Backstage Pass

The new Taking Back Sunday video for "Liar" is the band's most experimental to date, filled with nifty "Take on Me"-styled animation. "I think this could be our coolest video," singer Adam Lazzara told me, though he said when they were filming it he wasn't sure if it was just an elaborate hoax on him. "They would say, 'Act like a spider is chasing you' and I would be alone in front of a green screen going, 'Um, OK," Lazzara said.

Click on pic to watch video or go here

The band also took time out recently to do a AOL Music Sessions taping, which features live performances of "MakeDamnSure," "Liar," "My Blue Heaven" and "A Decade Under the Influence," as well as behind-the-scenes stuff. Watch it here

Justin Timberlake's "FutureSex/LoveSounds" (Jive) remains at No. 1 for a second week with 217,000 copies sold, holding off a challenge from Clay Aiken's "A Thousand Different Ways," which opened with 205,000 sales.

Full Billboard report
Newsday's Top Albums and Singles (compiled by Billboard) on the jump

In this clip from the British documenary, "The Return of Courtney Love," she stumbles upon the coat that Kurt Cobain was wearing when he killed himself. It was hanging on a rack of clothes in the garage. How can Courtney not have an MTV series already?

On the jump, there's a clip of Courtney explaining how she chants for Lindsay Lohan's well-being. Apparently, the documentary was made before she helped Whitney Houston get sober.

When Joseph Arthur told me recently that “something was happening” with his new touring band, he wasn’t kidding. Arthur and the band made their New York debut last night at Bowery Ballroom, playing Arthur’s new album “Nuclear Daydream” (Lonely Astronaut) in its entirety, giving the already-impressive album a big boost of energy.

Freed from trying to recreate complex songs by himself, Arthur seemed to grow into the role of rock-band frontman, channeling a bit of Mick Jagger in songs like “Woman” and David Bowie in a new song “Spacemen,” inspired by a recent trip to Africa.

For his most famous song “In the Sun,” Arthur was joined by Michael Stipe, who covered the song earlier this year as a fundraiser for victims of Hurricane Katrina. The voices of Stipe and Arthur fit together well, with Stipe’s lower register grounding the song and Arthur’s falsetto turning it skyward.

SETLIST: Too Much to Hide / Black Lexus / Enough to Get Away / Slide Away / Electrical Storm / Automatic Situation / You Are Free / When I Was Running Out of Time / Don’t Tell Your Eyes / Don’t Give Up on People / Woman / Nuclear Daydream // ENCORES: Spacemen / In the Sun (w/Michael Stipe) / Tattoo / Honey and the Moon

FISHBONE. Ah, the memories. Skakin' to the beat. Or in our case, almost to the beat. (6 p.m., The Crazy Donkey, 1058 Rte. 110, Farmingdale, 631-753-1975. $15 advance; $17 at the door.)

JET. Shine on, you crazy Aussies. (8 p.m., Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Place, Manhattan, 212-777-6800. $25.)

LADYTRON. We are so tired, Ladytron's dreamy electro-pop could put us to sleep as soon as we pressed play.... (8 p.m., Webster Hall, 125 E. 11th St., Manhattan, 212-353-1600. $25.)

THE ROLLING STONES. The bigger bang on this date? We'd have to say the little guy opening the show - Kanye West. (8 p.m., Giants Stadium, 50 State Rte. 20, East Rutherford, N.J., 201-935-3900. $60-$450.)

GRIZZLY BEAR. Hey! "Open Season" opens at a theater near you next Friday. (It's about a bear, OK?) (8 p.m., Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St., Manhattan, 212-533-2111. $13.)

OF MONTREAL. Not really of Montreal. But our own father thinks we're not of this earth, either. (8 p.m., Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Place, Manhattan, 212-777-6800. $20.)

TONY BENNETT. Get that gin martini ready! With Natalie Cole and Michael Buble. (8 p.m., Theater at Madison Square Garden, Seventh Avenue and 32nd Street, Manhattan, 212-465-6741. $54.50-$404.50.)

