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MTV's Musical March Madness: Linkin Park Vs. Paramore

Posted 3/28/11 2:00 pm EST by in Music


It's MTV's second annual Musical March Madness! MTV News took the 64 biggest names in rock, split them up into four regions, assigned them seeds and puts them up against one another in a single-elimination series of match-ups in a winner-take-all contest. We're leaving it to you to decide an actual champ in this field of 64, so over the next few weeks, fan voting will determine who will emerge as this year's champion. It's all about the fans, and the artist with the most passionate fan base will score the awesome Musical March Madness trophy!

The Sweet 16 spotlight is now pointed directly at the South region, which features another quartet of bands who could easily find themselves holding the 2011 MTV Musical March Madness trophy aloft when all is said and done.

Voting for all Sweet 16 match-ups will close on Tuesday, March 29 at midnight. As always, you can follow all the voting here.

(1) Linkin Park vs. (5) Paramore
Linkin Park have cruised through the first two rounds of the tournament, besting Sleigh Bells and R.E.M. on the way to the Sweet 16. They'll take on their strongest challenger yet in Paramore, who have come through two intense battles against No Doubt and Kings of Leon to emerge as a power in the South region. Which one of these platinum-sellers will continue their push to the finals? Vote to find out!

Check out Dick Bagwell and Vincent Twice previewing the Sweet 16!

Check out the Musical March Madness bracket and be take a look at the hoops-centric photos of some of the tournament's biggest bands.

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Spotted: Chester Bennington Of Linkin Park Roots For The Lakers

Posted 3/21/11 12:30 pm EST by in Music


Every day a multitude of stars wander through the halls of MTV News to talk about their latest projects and goof around with our intrepid correspondents. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that's why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.

It was a very basketball-centric weekend for Linkin Park. Not only did they close out their first round victory in MTV's Musical March Madness (they bested a game Sleigh Bells squad to advance to the second round, where they'll take on R.E.M. for a birth in the Sweet 16), but frontman Chester Bennington also spent his Sunday (March 20) at the Staples Center in Los Angeles to cheer on the Los Angeles Lakers while they played the Portland Trail Blazers. Though the Blazers' defense was tenacious, they could not put away the Lakers, who won the game 84-80. Veteran Derek Fisher hit a key three-pointer with only 10 seconds left to seal the deal, giving the Lakers their 12th win in 13 tries since the NBA All-Star Game. Bennington went to the game with his wife (former Playboy model Talinda Bentley) and was also joined by Hollywood stars like Jack Nicholson, Bruce Willis and Ed Westwick.

He wasn't the only star out among the people, as Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea spent a rainy Sunday competing in the Los Angeles Marathon and the likes of Diddy, Brooklyn Decker and Aziz Ansari all gathered in Austin, Texas for Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music showcase on Saturday night (March 19). Click here for these photos as well as the entire "Spotted" archive, which features over 500 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Eminem, Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, the Jonas Brothers and Kanye West!

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MTV's Musical March Madness: Linkin Park Vs. Sleigh Bells, R.E.M. Vs. Hinder

Posted 3/16/11 9:30 am EST by in Music


It's MTV's second annual Musical March Madness! MTV News took the 64 biggest names in rock, split them up into four regions, assigned them seeds and puts them up against one another in a single-elimination series of match-ups in a winner-take-all contest. We're leaving it to you to decide an actual champ in this field of 64, so over the next few weeks, fan voting will determine who will emerge as this year's champion. It's all about the fans, and the artist with the most passionate fan base will score the awesome Musical March Madness trophy!

Welcome to the third day of MTV's Musical March Madness. With the Midwest and West portions of the bracket already alive and kicking, it's time to dive deep into the South, which features a healthy combination of veterans, newcomers, titans and underdogs that should stay interesting right up until first round voting closes.

Just as a reminder, first round voting continues through Sunday night (March 20), and you can catch up with any match-ups you might have missed here. Let's get to the match-ups!

