MSNBC Commentator Rachael Maddow Gives Props to Florida Death Metal

When political commentators mention extreme metal on the air it's usually in reference to something tragic like a school shooting, church burning or suicide pact. But when MSNBC liberal correspondent Rachael Maddow invoked the names of Cannibal Corpse, Six Feet Under, Obituary, Death and Deicide it was mostly to take a stab at Republicans, not [...]

Source: http://blog.mtvmusic.com/2010/05/14/msnbc-commentator-rachael-maddow-gives-props-to-florida-death-metal/

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Robert Plant And Alison Krauss Win Grammy Album Of The Year

Raising Sand, from Led Zeppelin vet and bluegrass superstar, wins five Grammys on Sunday night.
By James Montgomery with MTV News staff


Alison Krauss and Robert Plant accept the award for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards on Sunday
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

"I'm bewildered," Robert Plant said onstage as he accepted the Grammy Album of the Year award with Alison Krauss on Sunday night. "In the old days we would have called this selling out, but it's a good way to spend a Sunday."

He was probably one of the few who were surprised, because Raising Sand, which won five trophies at Sunday night's show, is in many ways the perfect Grammy album. It features two respected veterans, a critically lauded producer, some sandpaper-and-velvet vocals and a baker's dozen of time-tested standards.

You're probably familiar with Robert Plant from his Led Zeppelin days, and you might be aware of producer T-Bone Burnett's work on the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack (it won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2002). And if you don't know who Alison Krauss is, she possesses a haunting set of pipes and is one of the meanest fiddle players in the world. Oh, and she's won 21 Grammys, more than any other female artist and the seventh-most in history.

Really, she's the key to Sand's success, and not just because of her voice (or her fiddle playing). She and Plant first met in 2004, at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute to legendary bluesman Leadbelly, and the former Zeppelin man was amazed by her knowledge of American Roots music — so much so that they began kicking around the idea of recording an album together. Three years later, Sand was released.

And while Plant possesses the more famous voice, the album's finest moments radiate from Krauss. Whether she's getting bluesy on Little Milton's "Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson" or entwining with Plant's husky voice on songs like "Please Read the Letter" and Roly Salley's winsome "Killing the Blues," she more than carries her end of the bargain.

And perhaps that's also due to producer Burnett, who handpicked the 13 songs the duo cover on Sand. His arrangements are sparse — giving the two voices ample room to breathe — yet dense, warm and crackling at the same time. It's a testament to his work that he's often given just as much billing as Plant and Krauss on the project ... and it's certainly justified.

To date, Sand has sold more than 1 million copies, heaped tons of acclaim and actually earned a Grammy last year — "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" took home the award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.

One expert was surprised not by the album's success, but by the fact that it's actually quite a good album.

"At first, the album seemed like a vanity project. ... Two names, clearly a one-off record, didn't have to be any good, you know?" New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica said. "Led Zeppelin fans would buy it because of Robert Plant, Alison Krauss would get a check. But it actually turned out to be a really thoughtful, really good record. So when you combine all that with the fact that the Grammys love to lionize one of their own, I could really see it taking home some awards."

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1604582/plantkrauss-win-album-year-grammy.jhtml

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Michael Jackson Doctor Conrad Murray Hid Evidence, Guard Testifies

Testimony has Conrad Murray removing IV stand and two bags of medication.
By Gil Kaufman, with additional reporting by Kara Warner


Alberto Alvarez, Michael Jackson's bodyguard, leaves court after testifying at the preliminary hearing for Dr. Conrad Murray on January 5
Photo: Toby Canham/Getty Images

The second day of testimony in the preliminary hearing of Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, featured damning testimony from one of the late King of Pop's bodyguards about Murray's actions in the critical minutes after the singer was found unresponsive.

After a former Jackson staffer testified Tuesday that Murray appeared to not know how to perform CPR properly, security guard Alberto Alvarez said on Wednesday (January 5) that the cardiologist frantically grabbed medical evidence from the star's bedroom before instructing Alvarez to call 911.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Alvarez said he was the first person to walk into Jackson's bedroom after Murray realized his patient was not breathing, where he found the cardiologist administering chest compressions with one hand while Jackson lay on his bed, which goes against the recommended procedure for the life-saving method.

"I said, 'Dr. Murray, what happened?' " Alvarez told the court. " 'He had a bad reaction, he had a bad reaction,' that's all he said." Alvarez choked up as he described how Jackson's daughter, Paris, followed him into the room and screamed when she saw her father sprawled out and unresponsive on the bed.

He said Murray then instructed him to get the children out of the room, noticing as he left that Jackson's penis was out of his underwear and that medical tubing was attached to it. When Deputy District Attorney David Walgren asked Alvarez if he knew what a condom catheter was, the security guard said he did not.