There's a reason why The Skids' punk rave "The Saints Are Coming" never became a hit. Actually, there are many reasons, not the least of which is that it is quite an ordinary song. However, put U2 and Green Day on it and turn it into a bash-it-out anthem to raise cash for the building of post-Katrina New Orleans culture and the surrounding emotion overcomes its limitations -- a metaphor for not only what The Edge's Music Rising charity is trying to do, but for the careers of both bands involved. "The Saints Are Coming" is passion over substance, but U2 and Green Day still make it work.

The real discovery from their Superdome set, though, is the new version of "Wake Me Up When September Ends," which becomes more regal-sounding and indisputable thanks to The Edge's guitar atmospherics and a huge horn section.

Watch the video here (RealPlayer needed)
Buy "The Saints Are Coming" here (Proceeds go to Music Rising, a charity that helps New Orleans musicians replace their instruments lost in Hurricane Katrina)

JONAS BROTHERS. A true band of brothers in a teen-pop sort of way. (7:30 p.m., Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Place, Manhattan, 212-777-6800. $20.)

Janet Jackson opens her new "20 Y.O." (Virgin) album with a declaration of sorts, saying: "I want to keep it light. I don't want to be serious. I want to have fun."

But her real message is unspoken and carried through the album: "I'm still here. I win."

The ridiculous firestorm surrounding the accidental baring of her breast during a Super Bowl halftime number with Justin Timberlake in 2004 would have creatively paralyzed a lesser artist. For months, she was metaphorically stoned in pop culture's public square, not because it was deserved, but because it was convenient - an easy way to distract the country from the stumbling war in Iraq. (Isn't it odd that it took only weeks to hold congressional hearings on Nipplegate, but years to hold hearings on the lack of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq?)

Of course, all of that, as Jackson says a lot these days, is "the past." Her present is a happy one, judging from the sweetness and light that fill "20 Y.O.," a title that refers to the 20th anniversary of Jackson's first rebirth, when she released her breakthrough album "Control" (A&M).

On "20 Y.O." she skips all that drama of breaking free and asserting herself. She also keeps most of the tie-me-up, tie-me-down sexual raunch of her recent albums in the closet. This album is all about dancing and returning to her R&B roots. No envelope-pushing, no genre-busting. Just irresistible grooves, catchy hooks and lots of Janet. [More...]

Listen to "20 Y.O." here

PHOTO: Virgin Records

Though Ludacris continues to beef with Oprah over rap's respectability, he really should be thanking her. In his quest to prove her wrong about hip-hop's intellectual heft, Luda has turned "Release Therapy" (Def Jam) into his best album yet - alternating his playful rhymes with a newfound interest in a world beyond No. 1 spots and lick-lick-lick-licking you from your head to your toes.

On "Runaway Love," which features Mary J. Blige, Ludacris creates his version of 2Pac's "Brenda Had a Baby," telling tales of teenage runaways trying to escape abusive parents, drive-by shootings and unplanned pregnancies. He outlines their stories of how they were "forced to think that hell is a place called home," as Blige's gospel wail punctuates their pains.

It's an intellectual depth that has been hinted at in Ludacris' acting, but not in his rapping. "I'm 28 years old, it just now started making sense," he raps in the gospel-steeped "Freedom of Preach," explaining how his daughter has changed his life and how he's now searching for redemption.

Of course, Luda hasn't given up on his good-time, partying side completely. The slithering "Money Maker," the album's first single, and the adventurous, electro-influenced "Girls Gone Wild" are the best track the Neptunes have put out in years, while "Woozy," his duet with R. Kelly, is a surefire hit.

