News.

[Source: NME.com] Scott Weiland was released from a Los Angeles-area jail Monday 12 May after serving just six hours of his 192-hour sentence.

Weiland, who recently left Velvet Revolver to reunite with his band Stone Temple Pilots for a 65-city North American tour, was serving time for a drunk driving arrest in November 2007.

He was charged with one misdemeanour count of driving under the influence of alcohol with a prior conviction. He entered a no contest plea through his attorney.

The 40-year-old singer was released from the Van Nuys Jail at approximately 6:45pm, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Jail told E! News.

Now that he has been released, Stone Temple Pilots will be able to go ahead with their first tour in more than five years as planned.

It is set to kick off on Saturday at the Rock on the Range Festival in Columbus, Ohio, and concludes at Seattle’s Bumbershoot Festival on Thursday 31 July, as previously reported.

[Source: NME.com] The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess, actor Joaquin Phoenix and Antony Langdon of Spacehog have been collaborating on a musical project together, Burgess told NME.COM.

The trio have laid down tracks in a Los Angeles studio with the help of former Creation Records boss and Charlatans manager Alan McGee.

“Joaquin wrote the songs, Antony sang and I did backing vocals,” Burgess explained. “It’s been a great time. Music is really important to Joaquin.”

Burgess said that the project began last summer and it doesn’t look like it will end any time soon, in part because Phoenix, who played Johnny Cash in the film Walk The Line, is known for being a bit of a perfectionist.

“It’ll probably be a never-ending project,” said Burgess. “His songs are great – I really hope they come out.”

Melbourne five-piece Augie March have announced they’re heading back into the studio to begin work on the anticipated follow-up to 2006’s acclaimed Moo, You Bloody Choir –  an album which saw the “One Crowded Hour” outfit take out the $25,000 Australian Music Prize (AMP) for Album Of The Year.

Augie March will record their fourth longplayer at Roundhead Studios in New Zealand (which is owned by Neil Finn), where they’ll be joined by acclaimed producer Joe Chicarelli who, as well as famously discovering Tori Amos, has also worked with The Shins, Beck, U2 and Rufus Wainwright.

With roughly 20 new songs up their sleeve, according to frontman Glenn Richards, “There’s not really a theme this time around but I will say that so far the songwriting is a step above Moo.”

The LP is set for an October release.

He’s a songwriter famous for over-the-top musical tendencies, and now Muse frontman Matt Bellamy has revealed that his own experiments with recreational drugs once made him feel like he was caught up in a Salvador Dali painting.

Dali’s artworks are, of course, famously surreal depictions involving melting clocks and impossible landscapes.

The “Knights Of Cydonia” singer has told Q Magazine he’s not actually a fan of narcotics – but revealed he enjoys an annual hallucinogenic trip in order to “open new doorways”.

Once such trip involved a fancy dress party in Las Vegas, where the band found themselves having fun on a jumping castle.

“Dom [Howard, Muse’s drummer] had a dog mask on and he ran off into the desert and I ran after him,” Bellamy recalls. “For a minute I was actually in a Salvador Dali painting. If you look at his painting ‘The Elephants’, I was the little person at the bottom of those elephants’ legs.”

No word if that image will appear on the trio’s next record, however…

Recently marrying über hip-hop star Jay-Z in a top secret New York City ceremony last month, US press outlets are reporting that pop star Beyonce Knowles is definitely pregnant.

According to a source talking to the New York Post, the “Crazy In Love” singer “has gained a lot of pregnancy weight. When she gains weight, she normally does the Def Jam detox – but not now.” Beyonce was snapped by paparazzi this week shopping in NYC, sporting what they claim is a distinct baby bump.

One of the singer’s best friends, actress Vivica A. Fox, spoke out shortly after the April wedding that she didn’t believe it would be long before the couple started a family.

“I wish them many, many years of happiness and some babies,” said Fox. “I think she will be really pretty pregnant, just like Jennifer Lopez and Halle Berry.”

