Music industry who?

Radiohead's release of their new album has not only spurred copycat releases by other artists including Madonna and Trent Reznor but has also caused a tidal wave of information and speculation about the current state of the music industry.

Trent talks about how commercial he thinks iTunes is and why he's following Radiohead's lead.

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Jeff Zucker os NBC Universal thinks iTunes has ruined the music industry. I think they just found a way to continue its profitability.

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In Denmark they're tossing around the idea of tacking on $20 to everyones internet bill that would allow you to download as much music as you like. Did you catch that? Everyone. Sounds a little communist if you ask me. Yeah, I called out communism. Don't front - we all know that shit doesn't work.

UPDATE: Sunshine is very smart and has informed me that Denmark actually is Socialist - which while there are differences is pretty close to communism in the idea that everything belongs to everyone - the two just distribute it with different rationale. You learn something new every day, eh?

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Rolling Stone talks the music industry. This is a good read. They never write anything good or objective so relish in how well thought out this article is.

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New Avenged album

I bought the new Avenged album yesterday and haven't stopped listening to it. Honestly, I can't even tell you what I think of it. Definitely innovative. Definitely off the cuff from their previous work. It's a bizarre album. I think I heard a synth voice in there.

What do you guys think of it?

Click the link to download a one hour A7X special.

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Crap is King

To all of you who were defending Don Vito - I guess I won't say I told you so. He was convicted Wednesday for two counts of sexual assault to a child. I love how his attorney is trying to justify his behavior by saying that Bam Margera's fans like it more when Vito acts crazy. I don't think acting crazy should involve groping little girls - I don't care how "out of control" Vito gets. Perv.

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Speaking of losers, Ozzy and Rob Zombie hosted a pre-party and invited "special" guests to attend. Little did these guests know they were actually being duped by a clever sting operation. The guests were delinquent on their child support payments and were arrested upon arriving at the venue. What a great way to catch deadbeat dads who like to skip out on court dates.

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UPDATE: I just saw a Honda commercial that featured the song Barracuda by Heart. Speaking of hearts - mine is now broken. You damn baby boomers and your affect on marketing.

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HIM to play Helldone festival.

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Gerard talks Mexico performance of The Black Parade and how amazing married life is.

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Who knew Louisville could produce a gun toting mugger at a Type O Negative show?

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When I was in Nashville this past weekend some crazy guy at McDonald's kept talking about the "rock stars" that were in town. I guess he wasn't so crazy afterall.

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Pete Wentz broke his ankle.

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How did I miss the release of the new Cobra Starship Album!?

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Amazing

Stories like this are why I write this page. This has got to be the most backwards shit I have heard in a long time. This right here is pure gold.

Frantic students and parents of the University of Kansas called police and the university over concern about a rumor that was spreading like a venereal disease. A few weeks ago, during fall break some dorm windows had been shot out. So, when these symbols -

- started showing up all over campus, things got heavy. An email was sent to 400 students claiming that this symbol represented another shooting and that date was letting them know when it was to happen.

Okay, let's stop here. I'd like to point out a few things. Of course, the majority of us, meaning you and I, know what this is. It's the symbol and release date for the new Coheed album. Upon reading the headline link, which didn't have an image, I thought, "Well, I can see that. The name of the album is "No World for Tomorrow." that could freak people out." Then I realized that it was a symbol and a date - no album title. Riiiight.

Granted, they had a scare with the shots through the windows. I get that. However, I refuse to believe that not one of the 400 people that email was sent to knew what this was. This means there is a population of 400 people at the University of Kansas who are completely unaware of this band. Not to get too far into standard deviations, but statistically you only need a sample of 30 random people to make a fairly consistent conclusion about an entire population so for 400 college students to not know what this is, is amazing to me.

Also, if someone is coming to shoot up a school, why would they tell you the exact day they're going to do it? Just sayin.

*if you would like to discuss my marketing research knowledge further - let me know. I'd be glad to give you further information on how amazing the statistic above is.

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Link it like you mean it

Pink Floyd to release huge boxed set.

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Live footage from A7X's "Halloween" show in Hollywood, CA.

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This song is terrible. Not kind of terrible, truly awful. I mean, she uses the word "frickin'." Britney Spears: making the south look bad since 2001.

