Music Artists, Videos and News

It’s Friday again, and that means two things. First, you need to think about leaving work early so you can get a good seat for “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” paint your face for tonight’s NHL playoff game (that would be the Pittsburgh Penguins against the Montreal Canadiens) or just tuck into a nice juicy steak. But while you’re planning your escape, you should really catch up on anything you might have missed this week at the MTV Newsroom blog, which closed out the month of April with a heaping helping of tributes to Siobhan Magnus, more speculation about Conan O’Brien’s new show and at least one endorsement of the Los Angeles Lakers.

» This week on “American Idol,” the nation said goodbye to Siobhan Magnus, who took her eclectic taste in fashion and headed back to her glassblowing studio in Massachusetts.

» Hopefully Magnus will stop by the MTV Newsroom next week to teach “American Idol” expert Jim Cantiello a useful skill, just like fellow reject Tim Urban did.

» “American Idol” also featured the music of Shania Twain this week, and while that was an unusual choice for a theme, it didn’t come close to that time people sang No Doubt songs.

» In news that doesn’t involve “American Idol,” Insane Clown Posse member Violent J weighed in on the fervor surrounding the “Miracles” video and implored everybody to “peep the giraffe” (which is, amazing, not code for anything).

» Justin Bieber paid a visit to Australia this week, and was met with crazy fans and canceled appearances.

» This summer, you can catch Slayer and Megadeth on the road together, partying like it’s 1990. Metal!

» Were you aware that Taylor Swift is not a very good bowler, basketball player or Easter Egg hunter? Now you do!

» No matter what you think of the Goldman Sachs hearings in Washington this week, everybody can agree that Carl Levin is one foul-mouthed rapper.

» The NBA playoffs continue this weekend, and Ice Cube has his money on the Lakers. Fact: In “Today Was a Good Day,” he raps “The Lakers beat the SuperSonics,” and Los Angeles’ current opponent is the Oklahoma City Thunder, who used to be the Seattle SuperSonics. Ice Cube has psychic powers!

» In other basketball news, Drake and John Wall are ready to take over your area.

» If Max Weinberg is out as Conan O’Brien’s band leader, will Travis Barker step up to take his place?

» Finally, if you learn only one thing from a cast member of “The Real Housewives of New York City,” it’s should be that money can’t buy class.

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If “American Idol” was a beauty pageant, Tim Urban deserved to win Miss (Mr.?) Congeniality. Whether he was gamely giggling at the judges’ pans or sliding across the stage like he was stealing home plate, Urban was a ray of sunshine in a particularly dreary season.

This week he stopped by MTV News to chat about his “Idol” trip (and it was a trip all right), as well as what’s in store for the future. He’s got the “American Idols Live” tour up first, where he’ll perform alongside the rest of the Top 10 (including recent eliminee Siobhan Magnus). Then perhaps he’ll do a few low-key gigs with his season-nine buddy Alex Lambert in Los Angeles. But the aspiring actor/singer is also hoping for a phone call from “Glee” or the Disney family. “My style of music is always going to be upbeat,” he promised.

I didn’t spend too much time asking about specific “Idol” performances (if you’re looking for that, check out Entertainment Weekly’s entertaining four-part chat) which freed us up to talk about the stuff you guys wanted to know — like if he’ll ever do a workout video, how he felt singing love songs to Usher and Adam Lambert during their rehearsals and who he’d kill to duet with on this year’s finale. (He’d freak out if he got to perform with Muse, but also realizes that musically it might make more sense for a Colbie Callait collaboration.)

Who would you like to see Tim perform with at the finale? (Do you like our Kermit idea?) Would you go to a Tim Urban/Alex Lambert double-bill? Which was your favorite Tim Urban moment on “Idol” this season? Check out our interview and leave a comment below!

And for more “Idol”-related chatter, follow me on Twitter at @jambajim!

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Tonight, animated all-stars Gorillaz will take the stage at London’s legendary Roundhouse, and you can watch it all right here, as it happens (ain’t technology wonderful?)

Yes, MTV.com is live-streaming the show, which means you can have a front-row seat even if you’re sitting in front of your computer in your underwear. The ‘Rillaz will be performing tracks off their brand-new Plastic Beach album, and who knows, maybe they’ll even bring out a special guest or two (the album features the likes of Snoop Dogg, Mos Def and Mark E. Smith, amongst others.)

But why are you busy reading this? Check out the sold-out show, right now, all the way live from London!

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By Rahman Dukes

Happy Born Day to the “Punch Line King” Lloyd Banks, who turns 28 today. Banks, aka Boy Wonder, aka Blue Hefner, has a lot to celebrate this year. He has a smash record, â��Beamer, Benz or Bentley,” arguably the hottest independent record label, G-Unit Records, and he’s in the midst of a bidding war between labels who are vying to release the follow-up to his 2004 debut classic, Hunger For More.

As a Southside, Jamaica Queens native, I’ve had the pleasure of watching Banks’ career blossom. His success is nothing new to any cat from Queens, who will tell ya we breed Kings from the borough (Run DMC, LL Cool J, Nas, 50 Cent, Lost Boyz, Onyx, Kool G. Rap, The Juice Crew, to name a few.)

In my early days at MTV, I had the pleasure of receiving frequent visits from famed producer Sha Money, who would bring me early G-Unit mixtapes. That relationship led to myself and MTV breaking the news that 50 Cent had made a major move by signing on with Eminem. My history with the Unit goes back like beads on Stevie Wonder’s braids in the 70’s.

One guy that’s always stuck out in the Unit was Banks, thanks to that voice and impeccable flow, a signature sign of any great rapper. A legend, as we call it in the game.

Me and big homey S. Dot had the pleasure of visiting Banks and Whoo Kid on Thursday (April 29) night just before LB tore down the Nokia Theater. “Beamer, Benz and Bentley” has the god set up perfectly. I couldn’t have said it better than how PLK put it last night onstage, “I’m the hottest n—a in New York right now.”

So again, happy born day to the god Lloyd Banks, who today, is celebrating Wisdom, Build and Destroy. Salute!

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By Joel Hanek

I love the Black Keys. I also love dinosaurs. Which is why I really love the Keys’ brand-new video for “Next Girl.”

See, the clip — which, in theory, is meant to promote the Akron, Ohio duo’s upcoming Brothers album (due May 18) — stars a Tyrannosaurus Rex hand puppet named Frank (who actually appeared in the first video off the album, “Tighten Up,”) a bunch of scantily-clad ladies and absolutely zero members of the Black Keys. It is either an act of cheeky self-awareness or punkish defiance, I’m not sure which.

Anyway, in the “Girl” video, Frank scuttles around, lip-syncs a whole lot and then macks on some ladies in a hot tub, while passive-aggressive captions stream along the bottom of the screen (”This is an attempt by the record label to attract attention to the band using a ridiculous dinosaur puppet.”) It sort of looks like a rap video, as directed by Sofia Coppola. And The track itself is pretty great, too … a return to the Keys’ classic form with dominating distorted guitar-scapes, and backing vocals from Blakroc (that’s their Dame Dash-approved hip hop collaborative project) fave Nicole Wray.

You can take a look at the video over on the Black Keys’ official site, and catch them this summer as the opening act on the Kings of Leon’s summer tour. No word on whether or not Frank — or his scantily-clad ladies — will be appearing with them.

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