Beyonce’s representatives are refusing to comment on the latest rumours, but insiders are saying the couple are “over-joyed”.

[Source: NME.com] The foreclosure auction of Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch in California has been cancelled, it was announced Monday 12 May.

The auction was scheduled for today but was called off because investment company Colony Capital LLC purchased the 2,500-acre (1011 hectares) property near Santa Barbara, reports the Los Angeles Times.

A spokesperson for Jackson issued a statement saying the pop star was “pleased with recent developments involving Neverland” that would “allow me to focus on the future”.

The ranch, which had roller coasters, a Ferris wheel and a zoo with exotic animals reportedly fell into disrepair after Jackson was acquitted of child molestation charges in 2005. He has also struggled to pay his debts in recent years, resulting in the financial difficulties with Neverland Ranch.

[Source: NME.com] Arcade Fire are recording the film soundtrack to Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly’s next film The Box.

The film will star Cameron Diaz and James Marsden.

For the soundtrack Arcade Fire are working with producer Markus Dravs, who most recently worked with Coldplay on their upcoming Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends album.

The band’s film score was being kept quiet, that is until Dravs posted on his website: “Having finished Coldplay’s forthcoming album Viva La Vida – now off to Canada to work with Arcade Fire on a soundtrack for the forthcoming Richard Kelly film.”

The flick is currently being edited, with the intention of a release later in the year, reports Angry Ape.

Hip-hop mogul Jay-Z (real name Shawn Corey Carter) has spoken out about the myriad of criticism he’s faced over his headline spot on the upcoming Glastonbury music festival in the UK.

The “99 Problems” star is being touted as one of the reasons behind the festival’s slower-than-usual ticket sales, with British acts such as Oasis, with guitarist Noel Gallagher arguing any hip-hop star’s inclusion is “wrong” because Glastonbury “has a history of guitar music”.

“We don’t play guitars, Noel, but hip-hop has put in its work like any other form of music,” Jay-Z has told The Sun newspaper.

“This headline show is just a natural progression. Rap music is still evolving. People have a passion and have an opinion about who should perform there. But the world changes and we have to embrace the change. I’ve never been involved in anything this controversial. What’s the big deal about doing a show?”

Performing alongside the likes of the Verve, Kings Of Leon and Massive Attack, Jay-Z will take on his critics when Glastonbury kicks off on Friday 27 June in Somerset, South West England.

It’s been nearly four years since the metal masked rockers Slipknot unleashed their last LP, Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses), but fans of the “Vermilion” nine-piece can get ready for a brand new disc this August.

Due for release on the Roadrunner label, according to singer Corey Taylor, the new album is going to “rip your face off”.

“I don’t think the world will be ready for this album,” Taylor has told music industry mag Billboard, and while he refuses to reveal any song titles he has admitted the band recorded the disc at their home studio in Iowa.

“It has so much power in it and yet there are so many great spots for melody,” he explains. “It’s a controlled chaos that hits you right out of the gate.”

Fans can also expect to hear the frontman lift his singing game. “I got to the point where I was tired of pretending that I couldn’t sing every time I made a Slipknot album, so this time I’m going all out.”

The as-yet-untitled disc is due out on Tuesday 12 August – while the band are also planning to unveil new, “evolved” stage costumes and masks.

Despite hyping her new songs throughout much of 2007, former Hole lead singer (and Kurt Cobain’s widow) Courtney Love has reportedly scrapped current plans for her ‘comeback’ album – which, she previously told the press, was titled Nobody’s Daughter.

Despite working on songs with Linda Perry (who’s penned hits for Christina Aguilera, Pink and Gwen Stefani amongst others), Love has apparently ditched her songwriting pal for a new muse – up-and-coming Londoner Micko Larkin, who’s the former guitarist with indie band Larrikin Love.

Love’s previous release was back in 2004, America’s Sweetheart failing to gain critical or commercial success.

