Happy Holidays!
We just want to say to everyone Marry Christmas and Happy New Year. Stay safe and enjoy your holidays!
MTV's New Year's Eve Masquerade
Travie will be the host DJ of MTV's New Year's Eve Masquerade! The party will be held at the MTV's Times Square studio and aired on MTV from 11:00 PM ET till 12:30 AM ET on New Year's Eve. Besides McCoy, the party will feature signers like Mary J. Blige, Fabolous, Kid Rock, Wyclef Jean, Good Charlotte and Cobra Starship. You can find more information about the event here!
Rolling Stone's Best Songs of 2007
Jay-Z triumphed, and Rihanna offered us shelter under her umbrella, while Springsteen, Bright Eyes and Arcade Fire reported on the storm.
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Travis McCoy Launched a New Blog
Travis Mccoy has started a new blog - Traviesblog.com! The Gym Class Heroes' frontman started his blog several days ago, but there are already some fun stuff to see. The blog features self-filmed videos of Travis, new photos and other interesting posts. Click here to see the blog!
Gym Class Heroes Performance on Last Call With Carson Daly
Gym Class Heroes performed on "Last Call With Carson Daly" show on 6th December. You can wath the video of this performance below.
The Young Wild Things Tour
Gym Class Heroes performed during The Young Wild Things Tour at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on 2nd December in Las Vegas.
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Gym Class Heroes Collaborate With Kelly Rowland
RnB singer Kelly Rowland will re-release her "Ms. Kelly" album next year. She recorded a brand new song called "Daylight" with Gym Class Heroes and it will be the lead single from the forthcoming album edition. You can listen the fragment of the track below!
Gym Class Heroes Recruit Ne-Yo
The last time MTV News spoke to Travis McCoy, he was dodging hurricanes and doling out half-baked Voltron metaphors to describe his band's new album.
Things were a little less hectic when we caught up with him backstage at last week's mtvU Woodie Awards in NYC, just hours before the Heroes walked away with the night's, uh, biggest honor: Woodie of the Year. He was appropriately loose and ready to chat, be it about fellow Woodie nominee Amy Winehouse ("You gotta take care of yourself, girl. We've been on the road for four and a half years, and we haven't let it get that out of control") or GCH's hotly anticipated follow-up to 2006's As Cruel as School Children.
And while he didn't mention any mecha-bots this time around, that doesn't mean he wasn't in a name-droppin' mood.
"We're doing a bunch of preproduction, and it's going real good thus far. I think people are going to be stoked by it. We just did a track down in Miami with Cool & Dre. Busta Rhymes is on it. It's going to surprise a lot of people," he said. "This is me reaching out right now, but we're hoping to get Alex Turner from the Arctic Monkeys on the record, Daryl Hall on the record. ... And we're looking forward to writing a couple of songs with Ne-Yo; we got to be good friends with him through the VMAs."
That's a whole lot of guest-star wattage. And when you couple that wish list with the fact that McCoy kept using phrases like "surprise a lot of people" to describe the record, you get the feeling that there's gonna be a whole lot that's different this time out. McCoy is the first to admit that might be true, but he's also quick to point out that for all the cameos on the new album, there's also gonna be lots more from the Heroes themselves. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
"It's just gonna be a real, real solid record. The demos we have now are just bananas," McCoy said. " Dasashi is just a monster on the new stuff. You're going to hear a lot more of him singing on this one and a lot more of his guitar skills that I don't think he really got to flex on the last record."
McCoy said that Gym Class hope to have the yet-untitled album in stores by the summer. Though that's still a ways off, he said the band has already begun giving friends sneak previews of some of the tracks. And so far the reactions could be summed up thusly:
"I think the song we did with Cool & Dre and Busta is going to surprise a lot of people. It surprised me," McCoy laughed. "We played it for management, and their jaws dropped, but in a good way."
By James Montgomery, with reporting by John Norris, www.MTV.com
"Futurama" Is Back. Grab a Can of Slurm and Settle In
David X. Cohen is watching a short animation clip on a computer monitor. It's a tight shot of two robots' pelvises. They thrust their cube-shaped midsections together and swap a DVD from one of their disc drives to the other. This, Cohen explains, is footage of a sci-fi stage show, a suggestive all-robot version of Cirque du Soleil. "Nothing makes me happier than a scene with no living being in it," he says.
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Upcoming Events!
