Rolling Stone Music News

• Backstage at the VMAs: Britney, Brand, T.I.
• Page on Led Zep: “Reunion Requires Four Members”
• MTV VMAs: The Live Blog
• Oasis Attacked On Stage in Toronto
• News Ticker: Madonna, Ashlee Simpson

Top stories from the last three days:

• Let There Be Rock: AC/DC Return
• The 25 Funniest Web Videos
• Grateful Dead To Play Another Obama Show
• 50 Cent: “I Have to Reinvent the Wheel”
• Heart Lash Out at McCain Campaign
• Random Notes: Springsteen, Rage
• Bling From Diddy, Lil Jon Going to Auction
• In the Studio: Fall Out Boy
• TV On the Radio Talk New Album, Pot Smoke
• Peter Travers on Oscar-Worthy Comedies

Scroll down for full news stories, commentary and much more in Rock Daily.

Jimmy Page dodged two questions about a potential Zeppelin reunion Saturday at a Toronto International Film Festival press conference for the documentary It Might Get Loud, alongside fellow guitarists the Edge and Jack White. But upon the announcement of “final question,” another reporter gave it a shot, and didn’t package it as a secondary question with one about the film. Point blank, Page was asked about rumours that he, John Bonham’s son Jason and John Paul Jones are recording right now and that a reunion is on the horizon. “We’re not actually recording,” Page said to part one. “Playing at the 02, that was our reunion and it was one day and it was at the 02 in London,” the guitarist said in reference to the December 10, 2007 benefit concert in honor of late Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. “And basically that was it because if you’re going to do a reunion, you need four members. John Paul Jones, myself and Jason would sort jam afterwards but it was nothing as monumental as people are speculating.”

Photo: Getty

• Madonna continues to bring controversy to her Sticky & Sweet tour after dedicating “Like A Virgin” to the Pope at her concert in Rome Saturday night. The Material Girl previously caused a stir when a video segment during her show compared John McCain to Hitler.
• According to rapper/friend Tyga, Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson are expecting twins. Simpson still referred to her baby in the singular and not the plural at last night’s VMA.
• The Black Keys, Sheryl Crow, Cat Power and Son Volt will perform at A Tribute To John Steinbeck, Woody Guthrie And The American Spirit, taking place on September 20th at San Francisco’s Sleep Train Pavilion.

MTV Video Music Awards host Russell Brand’s controversial, rapid-fire comedy had the press room buzzing last night, and the British comic defended himself after the ceremony. “I feel a bit bad that I kept talking about their vows to chastity,” Brand told reporters of his comments about the Jonas Brothers (he repeatedly joked about the band’s purity rings). “And I’d like to take this opportunity to say, ‘No one ever have sex again. It’s a mad idea. What a crazy way to spend an evening.’ ” Brand said he had a “lovely time” hosting the awards. “I do think it was a comeback for Britney,” he said. “This is the resurrection of Britney Spears. I saw stigmata. And, I liked when Lil Wayne leaned over and touched my legs. I think he might be from another world and he has a message for us all.” Brand also called Republicans “evil” and suggested “we need to return to socialism.”

Britney Spears hit the press room basking in the afterglow of her three big wins. She smiled ear-to-ear holding her Moonmen and posing for the photographers. She didn’t talk to the press, but T.I. wasn’t shy about calling his own performance the best of the night. He also praised Spears and Brand. “Britney did her thing. It’s quite a comeback,” he said. As for Brand, “I think you have to push the envelope and think outside the box and he’s definitely doing that.”

Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington agreed. “Last year was probably one of the worst experiences of my professional career,” he told us. “It was terrible. This year’s show is much better.” His band’s “Shadow of the Day” picked up the award for Best Rock Video, and Joe Hahn said, “This is a cool video because it’s one that the whole band wasn’t in. It was just Chester and he carried the whole video. We’re trying to do different things so it feels good to win for that.”

The Pussycat Dolls’ Nicole Scherzinger informed us that the group roped in Missy Elliott to be in their next video for “Whatcha Think About That.” “It’ll be the Pussycat Dolls taken to the next level,” Scherzinger said. Doll Domination drops September 20th and the Dolls are plotting a world tour that starts in January 2009.

When a reporter asked presenter Paris Hilton about the Russell Brand-Jonas Brothers chastity controversy, Hilton said, “I think they are all really good kids. That’s something cool for a kid to keep so don’t pick on them for that.” Hilton added that her new music will be “very pop like Kylie Minogue.” A few contestants on Hilton’s new reality show also lingered backstage, telling Rolling Stone that they would get sued for $6 million if they revealed the winner. They did say that Hilton has permanently ditched her catchphrase “that’s hot” for “love’s it.”