Alvarez said he then witnessed Murray grabbing a handful of bottles, which he instructed the security guard to put in a bag. He told the court that he held open the bag as the doctor dropped the bottles of medicine inside and then put it in a brown canvas bag on the floor, per Murray's instructions. Murray also allegedly told Alvarez to grab one of the two bags hanging on an IV stand next to Jackson's bed and put it in another bag. Alvarez said he noticed a "milk-like substance" in the bottom of the IV bag.

The Los Angeles County Coroner's office determined that Jackson died of an acute intoxication of propofol, a powerful surgical anesthetic sometimes referred to as "milk of amnesia" thanks to its milky white appearance. Only after the medical materials had been put away did Murray tell Alvarez to call 911.

"After you had collected the bottles per Dr. Murray's instructions, and after you had collected the bags per Dr. Murray's instructions, did Dr. Murray instruct you to call 911?" Walgren asked. "Yes, sir," Alvarez responded.

TMZ reported that during cross-examination, defense attorney Ed Chernoff got Alvarez to admit that he never told police about Murray ordering him to remove the bottles and Alvarez later admitted that he may try to sell his story.

Later in the day, EMT Richard Senniff testified that he arrived at the Jackson home, just four minutes after the 911 call was placed. According to TMZ, Senniff said that, based on the condition of Jackson's body, it appeared that Murray waited at least 20 minutes to call 911. Senniff also stated that when he asked Murray what meds Jackson had been administered, he only listed lorazepam (Ativan).

Jackson cook Kai Chase also testified, revealing the food she prepared for Jackson prior to his death (seared ahi tuna and salad, white bean Tuscan soup) and that she knew something was wrong when Murray came downstairs in a panic and summoned Jackson's son, Prince.

The preliminary hearing is aimed at determining whether there is enough evidence to try Murray on a felony count of involuntary manslaughter in the June 2009 death of the King of Pop. It is expected to last two to three weeks.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1655367/michael-jackson-doctor-conrad-murray-hid-evidence-guard-testifies.jhtml

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James Cameron Compares 'Sanctum' And 'Avatar 2' Underwater Scenes

'We have to figure out how to do performance capture underwater, which has never been done,' he says of 'Avatar' sequel.
By Kara Warner


James Cameron
Photo: MTV News

When James Cameron isn't making record-breaking blockbusters or helping NASA design 3-D cameras, he spends his spare time producing the little $30 million underwater thriller "Sanctum," which opens Friday.

In the film, directed by Alister Grierson and written by Australian explorer/ filmmaker/ Cameron pal Andrew Wight, a team of divers get trapped during an underwater expedition when an unexpected storm floods the entrance to a cave. The production was conceived and filmed in 3-D, much of it underwater.

When we caught up with the trio behind the film — Grierson, Cameron and Wight — we asked, given the fact that they now have plenty of experience shooting underwater and in 3-D, if they will be teaming up for "Avatar 2," which Cameron has said will partially take place underwater.

" 'Avatar' does have some underwater stuff, but it will mostly involve characters that are the Na'vi and the Avatars," Cameron said. "So we have to figure out how to do performance capture underwater, which has never been done. That's a whole other problem," he admitted.

When Cameron said he and his friends will look for more opportunities to work together, Grierson joked that he'd be taking over Sam Worthington's role.

"We had a great experience [working together] this time," Cameron said. "I don't know if 'Sanctum 2' is in the cards, though."

He added that, whether or not Grierson and Wight get involved in the "Avatar" action, they'll all be doing more underwater projects and that they learned new tricks from their work on "Sanctum."

"Every time you do a project, you learn. You make the cameras better, you learn more about the procedure," Cameron said, before turning a bit metaphorical about his highly technical filmmaking process. "We like to build race cars and then we like to go race the race car and then we go back and work on the engine some more."

Check out everything we've got on "Sanctum."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1657090/james-cameron-compares-sanctum-avatar-2-underwater-scenes.jhtml

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Jennifer Lopez Gets Idolized From Morning to Night

20 Valentine's Day Gifts It Would Suck To Receive

Bad Valentine's Day Gifts

From anxiety over one's relationship status (or lack thereof), to figuring out a non-lame way to celebrate, Valentine's Day, more than any other occasion, has the power to elicit panic in even the most reserved, well-tempered individuals. Perhaps the most nerve-wracking experience of the whole occasion is choosing an appropriate gift, one that sends just the right message without inadvertently offending anyone in the process. Worse than the stress in choosing a perfect gift, though, is the disappointment in receiving one that totally sucks. After the jump, 20 Valentine's Day gifts we hope you don't get stuck with this year.

Source: http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-20-valentines-day-gifts-it-would-suck-to-receive/?eref=RSS

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Justin Bieber Director Explains Why He Signed On To 'Never Say Never'

'Who would say no to doing a Justin Bieber movie in 3-D?' Jon Chu asks MTV News.
By Kara Warner


Jon Chu
Photo: MTV News

For Justin Bieber fans, the thought of their favorite star being the subject of a full-length feature film is a dream come true. And for the non-fans out there, and those who might be scratching their heads about why and how the upcoming film "Never Say Never" came to be, director Jon Chu understands. He recently explained to MTV News why he decided to helm the divisive high-profile project.