Gym Class Heroes will be preforming at the following Verizon Wireless stores soon:
Saturday, November 24th @ 1:30pm
Verizon Wireless Store
7900 San Pedro NE
Albuquerque, NM 87109
Sunday, November 25th @ 1:30pm
Verizon Wireless Store
9184 W. Northern Avenue
Glendale, AZ 85305
Saturday, December 1st @ 1:30pm
Verizon Wireless Store
2689 Via De La Valle
Del Mar, CA 92014
Sunday, December 2nd @ 1:30pm
Verizon Wireless Store
1351 Sunset Road
Henderson, NV 89014
Hayden Panettiere is GQ's Obession Of The Year
..."Hayden Panettiere is weary of paparazzi and celebrity meltdowns. And at only 18 years old, this Heroes star in it for the long haul, which is fine by us..."
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Gym Class Heroes Apologize to Their Canadian Fans
Dear Canada, Due to a death in the family of one of our members, Gym Class Heroes will not be playing the following two shows in Canada.
11/16 @ Scotia Bank Place in Ottawa
11/17 @ John Labatte Center in London
We are very sorry and apologize to all our fans. The rest of the bands on The Young Wild Things Tour will still go on as scheduled
and we hope you enjoy them in our absence. We will be back on the Tour in Rochester at the Blue Cross Arena on the 18th. We hope you
understand and look forward to returning soon.
By GymClassHeroes.com
Gym Class Heroes Triumph at the Woodies Awards
Gym Class Heroes were the toast of the fourth annual Woodies Awards in New York on Thursday night after taking home the event's top prize. The group claimed the Woodie Of The Year award at the MTV bash, which celebrates U.S. college students' favourite emerging artists and music. British band Muse won the Performing Woodie prize for best live act, while newcomers Boys Like Girls were presented with The Breaking Woodie. Madvillain, Say Anything, Guster, Spoon and The Academy Is... also won awards at the Roseland Ballroom ceremony.
By ContactMusic.com
GCH: Unmasked
AllHipHop.com Alternatives: Hey Travis, how are you?
Travis: I’m good thanks. How are you?
AHHA: Great thanks. Congrats on a great year....
Travis: Thank you. It’s appreciated.
AHHA: Gym Class Heroes won best newcomer at the MTV VMA’s this year. Is that weird for you as you’ve been with the group for ten years?
Travis: It’s great being recognized and too win an award, it is a little weird but it’s better than getting an award for "Best old group who finally made it" I guess? Seriously though the award really means a lot to us.
AHHA: How would you describe your relationship with Fall Out Boy?
Travis: That’s family. We had to spend almost every waking minute together while we were touring. So we now know what ticks each other off, each other’s sense of humor, when someone needs space; so we’ve really become like this big dysfunctional family.
AHHA: Let’s talk about the Gym Class Heroes’ sound. Your music can’t really be defined...
Travis: People give themselves restrictions, people allow themselves to be defined or pigeonholed into a category and we’ve never done that, we’ve never said “we’re this type of band” and so on. I think when you start to let people put you in a box; you end up being forced to stay within it. I think musicians and artists get bored of doing the same kind of music for a long time but when you say your this kind of act and then you try doing something different; then the fans persecute you so that’s why we’ve never given ourselves any restrictions. We’re in a good position and its cool people consider us as a breath of fresh air and I think we are. People need to stop worrying about staying in their lane so much.
AHHA: Who would you say your inspirations are, as you incorporate everything from Hip-Hop, R&B, rock, and ‘80s samples into your sound?
Travis: I love ‘80s R&B music, old Soul music, Prince, ‘90s Hip-Hop, Brand Nubian, early Tribe Called Quest...My taste is a little bit all over the place. That’s why I think our music appeals to a wide variety of people, because we add a little bit of everything into our music.
AHHA: I loved the video for “Cupid’s Chokehold.”
Travis: Thank you. Whenever we do a video, it’s important for us to capture who we are – four f**king nerds, mixed in with a little humor. The video for “Cupid’s Chokehold” is definitely fun to watch, and you can get a little giggle from it. Everyone’s making these politically charged videos and trying to make some huge statement or they’re trying to make like a three minute commercial. I just look at videos as short films, you know?
AHHA: Yeah. I think the video for “Cupid’s Chokehold” is really cute with the little cupid...
Travis: Well we’re kind of cute too.
AHHA: I’m sure you are. You guys always look like you’re having the best time, and you never seem to take anything seriously. Is that part of your image or are you guys really just laid back and enjoying the ride?
Travis: Yeah, I think we don’t think about the politics too much. We just have fun. We’re living our dream right now and getting paid for it. [laughs] It almost seems like a crime not too be happy. Sometimes I think I’m getting something over somebody you know?
