Feb 14, 2006 6:07 PM

From Jones to Jeezy

Grammy-winning singer and pianist NORAH JONES will make her acting debut in the first English-language film from Hong Kong filmmaker WONG KAR-WAI, tentatively titled My Blueberry Nights . . . Meanwhile, Jones' country side project, the LITTLE WILLIES, will release their debut on March 7th. The group also features LEE ALEXANDER and DAN RIESER (the bassist and drummer for Jones' outfit), country-jazz guitarist JIM CAMPILONGO and RICHARD JULIAN on guitar.

Fall Out Boy Join Reissues Club

Pop-punks FALL OUT BOY will release From Under the Cork Tree: Limited Black Clouds and Underdogs Tour Edition, a reissue of their multiplatinum major-label debut, on March 14th. Along with a new album cover, the reissue features the bonus tracks "Snitches and Talkers Get Stitches and Walkers," "The Music or the Misery" and "My Heart Is the Worst Kind of Weapon," as well as singer PATRICK STUMP's remix of the band's hit single "Sugar, We're Goin' Down." Fall Out Boy -- with ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS, HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS and FROM FIRST TO LAST in tow -- kick off on a massive North American tour on March 15th in Albany, New York.

Manson Teases "Phantamasgoria"

MARILYN MANSON screened a teaser for his directorial debut, Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll, at the Berlin International Film festival this week. The shock rocker plans to portray legendary writer LEWIS CARROLL and score the horror pic, which is set to begin filming this summer.

50 Plots Life After "Die Tryin'"

50 CENT is in negotiations to star in the drama Home of the Brave, the first Hollywood film based on the current war in Iraq. Directed by IRWIN WINKLER (Life as a House), the film trails three soldiers readjusting to life after they return. JESSICA BIEL, CHRISTINA RICCI and BRIAN PRESLEY have already signed on for the indie flick, which begins filming in Morocco next month. 50's acting debut was in the semi-autobiographical film named after his debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin'.

Crowes Bros. Go Acoustic

BLACK CROWES brothers CHRIS and RICH ROBINSON head out on a ten-date acoustic tour beginning April 13th in Brooklyn, New York. Dubbed Brothers of a Feather, the tour will hit intimate venues, with each night's performance recorded for a future release. This marks the first time the brothers, who have openly feuded for years, have toured together as a duo. In the meantime, the Black Crowes will head out on a spring tour of the South, with a March 12th stop at the Langerado Music Festival in Sunrise, Florida.

Lollapalooza Sticks With Chicago

Lollapalooza will return to Chicago's Grant Park as a stationary, three-day event, August 4th to 6th. An off-shoot of the traveling, PERRY FARRELL-founded festival, last summer's two-day Lollapalooza -- featuring the PIXIES, the KILLERS, BILLY IDOL, the ARCADE FIRE and many others -- was the first year it was held as a stationary event. Lollapalooza 2006 will expand to eight stages hosting 130 yet-to-be-announced acts . . . In other festival news, the BLACK CROWES, SON VOLT, OZOMATLI, JONNY LANG, BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO, BURNING SPEAR, LOS LOBOS and the MARSHALL TUCKER BAND are all on board for the 2006 McDowell Mountain Music Festival, taking place April 28th to 29th at Scottsdale, Arizona's WestWorld Polo Grounds . . . Son Volt also join MY MORNING JACKET, BELA FLECK AND THE FLECKTONES, UMPHREY'S McGEE, NICKEL CREEK, ALO, the DISCO BISCUITS and APOLLO SUNSHINE at the 16th Annual High Sierra Music Festival, June 29th through July 2nd in Quincy, California . . . PARTICLE and KINKY are among the grassroots artists booked for the fourth annual Joshua Tree Music Festival, May 19th to 21st at the Joshua Tree Lake Campground, just outside California's Mojave dessert. Tickets are now available at joshuatreemusicfestival.com.

Blige, Lopez Love Cool James

LL COOL J will release his twelfth and self-titled effort, Todd Smith (James Todd Smith is LL's given name), on March 21st. JENNIFER LOPEZ guests on "Control Myself," the first single, produced by JERMAINE DUPRI. TIMBALAND, PHARRELL, SCOTT STORCH and TRACKMASTERS are among the album's other production talent, while MARY J. BLIGE, MARY MARY, JUELZ SANTANA and TEAIRRA MARI all make appearances. This fall, LL will also launch his two clothing lines, the high-end Todd Smith line and the active-wear line TS.

Willie Nelson Gives "Brokeback" Lovin'

Country crooner WILLIE NELSON debuted his cover of the song "Cowboys Are Secretly, Frequently (Fond of Each Other)" Tuesday on Howard Stern's Sirius Satellite Radio talk show. The song, currently available on iTunes, was originally penned in 1981 by songwriter NED SUBLETTE, but has been resurrected by Nelson in homage to the Oscar-nominated drama Brokeback Mountain, about two cowboys who fall in love. Nelson contributed his cover of the BOB DYLAN song "He Was a Friend of Mine" to the soundtrack for the ANG LEE-directed film. A video for "Cowboys Are Secretly, Frequently (Fond of Each Other)" is currently in the works.

Bill Graham's Vault Brings Rarities

Seventy-five live vintage songs culled from a collection of 7,000 to 8,000 audio and video recordings once belonging to the late concert promoter BILL GRAHAM are currently streaming for free at the Wolfgang's Vault Web site, wolfgangsvault.com. The site, which also sells music memorabilia, is offering vintage performances from the Graham archive -- including a live 1977 PINK FLOYD performance of "Have a Cigar," a 1969 performance of JIMI HENDRIX's "Power to Love" and a 1969 rendition of CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL's "Proud Mary." Vintage recordings from CREAM, CHUCK BERRY, ELTON JOHN and many more are also available.

Penn's Death Due to Heart Problems

Investigators have concluded that non-specific cardiomyopathy, a heart muscle disease that becomes fatal over time, led to the sudden death of actor CHRIS PENN late last month. The cold syrup Penn was taking at the time may also have contributed to his death. Penn, brother to Oscar-winning actor SEAN PENN and musician MICHAEL PENN (also AIMME MANN's husband), was found dead at the age of forty in his Santa Monica, California, condo on January 24th. He had appeared in numerous TV shows and movies, but was best-known for his roles in Footloose, True Romance and Reservoir Dogs -- as Nice Guy Eddie.

Jeezy Lends a Hand to Milian

Over the weekend CHRISTINA MILIAN shot the video for "Say I," the first single off her third album, the COOL AND DRE-produced So Amazin', due April 25th. The video airs on the March 1st episode of the BET network's Access Granted. "Say I," hitting radio on February 20th, also features Atlanta rapper YOUNG JEEZY. This July, Milian will appear in her eighth feature film, the thriller Pulse.

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