osbourne since 1978 with a fall release being eyed through Vertigo/Universal.

Black Sabbath’s headlining slot at the Download Festival this June in England is still on with no mentioning of cancellation from the band or their management (for now). Read More...

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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...

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Kanye West DJ Million Dollar Mano In Awe Of Coachella Production

Posted 4/18/11 1:00 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes, MTV News, Music


By Alex Chapman

If you were at California's Coachella Music Festival on Sunday night (or patrolling the Internets for its live feed), then you were likely a witness to one of Kanye West's best live gigs yet. Rocking an uber-cool patterned shirt and a boatload of energy, an emotional West blazed through a bevy of hits solo, with only indie collaborator Justin Vernon and Clipse's Pusha T joining him on their respective features from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

But West wasn't completely alone — the game-changing artist was backed by a superfluity of female dancers and a talented team of musicians, including Chicago-born DJ/producer Million Dollar Mano.

"The experience was one-of-a-kind, true production," Mano, who worked with West on Dark Twisted Fantasy, told MTV News on Monday morning. "We just did Lollapalooza in Chile last week, and that was huge. I thought Coachella was going to be just as critical, but it was 10 times more of an awesome production than I was expecting."

Despite his cool, calm demeanor during the show, Mano, who's known Kanye for years, certainly felt the pressure to perform. "He said that this would be his biggest show yet. I wanted to make sure I did my best for him so he could look back at this years from now and be proud of the show 150 percent."

Were you at Coachella this year? Share your own concert reports in the comments!

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Coachella Dilemmas: Odd Future Vs. Cee Lo; Duran Duran Vs. The National

Posted 4/13/11 5:44 pm EST by in Music


By Zack Swickey

The schedule for this weekend's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has at last been revealed, and in typical music-fest fashion, it is forcing fans to make heart-wrenching decisions. Anyone that has ventured to a major music festival, especially one of Coachella's magnitude, knows that they will inevitably have to choose between, not one or two, but up to four or five of the newest wave of indie bands and veteran acts playing simultaneously.

Friday is going to be hardest day for the music elitists sweating in the California sun. If you want to check out the latest rap crew the music world is buzzing about, Odd Future, you will have to sacrifice seeing foul-mouthed Cee Lo and art-rock outfit Warpaint. And what would make a wicked indie-rock bill on its own is instead a touch dilemma: Noise-rock duo Sleigh Bells perform at the same time as vets Interpol and Cold War Kids. Fans of the Killers have the choice to see Brandon Flowers solo, or they can check out the finest of blues rock: the Black Keys. If you want to forgo main-stage favorites Kings of Leon, you can treat yourself to frenetic, electronic rock duo Crystal Castles. Beer guzzlers will most likely watch Flogging Molly close Friday night, while the more, shall we say, "experimental" fans will flock to see legendary electronic outfit the Chemical Brothers.

Read More...

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Is Bonnaroo, Coachella Or Lollapalooza The Biggest Festival Of 2011?

Posted 2/16/11 11:33 am EST by in Music


The weather is starting to warm up a touch across the country, which means that pretty soon it will be time to spend the summer months seeing bands outside. A little over a decade ago, there weren't any major event festivals in the United States, but now it seems as though there are dozens. But there are three tentpole events against which all other festivals are measured in this country, and they are Coachella, Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo. Coachella announced its full lineup a few weeks ago, and on Tuesday (February 15), Bonnaroo revealed the eclectic batch of acts that will be descending on Manchester, Tennessee in June. Meanwhile, the full lineup for Lollapalooza has yet to be revealed, though we do know that the headliners include Eminem, Foo Fighters and Muse.

So now that the top-line talent has been announced for each of the major festivals, which one are you most looking forward to? Which one is most likely to get your admission and travel money? Let's take a look at the vital stats for each.

Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
Location: Empire Polo Field, Indio, California
Dates: April 15-17
Headliners: Kanye West, Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire
Bottom Line: Coachella remains steadfastly committed to widescreen versions of indie rock (as well as theatrical hip-hop). There aren't any big-time reunions this year (the London Suede doesn't cut it), but if you're a fan of sharp, fuzzy guitar songs, Coachella is your summer oasis.

Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
Location: Great Stage Park, Manchester, Tennessee
Dates: June 9-12, 2011
Headliners: Eminem, Arcade Fire, Widespread Panic
Bottom Line: Though purists may bristle at the idea of two of the world's biggest rappers ruling a traditionally jam-friendly festival (Lil Wayne will also play a high-profile set in Manchester), this year's Bonnaroo is actually one of the most refreshingly eclectic in the festival's history. Other highlights include My Morning Jacket, the Black Keys, String Cheese Incident and the only festival appearance of Buffalo Springfield (if you're into that sort of thing).