(1) Linkin Park vs. (16) Sleigh Bells
Linkin Park earned themselves a number one seed largely on the basis of their challenging, gutsy, brilliant 2010 album A Thousand Suns. Since they continue to be one of the biggest bands on this and other planets (did you catch their VMA performance at the planetarium?), they were a natural fit for a top spot. They take on Sleigh Bells, who have been steadily building an audience and have a legion of devoted fans ready to go to bat for them. Who will move into round two? Your votes will decide!

(8) R.E.M. vs. (9) Hinder
R.E.M. just released their latest album Collapse Into Now, another stirring entry in a legendary career. They have been up and down but can never be counted out (they're the Villanova of this tournament, really). Meanwhile, Oklahoma hard rockers Hinder have shed their punchline status and graduated to a much heavier, edgier sound (2010's All American Nightmare is as jagged as anything released last year). Will their extra volume be enough to topple the workmanlike attack of their opponents? Only your votes know for sure!

Watch Sleigh Bells singer Alexis Krauss make the case for her band!

Check out the Musical March Madness bracket and be take a look at the hoops-centric photos of some of the tournament's biggest bands.

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Mike Starr, 'American Idol' And Foo Fighters: This Week's Deep Cuts

Posted 3/11/11 5:30 pm EST by in Deep Cuts


Another busy week in the MTV Newsroom has come to a close, though the news certainly won't be stopping just because there are a few days off. In fact, the world will almost certainly remain focused on the cataclysmic tsunami that has swept over the eastern coast of Japan (and the fallout that will come because of that disaster). So before you do your part in the recovery effort and reach out to those in need, be sure to catch up with everything you might have missed on the MTV Newsroom blog this week, including the saga of late former Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr, the new Foo Fighters video and a whole lot of "American Idol" madness.

» The rock world mourned the passing of former Alice in Chains member and "Celebrity Rehab" participant Mike Starr, who passed away at the age of 44.

» The week opened with a return to one of the MTV Newsroom blog's favorite television shows, as "The Celebrity Apprentice" came back around for another round of psychosis.

» A number of high-profile albums hit the street this week, including R.E.M.'s latest album Collapse Into Now, which will feature one video for each song on the album.

» Lupe Fiasco also released his long-awaited third album this week, and even though Lupe himself felt lukewarm about it, the critics had a much more enthusiastic reaction.

» Charlie Sheen still dominated a certain segment of the news this week, as he was officially fired from "Two and a Half Men." That opens the door for a replacement, but who will that be?
Read More...

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Linkin Park Kick Off MTV's 2011 Musical March Madness!

Posted 3/7/11 5:30 pm EST by in Music


The NCAA college basketball season is coming to a close, which means that the annual NCAA tournament is just around the corner. The conference championships will all be played out this week, and the field of 68 teams competing for college basketball's biggest prize will be announced this Sunday, March 13. And that can only mean one thing for MTV News, and that's the launch of Musical March Madness.

The second year of the big tournament kicks off next Monday, March 14 with the unveiling of the big bracket (experts have already sat down to figure out the opening round match-ups). Once again, fan voting will determine who will win each and every match-up, with only one band left standing at the end. Last year, Coheed & Cambria plowed through the field to win the big trophy, knocking over fan favorites like My Chemical Romance, Tokio Hotel, Paramore and Phish. Who will win this year's Musical March Madness?

Maybe it'll be Linkin Park, who were left out of last year's tournament but stand to score a very high seed in this year's. What's more, they are completely committed to winning and know exactly what it's going to take to last until the end.

"Well, I think what we're going to have to do is, we're going to have to be smart about our offense, we're going to have to have a tough defense," Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington told MTV News. "We're going to put a lot of pressure on the other bands, to really perform at their best. Because, you know, our motto is 'Go hard all the time.'"

Linkin Park will square off against 63 other artists from the rock universe over the next four weeks in order to decide who stands tallest (and who has the craziest fans). Stay tuned for more teasers this week, and stay glued to your computer screens for the unveiling of the Musical March Madness bracket next Monday, March 14!

Who do you think will win the 2011 version of MTV's Musical March Madness? Let us know in the comments!

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Happy Birthday, Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda!

