Report: Beastie Boys consider Coachella for 2010
Adam Yauch recently said Beastie Boys were discussing the possibility of playing the 2010 Coachella Festival, according to MovieLine.com.
Yauch, who has been recovering from a recent cancer surgery, said he is feeling fine now and he and the band are in the process of figuring out when they will return to the road. When asked about a possible Coachella appearance, Yauch said, "Maybe so. ... Believe me, it would be fun if it does come together."
Yauch's independently financed movie-distribution company, Oscilloscope Laboratories, recently launched a movie-of-the month club called The Circle of Trust. For a $150 membership fee, members will receive the next 10 Oscilloscope films on DVD one week before their street date, according to the film company's website. Members also can purchase back-catalog films for half-price.
Wiig to host `SNL' Christmas special as Gilly
NEW YORK – Kristin Wiig's recurring character Gilly might not seemed filled with holiday cheer, yet NBC is turning to her to host a "Saturday Night Live" Christmas special.
"SNL Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas" will air Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. The two-hour special, the first for "SNL" since 2002, will be led by Wiig's Gilly, an ever-smiling Annie-lookalike who delights in violent mischief.
The special will feature new sketches with Gilly and highlights of classic holiday "SNL" sketches.
Wiig, roundly considered a standout performer on the NBC sketch comedy show, has built Gilly into a popular character. In a phone interview Monday, she said part of the fun of Gilly hosting is in her slim vocabulary, which consists mainly of the simple catch-phrase "Sorry."
"That can be a tough one to work around," Wiig said. "There's going to be no long monologue. Maybe her five-word vocabulary will stretch to 10 or 11."
A Gilly sketch is a very structured thing. It's always set in a classroom where an uncertain teacher (Will Forte) questions his students (Kenan Thompson, Bobby Moynihan) on the source of some trouble making.
Wiig and Paula Pell, a writer on the show, came up with the sketch while writing something else, but the idea continued to stick.
"We just kept doing the smile and we did it for a couple weeks," said Wiig. "We were just like, `Let's write it.' Maybe she's this bad kid. We just started saying `Sorry,' and it came organically from there."
Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin will also make guest appearances on the special to help introduce clips they've appeared in as hosts, including Baldwin in "NPR's Delicious Dish and the Schweddy Balls" and Martin in "A Holiday Wish."
If pressed for a holiday favorite, Wiig cites John Malkovich's maniacal reading of "`Twas the Night Before Christmas" last year.
"Since `SNL' has been on for so long, it's 35 years of at least two or three shows a year kind of based on Christmas stuff," said Wiig. "There's a lot of good material there."
New CD Releases, December 8th: Jimmy Buffett, Snoop Dogg, Thirty Seconds to Mars and more!!
Jimmy Buffett "Buffet Hotel" (Mailboat)
Mr. "Margaritaville" doesn't have any more tour dates lined up this year, but his loyal legion of fans (a.k.a. Parrot Heads) still have something to look forward to this holiday season: a brand new record. "Buffet Hotel" (one "t") is Buffett's first studio album since 2006's "Take the Weather With You."
Produced by Michael Utley and Mac McAnally (two members of Buffett's Coral Reefer band), "Buffet Hotel" features three tunes that the singer/songwriter/guitarist has already introduced in concert: "Surfing in a Hurricane," "A Lot to Drink About" and "Summerzcool," the latter of which was used as the 2009 tour name.
In a statement, Buffett said he was inspired to write the music on "Buffet Hotel" during a recent trek to West Africa to attend the Festival in the Desert, an annual music fest that takes place near Timbuktu, Mali.
"I actually didn't go to the desert with the pre-conceived notion of returning with an album," Buffett said. "I went looking for stories. ... The story that sparked the song 'Buffet Hotel,' which eventually turned into the title track and name of this album, began the minute we set foot on the patio of the infamous Hotel De La Gare Buffet in the Bamako train station, better known as Le Buffet Hotel." The Buffet Hotel is a colonial-era train station/hotel where the music scene flourished in Mali after its independence in 1960.
