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Day in Pop Report for 09/16/2011


New Rihanna This Fall- Interscope Offices Used For Drug Trafficking?- Big Week for Lady Antebellum- Katy Perry's Sixth Coming- Boyz II Justin Bieber- more
(Billboard) When Rihanna tweets, people listen. On Sept. 15, the diva tweeted a response to one of her followers asking "When's the next album due?" with "THIS FALL!!!!!" which must have been music to the ears of her fans. more

Lady Gaga released the second fashion video for her single "Yo� and I" yesterday. The clip, directed by Inez+Vinoodh and entitled "Haus of � ft. Bride" can be seen on YouTube here

(Billboard) Federal prosecutors say that the offices of Interscope Records were used by a drug-trafficking ring as a transit point for cases filled with cocaine and cash, according to a report in the Smoking Gun published Thursday. more

(BBC) Film director Roman Polanski is to collect a lifetime achievement award at the Zurich Film Festival, two years after his arrest in the city on child sex charges more

(Billboard) After two full days on sale, Lady Antebellum's third album, "Own the Night," is shaping up to have a bigger debut than expected. more

(FMQB) Justin Bieber has revealed he has been recording with Boyz II Men for the Pop star's upcoming Christmas record. MTV News has posted a photo of Bieber and Boyz II Men's Shawn Stockton in the studio together. more

(BBC) Coldplay is voted the best headline of any festival of 2011, according to a poll conducted by BBC Radio 6 Music. more

(FMQB) More details have been announced for Kelly Clarkson's upcoming album Stronger, due out October 24. The album contains 13 songs, and will also be released in a deluxe edition, as well as a bonus EP. more

(Billboard) Add the winner of NBC's "The Voice" to the list of contemporary musical acts portraying stars of the late 1950s and early '60s on NBC's "The Playboy Club." more

(Jam!) Ashlee Simpson and actor Vincent Piazza have gone public with their romance after attending a Boardwalk Empire season premiere together on Wednesday. more

(BBC) Veteran US actor Mickey Rooney sues his step-son, Christopher Aber, claiming he tricked him out of millions of dollars and bullied him into working. more

(FMQB) Katy Perry will offer a sixth single from Teenage Dream when "The One That Got Away" goes to radio next month. more

(NME) No Doubt delay new album release until 2012 Band push back first LP in over 10 years to 'make the best record we can possibly make' more


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T.I. Freed From Prison Again
(TMZ) T.I. has returned to a halfway house to complete his prison sentence -- this after he was yanked out of the halfway house last week and returned to prison for allegedly engaging in shenanigans on his tour bus.

As TMZ first reported, prison officials sent U.S. Marshals to the halfway house last week, after concluding T.I. had unauthorized people on the bus that transported him there. Officials also claimed T.I. conducted business on the bus -- something his reps strongly deny.

T.I.'s lawyer, Steve Sadow, tells TMZ, "We have good reason to believe that this favorable result was reached because of the proactive and assertive approach taken to protect T.I.'s rights by providing B.O.P officials and the media with reliable and accurate information and that T.I. did not intend to violate his transfer furlough or any other B.O.P rules en route from the prison facility in Arkansas to the halfway house in Atlanta."

Sadow adds, "T.I. will be released from custody on Sept. 29, and then will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for a period of 1 year." more on this story

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LA Ink Star Hospitalized After Taxi Crash
(TMZ) "LA Ink" star Ruthless was rushed to an L.A. hospital this week after a taxi she was riding in smashed into another car ... and then backed into TWO MORE vehicles -- TMZ has learned.

TMZ spoke with 26-year old Ruth "Ruthless" Pineda ... who says her cabbie jumped out of the car to check out the damage after the initial collision ... but for some reason, the taxi was IN REVERSE!!!

The cabbie quickly jumped back in the taxi and tried to slam on the brake -- but he was so flustered, that he accidentally hit the gas ... sending the car roaring back into two parked cars.

Ruthless says she was rushed to a nearby hospital ... where she was treated for neck and back injuries. She was released the next day ... but tells us, "I'm still in a lot of pain but recovering"

Pineda has had some bad luck with cars lately -- as we previously reported Ruthless was also hospitalized a few months ago when a semi truck slammed into her Mercedes. more on this story

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James Brown Murdered?
(Gibson) James Brown's publicist Jacque Hollander doesn't believe the late soul legend died of a heart attack on Christmas Day in 2006. Now, she's hired a private detective to look into Brown's death, according to tabloid The Globe.

Not only is Hollander certain that the Godfather of Soul didn't die of a heart attack, she also thinks Brown's son-in-law Darren Lumar was killed because of what he knew. Lumar was murdered in 2008, after he went on a Georgia television show and said: "There's not a bone in my body that believes my father-in-law died from congestive heart failure."

"He was going to tell the truth about what was done to James Brown," Hollander said. "Now I am living in fear of my life because I'm the one who can bring forth the truth." more on this story

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Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett Duet Goes Online
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett's "The Lady Is A Tramp" duet can now be heard online at YouTube.

"The Lady is a Tramp" will be featured on Tony's upcoming release, "Tony Bennett: Duets II" out on September 20th via RPM/Columbia Records. Listen to the track here

Duets II" produced by Phil Ramone follows up "Tony Bennett Duets: An American Classic" CD, the 2006 Grammy winning best selling CD which became Bennett's best selling recording to date. The album boosts an all-star cast of duet partners including Amy Winehouse, Mariah Carey, John Mayer, Carrie Underwood, Norah Jones, Michael Buble, Sheryl Crow, and Aretha Franklin. NPR has a listening party for the album here

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FBI Closing in on Hackers That Stole Nude Scarlett Johansson Photos
(TMZ) The scofflaws who hacked Scarlett Johansson's cell phone ... and then leaked several nude pics -- are in the crosshairs of the FBI, and we're told the Feds already know the identity of the main culprit.

