Fall Out Boy/ Killers Beef Gives Birth To A Song
MTV
Pete Wentz is getting the final word once again. Just days after the Killers' Ronnie Vannucci downplayed any burgeoning beef between his band and Fall Out Boy, the verbose (and Internet-savvy) Wentz posted an entry in his blog at FueledByRamen.com
"It's really easy to write a couple of songs, but that doesn't mean you get to run your mouth." — Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz looking to get the absolute, total, 100 percent last say on the matter.
"There is no beef, just seitan. Just getting rattled over nothing," he wrote. "Just too much makeup and no hearts, just egos on the sleeves over here in Fall Out Boy land."
The post not only ended the Killers/FOB beef in near world-record time — the whole thing started less than two weeks ago (see "Killers Get More Beef — This Time With Fall Out Boy") — but also managed to give a shout-out to "the vegetarian wheat meat" and be confusing all at once (a true trifecta). So to get to the bottom of all this, MTV News decided to go straight to Wentz for the scoop.
"Well, at first I was kind of bummed out by the whole thing, because there are a lot of bands that talk bad about us, but when it's a band that actually writes good songs, it's a bum-out, because it's harder to overlook," he said from his hotel room in Albany, New York. "And I thought it was kind of ridiculous, because that band is like quadruple-million-platinum. And to be jealous or imply that you don't like sharing your A&R guy with an untalented band seemed kind of lame. But I think both [Killers frontman] Brandon [Flowers] and I are alike because we both use too much hair product and run our mouths way more than our bands like."
Those sentiments were echoed by Vannucci when he put the beef to bed earlier this week (see "Killers Give Details On New LP, Admit They Kind Of Like Fall Out Boy"). But just because the feud appears to be dead, doesn't mean Wentz still can't give the corpse a couple of swift kicks. Seems he and Fall Out frontman Patrick Stump have been busy churning out songs for a new album. One in particular manages to get in a not-so-subtle dig at Flowers, who started this whole flap by complaining in an interview that his band's A&R rep now focuses all his time on Fall Out Boy. It's a tune called "You Can't Spell 'Star' Without A&R."
"It's about our A&R guy, Rob Stevenson, who's always getting caught in the middle of all the beefs between us and the Killers and the Bravery," Wentz laughed. "But it's more about everyone thinking they're the new W. Axl Rose, just running their mouths and living in this world where nothing is real. Like, it's really easy to write a couple of songs, but that doesn't mean you get to run your mouth. The only guy who can do that is Michael Jackson. He wrote Thriller, so he can say anything he wants."
Wentz said Fall Out boy have 12 new songs written, with about 30 "fragments" of other songs floating around. "Bands should concentrate more on writing new songs and less about running their mouths," Wentz concluded. "That's what we're doing."
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D'Angelo Says He's 'Fine' After Car Accident
MTV
According to R&B crooner D'Angelo, he's recovering at home following last week's car accident, and he can't wait to return to the studio to finish his forthcoming record.
"I banged up my ribs, but other than that, I'm fine," the Grammy Award-winning singer told The Associated Press on Monday night from his home in Midlothian, Virginia. The singer sustained bruised ribs and some contusions, according to his attorney and business advisor, L. Londell McMillan.
D'Angelo said he was released from Richmond's Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center on Friday, just days after the September 19 accident along Virginia's Route 711 (see "Singer D'Angelo Seriously Injured In Car Crash").
McMillan issued a statement yesterday afternoon assuring fans that D'Angelo, born Michael Eugene Archer, was doing well and "is anxious to finish the recording of his soul masterpiece that the world has patiently awaited."
The singer's last album, Voodoo, was released in 2000.
The news of D'Angelo's release from the hospital's Intensive Care Unit comes after comments made Monday morning by Sergeant Kevin Barrick, a Virginia State Police spokesperson, who explained that the musician was still being treated for injuries characterized as "critical" in a press release issued over the weekend.