(Click here for photos of the 2011 Bonnaroo lineup, including Eminem, Lil Wayne and Arcade Fire!)

Lollapalooza
Location: Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois
Dates: August 5-7
Headliners: Eminem, Muse, Foo Fighters
Bottom Line: The full lineup won't be announced until April, but the first three acts have set the tone for the summer. Lollapalooza arguably has the biggest combination of headliners of anybody, and it's likely that more surprises are in store when the full list of acts is announced.

So which one gets you the most excited? Which one has that perfect combination of musical strength and travel and experience opportunities? Vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments!

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'American Idol,' Britney Spears And Trent Reznor's Golden Globe: This Week's Deep Cuts

Posted 1/21/11 5:30 pm EST by in Deep Cuts


It was another short week thanks to the holiday, but it was still a busy one here at MTV News thanks to the premiere of "American Idol," the continued dominance of Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me" and the Golden Globes. Also, Friday afternoon has been taken up mostly by a single question: If "The Real World" had a seven person all-legends team, who would be in there? And would it be cool to have both Pedro and Puck in there? (These are the philosophical questions that keep us sharp on slower news days.)

So before you head out to your local cinema to see "No Strings Attached," prepare for the last weekend of NFL playoffs before the Super Bowl and try desperately not to freeze in the open air, be sure to check out everything you might have missed on the MTV Newsroom Blog this week.

» "American Idol" came back and delivered some comedy, some tears and the staggering greatness that is Steven Tyler.

» Look, did we mention how much we love Steven Tyler? Stay tuned all season for more "American Idol" news, opinions, interviews and insight.

» The world also welcomed Coachella back into the fold, as the lineup for the 2011 festival was unleashed.

» Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me" debuted at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. It's the second time for her and only the 18th time in history.
Read More...

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Coachella 2011: The Five Acts Worth Braving The Heat For

Posted 1/19/11 4:30 pm EST by in Music


The lineup to the 2011 version of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is out, and even though nobody knows what the schedule will look like, fans are already trying to decide who they want to see over the festival's three days of non-stop music. Of all the major festivals, Coachella's setting is nearly as important as the music itself, as the desert in Indio both inspires spontaneous fits of joy and painful dehydration. The headliners — including this year's top-billed acts Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire and Kanye West — always have the benefit of playing in the cool of the evening, but the daytime acts are always fighting against the natural climate. As a result, the afternoon sets tend to be even emptier than they normally are at festivals.

That's a shame, because this year, there are a handful of top-shelf about-to-pop performers who are well worth braving the hangovers and afternoon heat to check out. Here are the five acts who should force you to pack extra sunscreen and wear a CamelBak.

Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears
The Austin-based blues collective has been picking up steam since the release of their 2009 debut album Tell 'Em What Your Name Is!, and their sweaty live workouts are going to mesh perfectly with the Indio heat.

Lil B
The esoteric rapper, who has earned a reputation as one of the most delightful personalities on the Internet, also happens to deliver quality — if not entirely bizarre — live performances. At a recent show in New York, he paused to rap about how excited he was to eat his bag of Chinese food he had stashed backstage.

Gayngs
The indie-centric supergroup (containing members of Bon Iver and Solid Gold — among others — and masterminded by producer Ryan Olsen) put together one of 2010's most underrated albums in Relayted. They play '80s-inspired soft rock, which should make them a forgettable novelty. However, their songs have an underlying energy that should twitch nicely in the desert. It'd be worth it just to hear them play the epic "The Last Prom on Earth."

Phantogram
The electronic rock duo put out one of the most criminally overlooked albums of 2010 in Eyelid Movies, a fuzzy dance through rock tropes that doesn't sacrifice melody for mood. Their set is guaranteed to be everything to everyone, so if you want to dance, you can go nuts, but if you want to bliss out on a sea of peaks and hooks, then you can pull that off too.

Rye Rye
The 19-year-old rapper from Baltimore is set to light the underground on fire with her about-to-drop debut album Go! Pop! Bang!, and her blend of street-savvy rhymes and international flavor (inspired in part by label boss M.I.A.) should make for an early party on Sunday afternoon.

What under the radar artists are you most looking forward to at Coachella? Let us know in the comments!

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Coachella 2011: Kanye West, Kings Of Leon Lead The Pack

Posted 1/19/11 10:30 am EST by in Music


Most of the country is still under a blanket of snow, but music fans are already dreaming about a glorious weekend in the desert with some of the biggest bands in the world. After weeks of speculation (and a handful of fakes and misdirections), the official lineup for the 2011 version of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has been released, lead by headliners Kanye West, Kings of Leon and Arcade Fire. The whole thing goes down on April 15, 16 and 17.

