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Pimp C RIP

CMJ reports: Pimp C, who was one half of the influential Southern rap duo UGK, was found dead in a hotel room in Hollywood [on Tuesday]. He was 33. 

According to TMZ.com, the rapper, born Chad Butler, was found unresponsive by the L.A. County Fire Department in his bed at the Mondrian Hotel on the Sunset Strip. 

One of the more distinctive voices in hip-hop over the past decade, Pimp C started UGK with partner Bun B in his hometown of Port Arthur, Texas in 1987. - more on this story

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Weiland Arrested

antiMusic reports: We now have an idea of the "health issue" that caused Velvet Revolver to pull the plug on their tour Down Under. Seems their frontman had a bit of a run in with the law. Here is the report from the Metal Underground: According to TMZ.com, VELVET REVOLVER singer Scott Weiland was arrested for DUI (Driving Under the Influence) late last month. 
The former STONE TEMPLE PILOTS frontman was driving on an L.A. highway around 6:15 PM on November 21 when he crashed his car. While the California Highway Patrol was investigating the non-injury wreck, they noticed Weiland appeared to be impaired. 

According to the police report, Weiland failed sobriety tests and refused to take a blood or urine test. He was booked for "driving under the influence of a drug." He was released on $40,000 bail and will be back in court on December 13. [According to AP Weiland's publicist says the singer was involved in a "minor accident," but denies he was impaired at the time of the crash.]- more on this story

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Monday

Rudy Sarzo Remembers Kevin DuBrow

SleazeRoxx.com reports: Rudy Sarzo and Kevin DuBrow's musical relationship stretched across four decades in Quiet Riot. With the news of DuBrow's passing still only a few days old, Sarzo offered some insight into the singer who many consider responsible for setting off the '80s pop metal movement. 

Sarzo and DuBrow first met in the '70s, and played together with late guitarist Randy Rhoads in an early version of Quiet Riot. "He started as a photographer. He had a massive mid-'70's rock'n'roll photo collection," Sarzo tells Billboard.com. "He started out by taking a lot of pictures of people like Humble Pie." 

But it will undoubtedly be DuBrow's work with Quiet Riot, namely their chart-topping 1983 U.S. debut, "Metal Health," for which the singer will be best remembered. In fact, the album's success awarded DuBrow an opportunity to meet his hero. "He was a huge Steve Marriott fan. If there was anybody that Kevin would say 'I try to sing like,' it would be Steve Marriott," Sarzo says. "As a matter of fact, one of the highlights for him, back in 1983 I believe, we did a show in El Paso, Texas. The promoter said, 'Who do you want to be on the bill with you guys?' And he requested Humble Pie. So we got Humble Pie on the bill, and Steve Marriott jammed with us. It was a dream come true for Kevin. There was a party after the show; Steve Marriott actually had an even louder, bigger personality than Kevin."- more on this story

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Petty for Super Bowl

Reuters reports: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will play the coveted halftime slot at the Super Bowl in Arizona on February 3, organizers of the year's No. 1 television event said on Sunday.

This year, nearly 140 million Americans watched Prince play at the football extravaganza.

Other recent acts have included the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and U2. The most infamous performer was Janet Jackson, who bared her breast during the 2004 event, triggering a bipartisan political crackdown on televised smut.- more on this story

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Radiohead Explain Split with EMI

Gigwise reports: Radiohead have admitted their split with record label with EMI was due to a personal disagreement rather than ideological reasons. 

Ed O'Brien tells The Observer in an interview to be published next week that the band did want to renue their contract with EMI, but found it impossible to strike a deal with the label's new owner Guy Hands, head of private equity company Terra Firma. 

He explains, "It was really sad to leave all the people. But he wouldn't give us what we wanted. He didn't know what to offer us. Terra Firma doesn't understand the music industry."- more on this story

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Thriller 25th Anniversary Edition

PR reports: Epic/Legacy Recordings proudly celebrates the 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson's Thriller, the world's biggest-selling album of all time, with a newly expanded deluxe edition of the phenomenal record-breaking pop culture touchstone, available in the U.S. on Tuesday, February 12, 2008. The album will be available worldwide the week of February 11, 2008.

The Thriller - 25th Anniversary Edition will include the original album in its entirety as well as eight bonus tracks and a DVD featuring Michael Jackson's groundbreaking short films from Thriller ("Thriller," "Beat It," and "Billie Jean") and the artist's Emmy-nominated breakout performance of "Billie Jean" from the legendary "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever" television special (first broadcast on NBC on May 16, 1983).

The newly expanded version of Thriller premieres five tracks previously unreleased in any form- more on this story

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Church Vs Ozzy

Metal Underground reports: A crusade is looming as church groups prepare to take on heavy metal heavyweights poised to play in Wellington [New Zealand] over Easter. Wellington Pentecostal church Lifepoint says the lineup of bands � including former bat-biter OZZY OSBOURNE and KISS � are "not appropriate" and will have "negative influences" on the city during the two-day Rock2Wgtn festival on March 22 and 23. 