If there was one hot thing Seth Green loved last night, it was Weezy’s ass. The actor got caught between Lil Wayne and T-Pain as they started their performance — not that he was complaining: “I gotta say, I almost squeezed Lil Wayne’s butt because it looked so firm and squeezable.”

Related Stories:

• 2008 VMAs Live Blog

Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher was attacked by an audience member during the band’s set at the Virgin Festival in Toronto. As evidenced by the above video, the unnamed assailant appears from stage right and pushes Noel into his monitor while the band played “Morning Glory.” The man then attempts to confront singer Liam Gallagher before being promptly restrained by security (who also had to restrain Liam from punching the assailant). The band followed the attack with a short break before returning to the stage to resume their set. The unnamed attacker was later charged with assault. No motive was given as to why the man attacked Noel Gallagher but it’s safe to assume the assailant is a fan of either Jay-Z, Radiohead, Damon Albarn or whoever else Oasis happens to be sparring with this week.

Related Stories:

• Oasis & Ryan Adams Preview Upcoming Albums in Vancouver

• Oasis’ Dig Out Your Soul Gets Release Date, Warner Distribution

• Oasis Pay Tribute to John Lennon on New Album

After what seemed like several years of hype but no real buzz, the day is finally here. Welcome to the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards live blog. Tonight’s show poses many questions: Will America fully embrace Russell Brand? What brand of hot pants will the Pussycat Dolls be wearing? What terrible reality show will get the most plugs? And what the hell will Britney be doing? Scroll down and stay tuned in for what promises to be a less painful ride than it was 365 days ago (we hope).

8:53: We haven’t been watching the pre-show (because we don’t want to have a collective stroke), but who is the guy who looks like Casey Affleck and taking shots at T-Pain?

8:56: No matter what Britney does four minutes from now, she’ll be hard pressed to outdo the elephant in that ad for the VMAs.

9:01: Guh. It looks like Britney’s ability to bring the show to a grinding halt hasn’t waned. When was the last time you saw Jonah Hill bomb at anything?

9:03: Man, Britney is a terrible actress. If we wanted to see someone’s bad acting, we’d be watching Turtle butcher the script on the season premiere of Entourage right now. That being said, she hasn’t looked that great in a long time.

9:05: Are the VMAs in a high school gymnasium this year? This looks like our prom — zombies and all.

9:07: Rihanna comes out to confuse people rather tepidly (despite the awesome White Stripes reference in the breakdown). You know, for all the junk Britney took last year, that performance wasn’t much better (despite the zombies).

9:10: Slash looks like he needs a drink. We know how he feels. Also, he’s starting to look like some biker’s grandma — not a good look for a badass.

9:12: Russell Brand comes off like a weird synthesis of Austin Powers and Steven Tyler. That’s a combination that looks way better on paper. Also, we wish he would never mention the Jonas Brothers’ genitals again.

9:14: Did he just try to tell a joke involving Madonna getting penetrated by a baseball bat? This is probably the most awesome bomb performance we’ve ever seen.

9:17: is Joe Jonas looking like John Stamos on purpose?

9:19: Britney wins Best Female for the first time. Not for nothing, but “Touch My Body” got robbed.

9:21: In a battle of wits between Pete Wentz and Speidi, does a black hole open up? Props to the tux, though.

9:23: DJ AM and Travis Barker, available soon for Bar Mitzvahs and Sweet Sixteens.

9:27: Is that really Demi Moore? Maybe someone at MTV misread the memo. They really wanted Demi Lovato — she certainly wouldn’t have forgotten her mike.

9:29: Chris Brown wins Best Male. Weezy got robbed, and Brown concurs.

9:30: Russell Brand looks like he can see people changing the channel.

9:31: So because the Jonas Brothers appeal to young people, they have to perform on the set of Sesame Street?

9:33: STAMPEDE! Also, is “Love Bug” a euphemism for VD? Because that’s seriously inappropriate.

9:34: WAIT! Are we really doing this “We’re only going to show you 40 seconds of a performance” thing again? Not that we want to see Katy Perry ruin a Madonna song, but that was a pretty awesome banana dress.

9:40: Michael Phelps has gotten the biggest reaction of the night. The dude won eight gold medals — why does he look so nervous?