Last week the 43-year-old singer was admitted to hospital, diagnosed with strep throat.

[Source: NME.com] Justin Timberlake will act as a producer for a forthcoming new reality TV show on MTV.

The show, entitled “The Phone”, will involve two mobile phones ringing in a city, with members of the public who answer them then choosing if they want to take part in the show. They will then have to complete a mission within a time limit to win a cash prize, reports BBC News.

MTV executive vice-president Tony Disanto claimed the show would be “genre-busting”. He added that “each week will be an action-packed mini-movie”.

MTV have not announced when the show will be filmed or broadcast.

[Source: NME.com] Attorneys and the judge in the R Kelly child pornography trial began questioning potential jurors yesterday to select the panel that will be responsible for the R&B star’s fate.

Kelly, who faces child pornography charges for allegedly videotaping himself having sex with a minor, was in attendance and looked sombre during the start of the juror selection at the Cook County Courthouse in Chicago.

The 150 potential jurors must be narrowed down to 16, with four of them serving as alternates.

The selection process is being held behind closed doors, but two media representatives are attending and reporting back to the rest of the media.

Today, the first potential juror told the panel he believes the singer is guilty of the charges, reports the Chicago Tribune.

“I have two little kids, and child pornography is as low as it gets,” he said.

Judge Vincent Gaughan told the man that Kelly’s attorneys won’t try to justify child pornography during the trial, adding, “There’s no one in this room who condones child pornography.”

Kelly, who remained silent during this morning’s questioning, nodded his head in agreement with the judge.

Both sides are allowed to eliminate seven potential jurors from the pool. Defence attorneys have indicated that they intend to oppose this man’s inclusion as a juror.

The juror selection is expected to take about a week, and the trial itself could last several weeks.

If Kelly is found guilty of the charges, he could face up to 15 years in prison.

It was an intimate celebration for U2 lead singer Bono, who celebrated his 48th birthday over the weekend with a couple of his closest friends – including celeb pal Brad Pitt (minus his pregnant girlfriend, Angelina Jolie).

The Hollywood star, who recently relocated to France with his family, helped usher in Bono’s latest celebration at Sass Café in Monaco on Friday 9 May, where the “One” singer blew out the candles alongside his wife, Ali Hewson, bandmate The Edge, and a member of royalty – Prince Albert.

“It was really quite a surprise,” says the café’s maitre de of the 10pm dining party.

“It wasn’t organised in advance. We only got called on it that afternoon.”

Sources close to the U2 camp have revealed that Bono and Brad have become close friends, with the families now living a mere 15 minutes away from each other.

His dad is one of the most famous musicians in the world – Crowded House frontman Neil Finn – but unlike other celebrity offspring, 24-year-old Liam Finn is making a name well and truly on his own as a talented singer/songwriter. Having recently signed to UK label Transgressive Records (home to the likes of Iron & Wine and The Shins), the former lead singer of Betchadupa has been wowing fans and music critics alike across the US – thanks to his debut solo LP I’ll Be Lightning, even supporting the likes of Eddie Vedder.

Now Liam’s returning to Australia for two quick shows before heading back abroad.

Tickets go on sale Monday 19 May and the dates are:

Tuesday 10 June – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney, NSW

Wednesday 11 June – The Evelyn, Melbourne, VIC

Once a superstar, always a superstar.

According to reports in the UK, pop icon Madonna drove organisers of Radio 1’s recent Big Weekend free gig crazy, after demanding to be collected via helicopter for her 20 minute set on Saturday 10 May.

Despite living only 60kms away, the 49-year-old diva was brought to the Kent festival by chopper, only to issue more demands for her 70+ entourage.

According to Britain’s Daily Mirror newspaper, Madonna “had special Kabbalah water shipped in and demanded bouquets of white roses. While she only ate fresh fruit, the same can’t be said of her friends. They arrived early and wolfed down free food and alcohol reserved for all the artists.”