They plan to lobby other church groups and will look at taking their concerns to Wellington City Council. "It's not appropriate from our angle of things," said pastor Karen Crawshaw. 

"I don't think we can force our views on others but at the same time we think it's a very negative influence on our city. [Would they be acceptable if Ozzy and KISS played with snakes in the middle of their shows, spoke in tongues and drank poison? Gene has the tongue thing handled.
- more on this story

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more stories including: Church Vs Ozzy and KISS- Velvet Revolver Mystery Illness- Akon Boy Tossing Bust- Schenker Injured- Evel Knievel RIP- Architect- Radiohead- Stevie Ray Vaughan- Petty for Super Bowl- Garth- Playing Favorites- Megadeth- Van Halen- Robbers on High Street- Pat Mason RIP- Silversun Remixed- Otep- Bury Your Dead- more

Tuesday

Akon Denies Boy Tossing

Jam! reports: Hip-hop star Akon pleaded not guilty Monday to criminal charges filed after he tossed a fan off the stage at a concert earlier this year. 

The 34-year-old singer was released on his own recognizance following his brief court appearance... He was charged with misdemeanour endangering the welfare of a minor and second-degree harassment, a violation. 

Akon was charged after a fan said she suffered a concussion when a teenage boy Akon threw off the stage fell on her during the June 3 concert at the local minor league baseball stadium.- more on this story

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U2 Changing Sound for New CD

Launch reports: Bono has warned U2 fans they will "feel the difference" with the material they are working on for their next album. The singer explained that the band are currently working in the south of France on the follow-up to 2004's How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. Following demo sessions in Africa earlier in the year, the singer reckons the new record will surprise people.

The singer said the band is now working through those demos during the French sessions and that while the new record is not world music, he promised fans would "feel the difference."

"U2 in dancefloor shock!" joked Bono. "Normally when you play a U2 tune, it clears the dancefloor. And that may not be true of this. There's some trance influences. But there's some very hardcore guitar coming out of the Edge. Real molten metal. It's not like anything we've ever done before, and we don't think it sounds like anything anyone else has done either."- more on this story

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Avril Pulls an Axl

antiMusic reports: Avril apparently pulled an Axl Rose and showed up late for a show. Of course, Axl plays arenas not department stores (guess they aren't punk rawk enough for him.). Contact Music has the report: Rocker Avril Lavigne angered concert-goers by turning up over an hour late to a free gig in her native Canada - leaving scores of young fans waiting in the snow. 

The 23-year-old was due to take the stage at 1pm for an outdoor concert to celebrate the opening of a Best Buy store in Burnaby, Canada, but didn't show up until after 2pm, according to reports. 

The audience began to walk out after the singer left them waiting for over an hour in the freezing weather conditions.- more on this story

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Green Day To Begin New CD Next Month

Punknews.org reports: According to Green Day Authority, a popular Green Day fan site, the band will be hitting the studio in January to begin work on their next album: We got an update this week from Green Day's manager about what the band is up to now. He let us know that Green Day will be going back to the studio in January, and that we should look forward to a new greenday.com and perhaps some new photos around that time. 

He mentioned that the band was going to begin stepping away from all American Idiot themes, and that the new site wasn't going to be themed around the new album. I asked about the progress of the new album, and it didn't sound like we should expect anything too soon. Lets hope we'll get a full update about what kind of stuff they're working on early next year. 

In related news, the band was recently named as the "Best Grammy Performance." You can check out the band's winning performance of "American Idiot"- more on this story

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Idol Offered Cop Sex To Let Her Go

Contact Music reports: Former American Idol contestant Jessica Sierra begged police officers not to arrest her following a drunken bar brawl in Florida at the weekend (01-02Dec07) - and offered oral sex in exchange for the favour. 

The disgraced star, 22, was taken into custody by local authorities on Saturday morning (01Dec07) after refusing to leave Florida's Full Moon Saloon in Ybor City on cops' orders following a disturbance. She was charged with felony counts of possession of cocaine and battery, in addition to two misdemeanours: disorderly intoxication and obstructing or opposing an officer. 

But according to the police report obtained by TMZ.com, Sierra tried to bribe the arresting officers, saying, "I'll suck your d**k if you don't take me to jail." When her offer was refused, she launched into a racist rant, shouting, "F**k you n**ger!" Sierra is currently being held at the Orient Road Jail, after a judge refused to grant her bail. [They reportedly have celebrity rehab for both alcohol and racism now so she's in luck!] - more on this story

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more stories including: U.S. Zeppelin Show?- Weiland Arrested- Akon Denies Boy Tossing- Avril Pulls an Axl- U2- Maximo Park- Tarja Turunen Preview- Otep- Beach Boy Rap- Nick Cave- Kylie Expands Tour- Dirty Vegas Frontman Goes Solo- Cheap Trick- Marshall Crenshaw- Divinity- Interpol- Slash Dismisses Working with Dylan- more
 

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