Calls to Virginia State Police for comment were not returned by press time.
D'Angelo was rushed by Med-Flight helicopter to VCU Medical Center soon after last week's accident, a single-car crash that took place just before 8 p.m. on September 19. Barrick said D'Angelo's 2003 Hummer was headed east on Route 711 in Virginia's Powhatan County when it ran off the road and slammed into a fence before overturning.
Barrick said D'Angelo, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle. Another person inside the Hummer, Lynne Sellers, also sustained significant injuries; she was taken by ambulance to VCU Medical Center, where she was treated and released days later.
Police investigating the wreck are still unsure who was operating the vehicle when it crashed; according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Hummer is registered to D'Angelo's brother, who lives in New York.
D'Angelo told the AP that Sellers was at the wheel when the Hummer skidded off the highway. Beyond that, he said, "I don't really remember anything" about the crash.
Two weeks ago, D'Angelo was handed a suspended prison sentence after being convicted of cocaine possession. In April, the singer was fined $250 and given a 90-day suspended jail term after pleading guilty in Virginia District Court to charges of marijuana possession and driving under the influence of alcohol (see "D'Angelo Pleads Guilty To Charges Of DUI, Drug Possession"); his driver's license was revoked for one year.
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Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore Reportedly Tie The Knot
MTV
In news that will no doubt have fans of trucker hats and hot moms doing back flips with excitement, Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore were married Saturday night in a private ceremony at a Beverly Hills home, according to Us Weekly.
The marriage — Kutcher's first and Moore's third — took place before more than 100 of the couple's closest friends and family, including actors Bruce Willis and Wilmer Valderrama, actress Lucy Liu and Moore's three daughters, Rumer Glenn, Scout LaRue and Tallulah Belle. The couple, both avid followers of Kabbalah, exchanged vows in what guests of the wedding told Us was "a brief but traditional ceremony."
Reps for Kutcher, 27, and Moore, 42, could not be reached for comment at press time.
Moore was married to musician Freddie Moore for four years in the early 1980s and then to Willis, the father of her three children (the couple separated in 1998). "Punk'd" host Kutcher had previously dated actress Brittany Murphy, his co-star in "Just Married," before he began dating Moore in early 2003.
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Killers Get More Beef — This Time With Fall Out Boy
MTV
With the state of rock and roll being what it is today, anyone with free time, a wireless connection and a penchant for writing longwinded (and dubiously punctuated) Internet diatribes can spark up a full-fledged band-on-band conflict in a matter of hours — as is the case with the latest rock feud between scrappy punk-underdogs Fall Out Boy and double-platinum synth-rockers the Killers.
It all started last Wednesday, when FOB bassist Pete Wentz made a passing remark about the Killers in his journal on the band's official site, FallOutBoyRock.com, writing, "It's funny the way you talk about sharing an A&R guy like it matters," apparently referring to a second-hand comment he'd heard about Rob Stevenson, the Island Records Artist and Repertoire executive the two bands do in fact share (neither Stevenson nor a Fall Out Boy representative would clarify the issue or comment on the matter at all). "It's too bad you wrote a couple of good songs, otherwise it'd be that much easier to write you off." Wentz then signed the post as "Mr. Brightsides."
Emo-punk messageboards across the Internet nation picked up on the posting, with many speculating that the reason Wentz lashed out at the Killers was because they had complained to Stevenson that ever since Fall Out Boy had taken off, the Las Vegas quartet had been all but forgotten by their label, Island Records.
A few days later, Wentz lashed out at the Killers again, this time singling out frontman Brandon Flowers as his target. In a post on FueledByRamen.com (the Web site of the record label that released FOB's 2003 album Take This To Your Grave, plus a 2004 EP, My Heart Will Always Be the B-Side to My Tongue), Wentz was giving props to Panic! At the Disco, a Las Vegas dance-punk act he had recently signed to his Decaydance Records, and who will share the stage with the band on the upcoming Nintendo Fusion Tour (see "Fall Out Boy Making Their Own Magic On Fall Headlining Tour") when he managed to get in a few not-so-subtle, capitalized digs at Flowers.