9:42: It’s really cruel to make Weezy walk down those stairs while he spits. Also, why is Leona Lewis mangling the Animals? We think we liked her slightly better when she called herself Alicia Keys.

9:44: Story: T-Pain was in the Rolling Stone office a few weeks ago to play his new record, and he was wearing one of those hats around. So it’s not just a costume — it’s a lifestyle.

9:45: Weezy’s pretty much killing it, and Kobe Bryant LOVES IT.

9:47: For a second there, we thought that the group that brought us “Camel Toe” had won the award for best dance crew. Now we’re disappointed.

9:49: Are we sure these are actually the Pussycat Dolls? These women are fully clothed. Does it seem like the Pussycat Dolls exist just to win these awards? Also, they love the troops. That should help post-traumatic stress disorder!

9:53: Just a reminder: While you’re reading this or watching the show, you could be watching the great Kyle Orton leading the Chicago Bears to victory.

9:56: Are they really making Danity Kane count text votes? Because if that’s true, that’s awesome. Also: They’re sitting down, and they’re still towering over Pete Wentz.

9:58: And now welcome the stars of a movie you won’t get to see for three months! This show needs more real vampires.

9:59: With Katy Perry’s dress and Hayley Williams’ pants, is yellow the new black?

10:00: We have to assume the people who wandered over to the Whiskey tonight to see a Warrant cover band are seriously confused.

10:03: Oh, so Paramore were in the studio all along? That was poorly executed and not terribly interesting — an apt metaphor for most of this show’s first hour.

10:05: Brand is sort of a mess and none of the performances have been stellar (save for Lil Wayne), but this is much, much better than last year’s show so far.

10:09: Does this mean that Shia Labeouf is the next singer for Velvet Revolver?

10:10: Linkin Park win for Best Rock Video for a song that sounds EXACTLY like “With Or Without You.” Joe Hahn thought Transformers was awesome. He’s wrong.

10:13: Pink does all her own stunts! That toss through the sugar glass was pretty sweet, and this song is definitely great. However, we’re pretty certain MTV will have to blur out her nipples in subsequent broadcasts. Actually, are they blurring them in real time?

10:22: McLovin should totally join Slipknot full time. Also, nothing says Best Hip-Hop Video like metalheads from Iowa.

10:25: Lil Wayne takes the prize for “Lollipop.” As one of the commenters mentioned: He can’t afford a belt? Also, we’re big Weezy fans, but we’re still not entirely sure what a “Static Major” is.

10:27: T.I. deserves better than to have to rap his way through a high school production of Guys and Dolls.

10:30: Rihanna’s back! And she didn’t even get a costume change! She had well over an hour — Madonna does those things in about 40 seconds. That being said, T.I. is nailing this, and Professor Lupe Fiasco concurs with his findings!

10:32: We haven’t mentioned it yet, but the idea of the house band being a guy drumming along to some guy’s iTunes playlist is remarkably odd. We hope Travis Barker cashed a huge check. Sidebar: Haven’t these “Real World/Road Rules Challenges” gotten seriously dull since the Miz left to join WWE? (A nod to anyone who needs the info: The Miz did not win the ECW championship tonight).

10:37: Corbin Bleu looks like the love child of Lionel Richie and Adam Duritz. Bummer for that kid.

10:39: Wait, has Christina Aguilera has assumed Rihanna’s “Umbrella” identity? This lip sync job gives Britney’s “Gimme More” performance a run for its money as the worst in VMAs history. Also, did she just put on a cape?

10:41: She did! She put on a cape! Finally something to cover her ridiculous camel toe.

10:43: Wait, is flopping Russell Brand’s whole schtick? Because if it is, that makes him the British Norm Macdonald.

10:44: Tokio Hotel win Best New Artist. In a contest based on text messaging, was there ever any doubt?

10:49: LL Cool J. Legend. Innovator. About to come out with his best album in a decade. Not allowed to play on the main show. Is there no justice in the universe?

10:53: Paris Hilton overcomes her illiteracy to give the Best Pop Video to Britney Spears. She’s tonight’s Martin Scorsese: She’s done better work, but it’s been a weak year, you know?

10:55: Lupe Fiasco. Incredible MC. Innovator. Entertainer. Best live act in hip-hop. Dressed like the maitre’d on a cruise ship. Not allowed to play the main show. LL knows your pain, Lupe.

10:59: Drake and Josh introduce Kid Rock. Kid Rock is also having a Martin Scorsese sort of year (i.e., “All Summer Long” is by far the worst single of the man’s career, but it’s inexplicably his biggest).