(Click here for photos from this year's Coachella performers, including Kanye West, Kings of Leon and more!)

This lineup is a little more low-key than usual (there's no real top-line reunion act this year, and many of the acts are holdovers from last year's festival season), though that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of highlights. Here are the entries that get us excited — as well as the ones who confuse us a bit.

The Highs

Kanye West
The rapper has always brought incredible heat to his festival performances (including legendary sets at Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza in 2008), so it's a guarantee that he'll bring something massive to his performance. Plus, this will be the first large-scale show that West will be playing since the release of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

Robyn
The Swedish songstress has slowly made her way up the lineup cards, and her placement on the Friday batch of acts may be her highest yet for a show this big. Robyn's show is awesome, and her vibe is perfect for the Coachella desert twilight.

PJ Harvey
It'll be something of a comeback for Harvey, who is one of the bigger first-generation alternative acts on the bill. The songs from her upcoming album Let England Shake will sound epic on the big Coachella soundsystem.

Wiz Khalifa
The rock lineup at Coachella seems a little bit stale, but this year's hip-hop collective is an eclectic batch of artists that should make for some of the best music of the weekend. In addition to West, Wiz Khalifa should be considered a can't-miss set, as he is an underground guy about to blow up huge.
Read More...

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Britney Spears, 'Jersey Shore' And Taylor Swift's Snow Storm: This Week's Deep Cuts

Posted 1/14/11 5:30 pm EST by in Deep Cuts


There were a pair of massive new singles, a huge video premiere, a handful of fantastically strange video experiments and a snow storm, but we once again managed to arrive at the end of the week. There is a three-day weekend ahead of us (Monday, January 17 is Martin Luther King Day, so celebrate accordingly), so that will give you extra time to reflect on the past, watch playoff football, finally get around to taking down that Christmas tree or reveling in the awards season (you can catch the Critic's Choice Awards Friday night on VH1 and the Golden Globes on Sunday night on NBC, and we'll be covering them both at MTV News and MTV Movies Blog). But before you do any of that, you should really catch up with everything you might have missed on the MTV Newsroom Blog this week, because our cup was overflowing with excellence.

» The big news this week was the new single from Britney Spears. It's called "Hold It Against Me," and it awakened out inner pickup artist.

» Spears' new song attracted a lot of attention, including that of the Bellamy Brothers.

» Of course, Spears wasn't the only star dropping a huge single this week, as the Kanye West/Jay-Z tag team song "H.A.M." also reared its head for the first time.

» "H.A.M." doesn't have a video yet, but you should watch this compilation of ham-related videos (you know, like the meat) to tide you over.

» Our video editing equipment was extra-busy this week, as in addition to the "H.A.M." clip, we also put together a "Jersey Shore" remix of Bruno Mars' "Grenade."

» In other news, we looked back on the one year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti, and it turns out there's an awful long way to go.

» Taylor Swift debuted her new video for "Back to December," and it features an empty bathtub and an indoor snow storm.
Read More...

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The Fake 2011 Coachella Poster Isn't Nearly Fake Enough

Posted 1/11/11 3:30 pm EST by in Music


On Monday (January 10), hip kids nationwide rejoiced when the first "official" (read: totally fake) Coachella lineup hit the Internet, an annual event which, for folks like us in the frigid Northeast, is on par with complaining about snow or growing a semi-ironic beard: You can set your watch to it.

This year's supposed Coachella lineup features headliners like Kanye West, Pulp (who, truth be told, probably will play the fest), Arcade Fire, Beastie Boys and Duran Duran, plus a bunch of smaller bands we're either marginally aware of (Warpaint) or have never heard of in our entire lives (io Echo), which is to say, it's actually a pretty convincing fake. But given the fact that this kind of thing happens every single year, not to mention the fact that, when we asked a spokesperson for Goldenvoice (Coachella's organizers), we were told "[There's] no word just yet on an official announcement," we're remaining skeptical.

But truth be told, being skeptical isn't that much fun. So, inspired by the annual kickoff of the "speculation season," we decided to create our own totally bogus Coachella lineup, partially because we just learned how to use Photoshop but also because our completely fabricated lineup holds just as much weight as the other completely fabricated one. Like George Costanza once said: "Remember ... it's not a lie if you believe it."

So here's a look at our totally fake Coachella 2011 lineup. If you ask us, it's a pretty stellar lineup, especially when you consider Hulk Hogan and the Wrestling Boot Band have never played a live show. Tickets go on sale February 1, with three-day passes running $1,000 (camping passes extra). Start saving now!

Who would you like to see at this year's Coachella? Let us know in the comments!

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