Weezer's Rivers Cuomo released from hospital
Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo has been released from a New York State hospital, where he had been hospitalized since the tour bus he was riding in crashed earlier this month.
According to Weezer's longtime webmaster, Karl Koch, Cuomo--who suffered three broken ribs in the crash, along with a small cut on his spleen and puncture in one lung--was given the go-ahead to check himself out of the Albany, NY, hospital , where he planned to depart Saturday (12/12) on yet another bus for the long trip back to his home in Los Angeles. Cuomo's lung injury prevents him from traveling via airplane while he recovers, according to Koch.
"We're taking a warmer southerly route to avoid bad weather, and Rivers will be using a cozy lower bunk for sleeping," Koch wrote Friday on the band's website. "None of that back lounge bedroom stuff for him!"
Cuomo was injured Dec. 6 when the tour bus carrying the singer, his family and his assistant, Sarah Kim, hit a patch of black ice about 40 miles west of Albany, NY, and careened off of Interstate 90, according to the band. Kim fractured two ribs and sustained back injuries, and is expected to need 3-4 weeks to recover.
"We all wish her the speediest of healing. She's a very tough girl, we know she can do it," Koch wrote on the site. Cuomo's wife and baby daughter, who were also on the bus at the time of the crash, were unharmed.
The band's remaining shows this month were canceled in the wake of the accident, with no makeup dates currently set. Ticket-holders should check the band's website for additional information regarding refunds.
"Raditude," Weezer's seventh studio album, surfaced last month. The set boasts a slew of co-production credits, including Jacknife Lee (U2, R.E.M.) and Butch Walker (Saosin, Katy Perry), as well as Cuomo.
The album's first single, "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To," hit radio waves in August, debuting at No. 21 on both the Billboard Rock Songs and Alternative Songs charts, eventually peaking at No. 2 on the latter.
Golden Globe Nominees to be Announced 12/15
173 live-action feature films (105 dramas and 68 comedies or musicals), 15 animated feature films, 133 television series (79 drama and 54 comedies), 33 mini-series or telefilms and a record 69 foreign language films have been qualified for "The 67th AnnuAl Golden Globe Awards" consideration honoring 2009 achievements, it was announced today by Philip Berk, President of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
In addition, a record 103 songs are eligible for the Golden Globe for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture.
Nominations for "The 67th AnnuAl Golden Globe Awards" will be announced at 5:00 a.m. PT on Tuesday, December 15.
"The 67th Annul Golden Globe Awards," hosted by Ricky Gervais, will be broadcast live coast to coast Sunday, January 17 on NBC (5 to 8 pm PT, 8 to 11 pm ET) from The Beverly Hilton.
"The 67th AnnuAl Golden Globe Awards" will be seen in more than 160 countries worldwide and is one of the few awards ceremonies that span both television and motion picture achievements. The special will be produced by Dick Clark productions in association with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Philip Berk is President of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Orly Adelson, president of Dick Clark productions, and Barry Adelman will executive produce the special. Chris Donovan is the director and Dick Clark productions' Bob Bardo is the executive in charge of production.
For more information, visit www.goldenglobes.org.
Coachella 2010 will be held April 16 to 18
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival will be held April 16 to 18 on the green lawns of the Empire Polo Club in Indio, promoters have announced.
No word yet on the headliners, and the announcement of the festival dates was a bit of a surprise. Goldenvoice, the company that created the signature California music franchise, usually announces dates in January.
A three-day festival pass costs $269 (plus fees), and purchase information is at the festival's official website. You can buy your pass on layaway, but you must do so before Feb. 1.
The festival began in 1999 and has become a touchstone for music fans in Southern California and beyond. The event has been named the world’s premier outdoor festival five times in the last even years by Pollstar, the leading trade publication of the live-music industry.
New CD Releases, December 15th: Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, Robin Thicke, Mudvayne, "Avatar" soundtrack, and more
Alicia Keys "The Element of Freedom" (J-Records)
The Grammy-winning R&B/soul star is set to drop her fourth studio album. "The Element of Freedom," which Keys co-produced alongside a bevy of well-known hit-makers, follows 2007's triple-platinum "As I Am."
