Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, John Paul Jones Unveil Supergroup

Them Crooked Vultures make their debut with a post-Lollapalooza set.
By James Montgomery



Photo: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

<P>Officially, Lollapalooza ended Sunday night in Chicago's Grant Park, with dueling sets from the Killers and Jane's Addiction. Unofficially, it ended <i>very</i> early Monday morning, across town at venerable rock club the Metro, with a surprise show by Them Crooked Vultures. To the unfamiliar, the Vultures might seem like an odd choice to close out Lolla weekend ... until you realize that they're made up of Foo Fighters frontman/ former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, Queens of the Stone Age mastermind Josh Homme and Led Zeppelin legend John Paul Jones. And their gig at the Metro was their world premiere. According to some reports, the Vultures actually turned <i>down</i> Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell's request to replace the Beastie Boys as headliners at the festival, opting to debut in front of some 1,100 super-psyched fans at the Metro, rather than 75,000 in Grant Park (tickets for the gig were announced via Foo Fighter/ QOTSA fan clubs). Meaning that, in a lot of ways, this was the most sought-after ticket in town. Taking the stage just after midnight, the Vultures &#8212; Grohl on drums (of course), Homme on guitar and vocals, Jones on bass and keys and frequent QOTSA contributor Alain Johannes on guitar &#8212; ripped through 12 songs in 80 minutes, all taken from their upcoming debut, which may or may not be called <i>Never Deserved the Future,</i> and may or may not be hitting stores on October 23 (early "promo" videos touting both those facts were revealed over the weekend to be hoaxes perpetrated by QOTSA fans). The songs, with appropriately Homme-ian titles like "Scumbag Blues," "Mind Eraser (No Chaser)," "Caligulove" and "Interlude w/Ludes," sounded pretty much how you'd expect, given the band's pedigree. They rocked, hard &#8212; Chicago Tribune critic Greg Kot described them as "fresh, invigorating and just plain nasty" &#8212; delving off into psychedelic, reverb-filled excursions and exploring proggy territory, "both of the old-school Yes variety, and the more modern Tool flavor," according to the <i>Chicago Sun-Times'</i> Jim DeRogatis. It's not known if Monday's Metro performance was a one-off event for the Vultures &#8212; there have been whispers of a full-blown tour, but a spokesperson for Homme had not responded to MTV News' request for comment at press time. Nor was it clear whether or not they'll have an album out in October. Early Monday, a Crooked Vultures Twitter account, which had previously posted links to the band's official-looking Web site and the Metro's online ticketing site &#8212; posted a link to what appears to be the group's first bit of official merchandise: a <i>Deserve the Future</i> T-shirt. Cost: $30.</p>

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Macaulay Culkin Weight Loss: Fashion Fail!

Wow. Have you seen the most recent photos of Macaulay Culkin? I don?t even know if it?s right to poke fun at him, but it is such a big story we can?t ignore it, right? I think one commenter on a favorite website of mine put it best when they wrote, ?c?mon, leave the kid alone, he makes my Christmas every year.? Yes, thank you, Macaulay, for being a cute kid, with a devlish smile. But what the heck is going on with you these days? You look like a fifty-five year old man with veins protruding from his neck, and a spiky-looking goatee. I?m guessing this is just a bad photo being circulated by the entertainment press, but hurry up, get some sun, and eat something for God?s sake. See the photo over at RadarOnline. What do you think is going on? Photos: www.wenn.com

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Dimmu Borgir Release Live DVD; Plus Led Zeppelin, Brujeria, &amp; More News That Rules, In Metal File

'It shows the intense live side of the band, as opposed to the perfection and the cleanness of how we sound on our albums,' guitarist says.
By Chris Harris