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Snoop Dogg "Malice N Wonderland" (Priority)
The hip-hop icon takes a break from making horror movies, appearing on sports-talk shows and inventing new urban slang (fo' shizzle!) to unveil his 10th studio album. The cleverly named "Malice N Wonderland" follows last year's "Ego Trippin'," which debuted at No. 3 on The Billboard 200, selling 137,000 copies in its first week of release.
"Malice N Wonderland" features production by Dr. Dre, The Neptunes and Pete Rock, among others, and guest appearances by R. Kelly, Ghostface Killah, Mary J. Blige, Pharrell and many others. Snoop is currently bringing "Wonderland" to venues across North America, with upcoming dates scheduled in San Francisco and Los Angeles, among other cities.
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Thirty Seconds to Mars "This is War" (Virgin)
The popular alt-rock troupe jumps back into the fray with the release of its third studio set, which follows 2005's "A Beautiful Life." The Los Angeles act, led by actor/singer/guitarist Jared Leto, worked with producers Flood (Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails) and Steve Lilywhite (The Rolling Stones, U2) on "This is War."
Thirty Seconds to Mars" is currently on the road showcasing the "This is War" material. The trek continues through a Dec. 19 date at the House of Blues in Cleveland, OH.
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Chris Brown "Graffiti" (Jive)
The troubled R&B star, who was convicted in September of assaulting fellow singer Rihanna, continues to try to get his career back on track with the release of his third studio effort.
Thus far, his efforts in that regard have paid dividends: the first "Graffiti" single, "I Can Transform Ya" (featuring Lil' Wayne and Swizz Beatz), proved popular, peaking at No. 18 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Brown is currently in the midst of his "Fan Appreciation" tour.
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Timbaland "Shock Value 2" (Blackground)
The Grammy-winning producer--who has worked with such diverse talents as Justin Timberlake, Bjork, Ashlee Simpson and Coldplay--returns with his third solo outing, a follow-up/companion-piece to 2007's "Shock Value." "Shock Value II" finds Timbaland collaborating with Katy Perry, The Fray, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus and many other big-name artists.
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More new releases:
BG, "Too Hood 2 Be Hollywood" (Koch)
Clipse, "Til the Casket Drops" (Sony)
Bill Cosby, "Revenge" (Rhino)
Bill Cosby, "To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With" (Rhino)
Alejandro Fernández, "Dos Mundos--Tradicion" (Fonovisa)
Mantovani, "Christmas Carols" (Collector's Choice)
John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton, "John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton (Deluxe Edition)" (Decca)
Elvis Presley, "Elvis 75: Good Rockin' Tonight" (Sony)
Puddle of Mudd, "Volume 4: Songs in the Key of Love & Hate" (Geffen)
Linda Ronstadt, "Don't Cry Now" (Rhino)
We the Kings, "Smile Kid" (S-Curve)
Neil Young, "Dreamin' Man Live '92" (Warner)
Soundtracks and scores:
"Glee: The Music, Volume 2" (Sony)
"Invictus" (Watertower)
Kennedy Center honors Springsteen, De Niro, others
WASHINGTON — President and Mrs. Obama marked another first as they celebrated a diverse group of Kennedy Center Honorees at the 32nd annual star-studded gala performance on Sunday.
This year, medals went to writer/producer Mel Brooks, 83, actor Robert De Niro, 66, opera singer Grace Bumbry, 72, pianist and composer Dave Brubeck, 89, and singer/songwriter Bruce Springsteen, 60, for their contributions to American culture. And before joining honorees at the Kennedy Center, the Obamas played host at the White House for the first time to winners at a Sunday afternoon reception.
But the big party was the evening gala. While the event draws high-profile talent year after year, Obama's presence "created a lot of fresh energy," George Stevens, creator and longtime producer of the Kennedy Center Honors, said before the show.
