Amplifier
  • An HBO series conceived by Mick Jagger, written by the guy who created Boardwalk Empire, and directed by Martin Scorsese? How soon can we preset our DVR? The Hollywood Reporter writes that Terence Winter has handed in his first script for the show, and it lives up to the hype of the three marquee names attached to the project. The still-untitled series revolves around a "cocaine-fueled" New York City music exec navigating his way through the industry in 1977, the era of Studio 54, punk rock, the birth of hip-hop, and the Summer of Sam. The concept was the brainchild of Jagger, who initially envisioned the project as a feature film, but there's just way too much potential in this idea to limit it to 90 minutes.

    Jagger and Scorsese had previously collaborated on the 2008 all-star Rolling Stones flick Shine a Light. Scorsese has been all over HBO in recent years, thanks to Boardwalk Empire and his recent documentary George Harrison: Living in the Material World. Marty has a long-running

    Read More »from Exile on HBO: Mick Jagger and Martin Scorsese Plotting Rock N’ Roll Series
  • It was previously reported that T.I. got in trouble during his last prison stay for being a little too hands-on during a conjugal visit, but now it's been revealed that he used his fists behind bars as well. The recently released rapper visited the Howard Stern show yesterday and told the shock jock that he was involved in at least one jailhouse brawl during his 11-month sentence. And in true Hollywood fashion, that fight took place in the bathroom.

    The lavatory was a popular place for fisticuffs, since there were no cameras in there. However, guards frequently watched the punch-ups, because who doesn't love witnessing a good scuffle? T.I. downplayed the incident, saying the fight was just a way to acclimate himself into the prison community, to show his fellow convicts that he could throw, and take, punches -- in the joint, he's just another inmate, and not a superstar rapper. Following a barrage of Stern questions -- the whole situation probably sounded like Cool Hand Luke to him --

    Read More »from T.I. Once Got Brawlin’ in a Jailhouse Bathroom
  • Jay-Z Gets Animated, Then Sued

    So, that's what a hand-drawn Jay-Z looks like. He's definitely more debonair than cartoon Kanye, but not as suave as the animated Andre 3000. Jigga will make his cartoon debut this Sunday when he guest-voices a character on Warren Buffet's Hub TV animated series Secret Millionaires Club. Buffet's series teaches kids about the morals and ethics of the business world, as well as doles out advice to the future business leaders of America. This weekend's segment, "Be Cool to Your School," will kick-start a four-episode arc for Jay-Z, who is homeboys with the Oracle of Omaha. According to MTV's Rap Fix, the episode will find the rapper praising the show's main characters - Elena, Jones, and Radley - for raising money for their school.

    Over at the Secret Millionaires Club site, there's one webisode that is especially pertinent to Jay-Z's situation: "The Domino Effect." For example: If you sample someone else's song without finalizing permission or providing appropriate compensation, the

    Read More »from Jay-Z Gets Animated, Then Sued
  • Eminem: World-class rapper, Grammy winner, multimillionaire, perpetual frowner. Nothing can bring a smile to the Slim Shady's face... not even posing with Keith Richards on the cover of this month's GQ. Keith, Lil Wayne, Robert Plant, Iggy Pop, Jack White, and many more artists were dubbed by the magazine as "Survivors" and Gods of Rock," but Eminem is the only one who seems genuinely displeased by the distinction. That is, until you check out the rapper's other magazine covers:

    It turns out, Eminem just refuses to flash his teeth on the cover of anything. Rolling Stone, Spin, Vibe, and every other publication has failed to photograph that rare moment when Marshall Mathers is smiling. It's as if his jaw muscles are frozen in that sullen, dour look, and even hanging out on the GQ cover with the Rolling Stones' guitarist and Weezy can't thaw it.

    Read More »from Not Even Keith Richards Can Make Eminem Smile
  • The CMJ Music Marathon kicks off today in New York, as throngs of badge-carrying, beer-soaked concertgoers descend upon hundreds of venues across the city in a collective quest to discover the next Vampire Weekend. More than 1,300 mostly unknown, unsigned bands are slated to perform at the five-day festival.

    Below, some of the best, worst and weirdest band names on the schedule.

    Nature Bands:

    Scattered Trees
    Secret Mountains
    Our Mountain
    Forest Fire
    Islands
    Golden Bloom
    Tiger Flowers
    Big Tree
    Great Lakes
    Cold Fronts
    Slow Mountain
    Madison Square Gardeners
    The Lonely Forest
    Cloud Nothings
    Yellow Red Sky
    Deep River
    Bird Call
    Strand of Oaks
    Settings
    Setting Sun
    The Sanctuaries
    Waters
    We Are the Woods

    Blood Bands:

    Arteries
    Bleeding Knees Club
    Close the Wounds
    Cold Blood Club
    Not Blood Paint
    Wise Blood
    Conner Youngblood

    Taxidermy Bands:

    Hunters
    Ski Lodge
    Shonen Knife
    A House for Lions
    Young Buffalo
    Elks
    Japanther
    Sky White Tiger
    Handsome Furs
    Phantom Tails
    Great Elk
    Minus The Bear
    Rifle Recoil
    Freshkills
    Endangered Species
    Skull

    Read More »from The Best, Worst, and Weirdest Band Names at CMJ
  • Atlanta rappers don't have the greatest history when it comes to obeying the law. Gucci Mane, T.I., Waka Flocka Flame, and Big Boi are four ATLiens that have had run-ins with police in the past year alone. Add former Atlanta resident Soulja Boy to the list: The rapper, along with his three bodyguards and his driver, were all arrested today after a routine traffic stop 20 miles east of the Alabama state line. Soulja and his posse were each hit with felony charges for possession of marijuana, intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm. The police's search also uncovered "a substantial amount" of cash and handguns, as well as a puppy that was turned over to the driver's relatives.