Dimmu Borgir's Silenoz
Photo: Nuclear Blast

<P>On October 14, Dimmu BorgirDimmu Borgir &#8212; who just happen to be Demi Lovato's favorite black-metal band &#8212; will release a a three-disc DVD/CD set called "The Invaluable Darkness," the band's first visual offering since 2002's "World Misanthropy." Boasting live footage shot last year, during gigs in Norway, Germany and England, "The Invaluable Darkness" demonstrates the unbridled furor of seeing Dimmu live, guitarist Silenoz said. "It shows the honest rawness and atmospheric darkness of our concerts," the Norwegian told <i>Metal File</i> last week, after dismissing recent online rumors that his band's next LP would be coming out through Roadrunner Records. "Basically, it shows the intense live side of the band, as opposed to the perfection and the cleanness of how we sound on our albums. It's just a different side to the band, basically." Dimmu Borgir began thinking about "The Invaluable Darkness" two years ago, but didn't start capturing footage until last summer, Silenoz explained, adding that the band will use its current stint on the Blackest of the Black Tour &#8212; which got underway Thursday night in Miami Beach, Florida, and also features the tour's founder, Danzig, along with MoonspellMoonspell, Winds of PlagueWinds of Plague and Skeletonwitch &#8212; to promote the DVD. Dimmu Borgir will not, however, use the tour to write material for their next LP. "It's our first time on Blackest, but Glenn [Danzig] had wanted to bring us out before [on the tour], but we weren't available until now," Silenoz said. "We've done Ozzfest before, but we're looking forward to this tour more. We did the main stage on Ozzfest, playing in f--_ing broad daylight. This tour will let us play in bigger places, but at the same time showcase more of what the band's about, visually. We are going to concentrate on the tour for now. Some years ago, we tried putting [material] together on the road, but once we got home, we listened back to it, and were like, 'What the f--- <i>is</i> this?' So, we just scrapped it all. We find it's so much better to totally focus on one thing at a time, and then, when that's over, you move on to the next [thing]. We don't really feel like we need to rush things, anyway, so we'll just take our time, and it's going to be what it's going to be." Dimmu Borgir hope to reconvene in late December to begin writing the follow-up to 2007's diabolically titled <i>In Sorte Diaboli.</i> "We have some ideas floating around already, but we haven't arranged any material yet," he said. "We'll start doing that once the touring for this DVD is over." The band's frontman, Shagrath, is also due to marry soon &#8212; he's engaged to actor Nicolas Cage's ex-girlfriend, Christina Fulton, so that may have an effect on when Dimmu finish their next album, which Silenoz said could be out this coming spring. "I'm sure [Shagrath] won't let anything get in the way [of] the band &#8212; I think, I hope," the guitarist said. "We don't need a Yoko [Ono] situation." While Dimmu have been at it going on 15 years now, Silenoz said he doesn't think their forthcoming material will be much of a departure from their previous black-metal offerings. "And we have always been about more than just that term, 'black metal,' " he said. "Luckily for us, the older you get, the less concerned you get with the categorization and putting labels on your music. Things start getting more and more limitless with us, and we know that we operate within certain frames. But we try not to analyze things too much, because it's just going to be working against you in the end. When we write new stuff, we don't think about what we should write &#8212; we just get together, and put material together, and if we like it, we keep it. That's the formula, if we even have a formula." Dimmu Borgir are definitely getting older &#8212; guitarist Galder will be missing Blackest because of a