"Doesn't Mean Anything," the first single from "The Element of Freedom," was released to radio in September. A second single, "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart," hit in November. The album also features a collaboration with Beyonce called "Put It In a Love Song."
Fans that loved Keys' work on Jay-Z's recent single "Empire State of Mind" can turn to this album to find a sequel of sorts; the track is titled "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down."
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Mary J. Blige "Stronger with Each Tear" (Geffen)
The singer known as "The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul," a title she's earned by selling nearly 50 million records worldwide, is set to unveil a follow-up to 2007's "Growing Pains." "Stronger with Each Tear" is Blige's ninth studio album. Blige served as executive producer on the disc, supervising an all-star production crew that also included Johnta Austin, Ryan Leslie, Darkchild and Bryan-Michael Cox.
Thus far, two singles have been released: "The One," featuring Canadian rapper Drake, and the recently released follow-up "I Am." Guest appearances include rapper T.I. on "Good Love" and Trey Songz on "We Got Hood Love."
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Robin Thicke "Sex Therapy" (Interscope)
The R&B vocalist, son of Canadian actor Alan Thicke, returns with his fourth studio effort. "Sex Therapy" follows 2008's "Something Else," which peaked at No. 3 on The Billboard 200.
The first single from "Sex Therapy" is the title track, which was released back in October. The album features numerous guest stars, including Estelle, Snoop Dogg, Kid Cudi and Jazmine Sullivan.
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Mudvayne "Mudvayne" (Epic)
These metal men hope to rock The Billboard 200 with the release of the band's self-titled fifth studio album. "Mudvayne," produced by Jeremy Parker, follows last year's "The New Game." The album's first single is the cut "Scream With Me."
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Official Soundtrack "Avatar" (Atlantic)
For the soundtrack to his new big-budget epic film, director James Cameron returned to the scene of his greatest success and has once again joined forces with "Titanic" composer James Horner. The "Avatar" soundtrack features 14 tracks, including the film's main theme, "I See You," which was sung by soul/pop star Leona Lewis. The film opens Dec. 16.
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More new releases:
Animal Collective, "Fall Be Kind" (Domino)
James Brown, "Singles 8: 1972-1973" (Hip-O)
Chicane, "The Best of Chicane" (Ultra)
Elis, "Catharsis" (Napalm)
Lady Gaga, "The Fame Monster (Special Edition)" (Streamline)
George Lopez, "Tall, Dark & Chicano" (Comedy Central)
Julian Lennon, James Scott Cook, "Lucy" (Therevolution)
George Michael, "December Song (I Dreamed of Christmas)" (101)
Donny Osmond, "Definitive Collection" (Polydor)
Pet Shop Boys, "Christmas" (101)
Phil Vassar, "Traveling Circus" (Universal)T
The Who, "Greatest Hits" (Geffen)
Young Money, "We Are Young Money" (Cash Money)
Soundtracks and scores:
"Nine" (Geffen)
Green Day 'Rock Band' Video Game In The Works
Green Day is getting the full "Rock Band" treatment.
Videogame developer Harmonix announced at Sunday's (Dec. 13) Spike Video Game Awards that it will release an edition of "Rock Band" dedicated exclusively to the punk rock trio in 2010. Green Day will subsequently become just the second band to have a standalone "Rock Band" game, after "The Beatles: Rock Band" was released this past September.
According to a trailer premiered at the awards show, "Green Day: Rock Band" will feature the avatars of frontman Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tré Cool performing at key venues and shows from its nearly two-decade career, in addition to music and artwork from its extensive catalog.
"We've worked with the 'Rock Band' team in the past year to enable our fans to play tracks from '21st Century Breakdown,' and we're excited to now be working on a game, spanning our entire career," Armstrong said in a statement. "We want people to fire this up, choose their favorite Green Day tracks, and play along with us as 'Rock Band' avatars so they can feel what it's like to perform on stage as Green Day."