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Amy Winehouse vows to stay sober before and during shows on her current tour but was very clear that she had no intention of staying sober after them. I guess she gets points for being honest, right?

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Led Zeppelin to release digital boxed set in mid-November.

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Rock Sound, a day late and a dollar short reports on Ville getting knocked out by Jonna. Might I remind everyone again that this news is older than baseball. Ok, maybe not that old, but it's old.

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Seriously, Evan Rachel Wood getting a recording contract? Apparently they give them to anyone these days. She's a weirdo anyway. I'm sure it won't last long.

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Johnny Rotten likes to, as I say, "stir the pot", no?

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Part of me thinks this is sacreligious but the other part of me thinks that John Varvados is one of the only acceptable people to pull this off. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

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Interview with Ville - Avenged album in its entirety

Another video interview with Ville Valo. They mentioned this on Blabbermouth and made a crack about him getting beat up by a former girlfriend. Then explained that an "unnamed" woman blacked his eye and burst his ear drum by screaming into it. Either I am obsessesed or Blabbermouth needs to get on their game. Is this were HIM Jeopardy, this question would only be worth $400.



Listen to the full Avenged Sevenfold album at MTV.com. Click here

Link it like you mean it

Tommy Lee has a short memory. He's apparently forgotten "Tommy Lee Goes to College.


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Patrick Stump isn't a murderer, but he plays one on t.v.

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Naturally, early adopters like myself are getting screwed on this Winehouse re-release unless we want to rebuy the album.

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Coheed to head Kerrang! 2008 tour - supported by Madina Lake, Fightstar, Circa Survive.

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5 bedroom, 4.5 bath features purple and red shag carpeting.

Marilyn Manson's home is for sale if you're interested though I would suggest removing the bright purple carpet in the studio. Prince is the only person I can think of who could get away with purple carpet and that's even in bad taste for him.

Click here to check out his other questionable choices in decor.

Guitar Hero III release date broken

Yes, the release date was broken by a Meijer in Michigan (and possibly a Target somewhere) and videos of people putting me to shame playing the game have been lighting fires all over YouTube. I posted Metallica's "One", Cream's "Sunshine of My Love" and AFI's "Miss Murder" below. If you feel inferior just remember, you're almost certainly better at this than I am. ;)







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Link it like you mean it

Amy Winehouse arrested for drugs. This one is just too easy.

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Paul Raven of Ministry has died.

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Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes talks double edged sword of winning "Best New Artist" at the VMA's.

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DAATH loses singer; looks for new one.

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Patrick Stump(y) talks new FOB album.

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If you want to feel old, read this list of one-hit-wonders.

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Once, I almost got into a fist fight with a girl working at Steak N Shake - but at least it wasn't Waffle House.

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HIM video interview

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HIM might be in talks to write new Bond theme

Amy Winehouse has drank and drugged herself right out of singing the next Bond theme reports contactmusic.com. The singer has been dropped from talks to perform the theme for the 22nd installment in the James Bond series. I can't however say I am disappointed. Word on the street is that the producers are in talks with none other than Ville Valo to perform the song.

My first reaction was, "GET OUT! I LOVE IT!" (if you know me you know that's probably what I said verbatim.)

Thanks I. Am. Pineapple. for the heads up - you rule.

Link - http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/winehouse%20dumped%20from%20bond%20theme_1047093

(I'm using Safari and blogger doesn't support it - I'll link it later)

Avenged News

Listen to the newly released song, Gunslinger, off of their yet to be released album, Avenged Sevenfold, at their MySpace.

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Avenged come completely clean about the cancellation of last year's tour in next weeks Kerrang!. Check out a sneak preview in the link.

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Also, you could win a Synyster Gates series Schecter guitar by writing the best riff to their song, Almost Easy. Those guitars are hot shit. If you win one, you can give it to me. ha!

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*buy this badass print at www.philaarts.com

The Radiohead free album plot thickens.

A company in California has released information that perplexes me. Radioheads new album, In Rainbows, has been downloaded more times illegally than legally off of their website, which, stick with me here, is allowing free downloads. This is kind of like, "Who's on First" isn't it? According to their records the album was downloaded 500,000 times illegally, a faster rate than the actual album was downloaded from the website.

