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No Doubt began as a good-time ska-party band, full of California sunshine. But in the last few years, that’s been obscured by smog: bruised egos within the band, gloomy lyrics and weak record sales for last year’s Return of Saturn. The bad times are all gone on their upcoming album, Rock Steady, reports singer Gwen Stefani. “We’re not taking ourselves so seriously,” she says. “It’s like, get over it. We’re a fucking band and we’re really lucky to be doing what we do.” Rock Steady, out December 18th, is a sweet pop confection, made with arrays of keyboards, a dance-floor… Read more »

Timbaland has been making noise on the CEO/producer side of things lately with the first act off of his Beat Club imprint, Bubba Sparxxx. Next month, the world will finally get to hear more fruits of his labors as an MC. On November 20, Indecent Proposal, the second LP by Timbaland and his partner in rhyme, Magoo, will finally see the light of day after accumulating dust on the shelf. “I did it a year ago,” Tim said, somewhat flatly, of the album last month. The production impresario, who handled all the work behind the boards for the LP, confided… Read more »

British music giant EMI Group Plc on Monday appointed former PolyGram president Alain Levy as the new chief of its recorded music division in a move aimed at reversing the decline at one of its main operations. EMI, home to such acts as Mariah Carey, Radiohead, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and David Bowie, said Levy would become the new chairman and chief executive officer at EMI Recorded Music, replacing Ken Berry, who had left the group by “mutual agreement.” Levy also will take up a position on the main board. The company added in a statement its trading remained… Read more »

A suit that pits the estate of legendary crooner Bing Crosby against Universal Music Group alleges that the family has been cheated out of royalties to the tune of $16 million. A hearing in the case, filed last year in the Santa Monica branch of L.A. Superior Court, is scheduled for next month. The plaintiffs – the estates of Crosby and his first wife Wilma Wyatt (the actress known as Dixie Lee, who died in 1952) – are seeking documents, including 10 email messages, they expect will support their breach of contract claims. The attorney representing the Crosby estate did… Read more »

Bassist Jason Newsted toured, recorded and partied with Metallica 24-7 for some 13 years. After quitting the band in February, at least partly because of a ban on side projects, he suddenly found the flexibility to work on multiple projects with different artists. Newsted, 38, is producing an album by punk-metal behemoth Speedealer and anticipating the major-label debut of his trio EchoBrain. Toward the end of the year, he’ll begin producing New York noise-metal band Dragpipe before entering the studio with Voivod to play bass on the band’s allegedly final album. And if he has time, he’ll play drums with… Read more »

Michael Jackson’s star-studded concerts in New York last month will make it to the small screen on November 13. Although such newer royalty as Britney Spears and Destiny’s Child performed at the King of Pop’s two tribute shows, Jackson’s solo set – his first in the U.S. in more than a decade – will be the focus of “Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special,” according to a spokesperson for CBS television. The show will air at 9 p.m. ET/PT. (MTVi’s parent company, Viacom, also owns CBS.) The show will feature Jackson performing such hits as “Billie Jean,” “Beat It” and “Black… Read more »

No Doubt might as well change their name to No Rules for their upcoming album. Rock Steady, due December 18, is a scattered collection of pop, rock, rap and reggae songs produced by everyone from Prince to Dr. Dre. Singer Gwen Stefani, all smiles talking about her band’s fifth album during the video shoot for the all-star “What’s Going On” remake, explained how her band of brothers returned from Saturn with an urge to do something different. “After 14 years of being a band, you build all these rules up,” Stefani said, adjusting her shiny No Doubt belt buckle. “That’s… Read more »

Ass-smacking enthusiast Wes Scantlin and his Puddle of Mudd bandmates will launch a monthlong headlining tour October 18 in Atlanta, but they’ll also take time to pay back some of the radio stations spinning their hit “Control.” Prior to the tour’s launch, Puddle of Mudd will play WAVF-FM’s Wavefest in Charleston, South Carolina, on Sunday with 311, the Long Beach Dub Allstars and others. WFXH-FM’s Fustercluck, with Sevendust, Pete Yorn and others in Savannah, Georgia, and WCHZ-FM’s Rockfest, featuring Sevendust, Days of the New and others in Augusta, Georgia, have also been worked into their itinerary. St. Louis band Mesh… Read more »

Mobb Deep’s “Burn,” the group’s first single serviced to the street from the highly anticipated “Infamy” album, is starting to heat up on the mix show and mix tape circuit. The hard-hitting cut from Havoc and Prodigy features guest vocals from long-time Mobb collaborator Big Noyd as well as Murder Inc’s Vita, best known for her inspired work with Ja Rule on his “Put It On Me” single. Vita, who handles the chorus on “Burn,” puts suckers on alert: “When will you ever learn, keep playing with that fire, that ass’ll get burned?” “Burn” also provides the public with its… Read more »

Los Lobos have entered the studio with legendary producer John Leckie to record their eleventh studio album and their first recording of new material since 1999’s This Time. The group plans to release the record in early-2002, to coincide with their twenty-fifth anniversary. The past year has found the group looking backwards with the reissue of Del Este de Los Angeles, their 1977 debut recording of traditional material and their second retrospective, El Cancionero: Mas y Mas, a four-disc compilation that spanned their career. The new album will be the group’s first recording without the production team of Mitchell Froom… Read more »