Madge also unleashed a curse word tirade during the performance, which was being broadcast live, telling the crowd before performing “Hung Up”: “You guys are going to have to stop f***ing it up out there because I need to feel some love. I’m going to do an old song, but not too old. F**k the present. Let’s live in the past.”

The concerts hosts were quick to issue an apology for any listeners who were offended by the singer’s language.

[Source: NME.com] Troubled rap star DMX has been arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty and drug possession.

Five pit bull puppies, weapons and unspecified illegal drugs were also seized by police at his home in Arizona.

The arrest follows a seven-month inquiry after 12 apparently neglected dogs were found at his home. DMX – real name Earl Simmons – was taken to nearby jail in Maricopa County from where he was released on $7,500 (AUS$7,694)) bail.

Police report that DMX initially barricaded himself in his bedroom when officers arrived at his home at 0300 local time, but eventually surrendered without offering further resistance.

It is the second scrape with the law in a week for DMX. On Tuesday 6 May he was arrested for driving at up to 114mph (183km).

When police raided the star’s home in August, following reports of dogs being abused on his property, they seized 12 pit bulls and found the remains of three others buried in the back garden.

They also found about half a pound of cannabis at the house.

At the time DMX said he hadn’t been at home for two months and blamed a caretaker who had been left in charge.

DMX’s lawyer said he didn’t believe there was evidence to make the new charges stick and added that it was “Sheriff Joe’s moment.”

[Source: NME.com] Foxy Brown has pleaded guilty to menacing her neighbour with her mobile phone.

The rapper and her neighbour Arlene Raymond got into a fight in their Brooklyn neighbourhood last year when Brown was blasting her car stereo and her neighbour reportedly became annoyed.

Brown will not have to go to jail based on time already served. But as part of the plea deal, she was instructed to write a letter of apology to her neighbour, which she presented to Justice John Walsh in a Brooklyn court on Thursday 8 May, reports the Associated Press.

The judge extended Raymond’s order of protection against Brown, whose real name is Inga Marchand.

Brown was released from jail last month after serving a seven-month sentence related to a fight she had with a manicurist, as previously reported.

Arguably the most talented musician to ever come out of Canada, singer/songwriter Neil Young has been honoured once again for his songs… by having his own spider named after him.

The 62-year-old “Needle And The Damage Done” writer has inspired the name of a newly discovered species of trapdoor spider, the arachnid named Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi by a biologist at East Carolina University.

According to Jason Bond, “There are rather strict rules about how you name new species. As long as these rules are followed you can give a new species just about any name you please. With regards to Neil Young, I really enjoy his music and have had a great appreciation of him as an activist for peace and justice.”

Bond discovered the new spider while living in Alabama, and confirmed it was a new species by comparing its DNA with other trapdoors in the area.

Seems as though the marriage of troubled British singer Amy Winehouse and her currently imprisoned husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, is well and truly on the rocks.

With Winehouse in and out of rehab while her estranged hubby does time in anticipation of his upcoming criminal trial, now Fielder-Civil’s mother Georgette has spoken out about their relationship, encouraging her son to ditch the “Valerie” singer.

Georgette wants her son to pick up with good pal Sarah Thomas, who’s been frequently visiting him in prison. “I’ve told him he should divorce Amy now and start a new life with Sarah,” Georgette shared with the “News Of The World”.

“She’s his best buddy and has been extremely supportive. Amy’s a mess. I’ve told him if he goes back to her she will lead him to an early grave.”

Winehouse – who’s reportedly stopped work on brand new songs – is reportedly romantically involved with her manager’s assistant, Alex Haynes.

Set to headline the annual Glastonbury festival next month, British trip-hoppers Massive Attack have revealed that they’re avid followers of the US presidential campaign – and they’re hoping that Democratic hopeful Barack Obama might make it all the way to the top.

The “Teardrop” outfit’s Grant Marshall and Robert Del Naja, who’re currently curating the Meltdown Festival on London’s Southbank region, don’t think that Hilary Clinton’s opponent actually stands much of a chance at becoming President, however.

