Amplifier

  • Martin Rushent, one of the most notable producers of the late '70s and early '80s, passed away this weekend at the age of 63. Cause of death has not been revealed. After beginning his career as an engineer on albums like T. Rex's Electric Warrior and Fleetwood Mac's Future Games, Rushent segued into the role of producer, and his work helped set the blueprint for both punk and new wave recordings. Among Rushent's best productions: The first three (and best three) Buzzcocks albums -- Another Music in a Different Kitchen, Love Bites, and A Different Kind of Tension -- and perhaps his greatest achievement, the Human League's iconic Dare. Rushent also worked with bands like the Stranglers, the Go-Go's, XTC, and Generation X.

    Rushent's death was confirmed by his son James, the lead singer for the dance-rock act Does It Offend You, Yeah? "I will miss him, so so much, he was my best mate," James Rushent wrote, according to the BBC. We've always believed rock history had a holy trinity of

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  • New York radio station Hot 97 held its annual Summer Jam in Jersey this weekend, while one state over Jimmy Fallon's house band hosted their Roots Picnic in Philly. What did they have in common? Hip-hop in general, Wiz Khalifa in particular. But while Summer Jam is a place for rap to dig in its heels, the Picnic is a safe space for MCs to mingle with indie rock weirdos. There's no question which fest was more bizarre -- the Roots' lineup even featured reunited DC band the Dismemberment Plan -- but both events had a handful of moments worth remembering:

    Summer Jam:

    Biggest Firepower: Lil Wayne, Drake, Rick Ross, and DJ Khaled combine superforces for "I'm on One."

    Biggest Comeback: Lloyd Banks brought out Mobb Deep featuring Prodigy who A) Got famously dissed hard by Jay-Z at Summer Jam '01 and B) Recently got out of jail after serving three and a half years on gun charges.

    Biggest Shocker: Chris Brown and motormouth Busta Rhymes walked off with one of the most-talked-about moments,

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  • In what could mark the slowest editing job in history, Kanye West's controversial video for "Monster" officially premiered this weekend, nearly six months after it leaked. It's still too-NSFW for The Amp, so check out the bloody clip over at Kanye's official website, where it was posted this weekend without explanation. Why did it arrive now? Here's our theory: Kanye went to see The Hangover: Part 2, heard "Monster" in the scene that segues into the hangover, and suddenly remembered he forgot to unveil the completed music video.

    That must be the only explanation. "Monster" the song debuted as a G.O.O.D. Friday track back in August 2010, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy came out in November 2010, this video leaked with time codes and watermarks in December 2010... then nothing. The finished clip is pretty much the same video as the leak, except now there's more dead models and children, more CGI (the gargoyles during Bon Iver's closing verse), and even a disclaimer: "The following

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  • It seems pretty clear that nobody wanted to attend MTV's Movie Awards last night -- not host Jason Sudeikis, who made lazy jokes about Arnold Schwarzenegger, or Justin Bieber, who didn't even bother walking the red carpet and came out to accept a trophy as a "surprise," or the cast of Twilight, who as predicted, did about everything they could to let us all know they are really, really tired of being in these big blockbusters that launched their careers. Have you ever seen a room full of actors who look like they're being held at knife point by the the studios releasing their big summer movies? It's not a pretty sight. There were accidental F-bombs, intentional F-bombs, stars over 35 trying to look like stars under 18, legendary directors trying to look cool in leather jackets -- this was an all-out calamity.

    But the rock stars really showed the movie stars how it's done. The Foo Fighters and Lupe Fiasco and Trey Songz took their parts of the show very seriously and put on two killer

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  • Fun fact: The performers at the first-ever MTV Movie Awards in 1992 were En Vogue, Ugly Kid Joe, Arrested Development, and Vince Neil. That was 1992, folks! Sunday night MTV will take another opportunity to delight its five-million-Twihards-strong audience at the 2011 ceremony, where the Foo Fighters and Lupe Fiasco will play and the cast of Twilight: Eclipse will squirm uncomfortably in their seats (we're looking at you, Kristen Stewart!). While the Video Music Awards are MTV's marquee music event, the Movie Awards have hosted some terrific performances -- here's a Top Five, with three honorable mentions:

    White Stripes - "Fell in Love With a Girl"/"Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" (2002)

    Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Maps" (2004)

    Mariah Carey - "We Belong Together" (2005)

    Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, Pink - "Lady Marmalade" (2001)

    Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy" (2006)

    Honorable Mentions:

    Eminem - "Without Me" (2002)

    Garbage - "Only Happy When It Rains" (1996)

    TLC - "Waterfalls" (1995)

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  • Adele has been a feel-good story for a music industry in dire need of feel-good stories: Her sophomore album 21 enjoyed an improbable nine weeks atop the Billboard 200 until Born This Way swooped in and grabbed Number One. In addition to winning the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2009, Adele also became probably the most renowned British female solo artist since Dusty Springfield -- we all saw what happened to Cheryl Cole, and neither Amy Winehouse nor Leona Lewis have lived up to the hype (and no, Susan Boyle doesn't count). Unfortunately, her U.S. winning streak has come to an end: The "Rolling in the Deep" singer has canceled her entire North American tour after getting hit hard by laryngitis.

    "I'm really frustrated. I was hoping with a week's rest I'd be better to sing again straight away," Adele said in a statement. "However there is absolutely nothing I can do but take the doctor's advice and rest some more. I'm so sorry. See you soon." Adele initially postponed only the first

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News for You

  • NYers furious over photos taken through windows

    NEW YORK (AP) — In one photo, a woman is on all fours, presumably picking something up, her posterior pressed against a glass window. Another photo shows a couple in bathrobes, their feet touching beneath a table. And there is one of a man, in jeans and a T-shirt, lying on his side as he takes a nap.

  • Denmark's de Forest wins Eurovision song contest

    MALMO, Sweden (AP) — Denmark's Emmelie de Forest has won this year's Eurovision Song Contest with her ethno-inspired flute and drum tune "Only Teardrops," despite tough competition from spectacular stage shows by performers from Azerbaijan and Ukraine.

  • Denmark favorite to win Eurovision Song Contest

    MALMO, Sweden (AP) — An ethno-inspired flute and drum tune from Denmark is the bookmakers' favorite to win this year's Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday, which also features a bizarre opera pop number from Romania and an Armenian rock song written by the guitarist of Black Sabbath.

  • Native American actress proud to walk Cannes red carpet

    By Belinda Goldsmith CANNES (Reuters) - Native American actress Misty Upham never dreamt she would be walking the red carpet at Cannes to showcase a film shot on her reservation. Upham features in "Jimmy P. Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian", focused on the relationship between World War Two veteran Jimmy Picard, a Native American Blackfoot, and Georges Devereux, his psychoanalyst. Upham said like Picard, played by Puerto Rican actor Benicio Del Toro, she is Blackfeet, the largest tribe in Montana state. ...

  • 'American Idol' finale draws record low ratings

    NEW YORK (AP) — Ratings for the "American Idol" finale plunged to a record low for the 12-year-old show.

  • Edward Furlong arrested in West Hollywood

    LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles sheriff's spokesman says 'Terminator 2' star Edward Furlong has been arrested on suspicion of violating a restraining order filed by his ex-girlfriend.

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