"I hope none of THE OTHER Las Vegas BANDs get jealous that there is another gem out in the middle of the desert," Wentz wrote. "F---ing wasting my time on FLOWERS."
It should be noted that a spokesperson for the Killers was unaware of any burgeoning beef between the bands, and that Fall Out Boy's spokesperson had no comment on the issue. Both bands are signed to Island, but just because they're family doesn't mean they can't fight: earlier this year the Killers engaged in a lengthy war or words with New York synth band (and labelmates) the Bravery (see "The Vanilla Thrilla: The Killers vs. The Bravery").
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New 'Goblet Of Fire' Trailer Gives A Taste Of PG-13 'Potter'
MTV
Flying horses, butterfly-spouting beauties and the very incarnation of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named await fans in the new trailer for "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," the most revealing glimpse yet of the first PG-13 installment in the blockbuster series.
Series regulars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson return a few years wiser and with more complicated issues now facing their teenage characters. This time, Harry must compete in the prestigious Triwizard Tournament, while Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes, joining the series) looks for an opening that may allow him to re-establish his evil reign. As if that weren't troublesome enough, Harry will face an even more terrifying situation in preparing for his greatest challenge yet: getting a date for Hogwarts' Yule Ball dance.
In addition to Fiennes, additional new actors can be glimpsed in the trailer in roles that will no doubt be well-known to die-hard fans of the books. Stanislav Ianevski appears as Quidditch superstar (and object of Hermione's affection) Viktor Krum, while Miranda Richardson ("The Prince and Me") will be taking on the muckraking ways of reporter Rita Skeeter. Brendan Gleeson ("The Village") assumes the hideous visage of incoming Hogwarts professor
Romance, danger and, yes, some rather nasty dragons are in the air in the new "Goblet of Fire" trailer — watch it now on Overdrive.
Mad-Eye Moody, whose terrifying glare will no doubt be firmly fixed upon the activities of the lightning-bolt-scarred wizard and his friends.
Nineteen-year-old newcomer Robert Pattinson will play the dapper Hufflepuff seeker Cedric Diggory, while French actress Clémence Poésy becomes snooty Fleur Delacour and Katie Leung will soon be known to fans as Cho Chang, Harry's first official crush.
Mike Newell ("Four Weddings and a Funeral") takes the directorial reins of the series from Alfonso Cuarón, himself a replacement for the behind-the-camera presence of the first two films' Chris Columbus. "Goblet" is scheduled to bring its magic to theaters on November 18.
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Kanye Announces North American Tour Dates
MTV
Def Jam has announced an itinerary for Kanye West's Touch the Sky tour, and by the looks of it, the label's main hip-hop breadwinner doesn't favor arenas or theaters, as he'll perform in both on his trek.
"Performing live is the reason why we make this music, spend so much time and thought and craft on it," Kanye said in a statement. He's titled his outing after one of the songs on his Late Registration LP.
"It's never been about the critics or the album sales," he continued. "It's about the fans, and I love having the opportunity to bring this music — that I've poured my heart and soul into — to them. I think about how audiences are going to respond to hooks and intros and certain lines when I'm in the studio recording. Bringing these songs to the stage is the ultimate fulfillment of the creative process."
Not surprisingly, West has tapped his GOOD Music artist Common to appear as well as extended musical family member Keyshia Cole, who also sang during some of West's sets when he toured with Usher last year. "American Idol" winner Fantasia rounds out the bill.
Kanye's kickoff is right around the corner, on October 11 at the University of Miami's Convocation Center. From there, he's all over the place, not coming off the road until December 11. His last scheduled stop is at the GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia.
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Ice Cube Hit With $100 Million 'Barbershop' Suit
MTV
Is it possible two people could have had the same idea for what would eventually become a box-office-busting film franchise? Not according to James Davis.