“There’s no way the people with real power will let a black man run for President,” Marshall told The Guardian newspaper, admitting he believes Republican candidate John McCain will be the successor to George W. Bush in an election he believes has virtually been “secretly decided”.

“The Democratic race,” says Marshall, is nothing but “a side-show.”

[Source: NME.com] DMX was arrested in Phoenix, AZ on Tuesday 6 May after traffic cameras caught the rapper speeding on a city freeway.

The rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, was arrested at his home and charged with several driving offences that were captured on camera on Monday 21 January.

Driving a yellow Chevrolet, he was recorded driving 114mph (183km) in a 65mph (105km) zone, and was charged with criminal speeding, public endangerment, reckless driving and driving on a suspended license, reports the Associated Press.

Simmons posted bond and was released soon after his arrest.

As previously reported, DMX was at the centre of controversy a month ago when students were maced at a campus college show at which he was performing.

Contracted security officers used mace on the crowd, who objected to the power being cut due to curfew. Subsequent reports in the Indiana Daily Student said the security firm was not sanctioned by Indiana University, or the police department, and the individuals who used mace were not identified.

[Source: NME.com] R Kelly’s attorneys have petitioned a Chicago court for another postponement of the long-awaited trial of the R&B superstar.

The singer’s team filed a motion yesterday saying “a torrent of publicity” has surrounded the case, and appealed for a postponement in order for Kelly to have a fair trial.

The motion refers to a recent decision by Judge Vincent Gaughan to allow testimony from a woman who says she had a sexual encounter with Kelly and the underage girl in the child pornography video at the root of the case.

Kelly is standing trial for having sex with a minor and videotaping it. He faces charges of child pornography for the video, which was reportedly made between January 1998 and November 2000.

It is thought the motion to postpone will be rejected, as the trial has been pending for almost six years.

Members of the media, including the Associated Press, recently filed an emergency motion to have the hearings in the trial open to media coverage, however, the court ruled that Kelly can only face a fair trial if the hearings are closed.

Selection will begin today, during which 150 people will be interviewed for the jury.

Newly married pop star Mariah Carey says she’s ready to start trying straight away for a baby, with no time to waste since tying the knot.

The “Touch My Body” star married boyfriend Nick Cannon, a model/actor, at her home in the Bahamas last week during a sunset ceremony, and now the 38-year-old singer says she wants to get knocked up as soon as possible.

“It’s part of the whole purpose of getting married,” she told the New York Daily Post yesterday. “I’d just want our children to have the best childhood and upbringing they possibly could.”

Carey is also sporting some new ink, a tattoo of her new married surname (which she won’t be using professionally).

“I don’t think anyone realised what we already knew, that we were going to get married,” she told talk show host Oprah Winfrey, when showing off her tattoo.

He’s certainly not known for being a scrooge, and now hip hop mogul P Diddy (aka Sean Combs) has splashed out on another mega party – a AUS$2.12 million croquet tournament to celebrate his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Held at a sprawling 41 hectare mansion owned by Diddy’s pal Ron Burkle, according to a source quoted in Britain’s Daily Mirror newspaper, “It was fabulous. Paris and Nicky Hilton were playing croquet on the massive lawn with the likes of musician Randy Jackson and actor Ben Stiller. You’d never imagine such an unusual game at a hip-hop star’s party. It was hilarious.”

During the unveiling of the star, Diddy told the audience, “You can get a lot of things but when you see those stars on the ground... well that’s something I can’t even say I dreamed of.”

Spice Girl and fashion plate Victoria Beckham has a new career in her sights: acting.

The “Not Such An Innocent Girl” singer – who wrapped up her reunion tour with her former pop outfit The Spice Girls back in February – is reportedly desperate to become a film actress, and has now scored herself a role in the new movie by British actor/director Alan Partridge.

Posh is set to play Steve Coogan’s assistant, Lynn, in a film adaptation of the hit British TV show “I’m Alan Partridge”.