And many guests were excited for the honorees. "The people who are selected really have contributed to American culture," said Katie Couric, who was accompanied by beau Brooks Perlin. "They're real treasures."
With the president in attendance, security was tight, especially after the scandal over White House party crashers Micheale and Tareq Salahi. "I was a little sick of the Salahis two weeks ago," said Couric.
Before the show, Melissa Etheridge talked about why she was there: The Boss. "He's the personification of rock 'n' roll," she said of Springsteen. "The parts that the world loves about America, he personifies."
Etheridge, who sang Born to Runin the Springsteen tribute, said she met him "in a restaurant in Beverly Hills and he recognized me. ... I nearly fainted!"
And while Springsteen was Etheridge's idol, De Niro was Meryl Streep's. "De Niro was it. Gold standard. He's the one we all went to school on, were inspired by, stole from," said Streep in a heartfelt tribute to the actor, whom she co-starred with in 1978's The Deer Hunter.
"Bob never judges his characters," said director Martin Scorsese, a 2007 honoree who collaborated with De Niro on films such as Taxi Driver (1976), Goodfellas (1990) and Casino (1995). "He has compassion for them, so we can have compassion too."
Ben Stiller, who was in Meet the Parents (2000) and its sequel, Meet the Fockers (2004), with De Niro, said, "You'll always be my idol. You'll always be my favorite actor, and I'm pretty sure I'll always be your favorite Focker."
Then attention switched to Brubeck, who turned 89 on Sunday. Herbie Hancock remarked, "When he sits down to play, and he turns on that smile, he loses 40, 50 years." Hancock and Brubeck's four sons then performed a set which ended in a jazzy rendition of Happy Birthday to You.
The happy mood continued as director Carl Reiner honored Brooks. "Because of you, I got to walk on the same stage as Meryl Streep, the greatest actress in the world, bar none," Reiner said, adding, "I love you, Mel, and you know that."
Martin Short, Jack Black, Harry Connick Jr., Richard Kind, Jane Krakowski and Matthew Broderick performed in the Brooks tribute, which featured songs from Brooks' musical comedies, including The Producers, Blazing Saddles and High Anxiety.
After intermission, Aretha Franklin honored Bumbry. "Several young artists today know nothing about being a diva," said Franklin. "There was a time when you earned your diva-ness. You could do it by having a voice that started like a gift from God, then developed with the dedicated work of Man. You played all the great opera houses of the world, you broke new ground, you thrilled millions of people. Grace Bumbry has done all of that."
Springsteen's salute ended the night. In addition to Etheridge's number, John Mellencamp sang Born in the USA, and Sting performed The Rising. But first, Jon Stewart spoke: "I'm not a music critic. I cannot tell you where Bruce Springsteen falls in the pantheon of the American songbook, but I am from New Jersey. And I can tell you what I believe. I believe Bob Dylan and James Brown had a baby ... that child is Bruce Springsteen." Stewart added, "He is The Boss. Or, in Washington parlance, I assume he is the music czar."
Sunday's tribute will air as a two-hour special at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Dec. 29 on CBS.
Weezer cancels tour after bus crash in upstate NY
ALBANY, N.Y. – Weezer has canceled the rest of its December tour after the lead singer was injured in a bus crash in New York.
Rivers Cuomo and band assistant Sarah Kim suffered minor injuries when the group's tour bus skidded on ice, struck a guide rail and slid into a ditch Sunday morning.
Cuomo and Kim were hospitalized after the accident in the upstate New York town of Glen. That's about 40 miles west of Albany. They were traveling to a show in Boston.
Cuomo's condition isn't clear.
A message on the band's Web site says Weezer is canceling the rest of its Raditude tour and will try to reschedule those dates.
Calls and e-mails to publicist Jim Merlis weren't immediately returned Monday.