    Police didn't specify what traffic violation tipped them off to Soulja's ride, nor exactly how much weed they found in the vehicle, but police spokeswoman Dana Rampy told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "It was a lot of marijuana." Under law, if someone has over a certain amount of marijuana, they're

    Read More »from Soulja Boy Marched to Jail on Weapons and Marijuana Charges
  • It looks like Harry Belafonte wasn't quite ready for his Day-O to begin when a California news team tried to interview him on live television Friday morning.

    When the Bakersfield morning team cut to the Belafonte's live satellite feed from New York, the 84-year-old Calypso singer and actor was fast asleep--his arms were folded, his eyes closed and he was not ready to be woken up.

    "Good morning Harry... Harry, wake up... This is your wake-up call, Harry," encouraged KBAK anchor Leyla Santiago before cracking up and trying to explain away Belafonte's mid-morning snooze.

    "I'll tell you what," she said, "He's meditating." "Daylight hasn't come yet," another anchor quipped.

    The anchors opined that the sound was probably out on Belafonte's end. As he was in a remote studio on the opposite coast they never did get a chance to talk with the "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" singer about his new memoir, "My Song."

    The KBAK crew assured viewers, "He is okay," so we can all rest easy--just like

    Read More »from Harry Belafonte Snoozes Through Live TV Interview
  • It's official: The Stone Roses are reuniting after a 15-year break. Rumors that the beloved British rockers would set aside their differences and perform together again emerged last week, and contrary to the thousands of times the band had been reportedly on the brink of reforming in the past, the Roses actually confirmed the news this afternoon. They even launched a brand new website, a Twitter account, and most importantly, revealed their first two gigs since 1996. "This is a live resurrection, and you're all invited, so you better be there," Ian Brown said during the press conference.

    "The legendary four-piece - Ian, John [Squire], Mani and Reni - have announced two massive shows at Manchester's Heaton Park on Friday June 29 and Saturday June 30, 2012. The dates will form part of an extensive world tour," the band said in a statement. "The band have already been into a rehearsal studio to start work on the set-list for one of the most eagerly anticipated reunifications ever."

    The

    Read More »from They Are the Resurrection: The Stone Roses Reuniting for World Tour
  • Who says there are no original ideas in Hollywood? There are already two competing Jeff Buckley biopics, and now two films about the Beach Boys are in the works. However, they're about different Beach Boys: In June, it was revealed that Brian Wilson would get his own biopic, and yesterday an indie flick about Brian's younger bro Dennis Wilson was announced. Aaron Eckhart, Harvey Dent/Two Face himself, has been cast to portray the most underrated Beach Boy in The Drummer, which will concentrate on Dennis' booze-soaked years before his death in 1983, Variety reports.

    During that period, Wilson also recorded his critically acclaimed opus Pacific Ocean Blue. For the film, Eckhart will re-record that album's songs, much like Joaquin Phoenix did for the Johnny Cash film Walk the Line. The one possible downside about Eckhart in this role: The actor is now older (43) than Wilson was when he died at the age of 39, but that won't be a problem since Eckhart's character in Erin Brokovich was a

    Read More »from I Believe in Harvey Dent Portraying Beach Boys’ Dennis Wilson
  • With "Criminal," Britney Spears has finally made a grimy sequel to her super-spy "Toxic" video, but with grocery store stick-ups instead of espionage. Once you make it past the awkward abusive relationship in the 90-second prologue -- if it feels like a perfume ad, it's because Spears is really showcasing her fragrance in the ladies room -- the video really takes off into the gray streets of London's Stoke Newington neighborhood. "Criminal" is a potent cocktail with equal parts urban "Badlands" and "9 1/2 Weeks".

    The video could have been titled "'11 Bonnie & Clyde," a worthy successor to Eminem's "'99 Bonnie & Clyde" and Jay-Z's "'03 Bonnie & Clyde," but with Spears grabbing the criminal reins in the Clyde role. Spears' fun "I Wanna Go" gave hints that Spears was ready to break out after a series of dull music videos where it seemed like she was just being propped up against a green screen. (Our Amp colleague compared "Hold It Against Me" to "Weekend at Bernie's".) Here, she's

    Read More »from Britney Spears’ Racy ‘Criminal’ Video: ’11 Bonnie & Clyde

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News for You

  • OJ Simpson lawyers say he is closer to freedom

    LAS VEGAS (AP) — The latest high-stakes court hearing for O.J. Simpson in the glitzy capital of big gambles has come to a close with the former football star's defense team feeling confident that their client is closer to getting out of prison.

  • Germans blame euro zone crisis for Eurovision debacle

    BERLIN (Reuters) - Germans lamented their unexpectedly poor showing at the Eurovision Song Contest, blaming Chancellor Angela Merkel's tough stance in the euro zone crisis for their failure to win any points from 34 of the 39 countries voting. Denmark's Emmelie de Forest won the event, watched by around 125 million people across Europe, with 281 points while German act Cascada was 21st out of 26 countries, getting just 18 points from Austria, Israel, Spain, Albania and Switzerland. ...

  • 'Trek' does $70.6M but falls short of studio hopes

    LOS ANGELES (AP) — "Star Trek: Into Darkness" has warped its way to a $70.6 million domestic launch from Friday to Sunday, though it's not setting any light-speed records with a debut that's lower than the studio's expectations.

  • Taylor Swift wins 8 trophies at Billboard Awards

    Another day, another domination for Taylor Swift: She was the red hot winner at the Billboard Music Awards.

  • Dior presents cruise fashions amid stars in Monaco

    MONACO (AP) — The glittering star power of Cannes migrated up the coast to Monaco for front-row seats at Dior's colorful, sexy cruise fashion show.

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