Rumours have it that Felicity Montagu, who plans Lynn in the show, isn’t keen on moving to LA… and so the producers have approached Mrs Beckham.

Posh has slowly been making acting forays into her new home of Hollywood, with a guest role already filmed for TV series “Ugly Betty”.

“She was wonderful,” said ‘Betty’, aka America Ferrera, of Posh’s cameo role. “She definitely came with the right attitude. If you’re not willing to be humiliated then you don’t belong on our show.”

[Source: NME.com] The Police have announced they will play their last-ever show as a group at a concert in New York to benefit the arts.

The date and location of the show have yet to be revealed, with proceeds from the production going to arts programming for the city’s public television stations.

In another socially conscious move, the band today donated $1 million (AUS$1.05m) to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s programme that will see 1 million trees planted in the city by 2017. The city matched the band’s contribution.

“We kicked off our very first American tour at CBGB in 1978 and this summer, 30 years later, our journey will come full circle as we play our final show here in New York City,” the band said in a statement.

“We are honored to partner with public television and have a deep respect for their commitment to arts and culture.”

The Police reunited for a world tour a year ago and will play their final show in the UK on Sunday 29 June.

[Source: NME.com] New Jersey proudly celebrated its famous residents on Sunday with a ceremony inducting the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Frank Sinatra to the brand new New Jersey Hall Of Fame.

The legendary singers were listed alongside Albert Einstein, Meryl Streep, Thomas Edison, astronaut Buzz Aldrin and more in the inductions, which stipulated that all must have lived in the state for more than five years.

The website states: “The New Jersey Hall of Fame will honor our citizens who have made invaluable contributions to society and the world beyond.

The New Jersey Hall of Fame is proud to announce that we hold one of the strictest criteria for Halls of Fame throughout the country. With only rare exceptions, nominees must have resided in New Jersey for a period of at least five years. We are currently employing a three-phase process to find our inductees.”

Up to 15 people will be selected each year for induction, spanning five categories from Arts & Entertainment to Sports.

Funds are currently being raised for a building to house the Hall.

With several film cameos and small roles already to his name, including appearances in the thriller Wanted and Smokin’ Aces, US rapper Common has been announced as one of the stars of the upcoming action epic Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins.

The 36-year-old Chicago-based hip-hop star will play the role of Barnes, a freedom fighter who’s attempting to save humankind from the deadly machines in the hit series.

The “Drivin’ Me Wild” star – who’s set to release his eighth LP, Invincible Summer, in July – will appear alongside Christian Slater, who’ll take on the role of John Connor, while Aussie actor Sam Worthington will also feature.

The film is due out May 2009.

It’s one of the most highly anticipated films of 2008 and due out later this month: Sex And The City.

Now it’s been revealed that Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie has recorded the show’s theme song… but only after receiving an early screening of the fashion-friendly pic.

According to writer/director Michael Patrick King, the ‘Glamorous’ singer was thrilled at being asked to be a part of the film, but it took some convincing to make it actually happen.

“When we first approached Fergie, her music company said she’s really, really busy,” King says, “and then she said very bargainy, ‘Let me see the movie!’ So we had a private bootleg screening for Fergie – and then recorded it almost immediately.”

Things are looking up for troubled pop princess Britney Spears, her on-going custody battle with ex-hubby Kevin Federline easing up.

The “Gimme More” singer attended a quiet, paparazzi-free hearing yesterday, and was given the right to have longer, more frequent visits with her two sons, two-year-old Sean Preston and one-year-old Jayden James.

While Federline still regains custody, his lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, says they believe Spears is making real progress and that relations between the couple are positive.

The longer visits are “recognition of the progress that has been made, a progress in structure and stability,” he says. “We are so pleased with Britney’s progress and we are very appreciative of the court’s recognition of this progress,” Spears’ parents, Jamie and Lynne Spears, said in an issued statement.