TMZ broke the story ... Scarlett contacted the FBI yesterday after the pics -- one which features her bare breasts and another showcasing her behind -- were leaked to several websites.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the FBI is "honing in" on the group of hackers and know the identity of at least one of them -- and we're told it's the ringleader.

Our sources say the hackers have done their dirty work on the cell phones of other celebs, including Vanessa Hudgens, Jessica Alba, Lindsey Vonn, Ali Larter and Emma Caulfield. more on this story

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Entourage Star Denied Restraining Order From Her Parents
(TMZ) The chick who played E's psycho ex-girlfriend Ashley on "Entourage" claims she's living in fear of her violent, porn-obsessed parents ... but TMZ has learned, the judge just ain't buyin' her story.

27-year-old Alexis Dziena filed documents in L.A. County Superior Court earlier this month -- asking a judge to slap her parents with restraining orders ... after her mother and her father allegedly roughed her up and threatened her.

According to the docs, Alexis claims her parents are upset because she wants to take away their access to her personal finances. She also claims her father is blowing her money on liquor and porn.

In the docs, Alexis claims, "I fear that [my dad] will do anything to get my money in his hands. I believe murder or violence or manipulation are all possible outcomes."

She asked a judge to keep her folks 100 yards away from her at all times.

But this week, a judge REJECTED her request -- claiming Alexis doesn't have any "reasonable proof" to back up her claims.

Still, Alexis will have a chance to plead her case to the judge in person -- she's scheduled to appear in court for the matter on October 3.

Multiple calls to Alexis' rep were not returned. more on this story

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Martha's Trouble To Launch Home Concert Tour
Martha's Trouble will kick off their "At Your House" Concert Tour next Friday, September 23, 2011, with planned house concerts ranging across the East Coast and Southeast.

Over the summer, the band announced their intent for a house concert tour on their website, and fan requests flooded in for the band to play at locations across the country. At each stop, the duo will perform for family and friends of the host. The tour will run until the last week of November.

Says band member Jen Slocumb about the tour: "We have decided to offer the At Your House Concerts exclusively to our fans to support the release of our new album 'Anchor Tattoo.' We are setting up in peoples living rooms and backyards across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast to play the new songs off this record. It's a great, intimate and comfortable setting for our fans. A lot of people haven't experienced a concert at someone's house, and it's a really cool alternative to some of the traditional venues they are used to." more on this story

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Thomas Dolby Announces Mini Tour
(conqueroo) Thomas Dolby has announced an October seven-city U.S. mini-tour. These solo performances will take the form of a 60-minute lecture about his new social networking transmedia game, The Floating City, interspersed with live songs from his upcoming album (A Map of the Floating City, due out October 25 on Lost Toy People Records through Redeye Distribution), as well as a few timeless classics.

The trip will take the artist from coast to coast, with live appearances in Washington D.C., New York, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Most are club venues, though some live radio and TV shows are included. A list of cities and venues appears below.

At each show, Dolby will tell the story behind the recording of the new album on his solar-powered lifeboat, with an impressive array of guests including Mark Knopfler, Imogen Heap and Regina Spektor. He will also give his personal account of the groundbreaking Floating City game, which he describes as "a Dieselpunk dystopia . . . weary survivors of a global climate catastrophe bartering and trading to stay alive in the face of techno-piracy and mutant squid attacks!" more on this story

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Kim Kardashian Taking On The Pussycat Dolls
(TMZ) Kim Kardashian is all set to return to the "Pussycat Dolls" ... only this time, she'll be running things BEHIND THE SCENES -- as the executive producer of a new PCD reality show ... TMZ has learned.

Kim signed a TV deal with "American Idol" honcho Nigel Lythgoe -- to be the E.P. for an upcoming reality show about the "Pussycat Dolls empire" ... that will feature the launch of a "new" PCD group.

One source tells us the newbies are "10 times better than the original group."

We're told Kim has a good relationship with PCD founder Robin Antin -- plus Kim really enjoyed performing with the group in Vegas a few years back.

Kim is telling friends she's "super excited" to work with Nigel because "he's the best in the business." more on this story

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Pop Up Video Returns Next Month
After a 10-year hiatus, VH1 will be bringing back "Pop Up Video," which is set to air on weekdays beginning October 3rd at 12pm ET/PT. The network sent over the following details:

The network has ordered 60 episodes of the familiar format featuring current videos, some new graphics and the beloved pop-up "bubbles" of priceless details and insights. Slated to return this fall, "Pop Up Video" will also integrate interactive elements including user polling and user-generated pop up content that will be reflected in the show.

New popped music videos will also be available for viewing and sharing on VH1.com as they air on TV. Original co-creator Woody Thompson is attached to the series as an executive producer for Eyeboogie. more on this story

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Tommy Tutone's Jim Keller Sets New Release
Jim Keller, co-founder of rock band Tommy Tutone and cowriter of "867-5309/Jenny" will release his new album, Soul Candy, on October 11.

Recorded with members of his current live band and assorted friends, the album is the product of a year's worth of writing and playing together in support of Keller's 2010 LP, Sunshine In My Pocket, his solo debut.

In describing the process, Keller says, "The best songs happen from that first blast of inspiration. Basically nothing is cooler to me than a great three-minute pop song. It's like a little bit of soul candy." In celebration, Keller and band will play a special CD release show November 4 with Sonny Landreth at New York's Highline Ballroom. more on this story

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