With "Release Therapy," Ludacris boots Kanye West from his throne and should up the ante for upcoming releases from Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Eminem if they want to be considered hip-hop's best for the year. ("Release Therapy," in stores today; grade: A)

Listen to "Release Therapy" here

More from 2006's A-List

Sweet 16-year-old Taylor Swift's debut single "Tim McGraw" (Big Machine) is an unexpected country delight, a love song more about a memory than country music's biggest hunk. Swift's voice is pretty and understated - a little Carrie Underwood, a little LeAnn Rimes and a bit of Avril Lavigne mixed together - striking the right balance to perfectly sell dreamy lyrics like "When you think Tim McGraw, I hope you think my favorite song, the one we danced to all night long."

Listen to "Tim McGraw" here

There's quite the commotion on 23rd Avenue in Astoria for lunchtime on a Wednesday.

Cars are double parking, their occupants excitedly spilling out onto the street. Women of all ages are giggling a little as they say their hellos. Working men offer some "Nice to see yous" as they walk past. There is a lot of waving and a lot of surprised looks. And a lot of running.

"Don't move," says one man, rushing off to get his camera.

Another comes running over, carrying a jug of homemade wine and a stack of plastic cups, offering a taste to everyone around.

Through it all, Tony Bennett smiles. He stands graciously, hands deep in the pockets of his gray slacks until they're needed to greet someone again.

"See what I mean?" he says, laughing. "Would you ever get this in New York?

Tony Bennett loves Astoria, not just because it's where he's from, but because it's part of who he is. "I love this area because it's the firemen, policemen, the teachers, the secretaries - they make New York City wonderful," he says, as he walks across Ditmars Boulevard. "All these people who live here, they make the city work. They make it more interesting."

Bennett comes to Astoria and Long Island City a lot - to visit the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, the public high school he helped found in 2001; to play tennis three times a week with his friend, restaurateur Mario Sirabella; and, on rare occasion, to visit his childhood home on 32nd Street where his famous rags-to-riches story began.

When Bennett gets to the house he grew up in, a modest, square, two-floor building, he points to the roof, where he used to raise pigeons, hoping that every once in a while they would lure a homing pigeon back to his coop. ("I would take that one homing pigeon and go to the pet shop and they would give me money to go to a movie," he says, laughing. "That's how I made some money.")

"I know Thomas Wolfe - the one from the '30s, not the newer one - says, 'You can't go home again,'" Bennett says. "But I find myself going home again and again. I come back here all the time." [More...]

Full story here

Listen to "Duets: An American Classic" here

PHOTO: Tony Bennett in front of his childhood home by Ken Spencer/Newsday.

FRIDAY

FAVOURITE SONS. Key song on the new FS album: "The Tall Grass," which is where we always seem to be. (8:30 p.m., Mercury Lounge, 217 E. Houston St., Manhattan, 212-260-4700. $12.)

THE KILLERS. The hot fuss? It's the upcoming new album, "Sam's Town" (Island). (6:30 p.m., Webster Hall, 125 E. 11th St., Manhattan, 212-353-1600. $30.)

ULTRA.NY. Lots of turntables, lots of backpacks. With Moby, John Digweed, Soulwax and many more. (4:30 p.m., Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, Fifth Avenue at 69th Street entrance, Manhattan, 212-360-2777. $49.75.)

SATURDAY

BIG DADDY KANE. It's the man, the icon. For those not in the know (us), here's the fine print: Women may wear jeans. Men must wear upscale, classy attire. No jeans or sneakers. (10 p.m., Roseland Ballroom, 239 W. 52nd St., Manhattan, 212-777-6800. $25.)

SUNDAY

THE FLAMING LIPS. She still don't use jelly. (6:30 p.m., Hammerstein Ballroom, 311 W. 34th St., Manhattan, 212-777-1224. $40. Also Monday.)

THIEVERY CORPORATION. Shouldn't Thievery Corporation be on the ULTRA.NY bill? (8 p.m., Webster Hall, 125 E. 11th St., Manhattan, 212-353-1600. $35. Also Monday.)

Justin Timberlake sells 684,000 copies of "FutureSex/LoveSounds" to land his first solo No. 1, beating out John Mayer's "Continuum."