Posted 2/11/11 2:30 pm EST by in Music


February 11 is a pretty crazy crossroads day for birthdays, as it represents the changing of the biological calendar for the likes of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, former Destiny's Child member Kelly Rowland and "Twilight" star Taylor Lautner. But for the purposes of the MTV Newsroom Blog, there's only one celebration we're having today, and it's for Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda. The mutli-talented rapper, musician and producer is now 34 years old, so make sure his slice of cake has the frosting rose on it and that his Mylar balloons are well-inflated.

Shinoda first made an impact in the music world as the rapper on Linkin Park's nü-metal debut Hybrid Theory. But as the band's sound and world view evolved (which seemed to happen almost immediately after the group got big), so did Shinoda's approach to his role (and to music as a whole). As the vocal focus shifted more to co-frontman Chester Bennington's adenoidal wails, Shinoda got more involved in programming and production (he co-produced the group's 2010 album A Thousand Suns with Rick Rubin). And to satisfy his envelope-pushing hip-hop jones, he put together Fort Minor, a next-level side project that has so far only produced a single album (though that one release, 2005's The Rising Tied, is something of a modern classic).

In fact, Shinoda has picked up a reputation as a guy who works well with outside-the-box rappers, and his production style is quit sought after. In addition to helping craft the pretty amazing Collision Course EP with Jay-Z, he has also twiddled knobs for Lupe Fiasco, Styles of Beyond, Busta Rhymes and Cypress Hill. He's one of the most dynamic talents in both rock and hip-hop, and it appears as though he's only just getting warmed up. So crank up Linkin Park's "Waiting for the End" and shout Shinoda a happy birthday.


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The 'Saw 3D' Playlist: Prepare For The End With Linkin Park, Mudvayne And Dir En Grey

Posted 10/29/10 11:30 am EST by in Music


It's Halloween weekend, which means you can count on a few things. People will be dressed as Lady Gaga, at least one person at the party your at will have sexualized a costume inappropriately (last year, it seemed like everybody was dressed as the slutty version of Hermione from "Harry Potter") and people will be standing around the block to get into their local cinema to see the latest batch of gore in the "Saw" series. The seventh film in the franchise, "Saw 3D," is sure to dominate the weekend with a fresh batch of buzzsaws, psychological trauma and three-dimensional splatter.

Amazingly, "Saw" has become such a dominant franchise that other movies are scared to open against it. If you're not into in-your-face dismemberment, your only other options at the movies are a handful of limited-release options like "Monsters," "Welcome to the Rileys" and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" (though if you're seriously in the mood for a scare, you could catch up with "Paranormal Activity 2" or just pick up "Mirrors 2" on Blu-ray).

In order to properly prepare yourself for "Saw 3D," it's time to fire up the playlist below. It's chock full of balls-to-the-wall metal that focuses on murder (30 Seconds to Mars' "The Kill," Cypress Hill's "How I Could Just Kill a Man"), traps (Vincent Minor's "The Trap," No Doubt's "Trapped in a Box") and the character behind the horror (Radiohead's "Jigsaw"). There is also a healthy dose of songs from past soundtracks (including Mudvayne's "Forget to Remember") and the opening track: Linkin Park's "Waiting for the End." It works on two levels, as not only does it deal with the franchise's end but Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington also gets killed in the film.


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Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Eminem And Taylor Swift: This Week's VMA Deep Cuts

Posted 9/17/10 5:30 pm EST by in Deep Cuts


Everybody on the MTV News team is really looking forward to this weekend, as it represents a much-needed and well-deserved rest for the entire team, almost all of whom are recovering from last weekend's 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. The VMAs show is the highlight of every year on the MTV News calendar, though in order to bring you all the best coverage and behind-the-scenes access, it takes a lot of work, sweat, shoe leather and skipped meals. So now that the show is behind us, we're going to put our feet up, get massages and have long brunches with our loved ones this weekend. And after that, our batteries will be recharged fully and we'll continue to knock the news out of the park on a daily basis.

