Blog Posts by Daniel Kreps

Madonna's "Give Me All Your Love" hasn't even been officially released yet, but in addition to all the positive buzz the song has been receiving (from The Amp included), it's also drawing some unflattering attention for its similarities to another song. No, not Toni Basil's "Mickey": Above is the video for Nicola Roberts' "Beat of My Drum," a single the Girls Aloud singer released in June, the Metro writes. Wait for the chorus… it's a near replica of the cheerleading intro to "Give Me All Your Love." "Copy-catting has never flattered me...," Roberts tweeted in response to fellow Girls Aloud member Cheryl Cole's quip, "Imitation is the biggest form of flattery!"

Under the MistletoeWho's Number One: Justin Bieber, who just had the most trying, drama-filled week of his young career, received some welcome news as his Under the Mistletoe scored the top spot on the Billboard 200. Bieb's Christmas disc cruised to Number One, selling 210,000 copies in its first week on shelves according to Nielsen SoundScan. Billboard points out that Mistletoe is only the eighth Xmas album in the charts 55-year history to land at Number One. Bieber also became the first solo artist to land three chart-topping albums before the age of 18. Mariah Yeater who?

Who's Bummed: Coldplay's diehard fans helped give Mylo Xyloto the third-best debut numbers of 2011, but after the initial rush subsided, there weren't many people left who wanted to pick up the strangely named disc. After topping the charts last week, Mylo tumbled down to Number Seven thanks to a colossal 76 percent sales drop. Also, for the first time since its release, Adele's 21 dropped out of the Top Four and settled into Number Five, even though its sales improved one percent over last week's totals. If you're keeping track at home, 21 sold more copies in its 37th week on shelves than Mylo Xyloto moved in its second week. The album really is a phenomenon. Also bummed: Lou Reed and Metallica as their reviled Lulu ended the week at Number 36.

Dan Steinberg/Associated Press2011 has seen its share of unlikely music-related items put up for auction, from John Lennon's tooth to the Kid A guitar, but this is easily the most morbid of the bunch: Michael Jackson's deathbed. That's right, the very piece of furniture where Dr. Conrad Murray failed to resuscitate the King of Pop the night Jackson died will be sold to the highest bidder. The queen-size bed is just one of hundreds of items from Jackson's Holmby Hills mansion that will be auctioned off on December 17th by Julien's Auctions.

Via Letters of NoteBefore Jimi Hendrix became the greatest guitar player in the history of music, he was just another son trying to win his father's approval.

In this 1966 postcard dug up by Letters of Note, young James Marshall Hendrix writes to his dad Al that things are really picking up for his music career: His new band "Jimi Hendrix EXPERIENCE" is playing all throughout Europe, and their first single "Hey Joe" should be out in about two months.

Kevin Mazur/WireImage.comFreak accidents, serious injuries, a convoluted plot, mediocre U2 tunes, and a chorus line of terrible reviews weren't enough to kill Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, but a surprise new villain has emerged that could mean the death of the Broadway show: Julie Taymor. The director, who first conceived the idea of bringing the Marvel hero to Broadway with U2's Bono and the Edge, is now suing the Spider-Man producers for "copyright infringement and breach of contract" after she was fired from the show in March, Reuters reports. Taymor feels producers have held out paying her the $300,000 in royalties she's owed, so she is seeking a permanent injunction that will prevent the show from using her elements -- storylines and dialogue -- without compensation.

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic.com

Heavy D, one of the most influential and identifiable rappers from hip-hop's golden age, passed away today at the age of 44. Grandmaster Flash was the first to break the news of Heavy D's death, which TMZ has since confirmed. No cause of death has been reported yet, but the rapper was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital at noon today and was pronounced dead soon after. TMZ writes that Heavy D was seen unconscious outside his Beverly Hills home, but that he was cognizant and speaking in the ambulance. Police are investigating the death, but they don't suspect foul play. Just last night, Heavy D was tweeting tributes to boxer Joe Frazier, who died yesterday.

Born Dwight Arrington Myers, Heavy D, along with his group the Boyz, became mainstream stars in the late 1980's on the strength of 1987's Living Large and 1989's Big Tyme, both of which are now considered hip-hop classics and pioneers in the New Jack Swing genre. 1991's "Now That We Found Love" became the biggest hit for the Overweight Lover -- a self-deprecating moniker that Heavy often called himself -- and the group's most lasting track. Thanks to his smooth delivery and innocuous but clever rhymes, Heavy became a favorite of everyone from Will Smith to Michael Jackson, who recruited D to guest on his single "Jam."

Kevin Mazur/WireImage.comMadonna fans won't have to wait until the Super Bowl to hear the Material Girl's big surprise after all. "Give Me All Your Love," the promised first single off her upcoming dance-heavy new album, leaked in full after a pair of snippets emerged earlier today, a full two months before it was expected. Madonna's Super Bowl halftime performance was rumored to include "cheerleading tumbles, dances, and jumps," and one listen to "Give Me All Your Love" reveals why: The song is like a 21st century version of Toni Basil's pom-pom anthem "Mickey," right down to the sing-along chorus and handclaps:

Tom Waits' "Satisfied" is the rock troubadour's homage to the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," and Keith Richards himself provides some guitar to the Bad as Me track. However, in this new video, despite having an opportunity to dance like a Maroon 5 hit, Waits moves like anyone else but Jagger. In this Jesse Dylan-directed clip -- yes, Bob's son -- Tom carouses, scratches, itches, and shakes his way through this rollicking number, like a belligerent hobo dancing to a subway musician. He might not move like Mick, but the 61-year-old Waits can definitely shake it better than his fellow sexagenarians. Some are comparing Waits' chaotic dancing to that of Thom Yorke's choreography in Radiohead's "Lotus Flower" video, but it feels more like a more inebriated rendition of this performance: