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It’s 30 Seconds to Mars. And about half that to file a lawsuit. Jared Leto and his bandmate brother, Shannon, were sued Friday by Virgin Records America for failing to come through on a five-album deal the eyelinered duo and the now-defunct indie label, Immortal Records, inked with the plaintiff nine years ago. While Leto used a couple of those years to appear in movies like Girl, Interrupted and American Psycho, his band eventually got the ball rolling with its 2002 self-titled debut. The alt-rockers followed that up with 2005’s A Beautiful Lie. But since their sophomore effort, according to… Read more »

The now-aged but still-recording New Kids on the Block have some whippersnappers competing for the attention of suburban housewives nationwide by the name of the Backstreet Boys. Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough and A.J. McLean are looking to give their boy-band brethren a run for their record sales. The quartet has begun working on its sixth studio album, targeted for a late 2008 release, just in time to compete with the latest from NKOTB. The Backstreet Boys (still sans the retired Kevin Richardson) began cranking on the new material while touring Europe last month, according to Billboard. They may… Read more »

When Hartmut Ostrowski was an up-and-comer in Bertelsmann’s printing and services division in the 1990s, his bosses were discouraged from speaking at meetings of the top executives. In the glamorous world of Bertelsmann, a global media empire with music, television, and publishing properties – Germany’s answer to Time Warner – services were viewed as strictly a backstage function. Now, with Mr. Ostrowski at the helm of Bertelsmann, the stagehands are striding into the spotlight. Two weeks ago, he named Markus Dohle, a 39-year-old German who runs the company’s printing operations, as chief executive of Random House, the world’s largest consumer… Read more »

The album that will put the new EMI under its greatest global scrutiny to date is also 2008’s most eagerly awaited release. That’s the official word from Coldplay’s new boss. The band’s “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends” will be released June 12 internationally on Parlophone/EMI and on June 17 in North America on Capitol. EMI Group chairman Guy Hands, who led the buyout of the music company last summer through his private-equity firm Terra Firma, says, “Right across the world, this is the most anticipated album of the year.” As the follow-up to the British melodic… Read more »

Soul legend Tina Turner on Friday unveiled plans to tour for the first time in eight years after her friend and film icon Sophia Loren told her it was time to hit the road again. Turner, 68, came out of retirement when she sang her hit song “Proud Mary” with R&B singer Beyonce at February’s Grammy Awards, and the pair brought the crowd to its feet. Turner, who has been living in Europe, said that after the duet fans begged her to go back on tour. An eight-time Grammy winner, Turner will bring her show to 17 cities across the… Read more »

Beck’s new album is shaping up to be a game of Cat and Mouse. The Grammy-winning alt-rocker plans to issue his eighth major-label studio album this summer, an as-yet-untitled 10-song set produced by Gnarls Barkley board whiz Danger Mouse and reportedly featuring a guest appearance by indie rocker Cat Power. The new material clocks in at a concise 30 minutes and is the follow-up to 2006’s The Information, which peaked at No. 7 and sold 380,000 copies. Beck touted the project on his website, but neither he nor Interscope have announced a specific street date, leading to speculation that it… Read more »

As Portishead finished its meticulously sparse evening performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the typically reticent Beth Gibbons suddenly leapt off the stage and ran a 100-yard dash along the fenced-in crowd, exuberantly shaking their hands. Percussionist Geoff Barrow and guitarist Adrian Utley soon exited more quietly. Barrow, though, paused in front of a microphone to say, simply, “Thanks for waiting.” After a ten-year hiatus, Portishead is back. This is not a reunion bow, though, but rather an energized reboot of a band that ten years ago found itself burnt out from a rock ‘n’ roll life… Read more »

Motley Crue is taking a page from the Ozzy Osbourne playbook by launching its own touring hard-rock festival, the band said on Tuesday. Crue Fest, whose roster also includes Grammy-nominated acts Buckcherry and Papa Roach, will kick off in West Palm Beach, Fla., on July 1, and take in 41 cities across United States and Canada. The amphitheater trek will help the band promote its autobiographical new album “Saints of Los Angeles,” which is due in stores on June 17. Singer Vince Neil, bass player Nikki Sixx, guitarist Mick Mars and drummer Tommy Lee performed the title track, as well… Read more »

New York rock band Interpol will return to duty this summer for a run of European and North American festival dates, beginning July 3 in Norway. The trek will likely be the last in support of the band’s 2007 album, “Our Love To Admire,” before it gets busy on its next album. The only North American date confirmed so far is the Pemberton Festival in British Columbia on July 26. “We didn’t really do much of the summer festivals last year,” drummer Sam Fogarino told Billboard.com. “It will be the last hit-it-home, end-on-a-good note.” The new album, its first for… Read more »

The much-awaited iPhone with 3G is coming in May, according to a report by the Bank of America. Both Apple and AT&T, its exclusive carrier partner in the U.S., have said a higher-speed version of the popular device is coming, but they haven’t set a date. The BOA’s research report was authored by analyst Scott Craig and cited Friday by the Reuters news service. Three Million in May Craig told Reuters that there will be “an initial small build in May,” and “significant production” in June. Despite the report, AT&T and Apple declined comment. But June would be a good… Read more »