So enjoy your weekend, because we really will be enjoying ours. And just in case you missed any of the awesome VMA coverage here on the MTV Newsroom Blog, check out all the highlights below.

» As we mentioned, the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards were this past weekend. We opened with our totally killer white carpet pre-show, where Lady Gaga started winning awards and Nicki Minaj melted faces.

» Then the VMA show followed, which opened with a stunning performance by Eminem and got bigger and more epic from there.

» Gaga was the big story, as she collected eight awards — including the Moonman for Video of the Year.

» Though her awards were plentiful, Gaga's biggest head-turning moment was when she wore an outfit made of meat to collect her final award. Everybody weighed in, from PETA and Ellen DeGeneres to style experts and the Chick-Fil-A cows.

» Of course, Gaga's meat dress threw some curve balls. (Or not.)

» It wasn't all Gaga, though. Kanye West grabbed the spotlight as well, dropping a new song called "Runaway" that is already an instant classic.
Read More...

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Linkin Park Want You To Listen To What You Like: The MTV News Quote Of The Day

Posted 9/17/10 3:30 pm EST by in Music


"There have been periods of our career where our maturity level might not be what it is today, and ... like, we read 60 things that are positive about the band, and the one thing someone says they didn't like, you're like, 'Oh God, I have to change my life.' And you know, you can get caught up in that kind of stuff. So we've decided — very clearly — that we're just going to make music that we like, that is challenging to us to create and pushes us in a place that makes us feel uncomfortable and giddy, like we're discovering something. As long as we do that, and we feel happy with the record we put out, then it's like, 'OK, we've done our best, and if you like it, great, and if you don't, go find something that you like.'"

-Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington, noting that his band no longer listens to criticism of its music and doesn't hold it against anybody who doesn't like them. Their new album, the just-released A Thousand Suns, is an epic effort that has also been quite polarizing, with some fans embracing their evolution and others rejecting it in favor of the group's classic sound. But considering the group has been dealing with opinions about themselves for a decade, they have reached a point where they are completely comfortable with themselves and are confident in what they are doing.

"When it comes to people's opinions about the music, we know people are going to like some things, and some people are going to not like things, and that's the greatness of opinion," Bennington told MTV News during Linkin Park's rehearsal for their stellar performance of "The Catalyst" at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. "You don't have to like something because someone told you it was good, and you don't have to think something's bad because someone says."

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Linkin Park's Visit To The Observatory Voted Best Surprise At The 2010 VMAs

Posted 9/14/10 4:45 pm EST by in VMAs


Everybody knew the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards were going to be pretty massive, what with all the stars scheduled to be there (including Eminem, Lady Gaga, Drake, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber and Ke$ha). But it was the moments that were completely unexpected that really made it a memorable night. Eminem got it started early, as he welcomed Rihanna (who originally said she wouldn't be able to show up to the show — read more about the execution of that particularly stunt here) during his performance of "Love the Way You Lie." It only kept going from there, as Taylor Swift shocked the world with a new song (which may or may not be about Kanye West), Lindsay Lohan dropped in for a bit of comedy and Cher emerged (wearing a vintage '80s outfit) to hand a Moonman to Lady Gaga (who was decked out in meat). But which surprise was the biggest and best?

According to your votes, it was Linkin Park's appearance at Griffith Observatory for their performance of "The Catalyst." That surprise picked up a stout 56 percent of the vote in yesterday's poll. Rumors had swirled all week about the size and location of the band's performance, and news over the weekend revealed that they would be taking over a prominent Los Angeles landmark. When the band appeared at the observatory (watched by thousands of excited fans on hand) and kicked into "The Catalyst," it was a truly epic moment in VMA history.

In second place, Rihanna racked up 32 percent of the vote for her surprise appearance during Eminem's show-opening performance of the pair's chart-topping single "Love the Way You Lie." Third place belonged to Cher's outfit and Lindsay Lohan's cameo (both got four percent), while Swift's song, Justin Bieber's drum solo and the drop-in by Pusha T during Kanye West's "Runaway" brought up the rear. But in a show full of surprises, Linkin Park topped them all.

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