Meanwhile, Federline’s spokesman, Elliot Mintz, said that the wannabe rapper is, “extremely pleased with the way things went today.”

[Source: NME.com] Dandy Warhols have revealed the tracklisting of their forthcoming album, Earth To The Dandy Warhols.

The follow-up to 2005's Odditorium Or Warlords Of Mars is being released on the band's brand-new label, Beat The World Records this summer, but is being featured in jukeboxes across the US beginning today.

Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits and guitarist Mike Campbell of Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers are featured on the track “Love Song”.

The band have also posted the album's first track, “The World The People Together (Come On)”, on their newly revamped website Dandywarhols.com.

To celebrate these events and Cinco de Mayo, the band are throwing a party tonight at San Francisco's Minna Gallery, which is open to the public.

The album tracklisting is: “The World The People Together (Come On)”, “Mission Control”, “Welcome To The Third World”, “Wasp In the Lotus”, “And Then I Dreamt Of Yes”, “Talk Radio”, “Love Song”, “Now You Love Me”, “Mis Amigos”, “The Legend Of The Last Of The Outlaw Truckers AKA The Ballad Of Sheriff Shorty”, “Beast Of All Saints”, “Valerie Yum”, 'Musee D'Nougat”.

[Source: NME.com] R Kelly’s lawyers are attempting to maintain gag orders and continue to operate in closed hearings for the R&B singer’s trial which is scheduled to begin this Friday 9 May

Gag orders were placed on attorneys and pre-trial hearings have thus far been closed in the case, which will see Kelly stand trial for sex with a minor.

The Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, WBEZ-Chicago Public Radio and The Associated Press all filed emergency motions on Friday 2 May, seeking court transcripts and an end to the gag orders.

But Kelly’s attorney Marc Martin says that a fair trial may be hindered by media attention saying “The First Amendment right to access in the context of a criminal trial is not absolute.”

State Supreme Court Judge Vincent Gaughan has said he is attempting to protect the rights of Kelly, and is conscious that information through the media may affect prospective jurors, says the Associated Press.

A hearing on the matter is set for Thursday 8 May.

Troubled British singer Amy Winehouse has confirmed she’s stopped working on any brand new tracks, after previously re-teaming with producer and close mate Mark Ronson.

The pair were attempting to write a new James Bond theme song.

Earlier this week the Versions producer told the BBC that they’d quit writing because he believed Winehouse “was not ready to record”.

Now, however, the “Rehab” star’s spokesperson has stated that the singer “always made her own decisions about her music.”

“Needless to say, this is part of the process between artist and producer and we're sure they will continue to make great music together,” the spokesperson says.

Winehouse was the lead choice to sing the theme song for the new flick, Quantum Of Solace, which is released this November.

He’s famous for having a big ego, so it comes as no surprise that when American hip-hop star Kanye West heard about the review of his recent Glow In The Dark concert, he hit the roof.

A music critic for US magazine Entertainment Weekly published their take on the “Gold Digger” rapper’s recent Seattle gig – which also featured Rihanna and N*E*R*D.

Giving it a B+ rating, the reviewer wrote, “In space, no one can hear you scream, but if you’re West, everyone will hear you self-actualise.”

After reading the relatively harmless review, it seems West isn’t happy. “What's a B+ mean?” he wrote on his blog. “I'm an extremist. It's either pass or fail! A+ or F-! You know what, f**k you and the whole staff … You don't know shit about passion and art. You'll never gain credibility at this rate. You're trash.” West finished his tirade by telling the reviewer to “never come to one of his shows again”.

Wonder what would happen if he’d been given a F?

Currently on tour throughout several African nations, US rapper 50 Cent has been involved in a few rather interesting events so far.

The “In Da Club” star recently enjoyed a meeting with former South African leader Nelson Mandela, the chat between to two captured on film by an MTV camera crew (who’re following Fiddy – real name Curtis Jackson III – on his African tour leg).