11:03: Like Batman, Weezy swoops in to save this song. He doesn’t really succeed. Also, if Ian Curtis was still alive, this would certainly give him fits.

11:10: Kobe gets to give away Video of the Year? He only got one gold medal; Phelps has eight! Has anybody had a career rebound better than Kobe Bryant? That dude is now officially bulletproof. R. Kelly should retain him as legal council in the future.

11:12: In what would be considered a minor upset if people got upset over these things, Britney Spears wins Video of the Year, completing our Scorsese metaphor. Who is that guy Britney is sitting next to? UPDATE: We didn’t recognize Britney manager Larry Rudolph. He looks like Lorenzo Lamas missed a Botox appointment.

11:13: New Kanye song! It’s AutoTune-tastic! Is that the Blue Man Group?

11:15: Kanye appears to be paying back Daft Punk — expect them to sample this about 20 minutes after this goes off the air. Aren’t those drummers the same people that killed Luke Skywalker’s uncle?

11:17: Russell Brand sends us off, saying the winner was ultimately, uh, “love.” We’re pretty sure who the losers were. We’re tired, sweaty and pretty confused, so thus ends the 2008 VMA live blog. This was definitely a step up from last year, but it’s certainly a baby step. Stay tuned for further wrap-ups from the after-parties, plus behind the scenes photos and videos from the night’s festivities.

Photo: Getty

• The RNC could easily have stood for Rage’s National Convention, as Rage Against the Machine brought their trademark chaos to the Republican gathering with a convention-opening near-riot, an impromptu march, a facist-fighting concert and wrapped it up all with a pepper spray-inducing post-show protest. In other words, it was like Lollapalooza all over again. Heart was also raging against the Palin after the VP candidate used their “Barracuda” as a theme song.
• MTV’s VMAs are this weekend. To bring you up to date: Kanye West and Christina Aguilera were added as performers, Lil Wayne and Kid Rock will play together and Britney Spears will open the show, but won’t sing at it. We also chatted with the show’s host, British comedian Russell Brand. We’ll have reports from the event, a live blog and photos so check back here this Sunday night.
• New albums were in the news, as the prolific U2 pushed their record to early 2009 and Coldplay scheduled their new disc for late next year (with an EP of Viva leftovers out in December.) Kanye West and Jay-Z might have some surprises in store for year’s end, while All-American Rejects gave their new album a title.
• The new issue of Rolling Stone made us LOL with an interview with late night king David Letterman, our list of the 25 funniest web videos, behind-the-cover-shoot footage with Sarah Silverman, Billy Crystal and Tracy Morgan, a list of the five comics to watch and resident movie critic Peter Travers picked the comedies he thought deserved to win Oscars.

As a compendium to the current issue, RollingStone.com presents the “25 Funniest Videos on the Web,” a collection of the most hilarious and outrageous Internet video creations currently available on this series of tubes. Click below for classics like “Fat Kid on a Rollercoaster,” “Dramatic Lemur” and of course, the above Bill O’Reilly freak out megamix.

• The 25 Funniest Videos on the Web (No, Really!)

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• Behind the New Rolling Stone Cover: What’s So Funny? The New Golden Age of Comedy

• The Rolling Stone Interview: David Letterman

• Table of Contents: Inside The Comedy Issue

It’s official. Sources tell Rock Daily that the Grateful Dead will play a fundraiser for Barack Obama on October 13 at Penn State. The band, including Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh and Mickey Hart, are planning to rehearse next week to prep for the show in one of the more hotly contested presidential swing states with Warren Haynes on lead guitar. Phil Lesh’s son, an Obama volunteer, lined up the gig. “They are all totally committed to the show,” said a friend of Jerry Garcia.

Photo: Brad Fedie for RollingStone.Com

This week was all about rallying the troops, as Bruce Springsteen lead a bunch of biker types on a run through “Wooly Bully” during his set at the Harley-Davidson Festival in Milwaukee last weekend. A few hundred miles west in Minneapolis, Rage Against the Machine whipped up some opposition to the Republican National Convention, while New Kids on the Block brought people together in the name of their comeback album in New York. Click below for the rest of the week’s music news, brought to you in handy gallery form.

• Random Notes: Bruce Springsteen, Rage Against the Machine and the Week in Rock

This week’s bizarre collision of talk TV and rock & roll comes to us from Australia, where Sonic Youth visited a morning show hosted by a woman who looks like a methed-up Gwen Stefani on a set that might have been vomited by Timothy Leary. Watching Thurston Moore try to explain “No Wave” and nonchalantly talk about the rap videos that have been shot in the alley behind their apartment is pretty surreal, but it’s mostly fun to watch the drably-dressed Youth juxtaposed with that leopard print desk.

