Search Results for: rage against the machine

INDIO, California – Perhaps it was a sign that the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Arcade Fire and Hot Chip were sharing the same bill. Whatever the case, Saturday was certainly one of the most scorching Coachella afternoons ever, with temperatures into the100s for hours on end. That meant the tented stages provided plenty of shadowy solace, while pre-sunset outdoor acts were playing to their diehards and suffering while doing it. (Let’s just say there were multiple hipster rockers quoting Lil Jon’s infamous sweat-dripping lyrics.) Still, Peter Bjorn and John and the Decemberists wore their suits and the Sahara tent was… Read more »

AUSTIN, Texas – Every March, the music industry throws on a pair of shorts, slathers on the SPF 45 and heads on down to Austin for South by Southwest, a weeklong celebration of bands, BBQ and (sometimes free!) beer. It’s a brutal bacchanal and music marathon powered by thousands of acts playing in hundreds of venues – at all hours – plus an unreal number of open-bar tabs and fancy private parties. Sleep is not exactly a top priority, so MTV News has dispatched three of its most tireless reporters into the fray. They’ll be filing reports a few times… Read more »

New York – At 7:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, hundreds of thousands of revelers had already begun packing into Times Square, chanting and posing for photos (many would also later don questionable hats). And though it was still early, it was just as hectic high above it all in the MTV studios: a frantic mix of cables, cameras and controlled catastrophes. It was the final rehearsal for MTV’s “Iced Out New Year’s,” and lights had to be arranged, lines rehearsed and the set decorated. The celebrities were all safely in their dressing rooms, tables and tables of sushi had… Read more »

The odds are stacked against Velvet Revolver. Their singer, Scott Weiland, is currently in drug rehab for the umpteenth time. Who knows if he’ll be a free man when it’s time to tour, and judging from his past history, it could be a struggle for him to stay clean when the band hits the road. As for his bandmates – ex-Guns N’ Roses members Slash (guitar), Duff McKagan (bass) and Matt Sorum (drums), and former Suicidal Tendencies guitarist Dave Kushner – they’re ready to rock, but there’s some question whether the rock community is ready to embrace them. Over a… Read more »

On Jan. 6, San Francisco’s Moscone convention center pulses with all the energy of a rock concert. A crowd sprinkled with hip-hop teenagers, digerati, and aging hippies streams in to hear the annual state-of-the-Mac keynote from Apple Computer Inc. Chief Executive Steven P. Jobs. Every facet of the event bears the fingerprints of the obsessive Jobs – right down to the music that fills the air. This year, it’s the King himself, Elvis Presley. Later, Jobs rolls the tape of Apple’s famous “1984” ad that ran on Super Bowl Sunday that year – and hasn’t been broadcast since. Only this… Read more »

BT is hesitant to reveal that his new album features a collaboration with JC Chasez, but not because he’s worried about ruining his dance-music credibility. “I’ve been playing it in my sets and I’m top secret about who it is, ’cause I want people to judge it on the song, not the whole ‘NSYNC affiliation,” the DJ/producer explained Friday at his home studio. “People go f–ing nuts, even my super cool friends that would never admit to [liking ‘NSYNC]. They’re like, ‘Wow, this is such a great tune.’ And I’m like, ‘It’s JC.’ And they’re like, ‘Shut the f– up,’… Read more »

Bennett Zier has a fine idea for a new radio format. His eyes light up as he tells you about it. “We play Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Bobby Darin,” he says. “The great thing about it is what we call it. You ready?” He pauses. “Vegas Radio! Is that great or what?” Zier can imagine the whole scene – the deejays, the jingles, the ironic retro-swinger patter. It’s his music, the kind he plays in his car. He’s in love with this idea, and with his natural salesman’s charm, he’s making you love it, too. So why doesn’t… Read more »

A third woman has come forward to file a civil suit against R. Kelly, claiming that not only did the singer have sex with her when she was underage, but that he also forced her to have an abortion. Kelly’s lawyers, in response, said that they’re not going to settle this case and plan to fight it in court. Patrice Jones, now 20, filed a suit Monday in the Cook County Circuit Court in Chicago accusing Kelly of criminal sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress, seeking $50,000 in damages. She alleges that after meeting Kelly in December 1998,… Read more »

As entertainment venues nationwide step up security measures in response to last week’s devastating terrorist attacks, concertgoers are seeing a greater presence of security workers and police as well as longer lines due to stricter search procedures. But more significant changes are happening behind the scenes as venues beef up their pre-event surveillance, make adjustments to loading and backstage policies and tighten checks of all individuals – not just fans – entering the building. “Behind the scenes is where any of the anti-terrorism type of security precautions will occur,” Gary Bongiovanni, editor of concert industry magazine Pollstar, said. “That means… Read more »

You can dismiss Blink-182 as cartoons if you like. They’re certainly not going to stop you. They even call their new album Take Off Your Pants and Jacket: Say it out loud, let your inner eighth-grader savor the cadence of the phrase. It sums up Blink-182’s wiseass brat-punk ethos almost as well as their recent live album, The Mark, Tom and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back), which featured the butt-stupidest stage banter since Kiss’ Alive! (Mark: “You can leave now and beat the traffic!” Tom: “Or you can stay and beat your meat!” – and they get paid for… Read more »