My job’s not really that hard, I don’t think I have anything to complain about. We love what we do, and we want to show our appreciation to the people who are supporting us and the people who come out and see us. People come to the shows to get away from the stress of their days and to let loose; if we’re all depressed and not putting our all into the shows, then we’re letting them down.
So we pride ourselves on the fact that we don’t take ourselves seriously, and we just try to make sure people have a good time. When I was young, I went to a lot of cool shows and sometimes people would look at me, this 6ft tall Black kid and be like, “What the hell are you doing here?” It was f**ked up, and so it’s important to me that everyone feels comfortable coming to a Gym Class Heroes show and that our music is for everyone.
AHHA: You’ve kind of become the front man and the main face of the group. Why do you think that is?
Travis: Man, it sucks!
AHHA: You don’t enjoy the extra attention?
Travis: No. I hate it.
AHHA: It must be a little flattering?
Travis: I prefer to keep to myself, and I have certain issues like being a private and proud person. Even when we were first starting off, and I was really excited about one of our songs or a project, I always worried that I would be coming across as an arrogant and sadistic bastard when talking about how great our song was or something. I’ve always worried how I come across and now I’m in this position where I’m in the rumor pages and I’m on TV and it’s just strange too me.
It’s definitely been a hard adjustment for me. Certain people can just deal with it or eat it up, but I’m realistic. I’m not going to allow this to give me a big head, as fame doesn’t last forever. Fame is just like a drug and if you got too caught up in it...once it’s gone and people don’t care about you anymore; that’s when you’ll end up on Celebrity Fit Club or some other f**king reality show. I don’t want that ever to happen to me. I’m a simple man.
AHHA: How does this affect the group dynamics? When one member is getting most of the attention?
Travis: I mean the guys are just as reclusive and weird about this sh*t as I am, so I think they’re happy that they don’t have to deal with the shit as much as I have to. [laughs] They’re like, ‘”F**k it dude, rock on. Less sh*t I have to deal with.” [laughs] Anyway I like interviews, I like talking. I don’t like face-to-face interviews as much so I wear a mask...
AHHA: You wear a mask during your interviews?
Travis: Yeah...
AHHA: Ok, well least we’re on the phone so you don’t need to worry about the mask today...
Travis: Oh I still have it by my side just in case...
AHHA: Wow I’m not sure if I can take you seriously right now. Let’s move on... How did your collaboration with Lil’ Wayne come about?
Travis: I’m a huge, huge Lil’ Wayne fan and I wanted to do a remix of one of our songs, so I thought let’s get Weezy on and we sent him a song on Friday evening and Wayne sent it back on a Saturday morning completely finished and I was like, “Holy sh*t, this dude’s crazy.”
We’ve spoken to each other a few times, and I met him last year at the MTV VMA’s and then we bumped into each other a few times after and he asked me to be on his new record and I said, “Fo sure.”
I think his record is more eagerly anticipated than both Kanye’s or ‘50s were.
AHHA: So have you heard Lil’ Wayne’s new material for his new album?
Travis: I’ve heard some of it. It’s f**king brilliant. Absolutely f**king brilliant.
AHHA: You and Lil’ Wayne are an interesting collaboration...
Travis: Yeah. I don’t like to do conventional collaborations or what people would expect. Just artists people wouldn’t expect, you know? Artists we’re into as opposed to an artist that would look cool featured on our record. Nowadays you buy a Hip-Hop record and every f**king song has a feature, it’s more like a mixtape than a record. So we do collaborations in good taste, not just to sell more records. For our next record, I’m thinking about a collab with Alex Turner from the Arctic Monkeys, I’d like to do a song with him and we’ve written a song with Ne-Yo also.
AHHA: With you getting so much attention, you must have a lot of solo offers on the table? Is solo work something that interests you?
Travis: Oh definitely. I mean I’m too introverted to embark on my own solo record. I mean I’ve done it before, but it’s not something I see myself going back to – being solo and not being with a band and being by myself on stage – but I’m always recording, always trying to stay creative, and working with other people on there projects is something I am definitely doing. I’ve been doing a lot of guest appearances. I‘m actually recording a song with Kelly Rowland this week for some soundtrack for a French movie or some sh*t.
AHHA: So what do you think of music right now?
Travis: I’m not really interested in whose beefing with who, who said what, and the whole controversy side of things. The more and more we become a part of this, we kind of get away from the actual music. In terms of the actual music, I think people are finally starting to realize that things need to change, and so people are actually trying new shit and I’m really, really excited right now. When I heard Kanye West’s “Stronger” for the first time, I was like “Holy sh*t, that dude has balls.” People aren’t scared anymore to try new things. It’s not a case of if you’re a rapper; then you have to do this and nothing else.