Full Billboard report
Newsday's Top Albums and Singles (compiled by Billboard) on the jump

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS. Drivin' that neo-Southern rock to the City. With Bobby Bare Jr. (7 p.m., Webster Hall, 125 E. 11th St., Manhattan, 212-353-1600. $25.)

LAMBCHOP. Kurt Wagner is the Bob Pollard of Nashville, sort of. If Guided By Voices had more than 10 members at one time and dabbled in countryish rock. (8 p.m., Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St., Manhattan, 212-533-2111. $20.)

LITTLE STEVEN'S UNDERGROUND GARAGE. Yes, the Underground Garage Go-Go Dancers will be present. With the Zombies, the Mooney Suzuki, the Fleshtones and more. (8 p.m., Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Place, Manhattan, 212-777-6800. $20.)

QUEENSRYCHE. Silent lucidity? Maybe you should turn it up. (6 p.m., Nokia Theatre Times Square, 1515 Broadway, Manhattan, 212-930-1950. $50. Also tomorrow.)

Joseph Arthur is twirling a cigarette rapidly in his right hand and a lighter at a slower pace in his left, as he talks about his future.

Sure, the Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter could just be jonesing for a smoke, which, of course, is verboten inside the little East Village breakfast spot where he is crammed into the corner. But it's also another sign of his well-documented multitasking - an ability to finish gallery-worthy paintings and critically praised albums such as "Come to Where I'm From" (RealWorld/Virgin) and "Redemption's Son" (Vector) simultaneously, or, more famously, build songs onstage, by recording loops of guitar sounds and his voice and then playing them back layered on top of each other as he continues to perform. [More...]

Listen to "Nuclear Daydream" here
PHOTO; Joseph Arthur by Steve Gullick / Lonely Astronaut

How come every time they come around, singers like Fergie always seem to let us down?

Her single "London Bridge" is a thrill, a sassy slice of pop that has a cranky groove so bold it more than makes up for the nonsensical, dirty nursery rhyme lyrics. So what happened to the rest of "The Dutchess" (will.i.am/A&M), the Black Eyed Peas singer's solo debut?

"The Dutchess" is like one of those albums from the late '90s that helped bring down the music industry - one with a few extraordinary singles and loads of filler, turning it into a roller-coaster ride of quality highs and embarrassing lows.

"Clumsy" is one of those remarkable highs, an updated version of the '60s girl-pop of the Ronettes, right down to the spoken-word break. Fergie's trashy delivery and Ludacris' wild rap cameo contrast nicely with the sleek synths on "Glamorous." And the Pink-ish, Linda Perry-like guitar-driven confessional "Big Girls Don't Cry" works well.

Unfortunately, "The Dutchess" has more than its share of clunkers. There's the crazy "Mary Jane Shoes," her reggae tribute to, well, Mary Jane shoes, that wastes the lilting harmonies of Rita Marley and the I-Threes. There's the overwrought ballad "Finally" with John Legend. And the ridiculous "Fergalicious," which rips off the JJ Fad classic "Supersonic."

In the end, "The Dutchess" is a missed opportunity, the result of rushing to capitalize on a hot single instead of waiting until the album was actually ready. ("The Dutchess," in stores today; grade: C+)

This week's Drops
Listen to "The Dutchess" here

Clay Aiken's new album, "A Thousand Different Ways" (RCA), will sell well. But it's so poorly conceived that Aiken is cheating his fans and himself of any meaningful musical future. He mopes from one soupy power ballad to the next, delivering them all in an oddly phrased, ham-fisted, overreaching style that makes it hard to distinguish his take on Bad English's "When I See You Smile" from his take on Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)." Even the four new songs get mired in the same Celine Dion wanna-be production muck, smothering whatever sweetness and likability Aiken may have given them. Ironically, Dion's "Because You Loved Me" is the one song Aiken undersells, making it the album's most listenable track. Aiken's good voice and a good-natured personality took him far on "American Idol," but both are lost in the robotic blandness of "A Thousand Different Ways." ("A Thousand Different Ways," in stores today; grade: D+)