Insanity.

They think it's because people aren't as familiar with Radiohead's website as they are with their favorite download trafficker. Maybe I am being too skeptical, but I think it's because people don't realize it's already free. Who knows - either way it's silly.

Normally I would have some sort of smart-ass thing to say to bring this to a close but I really can't even wrap my head around this one. My inclination is that this is a dynamic experiment for bands and record labels. It proves that people are losing interest in cd's, like to get everything from one location (which shouldn't be a surprise since Wal-Mart has such a stronghold) and that music no longer holds an element of value in the financial sense. Music has become a commodity* as opposed to a luxury. Didn't think you would get a finance lesson today, did you? ;)

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*In essence, commoditization occurs as a good or service becomes undifferentiated across its supply base by the diffusion of the intellectual capital necessary to acquire or produce it efficiently. - Wikipedia

Link it like you mean it

Lily Allen on Fashion Rocks tonight.

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Jimmy Page hints at new Zeppelin songs.

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Amy Winehouse working with Pete Doherty. I guess birds of a feather flock together, right?

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What kind of direction is this for VS to go? They're branding manager better have something up their sleeve or this will be as strange as when they were selling Bob Dylan albums.

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New Coheed in-studio video posted online.

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Smashing Pumpkins video interview and performances at AOL.

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Killswitch Engage video interview.

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1/3 of Radiohead fans miss the point

As reported previously, Radiohead announced that the release of their album would be non-conventional in that it would be free with the option to pay what you thought the album was worth. In true shithead form 1/3 of Radiohead "fans" paid nothing. Nada.

Let's chat about this for a minute. Particularly to those of you who paid nothing, if there are any of you reading this. I would like to congratulate you on officially missing the point. This "social experiment" as they called it was a fans opportunity to actually prove to Radiohead and to the record industry what you think bands art and talent are worth to you and 1/3 of you said it was worth nothing. Shame on all of you.

For those of you who would like to argue that perhaps people downloaded it to see if they liked it, I'm calling bullshit. You know that's not the case. Radiohead isn't a "let's try it out and see if we like it" band. They've been around for a million years and haven't had a radio hit in forever. If you're fishing around for the album, you've taken the steps to find it.

Greed is abundant in the music industry and those of you who download illegally and say it's because you don't want to support the record label or you think a band makes enough money need a reality check. Bands are bands because that is their job. They wouldn't be a successful band if they didn't deserve to be paid for it.

Nine Inch Nails is rumoured to do the same thing with their next album. Some of you will download it for free. Those of you who do are not only proving that art is worth nothing, but making it less and less likely for these artists to continue making music.

I guess this just proves that the only reason people still consider it wrong to steal a Picasso is because someone hasn't figured out the art of a perfect forgery.

Video interviews and teaser videos for one and all

New HIM video interview

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New Avenged Sevenfold video interview. Shadows looks strange but I can't figure out why. The new song is mediocre. It is. Someone should tell them that not every song has to have a guitar solo. I'm just sayin'...



Coheed has released a new video teaser for their album. Might I just say that I have heard a lot of the new album and it rules your face. Really.

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Link it like you mean it

Ted Nugent will guest on The Simpsons. 10 bucks says there will be guns or large game of some sort involved.

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Got a million dollars? Want to buy Marilyn Manson's house with it?

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Led Zeppelin to join the digital revolution.

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Rage Against the Machine has scheduled dates to tour Japan. Does this mean a U.S. or European tour could be in the works?

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Want to look like David Bowie but working with a Target income? Your day has come.

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Bret Michaels is proud to say that he was the first rockstar to hook up with Pam Anderson. Maybe he's the one who gave everyone hep. Kidding - don't sue me Bret, I love you and your piss-poor wig.

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Kirsten Dunst with star as Debbie Harry in new biopic. At least it isn't Lindsey Lohan. Gag.

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RS names 15 best songs about cheating.

Rollingstone.com has compiled a list of what they think are the best 15 songs about cheating. What a great list. I love a good song about cheatin'. What's with the R. Kelly though? I don't listen to people who I know like to pee on 14 year olds. Oooh burn.