The Montgomery, Alabama, filmmaker filed a lawsuit against O'Shea Jackson —
better known as rapper-turned-actor Ice Cube — and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures on Wednesday, alleging breach of contract and copyright infringement. The suit claims that the entire premise behind 2002's "Barbershop" — the hit comedy about a day in the life of a barbershop on Chicago's South Side — was lifted from a script he'd written years before the Cube flick made its way to the big screen.
According to court records, Davis' script, called "The Shop," was based on the time he'd spent at a barbershop in Atlanta; he claims to hold a copyright on the screenplay, and is seeking $100 million in damages. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, additionally lists State Street Pictures, Cube's Cube Vision Production, and the film's writers and producers as defendants.
"Barbershop," which also starred Eve and Cedric the Entertainer, grossed an estimated $77 million worldwide and spawned two sequels: 2004's "Barbershop 2: Back in Business" and this year's "Beauty Shop," starring Queen Latifah, Kevin Bacon, Alicia Silverstone and Mena Suvari. Those two films took in a collective $102 million in estimated global box-office receipts. The movies have also inspired a TV series, Showtime's "Barbershop."
Eric Goodman, a California copyright attorney, told The Associated Press that it was doubtful that MGM would have willfully engaged in copyright infringement, and added that Davis would have a tough time proving in court that the scribes behind the "Barbershop" screenplay obtained a copy of his script and drew from it for their own treatment.
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University Student Investigated By Secret Service For Bush Comment
MTV
A University of Louisville student who is the chairman of the school's Student Nonviolence Coordinating Committee is being investigated by the Secret Service for a statement advocating violence against President Bush.
The student, 21-year-old Phillip Bailey, posted a message on the Web site The SOULution in which he said New Orleans residents who were taking necessary items after Hurricane Katrina should shoot at anyone who gets in their way, according to a Louisville Courier-Journal report.
"I say take everything you can to keep you and your family alive, because it took the government five long days to bring fresh food and water. ... I say shoot every cop, national guard and politician who stands in your way, INCLUDING GEORGE W. BUSH if need be," Bailey wrote in his posting Monday, responding to a suggestion from another poster that looters should be shot.
The Secret Service said it is up to the U.S. Attorney's Office to determine whether Bailey should be charged with the crime of making threats against the president, which carries a five-year prison term. Bailey met with Secret Service agents on Tuesday and told the Courier-Journal that he doesn't regret his posting.
"In that context, it was fitting," Bailey said, explaining that he was trying to say that it's understandable for people to fight for survival, but that he was not advocating violence. "I'm advocating that people defend themselves and survive."
The comments were posted and criticized on the local Fraternal Order of Police Web site, and FOP President Richard Dotson said one of his members alerted the union leadership, who reported the posting to the Secret Service.
"As far as I'm concerned, it's a direct threat against authority. We're concerned that someone out there might believe the remarks of this man," Dotson told the Courier-Journal, referring to Bailey as "an idiot."
In light of the flap, the Editorial Board of the SOULution site posted a defense of Bailey's comments: "Mr. Bailey's comments represent the freedom of speech granted to each citizen of this nation. We stand by our brother 100 percent, and his comments. ... Those wishing to portray Phillip Bailey in a negative light must deal with not one individual, but a movement that will continue to push the envelope of the status quo on an intelligent level. We urge all of our readers to be sure of all of the facts in this case and to view our message board, and see for themselves what was said in the context of the conversation."
Bailey is a regular contributor to the campus newspaper, the Louisville Cardinal, and has been involved in local efforts to fight violence in Louisville, according to the Courier-Journal. He believes that his words are being misconstrued in an effort to discredit him.
University professor Ricky Jones supported Bailey, saying his comments have been blown out of proportion.
"Phillip Bailey is not a terrorist," Jones said. "Phillip Bailey is not a presidential assassin nor a potential presidential assassin."