Listen to "A Thousand Different Ways" here

On its brilliant new single "Welcome to the Black Parade" (Reprise), My Chemical Romance squeezes an indie-rock manifesto of epic proportions, three distinct musical styles, and a bookshelf of storytelling into a mere 4 1/2 minutes. Starting with a rock opera benediction ("Son, when you grow up, would you be the savior of the broken, the beaten and the damned?"), "Black Parade" moves into an emo rallying cry and ends in a triumphant mishmash of soaring guitar solos, trumpet flourishes and Gerald Way's wailing promise, "We'll carry on." It's jagged and unexpected and impossible to listen to only once.

Listen to "Welcome to the Black Parade" here

No doubt about it, the week belonged to Beyonce, who sold 541,000 copies of "B'Day" (Sony Urban/Columbia), nearly 4 times as many as Audioslave's "Revelations" (Epic), which took a No. 2 debut nationally with 142,000 copies sold. Bob Dylan's "Modern Times" slides to No. 3 on 128,000 sold.

Full Billboard report

Newsday's Top Albums and Singles (compiled by Billboard) on the jump

U2 and Green Day will debut their new single, a cover of The Skids' "The Saints Are Coming," in New Orleans on Sept. 25 during the pre-game for Monday Night Football on ESPN to celebrate the return of football to the Superdome. Both bands plan to include the song on their upcoming albums. Proceeds from the single will go to Music Rising, a charity started by The Edge to help New Orleans musicians replace the instruments they lost in Hurricane Katrina. The performance will also be available on Rhapsody, which will sell the single online.

The U2 site has more details on the single here

Time music critic Josh Tyrangiel broke the story here and then was quickly promoted to editor of Time.com and assistant manager of the magazine. Coincidence? If it works that way everywhere, the Backstage Pass posse needs new suits.

M. Ward doesn’t want people to take the title of his new album “Post-War” (Merge) too literally. The singer-songwriter from Portland, Ore., isn’t calling for an end to the war in Iraq and he isn’t reliving the days after World War II, though there are moments on the album that could refer to either or both.

“I’ve never had a great, burning desire to use music to get things off my chest,” said Ward, calling from a tour stop in Omaha, Neb. “That’s not very interesting to me. I just want to create something that’s good.” [More...]

PHOTO: M. Ward by De Wilde / Merge Records
Video for "Chinese Translation" on the jump

Britpop sensation Arctic Monkeys and electronica siren Imogen Heap lead the slate of mtvU nominees announced yesterday, with three Woodie nominations apiece.

Both will compete with rappers Chamillionaire and Lupe Fiasco and rockers Plain White T’s for best new artist, while artist of the year nominees are rapper Atmosphere, rock-rap hybrid Gym Class Heroes and emo-leaning rockers Angels & Airwaves, Panic! At the Disco and The Academy Is… Rockville Centre-based Taking Back Sunday is up for two awards, best tour and most downloaded. Long Island's Nightmare of You is also up for most downloaded.

mtvU viewers will choose the winners on the channel’s website and the winners will perform at Roseland Ballroom on Oct. 25 for a special to be shown on Nov. 2. The show will also run on MTV on Nov. 4.

Full list of nominations on the jump

Justin Timberlake is always selling. It's probably what he does best.

He's slick, stylish, bringing-back sexy and he knows how to give the people what they want. He has a gift for packaging - from his well-choreographed dance moves to his well-timed genre hopping, he has a strong sense of what will work and what won't. And his new album, "FutureSex/LoveSounds" (Jive), reflects that.

"FutureSex/LoveSounds" is well crafted with producer Timbaland - who provides Timberlake with the same sexed-up guidance and envelope-pushing dance beats that brought Nelly Furtado back to the top of the charts with "Promiscuous" - and like nearly all of Timberlake's work with 'N Sync and on his debut "Justified," it is remarkably likable.