1. Marvin Gaye - “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”

2. Hank Williams - “Your Cheatin’ Heart”

3. Squeeze - “Tempted”

4. Dolly Parton - “Jolene”

5. Naughty By Nature - “O.P.P.”

6. Led Zeppelin - “Your Time is Gonna Come”

7. Jimi Hendrix - “Hey Joe”

8. R. Kelly - “Trapped in the Closet”

9. Arthur Alexander - “Go Home Girl”

10. Justin Timberlake - “Cry Me a River”

11. Billy Paul - “Me and Mrs. Jones”

12. Carrie Underwood - “Before He Cheats”

13. John Lennon - “Jealous Guy”

14. Fleetwood Mac - “Everybody Finds Out”

15. Loretta Lynn - “You Ain’t Woman Enough”

BTW Dolly Parton rules. Why? Because she could care less what you think about her and still manages to be adorable.

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Link it like you mean it

Deftones are working on a new album.

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This can't possibly be entirely true. I used to have a shop teacher in middle school who wouldn't show anything in his class on "down" days other than The Little Rascals and The Three Stooges because they didn't have copyright laws. We thought he was full of shit but maybe he was right all along.

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Nine Inch Nails are no longer "held by the ties that bind."

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Sting, Scott Stapp and Noel Gallagher write crappy lyrics.

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News of the Avenged persuasion

Avenged Sevenfold we're interview about their new album in the newest issue of Kerrang! They mention that the new album has Danny Elfman influences which is different from the last album. I don't think they actually listened to City of Evil if they think this is new. Whatever.

Here is what Synyster Gates had to say about where they got the influences for the new songs.

"Some of them we haven't introduced before because we didn't think they fitted the profile of Avenged Sevenfold as a 'rock band' or whatever, but it was something we had to do," he continues. "We're a pretty fearless band and we had 20 songs to record; some country songs, some eight-and-a-half minute theatrical songs, some slowed-down groove-orientated songs, so we just picked the 10 very best songs that each of us could not live without for the album."

Check out more of the interview here.

They've announced a few more tour dates:

Nov. 23 - Charleston, SC - The Plex
Nov. 27 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
Nov. 28 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
Nov. 30 - Corpus Christi, TX - The Pavilion at Concrete Street
Dec. 01 - Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa
Dec. 04 - Lubbock, TX - The Pavilion
Dec. 06 - Tucson, AZ - The Rialto
Dec. 10 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield
Dec. 13 - Portland, OR - Roseland

AND I finally watched the new video for "Almost Easy." Meh.

More songs added to Guiter Hero track listing

I've heard mixed reviews but how could you possibly think this list sucks?

The additional tracks include:

· Same Old Song and Dance (by Aerosmith)
· Helicopter (by Bloc Party)
· Stricken (by Disturbed)
· Monsters (by Matchbook Romance)
· Before I Forget (by Slipknot)
· Kool Thing (by Sonic Youth)
· When You Were Young (by The Killers)
· Devil Went Down to Georgia (as made famous by Charlie Daniels Band)
· Sunshine of Your Love (as made famous by Cream)
· Holiday in Cambodia (as made famous by Dead Kennedys)
· Cliffs of Dover (as made famous by Eric Johnson)
· Hit Me with Your Best Shot (as made famous by Pat Benetar)
· Black Magic Woman (as made famous by Santana)
· Story of My Life (as made famous by Social Distortion)
· Pride and Joy (as made famous by Stevie Ray Vaughn)
· The Seeker (as made famous by The Who)
· Black Sunshine (as made famous by White Zombie)

Previously announced songs in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock include:

· Miss Murder (by AFI)
· Minus Celsius (by Backyard Babies)
· Sabotage (by Beastie Boys)
· Hier Kommt Alex (by Die Toten Hosen)
· Through Fire and Flames (by Dragonforce)
· In the Belly of a Shark (by Gallows)
· Welcome to The Jungle (by Guns N' Roses)
· Avalancha (by Heroes Del Silencio)
· Take This Life (by In Flames)
· Number of the Beast (by Iron Maiden)
· Ruby (by Kaiser Chiefs)
· Closer (by Lacuna Coil)
· Cult of Personality (by Living Colour)
· One (by Metallica)
· Knights of Cydonia (by Muse)
· Mauvais Garcon (by NAAST)
· Even Flow (by Pearl Jam)
· Lay Down (by Priestess)
· Bulls on Parade (by Rage Against The Machine)
· 3's and 7's (by Queens of the Stone Age)
· Suck My Kiss (by Red Hot Chili Peppers)
· Generation Rock (by Revolverheld)
· Raining Blood (by Slayer)
· Cherub Rock (by Smashing Pumpkins)
· Radio Song (by Superbus)
· The Metal (by Tenacious D)
· I'm in the Band (by The Hellacopters)
· Anarchy in the U.K. (by The Sex Pistols)
· Reptillia (by The Strokes)
· Paint It Black (by The Rolling Stones)
· My Name is Jonas (by Weezer)
· Slash's Original Boss Battle Recording
· Tom Morello's Original Boss Battle Recording
· School's Out (as made famous by Alice Cooper)
· Paranoid (as made famous by Black Sabbath)
· Cities on Flame (as made famous by Blue Oyster Cult)
· Slow Ride (as made famous by Foghat)
· Barracuda (as made famous by Heart)
· Rock and Roll All Nite (as made famous by Kiss)
· Mississippi Queen (as made famous by Mountain)
· Rock You Like a Hurricane (as made famous by Scorpions)
· La Grange (as made famous by ZZ Top)

By the way, I ripped this straight off of gameindustry.biz - visit them for the full run-down.

RollingStone compares Guitar Hero to Rock Star - here

Link it like you mean it

Jared Leto on the cover of Kerrang! - interview inside - see the gist in the link.

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Lou Pearlman, the guy behind the Backstreet Boys and N'Sync is a perv. Big shocker.

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“We’re too gay to be full-blown metal and too metal to be crooners." Ville Valo is hi-larious. Read the rest of the Blender interview in the link. They even get a Bam jab in there - love it.

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Placebo drummer is no more.

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Lily Allen to play lead in Jane Austin spoof.

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European MTV Awards nominees announced

I don't really understand what some of these categories mean but the nominees look more interesting than the US MTV VMA's. Our awards are terrible. I am going to have to mention though that Tokio Hotel sucks ass. If you listen to them, we need to talk. Seriously, WTF? I was going to put a picture of them on here but I was getting nauseated.

Rock Out Award

30 Seconds to Mars

Evanescence

Fall Out Boy

Linkin Park

My Chemical Romance

Band Of 2007

Fall Out Boy

Good Charlotte

Linkin Park

My Chemical Romance

Tokio Hotel

Album Of The Year

Akon, Konvicted

Amy Winehouse, Back to Basics

Avril Lavigne, The Best Damn Thing

Linkin Park, Minutes to Midnight

Nelly Furtado, Loose

Interact Award

30 Seconds to Mars

Depeche Mode

Fall Out Boy

My Chemical Romance

Tokio Hotel

Headliner Award

Arctic Monkeys

Beyonce

Foo Fighters

Justin Timberlake

Muse

Video Star Award

Bat For Lashes, What's A Girl To Do

Chemical Brothers, The Salmon Dance

Foo Fighters, The Pretender

Justice, D.A.N.C.E

Justin Timberlake, What Goes Around

Kanye West, Stronger

Crap is King

Britney Spears has officially lost her kids to Kevin Federline. I NEVER in a million years thought he would be the one to come smelling like a rose. I figured smelling like Drakkar Noir would be more like it.

No really, what happened to her?

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Sharon Osbourne's brother says her excessive spending is why Ozzy has to keep working and continued by stating that she would keep Ozzy working until he dies. Very nice.

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Lily Allen shouldn't be embarassed. Who the hell cares. I think The Sun might be making a bigger deal of this than it was.

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Link it like you mean it

Zeppelin says they won't tour - I don't know if I believe that. I say in 6 months they'll be touring afterall. Everyone likes a money tree don't they?

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An interesting spin for the release and purchase of the new Radiohead album.

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LostProphets video from in the studio.

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Audio interview with Tarja.

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Tom Morello to support Serj Tankien on solo tour.

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Hard Rock Park to open in Myrtle Beach in May of 08.

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3-part interview with Ville Valo.

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