recent addition to his family, and Susperia'sSusperia's Cyrus will be filling in for him; while former VaderVader drummer Dariusz Brzozowski takes over for Hellhammer, who had to leave the band in 2007 after sustaining a neck injury that's now limited the use of his right arm. As Dimmu has gotten on in years, Silenoz admits they have failed to keep pace with some of the more extreme black-metal acts that have followed in their wake. "We helped open doors for the more extreme bands out there," Silenoz said. "I'm sure we helped open doors for bands like Watain, [insomuch as] people that had maybe started listening to us first then went on to the more extreme stuff. Let's face it &#8212; we're not as extreme as Watain and other bands like that, but we're fine with that." The Blackest of the Black Tour continues through November 10 in San Francisco. The rest of the week's metal news: Dimmu's tourmates on Blackest, <b>Winds of Plague</b>, have announced ex-<b>Azusa</b> drummer <b>Art Cruz</b> has joined their ranks &#8212; he replaced <b>Jeff Tenney</b>. According to the band's blog, "Art has already added a new spark to the band and has provided us with a solid backbone that will allow us to continue our rampage stronger than ever." ... What the world really needs is another Led Zeppelin<b>Led Zeppelin</b> box set, so, on November 4, Rhino Records will issue the <i>Led Zeppelin Definitive Collection Mini LP Replica CD</i> box set. For just $200, you'll get 1969's <i>Led Zeppelin,</i> 1969's <i>Led Zeppelin II,</i> 1970's <i>Led Zeppelin III,</i> 1971's <i>Led Zeppelin IV,</i> 1973's <i>Houses of the Holy,</i> 1975's <i>Physical Graffiti,</i> 1976's <i>Presence,</i> 1976's <i>The Song Remains the Same,</i> 1979's <i>In Through the Out Door</i> and 1982's <i>Coda,</i> as mini-LP replicas, with artwork from the original U.K. LP sleeves. Now, you know what you can get your dad for Christmas. ... Former Killswitch Engage<b>Killswitch Engage</b> frontman <b>Jesse Leach</b> and current Killswitch Engage guitarist <b>Adam Dutkiewicz</b> have teamed up for a new project they're calling <b>Times of Grace</b>, and they've already started working on material for their debut album. According to Leach, "We have two songs to go and we will be finished with all of the vocals. Adam has taken lead vocals in three songs as of yet and he is doing a great job. We also worked on a track yesterday that is so epic &#8212; we trade vocals and do two different melodies at the same time. This album went from a melodic metal album to an epic mix of metal/rock/pop/shoegaze and punk. So all of your metal expectations will be incorrect &#8212; we are pushing genre boundaries." To quote "Meet the Parents," we'll look forward to that, Greg. ... <b>The Funeral Pyre</b> and <b>Early Graves</b> will be hitting the road together next month, starting November 7 in South Lake Tahoe, California. Dates are booked through November 21 in Hollywood. ... The latest incarnation of <b>Brujeria</b>, which features Carcass<b>Carcass</b> frontman <b>Jeff Walker</b> and Napalm Death's<b>Napalm Carcass's</b> <b>Shane Embury</b>, have lined up several U.S. dates for this winter. The band will begin its brief trek November 28 in Denver, and wrap things up in Dallas on December 7. ... Demiricous<b>Demiricous</b> will be touring with the <b>Gates of Slumber</b> starting November 9 in Denver, for a jaunt that's scheduled to run through December 6 in Indianapolis. ... Nearly three years after Roadrunner Records' Roadrunner United concert, which took over the Nokia Theater in New York's Times Square, the label is now releasing footage from that special night as "Roadrunner United: The Concert." The DVD, which hits stores December 9, will boast two discs and 24 live tracks, including Life of Agony's<b>Life of Agony's</b> "River Runs Red," King Diamond's<b>King Diamond's</b> "Abigail," Killswitch's "My Last Serenade," Type O Negative's<b>Type O</p>