The dizzying "SexyBack" is Timberlake at his best, mainstreaming a combination of the wild, edgy dance-pop style of Basement Jaxx with Missy Elliott's more experimental hip-hop to create a boldly inventive sound that still pleases the masses. [More...]

Listen to "FutureSex/LoveSounds" here
DROPS: Justin sets sale

PHOTO: Jive Records

Nicole Scherzinger may not be a household name yet, but she has a hand in three of the most buzzed-about singles around. First, there's the flirty Top 5 pop hit "Buttons" (A&M) with her group, the Pussycat Dolls. Then, she sings the sexy hook on "Come to Me" (Bad Boy), Diddy's bounce-inducing comeback hit, which will soon be charging up the charts as well. And finally, there's the oddest one of all, a duet with Italian popera hunk Vittorio Grigolo called "You Are My Miracle" (Univeral), where Scherzinger shows she owes her success to more than her cat moves, as she holds her own on the big ballad.

Listen to "Come to Me" here

Bob Dylan tops the album chart for the first time in 30 years, as his excellent "Modern Times" (Columbia) album sells 192,000 copies to pass last week's No. 1 Danity Kane.

Full Billboard report

Newsday's Top Albums and Singles (compiled by Billboard) on the jump

So our homeboy Ryan Star checked in to drop a bombshell: He recorded a live album yesterday and it’s coming out next week. Seriously.

Since getting kicked off of “Rock Star: Supernova” last week, Star has been rolling full steam ahead on his solo career, even hitting No. 1 on MSN Music with his original song “Back of Your Car,” ahead of Beyonce, Nelly Furtado and The Pussycat Dolls. And Star, who hails from Dix Hills, says he was thrilled to learn that “Rock Star” producer Mark Burnett had become a fan.

It was Burnett who came up with the idea to record the live album quickly with the “Rock Star” house band yesterday, in front of hundreds of Star’s fans, and release the album online next week, in time for the “Rock Star” finale.

“You know me,” Star says, adding that if anyone else suggested pulling together an album that fast, he would have laughed it off. “I like to take a lot of time to make sure things are perfect. But since I started the show, I’ve learned to move quickly.”

The final songlist for the album hasn’t been finalized, though “Back of Your Car” is a sure thing. Star says he performed originals “We Might Fall,” “Sink or Swim,” and “O” yesterday, as well as “Losing My Religion,” “In the Air Tonight” and “Enjoy the Silence.” (Star's solo album "Songs from the Eye of an Elephant," with stripped-down versions of his songs is due in stores on Sept. 19 from Stone Crow Records. It's at iTunes now.)

Star says performing “Back of Your Car” on network television was “the greatest moment of my life, a rite of passage.” “I’m going to show that to my great grandkids,” he says. “I was living the dream. That erased all the disappointment. That was for my band Stage, for Harlan [Friedman, music director at WLIR-FM], for Newsday, for bands like Bandcamp. I wanted to make Long Island proud.” (More...)

Learn how to get Star back for another performance on "Rock Star" here
Listen to "Back of Your Car" here
More "Rock Star"

PHOTO: Ryan Star on "Rock Star" by Danny Moloshok/Blue Pixel for Mark Burnett Productions

The Arctic Monkeys' "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" wins the Mercury Prize, the British equivalent of the Album of the Year Grammy.

"Someone call 999, Richard Hawley's been robbed," singer Alex Turner said, taking the stage to collect the prize.

Full report from The Guardian here

When you look like Beyoncé, when you dance like Beyoncé and, most importantly, when you sing like Beyoncé, good isn't always good enough.

Though she celebrated only her 25th birthday yesterday - hence, the title of her new album, "B'Day" (Columbia/ Sony Urban) - Beyoncé already has had more successes than most artists have in their lifetimes, boasting an enviable string of smash hits that not only sold well, but were jaw-droppingly original and genre-busting to boot.

Nothing on "B'Day" matches the dizzying sensory overload of "Crazy in Love" and its auxiliary booty roll or the hand-throwing grandeur of "Independent Women," or even the laid-back, hip-hop cool of "Check on It." Beyoncé is too bootylicious to spend her time on this new slate of good-not-great songs that came together in less than three weeks during what was supposed to be her vacation - and that unfortunately often sound like it.

