More Top Stories: Linkin Park, Paul Simon, Justin Bieber
Linkin Park are letting fans submit their own versions of their new single “The Catalyst” in a contest to promote their new album A Thousand Suns. The band is offering stems for free download on their MySpace page and the winning version will be included on Best Buy’s physical release of the disc, due out September 14. [Linkin Park’s Official MySpace]
New York’s Public Theater has started casting its restaging of Paul Simon’s 1998 Broadway show The Capeman. While some of the show’s original cast will return, actor Anthony Lee Medina has been recruited for the character Sal Agron, who was initially portrayed by Marc Anthony in the original Broadway version. [ New York Times ]
Justin Bieber will guest star on the season premiere of CSI, playing the role of a troubled teen. Bieber’s character will reappear throughout the season. [ Billboard ]
Daft Punk have revealed snippets of their soundtrack for Tron: Legacy at the movie’s official website. The film, starring Jeff Bridges, and soundtrack are due out later this year. [ Tron: Legacy Official Site]
After dominating pop radio with her hit “California Gurls,” Katy Perry has unleashed the title track from her upcoming second album Teenage Dream. [Perez Hilton]
Blink-182’s first album in seven years hit stores in 2011. “We’re gonna start on it right when we get home [from tour],” Travis Barker said. [MTV]
Following a slight fall during a Smashing Pumpkins show in Tampa, Florida this week, Billy Corgan revealed on Twitter that he doesn’t remember collapsing onstage. “I have no memory of falling against the drum riser and my guitar cabinet, but I can tell you I’ve got quite a good bruise [and] am moving slow,” Corgan tweeted. [Blabbermouth]
Blues guitarist and singer Phillip Walker, a music vet with 50 years experience who performed with the artists like Etta James and Little Richard, died of heart failure in Palm Springs, California. He was 73. [AP]
After touring with Them Crooked Vultures, Dave Grohl is working on the first new Foo Fighters record since 2007’s Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace. “Demos almost complete,” the band wrote on its Twitter, “countdown to FF7 session begins…the wait is almost over.” [Twitter]
Robyn has revealed the track list and cover for her upcoming Body Talk Pt. 2, the second of three discs the Swedish pop star is planning to release in 2010. The disc, which features a cameo from Snoop Dogg on “U Should Know Better,” hits stores on September 7th. [Robyn.com]
Good Charlotte will release their fifth album Cardiology on October 26th. It’s the band’s first album since 2007’s Good Morning Revival. [Billboard]
Simon Cowell is being sued by a contestant from Britain’s Got Talent, who alleges the caustic host humiliated and degraded her on the program. The contestant is seeking £2.5 million in damages, £300,000 of which are for “injured feelings.” [Hollywood Reporter]
UK singing sensation Susan Boyle will follow up her massive debut I Dreamed a Dream with a Christmas album, due out in October. Boyle’s debut sold 3.7 million copies in the U.S. in 2009, the second biggest-selling album after Taylor Swift’s Fearless. [Billboard]
Justin Timberlake is taking on the role of director for a series of commercials for 901 Silver Tequila. The spots will premiere next Monday. [901.com]
Beck has placed new tracks on both the True Blood and Twilight Saga: Eclipse soundtracks this summer. The Modern Guilt singer has also penned a handful of songs for the fictional band Sex Bob-Omb in the upcoming Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World, and on the soundtrack’s deluxe edition, he’ll perform the songs he wrote for actor Michael Cera. [We All Want Someone]
Foxy Brown was arrested on July 21st in Brooklyn, New York, for violating a protective order after having yet another heated encounter with her neighbor — the same neighbor Brown threw a BlackBerry at in 2007, the New York Post reports. Brown and her neighbor, Arlene Raymond, reportedly got into a shouting match outside their building but were separated before things got physical. TMZ adds another interesting factoid to the situation: Raymond claims that Brown “bent over and thrust [her] buttocks at the [neighbor] while shouting … ‘kiss my ass.'” Brown faces six charges, including public lewdness. [TMZ]
The Beach Boys had a hit with “California Girls” in 1965, and Katy Perry’s own “California Gurls” is the summer song of 2010. So what does the Pet Sounds crew think of Perry’s track? ” “I love her vocal. She sounds very clear and energetic. The melody is infectious, and I’m flattered that Snoop Dogg used our lyric on the tag. I wish them well with this cut,” Brian Wilson told the Los Angeles Times. Adds Mike Love, “We have a lot in common now: We both have done songs called ‘California Girls’ and we’ve both kissed girls and liked it.” [Los Angeles Times]
Katy Perry also revealed the cover of her new album Teenage Dream during a live unveiling on Ustream. The album cover, by artist Will Cotton, finds Perry lying in the nude in a cloud of cotton candy. Perry also promised fans that the album’s liner notes will also smell like cotton candy. [Katy Perry’s official site]
Elton John postponed a performance last night in Tucson, Arizona, due to food poisoning. However, the legend will perform tonight at the Tucson Arena instead. [Arizona Star]
Media measurement company BigChampagne debuted their inaugural Ultimate Chart yesterday, which keeps track of the biggest songs and artists by measuring their popularity on YouTube, Twitter, Last.fm, iTunes and more. Eminem locked up both the Number One song (“Love the Way You Lie”) and Number One artist for the week of July 13th. [Big Champange]
The 2010 Grammy’s Best New Artist, the Zac Brown Band, will unleash their second album You Get What You Give on September 21st. [Yahoo]
Eminem’s four-week reign atop the Billboard 200 will likely come to an end next week: Rick Ross’ Teflon Don will reportedly sell between 150,000 and 180,000 copies, enough to likely give Ross his fourth consecutive Number One album. [Billboard]
Download the breezy first single off Deerhunter’s Microcastle follow-up Halcyon Digest, “Revival,” and it’s b-side “Primitive 3D,” over at the shoegazers’ new site. Note: The password is “tapereel.” [Halcyon Digest]
Color Me Badd crooner and Man Band star Bryan Abrams was arrested in Hawaii on domestic abuse charges after a fight with his wife. Abrams is accused of throwing his wife across the room following an argument. [ABC News]