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Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey Play Santa In 'Christmas' Clip

Bieber debuts 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' video (and performs with Busta Rhymes and Usher) during 'Christmas in Rockefeller Center.'
By Jocelyn Vena


Justin Bieber at the Christmas Tree lighting in New York City
Photo: James Devaney/ Getty Images

<P>Deck the halls! The holiday kicked into high gear Wednesday night (November 30) when New York's massive Christmas tree was lit during "Christmas in Rockefeller Center." Plenty of A-listers were on hand, including Justin Bieber, who premiered his highly anticipated video for "All I Want for Christmas Is You," featuring Mariah Carey. </p><div class="player-placeholder right" id="vid:715720" width="240" height="211"></div><p> Before the strings of lights were illuminated, performances from Michael Bubl&#233;, Katharine McPhee, Big Time Rush, Tony Bennett, Carole King and Neil Diamond warmed viewers up. But Bieber was the headline act of the night, giving fans some big performances and an even bigger video premiere. Bieber amped up the energy with his hip-hop-ified take on the Christmas classic "Little Drummer Boy," which included him spitting a holiday-themed rhyme. Decked in all black, the teen star had the crowd screaming. He was even joined by Busta Rhymes, who appears on the <i>Under the Mistletoe</i> cut. JB then slowed things down with "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)," leaving his female fans swooning as he crooned the holiday standard. He was joined by his mentor Usher for the track. "God bless and Merry Christmas," Bieber told the crowd before tossing to the "All I Want for Christmas Is You" video. The clip features Mariah Carey dressed in a sexy Santa Claus outfit standing in a department store as she dances around singing the track, almost as if she's on display for holiday shoppers. It also sees Bieber and his pals shopping for some choice holiday gifts like high-top kicks. In between performance shots of Bieber and Mariah, a street-corner Santa Claus hands out envelopes to shoppers on the street, teasing an inevitable yuletide party scene. The shoppers are then welcomed into the department store, where Justin and Mariah hand out gifts to everyone. The duo tease and flirt with each other as everyone around them unwraps their gifts. Bieber and Carey re-recorded her classic holiday tune for his chart-topping holiday album, which also features appearances from the Band Perry and Boyz II Men. They filmed the video earlier this month, just in time for the holiday season. <i>Did Bieber get you in the holiday spirit? Let us know in the comments!</i></p>

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Whitney Houston Dead At 48 Confirmed

Whitney Houston is dead. Sadly, this is not a hoax or internet rumor. The singer, who is the most awarded singer of all time, has died at the age of 48. This is such sad news. I absolutely hate writing when things like this happen. Whitney Houston died this afternoon at the Beverly Hilton hotel. According to TMZ, she was found unresponsive in her hotel room and help was called immediately. Despite fire rescue already being on the property for another call and starting CPR immediately, their attempts were unsuccessful and she was pronounced dead at 3:55 pm. There were no signs of foul play and there is no cause of death as of yet. She has been in and out of rehab several times, with her last stint just last May. She was seeking treatment for drug and alcohol dependence. “Whitney voluntarily entered the program to support her long-standing recovery process,” her publicist said at the time. This is just such a tragedy, she was the one of the biggest talents of our time. According to Guinness Books of World Records, she is the most awarded artist of all time. She has won “two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, [...]

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Mary J. Blige Dishes On Her 'Crazy' Led Zeppelin Covers

'I've listened to their music since I was a child,' says the R&B diva, who recorded 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Whole Lotta Love.'
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Larry Carroll



Photo: MTV News

<P>You wouldn't peg Mary J Blige as the black-light-and-tapestry sort, but, as has become readily apparent in recent weeks, she absolutely loves Led Zeppelin. In early February, reports began circulating that Blige had re-recorded Zeppelin's classic "Stairway to Heaven," working with Travis Barker, "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson and guitarist Steve Vai on the track, which is slated to appear on the international reissue of her <i>Stronger With Each Tear</i> album, due Monday. </p><div style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float:left;"></div><p> But after she had recorded "Stairway," Blige continued to get the Led out, covering <i>another</i> Zeppelin classic &#8212; the thunderous "Whole Lotta Love" &#8212; for the album too. And when MTV News caught up with her on the <i>Essence</i> Black Women in Hollywood red carpet, she told us all about channeling her inner Robert Plant for the tracks, a process that came much easier than you'd probably imagine. "I did Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Whole Lotta Love' &#8212; it's crazy," she said. "I am a Led Zeppelin fan. I'm not going to say I've been to their concerts, but I've listened to their music since I was a child, and it's always moved me, especially 'Stairway to Heaven,' and 'Whole Lotta Love' is just fun." Blige also said she recorded another new song &#8212; a "club record" called "I Can't Wait" &#8212; for the re-release. And while it's only slated to hit shelves outside the U.S., she hopes her fans will get a chance to hear all the new songs pretty soon. "I want y'all to hear it," she laughed.</p>

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