That said, "B'Day" is also a likable, upbeat album that is far more listenable than the uneven "Dangerously in Love," as Beyoncé dumps the soupy ballads for some nice, midtempo dance numbers.

Full review

Listen to "B'Day" here

PHOTO: Beyonce at the VMAs by AP.

The right kindling is there - Chris Cornell's first-rate powerhouse voice and Tom Morello's unique, masterful guitarwork. So why does Audioslave never seem to catch fire? Like last year's "Out of Exile" (Interscope), the band's latest "Revelations" (Epic) is filled with better-than-average rock songs that sound good enough for casual listening, but rarely rise to the level of "Like a Stone," let alone Cornell's Soundgarden or Rage Against the Machine. "Original Fire," the first single, breaks away from the usual Audioslave sound, starting like a '60s rock rave-up and settling into a mix of Badfinger and Cream. "Jewel of the Summertime" is another standout, with a bit of Rage Against the Machine swaggering groove and some guitar heroics from Morello matching up nicely with Cornell's bluesy yowl. Unfortunately, the rest of "Revelations" doesn't unveil much more, smothering the few sparks of creativity and keeping the fire from starting once again.
("Revelations," in stores today; grade: B-)

Listen to "Revelations" here

Joseph Arthur's new single "Enough to Get Away" (Lonely Astronaut) is a charming bit of escapism, the sonic equivalent of hustling away from the city toward a carefree paradise of sun-kissed simplicity. Pretty loops float over the jangling guitars and Arthur's jaded but hopeful vocals, leading to a flash of serenity that makes you keep replaying the song to snag that fleeting moment again. Beck's new single "Nausea" (Interscope) is the opposite, as his jangling guitar and jaunty but jaded vocals lead an acoustic funk march and peppy sing-along into the heart of darkness. Each trip ends up sounding pretty good.

Listen to "Nausea" here

PHOTO: Joseph Arthur by Steve Gullick / Lonely Astronaut

So I’m standing on the MTV Video Music Awards red carpet, minding my own business as I try to keep the casts of “Laguna Beach” and “The Hills” straight, when a giant panda bear approaches from behind and puts me in a headlock. (Yes, Stephen Colbert, I know. I watch the “Threatdown.”)

It turns out it’s some VJ from MTV Chi in a panda suit trying to interview god-knows-who from Nickelodeon. He’s using my shoulder for leverage to move his microphone close enough to the “celebrity,” who he chats with live on air with his big paw around my neck. Oh yeah, Backstage Pass is all about the glamour.

Yes, I know red carpet veterans are saying, “Elbow to the ribs.” But do I really want to be known as the guy who assaulted the panda? No. See the dilemma?

After the interview, Mr. Panda backs off and gives me a thankful thump on the shoulder. (Tyrese had the best interview with him, starting off with, “I love Panda Express.”)

As for my interviews, the Taking Back Sunday guys said they were a bit starstruck by the whole experience. Nevertheless, singer Adam Lazzara did still kid around, saying that bassist Matt Rubano ironed all the clothes. And everyone pointed to drummer Mark O’Connell’s hot new Dolce & Gabbana suit. (To the girls I met at the LIFEbeat benefit, Lazzara had to dye his hair back to his natural color for the new video for “Liar.” The platinum blond color he had been rocking all summer was too close to his skin tone to use on the video. You ask. I get answers.)

(More red carpet with Avenged Sevenfold, New Found Glory and Susan Cagle...)

Photo of Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez, two of way too many stars who posed for pictures but avoided reporters on the red carpet, by Evan Agostini/Getty Images.

Other VMA stories:
Shockingly normal VMAs: With a return to NYC after two years in Miami, MTV brought out the stars and spread the prizes
The winners
Taking Back Sunday’s stroll on the red carpet
Newsday.com's VMA photo gallery