"Who would say no to doing a Justin Bieber movie in 3-D?" Chu joked about the fluffy-sounding premise for the film. "Paramount Pictures had this movie, they called me up, and I was just finishing up 'Step Up 3D,' and said, 'What do you know about Justin Bieber?' " he recalled.

"I started at YouTube. After 'Step Up 2,' we did a bunch of YouTube videos, and about that time, Justin was doing all of his videos," explained Chu, whose own "LXD" ("League of Extraordinary Dancers") has a large Internet following as well. "So we've watched Justin in the YouTube community grow and break out of that into the mainstream."

Chu went on to say that he felt Bieber's story is an important one to tell — one that could inspire kids to carve out a similar path.

"Especially for this generation of kids, [it's important to show] that they could make it on their own without a big corporation," Chu added. "I thought it was an exciting way to tell it: through his music."

Bieber fans: Stay tuned for more of our interview with Chu as well as answers to fan-submitted questions in the coming weeks!

Check out everything we've got on "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1657011/justin-bieber-jon-chu-never-say-never.jhtml

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Halle Berry Fights for Custody of Daughter Nahla

Halle Berry Fights for Custody of Daughter Nahla

Halle Berry, 44, and model Gabriel Aubry, 35, split up last April -- and only now are things starting to get ugly. Berry is preparing to go to court to fight her ex-boyfriend for full custody of their 2-year-old daughter Nahla.

"Halle has serious concerns for her daughter's well-being while in the care of her father for any extended period of time and is prepared to take all necessary steps to protect her," Berry's rep told People on Monday. "She has attempted to resolve these custody issues amicably with her daughter's father, Gabriel Aubry, directly, but given his lack of cooperation, Halle has no choice but to seek swift judicial intervention."

The Oscar winner isn't messing about: In order to be present at the custody battle, she dropped out of the upcoming feature film New Year's Eve (the thematic follow-up to the 2010 romantic comedy Valentine's Day). Her role is now being played by Katherine Heigl.

Berry's decision to challenge Aubry's visitation rights seems to come out of nowhere, but the dispute may have started in late December, when Aubrey filed for joint custody of Nahla.

Then there's the unsubstantiated gossip. Two weeks ago, RadarOnline posted a story saying that Berry was furious with Aubry for publicly dating other women -- including Kim Kardashian -- and that she intended to challenge his custody as a form of revenge. The site's sources claimed that Berry had even hired a private investigator to dig up dirt for the custody battle, while Aubry was "forced" to file the joint custody petition because he feared Berry might challenge his visitation rights. We don't know exactly what's true of the behind-the-scenes squabbling, but one thing seems certain: This will make for one heck of a contentious courtroom battle.

Berry has been dating French actor Olivier Martinez since October. Aubrey and Kardashian are no longer together.

Do you think Halle Berry should get full custody of her daughter instead of shared custody? Chime in below!

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/halle-berry-fights-custody-daughter-nahla/1-a-319306

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Britney Spears Tweets First Look At 'Hold It Against Me' Video

Spears posted photo of herself surrounded by microphones after video shoot wrapped on Sunday.
By Jocelyn Vena


Britney Spears on the set of "Hold It Against Me"
Photo: Britney Spears

What will Britney Spears look like in the video for her smash hit "Hold It Against Me"? Well, the singer gave fans a sneak peek over the weekend when she tweeted a photo of herself on set.

In the lo-res pic, Spears is shown from the shoulders up, standing with her back to the camera and her face turned toward it. The singer is in a red outfit and surrounded by a wreath of microphones.

On Saturday, she tweeted, "Day 1 of the HIAM shoot with [director] Jonas Akerlund. Such an incredible experience. I think this will be one of the best videos I have ever done." On Sunday, the same day the photo was taken she wrote, "Day 2 is a wrap! #HIAM video coming soon...."

Choreographer Brian Friedman also kept fans updated on the video shoot via Twitter throughout the weekend. "Good luck 2 @britneyspears and all of my incredible dancers," he wrote on Saturday. "You all have surpassed my expectations and I am so thankful for ur hard work!"

And on Sunday, he continued the praise, tweeting, "What a fabulous day on set of HIAM! @britneyspears killed it! She danced her ass off! Great work 2 my dancers too... Y'all slayed!"

Meanwhile, fansite Breatheheavy.com reportedly obtained a call sheet for the video, which revealed that the video was shot at Paramount Studios. The sheet also indicates that sometime Lady Gaga stylist B Akerlund designed the costumes for the video and that "Project Runway" hairstylist Philip Carreon worked on the shoot.

What do you think this new photo suggests about Britney's new video? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1656493/britney-spears-tweets-first-look-at-hold-it-against-me-video.jhtml

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