Green Day most recently earned three Grammy nominations for its new album "21st Century Breakdown," which has sold 864,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The band will release three more tracks from the album -- "Christian's Inferno," "Last of the American Girls," and "Viva La Gloria!" -- for download at the "Rock Band" music store on Dec. 15, adding to already-released songs "Know Your Enemy," "21 Guns" and "East Jesus Nowhere."
Meanwhile, the band can look forward to pulling in big sales numbers with its upcoming game. "The Beatles: Rock Band" has sold 800,000 units since September, according to data from the NPD Group.
Quentin Tarantino Is 'Very Proud' Of 'Inglourious Basterds' DVD
It was a Sunday morning in late August and Quentin Tarantino was hunkered down in his Hollywood Hills home, trying to shut out the world. His chillingly bloody Nazi revenge epic "Inglourious Basterds" had opened two days earlier and the writer/director was following his normal ritual of not hearing his film's total weekend box-office haul until Monday. Then his doorbell rang.
Star Eli Roth and producer Pilar Savone were standing outside holding bottles of champagne and wearing T-shirts that stated the film's weekend estimate: over $37 million, the 46-year-old director's biggest opening ever.
"I never knew I'd make a movie that would do that well on an opening weekend, so that was pretty groovy," Tarantino told MTV News.
Months later, Tarantino's "Basterds" arrives on DVD on December 15, which is — only coincidently, so it seems — the fifth day of Hanukkah. It's nonetheless apt that this tale of Brad Pitt and his band of revenge-seeking Jewish soldiers comes out on this day of lights. While Tarantino tweaks World War II history throughout the film — and then veers off into gloriously satisfying fictional territory at its conclusion — the version on the DVD is the exact same as the one moviegoers caught back in August.
"There won't be an extended version," he said. "I'm very proud of the fact that my director's cut has been seen in 3,000 theaters. I wasn't not going to do my best and say, 'Wait for the DVD, then you'll know what I really meant!' I want that playing in the theaters."
Among commentary tracks and bonus clips, what's also fresh on the disc is the full, black-and-white version of "Nation's Pride," the Nazi propaganda film within "Basterds" that plays a key role in propelling the narrative forward. There's also a faux "making of" documentary about the production of "Pride," starring Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels.
"Joseph Goebbels talks about how this was a passion project for him," Tarantino laughed.
The upcoming DVD release is likely only the beginning of renewed talk about "Basterds." From Christoph Waltz's performance as a crazily evil Nazi to Tarantino himself, awards-season chatter has surrounded the film since its debut in Cannes earlier this year. Tarantino welcomes such talk, but it's an awards show later in 2010 that has him truly pumped.
"I'm looking forward to Christoph Waltz winning Best Villain at the MTV Movie Awards!" he laughed.
'Basterds,' 'Nine' among top Critics' Choice picks
NEW YORK – "Inglourious Basterds" and "Nine" lead contenders for the Critics' Choice Movie Awards with 10 nominations each, including best picture, the Broadcast Film Critics Association announced Monday.
James Cameron's "Avatar" received nine nominations, including best picture.
Other best-picture nominees are "An Education," "The Hurt Locker," "Invictus," "Precious," "A Serious Man," "Up" and "Up in the Air."
Best-actor nominees are Jeff Bridges for "Crazy Heart," George Clooney for "Up in the Air," Colin Firth for "A Single Man," Morgan Freeman for "Invictus," Viggo Mortensen for "The Road" and Jeremy Renner for "The Hurt Locker."
Nominated for best actress: Emily Blunt for "The Young Victoria," Sandra Bullock for "The Blind Side," Carey Mulligan for "An Education," Saoirse Ronan for "The Lovely Bones," Gabourey Sidibe for "Precious" and Meryl Streep for "Julie & Julia."
The 15th annual awards will be presented Jan. 15 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. The show, hosted by Kristin Chenoweth, will air on VH1.