This weekend marks the 25th anniversary of the MTV Video Music Awards, and to celebrate the occasion, the week’s Rock List features our favorite music videos from the decade where it all began: the 1980s. We’ve spent the last hour digging through YouTube to find our favorites, so now tell us yours. On Monday, if we’re not burned out by the VMA live-blogging, we’ll count the votes and reveal your picks. Now, for your viewing pleasure, our five favorites:

A-ha – “Take On Me”
(above)

Twisted Sister – “We’re Not Gonna Take It”



Paula Abdul – “Opposites Attract”

Metallica – “One”

Peter Gabriel – “Sledgehammer”

Photo: Vasquez/Getty

Jewelry owned by 50 Cent, Notorious B.I.G., Alicia Keys, Tupac Shakur, Diddy, Pharrell and many more will go to auction in what’s being called “Hip Hop’s Crown Jewels.” The auction will feature over 70 pieces of custom-made bling, worth an estimated $3 million and worn by hip-hop’s finest. The Phillips de Pury Company will host the auction, with three non-profit organizations run by Russell Simmons’ the benefactor. Among the prized items is Tupac’s “Diamond and Ruby Crown ring,” Slick Rick’s multicolor diamond eye patch, Lil Jon’s “Guinness World Record Diamond Pendant” and Diddy’s “Important Diamond Bracelet.” The bling hits the gavel October 1st.

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• Diddy, 50 Cent Added to MTV Program Schedule

• Lil Jon Frees Crunk Rock From TVT

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Photo: Getty

This week’s Republican National Convention ruffled all sorts of feathers this week, as Rage Against the Machine stirred the pot and the McCain campaign used Heart’s “Barracuda” as a theme song for VP candidate Sarah Palin, much to the chagrin of Nancy Wilson. What Palin should have done was consult the readers of Rock Daily, who are always quick to provide useful, practical advice. For example, reader CRS2265 offered up this idea: They should use artists that support Republican views. One comes to mind being Ted Nugent. They could have used “Wang Dang Sweet Poontang” for her entrance!” We’ll be waiting for the comment from the Nuge’s camp, though it’s unsure even he supports shooting wolves from planes.

There are only a few sure things in life: Death. Taxes. AC/DC. This fall, the band will drop Black Ice, an album that returns them to their hard rocking roots after flirtations with their bluesier side on their previous two albums. “I was hoping the songs would lend themselves to more of a — ‘pop’ is the wrong word, but hooky sort of treatment. Like, ‘Back in Black’ or ‘Highway to Hell’ and even ‘Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap,’” says producer Brendan O’Brien. “I was trying to just make people remember, ‘This is the same band. I have missed this band. I love this band. Where have they been?’” Click below for more on the return of rock’s most consistent, hardest-rocking bands.

• Let There Be Rock: AC/DC Plan Big Comeback

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• AC/DC Announce Three Album Cover Colors For Black Ice

• AC/DC’s Black Ice Gets Track List, Release Date, Preorder Info

Photo: Getty

T.I. featuring Jay-Z, Kanye West and Lil Wayne, “Swagger Like Us” [Immukization Remix]
Kanye, Weezy, Jigga and T.I. get crammed inside what sounds like some odd outtake from the TRON soundtrack. Fittingly, this is the only musical environment in which using that aggravating vocoder effect actually makes sense.

Dr. Dre, “85 Live!” [Mixtape]
An hour-long timewarp, this classic set from DJ Dr. Dre (the Yo! MTV Raps one, not the N.W.A one) combines all the hi-top party jams you’d forgotten you loved into one sweet, sweltering mix.

Ol’ Dirty Bastard, “Broken Language Freestyle” [Live]
More evidence of ODB’s unhinged genius, this freestyle from ‘96 finds the late Russell Jones backstroking in his own stream-of-consciousness, varying his vocal tone and delivering Mad Lib rhymes with manic intensity. He even manages to make his screw-ups rhyme.

The Walkmen, “In The New Year” [Live]
In the new year, perhaps indie bands will find more glamorous places to record. In the meantime, this live clip from a basement will suffice.

