Music News

Bon Jovi's U.S. tour was kicked off last night (Feb. 18) in Omaha, Neb., without any full production rehearsals, due to last Thursday's shootings on the campus of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. The band was en route to rehearse there when news of the tragedy was delivered.

TVT Records, once hailed as Billboard's top independent label and home to artists such as Lil Jon, Pitbull and Ying Yang Twins, is expected to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week.

Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde took a ride on an Akron city bus yesterday (Feb. 18) to show her support of a countywide sales tax increase for mass transit.

U2 has hit the studio in Dublin to continue work on its next studio album with longtime collaborators Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. "We're going to try and break new sonic ground and deliver a masterpiece," Lanois tells Billboard.com. "The sleeves are rolled up. Bono is all charged up with a lyrical angle."

The shine has hardly faded from the Foo Fighters' two Grammy Awards, but the group is already working towards a follow-up to last year's "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace."

Le Tigre remains "on a long hiatus," says band member JD Samson, but that hasn't stopped her from teaming up with the group's Johanna Fateman for DJ-based project Men, which launches a month-long club tour tomorrow (Feb. 20) at Nectar in Seattle.

Country star Dierks Bentley is inviting fans to pick the title, cover art and some content for an upcoming greatest hits album due out May 6 on Capitol Nashville.

A Dubai court sentenced DJ Raymond Bingham, better known as Grooverider, to four years in jail today (Feb. 19), three months after he was caught in possession of marijuana.

Critically eulogized Welsh singing discovery Duffy made a spectacular debut at No. 1 on the new U.K. singles chart yesterday (Feb. 17) with "Mercy" (A&M/Universal). In a double for Universal labels, Jack Johnson's "Sleep Through the Static" (Brushfire/Island) started a second week atop the album bestsellers.

Beginning this week, "American Idol" fans will find salvation on Apple's iTunes Music Store, which will offer downloads of every performance from the top 24 semifinalists. Full songs will be $0.99, while full videos of the final 12 contestants will be $1.99, starting March 12.

Kinks frontman Ray Davies' second solo album, "Working Man's Cafe," arrives in the U.S. this week via New West/Ammal. The set has been out since October internationally.

Dublin rock troupe Bell X1 will celebrate the American release of the top-selling Irish album "Flock" with its first extensive North American tour, which begins March 12 in Toronto.

"I wanted to make a very simple, minimal album with sparse instrumentation and a very intense vibe," vocalist/guitarist Sune Rose Wagner says of "Lust Lust Lust."

Activision Inc today (Feb. 15) unveiled a new "Guitar Hero" video game focusing on Aerosmith, taking the billion-dollar franchise in a new direction. The game will feature about 30 Aerosmith songs as well as others from various acts that have opened for the band.

The father of troubled pop star Britney Spears will retain control over her affairs for about three more weeks, a court ruled yesterday (Feb. 14), even as a new attorney sought to move the case to federal jurisdiction.

G-Unit rapper Tony Yayo was sentenced yesterday (Feb. 14) to 10 days of community service after pleading guilty to harassment of a recording rival's 14-year-old son.

Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder will embark on his first solo tour this spring, in support of his Monkeywrench/J soundtrack to the acclaimed film "Into the Wild." Dates begin April 2 in Vancouver; Liam Finn will open.

Asia has wrapped recording on its next album, "Phoenix" -- due out in April and the first to feature the group's original all-star lineup since "Alpha" in 1983.

The New York Giants weren't the only ones to come away from Super Bowl XLII with a storybook ending.

Alicia Keys will embark on a two-month North American tour April 19 in Hampton, Va., with support from 2007 "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks. The run comes in support of Keys' latest J album, "As I Am," which has spawned two big hits.

Fans hungry for a taste for new Spoon material need only wait until April 8 when Merge releases the single/EP "Don't You Evah," a tune originally penned by the Natural History.

Gnarls Barkley has settled on April 8 as the release date for its sophomore Downtown/Atlantic album, "The Odd Couple." First single "Run" leaked two weeks ago and is just now starting to accumulate radio airplay.

Don't hold your breath waiting for the next Spice Girls reunion. Geri Halliwell, aka Ginger Spice, tells Billboard.com that she doesn't expect a sequel to the quintet's Return of the Spice Girls World Tour, which wraps up Feb. 26 in Toronto.

Rapper Flo Rida continues to fend off all challengers on the Billboard Hot 100, as his single "Low" beings an eighth week at No. 1. Chris Brown's "With You" remains at No. 2 and is the fastest growing track at radio, while Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music" holds at No. 3.

The tears flowed on "American Idol" last night (Feb. 13) as the show trimmed the competition to 24 semifinalists.