Talking in front of the camera before enjoying a private discussion, Fiddy discussed his previous visit earlier that day to the Hector Pieterson Memorial museum in Soweto with the Nobel Prize winner, a visit that saw Nelson’s grandson giving the star a quick lesson in apartheid.

Meanwhile, Fiddy’s also holding onto his bling a tad more carefully, after an over-zealous fan in Angola jumped onstage and grabbed the rapper’s diamond encrusted chain.

Luckily, the robber was caught, and now the chain is “back around 50’s neck right now,” says a crew member.

[Source: NME.com] Courtney Love made a 3am trip to the emergency unit of LA’s Cedars Sinai hospital complaining of laryngitis.

Love checked into the hospital on Friday 2 May morning after allegedly complaining about throat and chest pains.

Doctors asked her about drugs and made her see a psychiatrist.

On the way home, despite her sore throat, she stopped to buy cigarettes. An onlooker told TMZ : “She looked pretty worn out”.

In a statement it was confirmed Love’s was diagnosed with strep throat.

[Source: NME.com] Actress Nicole Kidman is set to play legendary singer Dusty Springfield in a film of her life.

Kidman will also produce the film through film company Fox’s Blossom Films company.

It will reunited her with writer Michael Cunningham, who wrote the 1998 book The Hours, which was turned into a 2002 movie in which Kidman played an Oscar-winning role.

However, Universal films is developing its own Dusty Springfield film, with “The West Wing” actress Kristin Chenoweth set to star.

Madonna was also rumoured to be interested in starring in with a TV film about the singer, reports Variety.

No release date for either film has been announced.

Springfield died from breast cancer aged 59 in 1999.

Celebrated British outfit Radiohead turned the music biz on its head with the sudden, unexpected self-release of their seventh album, In Rainbows… but don’t expect the band to allow fans to choose their own fee for Radiohead album ever again.

According to singer Thom Yorke, the decision to let fans set their own price for the “Creep” rockers’ latest opus was a test – and one they’re not certain worked.

“I think it was a one-off response to a particular situation,” Yorke told The Hollywood Reporter when asked about the band’s downloading policy.

“It was one of those things where we were in the position of everyone asking us what we were going to do. I don’t think it would have the same significance now anyway, if we chose to give something away again. It was a moment in time. We are about that direct relationship [now] because we are big enough to establish that.”

He’s recently been announced as part of the upcoming Splendour in the Grass festival line-up, and now British trip-hop superstar Tricky – aka Adrian Thaws – has revealed he’s got a brand new album up his sleeve.

The follow-up to 2003’s Vulnerable is called Knowle West Boy, the 13 track disc due for release this July.

Recorded in London and Los Angeles, the album was produced by the “Black Steel” singer, along with producer Switch (who recently teamed up with M.I.A. and Santogold).

First single will be “Council Estate”, due out in late June.

The tracklisting for the new disc is: “Puppy Toy”, “Bacative”, “Joseph”, “Veronica”, “C’mon Baby”, “Council Estate”, “Past Mistake”, “Coalition”, “Cross To Bear”, “Slow”, “Baligaga”, “Far Away”, “School Gates”.

Live American powerhouse Pearl Jam have begun work on their ninth studio LP, re-teaming with producer Brendan O’Brien. O’Brien – whose worked with the likes of Powderfinger, Bruce Springsteen and Rage Against The Machine – has worked with the “Jeremy” rockers on several discs now, including 1993’s Vs, 1994’s Vitalogy, 1996’s No Code and 1998’s Yield. According to guitarist Mike McCready, while they’ve only got four or five songs at the moment, the band are hoping to have a finished disc ready by late 2008.

“We’ve always been friends,” O’Brien told music industry site Billboard.com late last year. “They were great to me when we were making records together [before], and we still remained very good friends ... I still think they’re a great band. Eddie [Vedder] has one of the best, if not the best, voices out there. When he sings, people believe them.”

Pearl Jam are about to embark on a 13-date US tour.