Nick Catchdubs, “Radio Friendly Unit Shifter” [Mix]
It’s sort of remarkable to see a DJ getting accolades for doing what every bad commercial radio station in the ’90s did 24 hours a day (Tripping Daisy? Really?), but, hey, we’re as nostalgic as the next blog.

Photo: Getty

50 Cent digs Lil Wayne, but he can’t help but notice the similarities between Weezy’s summer smash “Lollipop” and his own 2005 hit “Candy Shop.” “‘Lollipop’” is ‘lick lick lick lick it like a lollipop,’” 50 told Rolling Stone, singing the verse to prove his point. “And ‘Candy Shop’ is ‘I’ll take you to the Candy Shop/ I’ll let you lick the lollipop.’”

Rip-off or not, 50 is no longer spinning Wayne’s track — or any other rappers’, for that matter. “”I’m not really listening to anyone else’s records,” he says, adding that his new album, Before I Self-Destruct, will drop by the end of the year. “Now I’m in another space where I gotta make what I’m excited about.”

50 is mum on the details of his new disc — the last on his contract with Interscope Records — but he promises to shake things up. “[Other rappers] can take what I’ve done for the last five years and do their version of it and be successful with momentum,” he says. “Meanwhile, I have to reinvent the wheel.”

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Photo: Getty

Kid Rock and Lil Wayne had both been announced as performers at this Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards, but as it turns out, the two will will perform together. Rock will reportedly play his “All Summer Long” while sharing the stage with Weezy. More details: Depending on which MTV article you read, new addition Christina Aguilera will either be performing a new version of her hit “Genie in a Bottle” or her new track “Keeps Getting Better,” the title song of her upcoming Target-only greatest hits album. Aguilera also promises that the VMAs will be the first place to showcase “my new image and my new sound,” with Christina making the transition from “vintage glam” to “the future.” T.I. also has a duet planned, as he’ll hook up with Rihanna on stage to debut a new song from Paper Trail. Slash will also make an appearance as a presenter. And then there’s Kanye West. Last year, West stated he’d never return to MTV after being given a less-favorable performance slot at last year’s VMAs. This year, West will not only perform from the main stage, he’ll close out the entire event with an unspecified — and possibly new — song. As for us, we’ll be all over the VMAs this Sunday night, live-blogging the show as you watch at home. Plus, we’ll have a special edition of the Smoking Section, video from the red carpet and much more, so keep it at Rock Daily this weekend.

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• Kanye West, Christina Aguilera Will Perform at VMAs

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• Kid Rock To Perform At VMAs Despite Last Year’s Fisticuffs

• More VMA News at Rock Daily

Photo: Getty

• Alice In Chains plan to enter the studio in October to begin work on their first album of new material with vocalist William DuVall, who replaced the late Layne Staley.
• Inspired by how Radiohead’s In Rainbows changed the traditional business model, Sicko director Michael Moore will make his new film Slacker Uprising available as a free download starting September 23rd.
• The Mars Volta, N.E.R.D, TV On The Radio and the Butthole Surfers have been added to this year’s Voodoo Experience, taking place October 24-26 in New Orleans. R.E.M., Nine Inch Nails and Stone Temple Pilots will headline.
• Metallica is now streaming six songs from their upcoming Death Magnetic, out one week from today.

Photo: Getty

Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin has the nickname “Barracuda,” which inspired the use of the Heart song of the same name during Palin’s speech at the RNC on Wednesday night. Heart sent out a statement Thursday afternoon announcing they had sent a cease-and-desist letter asking the campaign to stop using the song. “The Republican campaign did not ask for permission to use the song, nor would they have been granted that permission. We have asked the Republican campaign publicly not to use our music. We hope our wishes will be honored.” Their wishes were not honored, as after John McCain’s RNC-ending speech last night, Palin joined him onstage to the sound of “Barracuda.” This set off Nancy Wilson, who told EW.com “I think it’s completely unfair to be so misrepresented. I feel completely fucked over.” Soon after, they issued another, more scathing statement:

“Sarah Palin’s views and values in NO WAY represent us as American women. We ask that our song ‘Barracuda’ no longer be used to promote her image. The song ‘Barracuda’ was written in the late ’70s as a scathing rant against the soulless, corporate nature of the music business, particularly for women. (The ‘barracuda’ represented the business.) While Heart did not and would not authorize the use of their song at the RNC, there’s irony in Republican strategists’ choice to make use of it there.”

Heart are the latest rockers to butt heads with whoever chooses John McCain’s musical selections. Jackson Browne, John Mellencamp and members of Boston have all lashed out at GOP candidates for using their music without permission.

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