I think you really have to do something clever, something different and special these days to stay relevant. All the fads don’t matter anymore, like in rock with all the guys wearing black eyeliner and looking like your creepy cousin who you don’t want to sit next to at the dinner table or with Hip-Hop and all the Bling-Bling, Oh my God, I hate saying Bling-Bling, I sound like such an a**hole, but my point is that’s all pretty irrelevant, it’s becoming all about the music again.
AHHA: Ok so I need to address some rumors. You were in London recently, and I hear you were telling press that you were dating Kelly Osbourne...
Travis: Yeah me and Kelly met a while a go at a party, she’s totally awesome. Anytime two people whose faces are recognizable are seen speaking to each other, then it’s automatically assumed they are dating. But it’s not the case with me and Kelly. No way.
AHHA: Ok, but you were reported to have told some journalists you and Kelly were married?
Travis: No. Oh actually you know what? I might have said that but I was really drunk and I just thought I’d screw with the press.
AHHA: So do you have any celeb crushes?
Travis: Lily Allen. I met her before very briefly. She’s cute. Yeah...
AHHA: Ok. So are you happy right now musically and personally?
Travis: Honestly. I’m absolutely miserable. [laughs] Nah, I’m happy with the way things are going. Like I said I’ve had to make a lot of adjustments, like not being able to go out and get a pizza, and in New York people just come up and grab you and I’m not really a people person, so when people are touching me I kind of spaz out. So in that sense I’m miserable but in every other sense; like my band being successful and me being f**king rich. [laughs] I’m happy. Hopefully I’ll have 17 kids by next year all with different women to top it off…
AHHA: Seventeen kids with different women in one year?
Travis: Yeah...
AHHA: On a serious note...do you want kids? Do you want to settle down? Is that something in your five-year plan?
Travis: I don’t want to settle down, I just want 17 kids. They can all be rappers when they grow up and I’ll name them the Jackson 17. [laughs]
AHHA: Ok good luck with that. So were you bothered about the gay rumors that plagued you for a while?
Travis: Initially it did. I think it would bother any straight guy. It hurts. I remember the first time I saw gay rumors about me on the internet and I was like “F**k! I’m never going to get p*ssy again.” But then the more I started to see it pop up on the net; the more I started to think it was hilarious. The internet is so f**kin’ hit or miss, you can’t take the rumors seriously. It can be great and build you up or it can try to destroy your whole mindset. So yeah at first it messed me up, but now I’m more secure with whom I am as an artist and as a person so that the rumors don’t bother me. But for the record – I am not gay or bisexual. Is it gay that I think I’m hot?
AHHA: You think you’re hot? I wouldn’t say that’s gay. No, I’d call that confidence…
Travis: I’d hang out with myself all day...
By AllHipHop.com
Gym Class Heroes Dress Up For Halloween
Fall Out Boy and Gym Class Heroes got into the Halloween spirit last night on the latest leg of the Young Wild Things Tour in Florida.
Playing alongside the Plain White T’s and Cute Is What We Aim For on the North American stint, the two headline acts took the opportunity to dress up for the
occasion.
Gym Class Heroes took to the stage of The Jackie Gleason Theatre in curious horror ninja attire, while Fall Out Boy looked like characters in a Dickens novel with their bizarre Victorian outfits.
Unfortunately for Pete Wentz, he couldn’t be his usual energetic self as he’s in a cast after breaking his foot last week.
By www.GigWise.com
Bono: The Rolling Stone Interview
The U2 frontman sits down for Rolling Stone's 40th anniversary to talk about the future, the Buzzcocks and reasons to compromise.Exclusive Audio: Bono grapples with the question "If you could only pursue U2 or activism, which would it be?"
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Gym Class Heroes is This Year's Breakout Band
Gym Class Heroes frontman Travis McCoy was half-flattered, half-annoyed when his band won the best new artist trophy at the MTV Video Music Awards last month.
"It was really cool," he says of the Heroes' victory over the likes of Amy Winehouse and Carrie Underwood. "(But) I mean, in a sense, it was kind of a little bit interesting, because of the fact that we've been a band for 10 years."
"Part of me is like, `Yeah, awesome!' and the rest is like, `We're not really that new,'" McCoy says of his mixed emotions.
After years under the radar, Gym Class Heroes has emerged as this year's breakout band. And McCoy, 26, the charismatic rapper-singer and goofy star of the music video of the group's huge single "Cupid's Chokehold," has gotten plenty of attention. He is the Pete Wentz of the quartet, more of a camera ham than guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo, bassist Eric Roberts and drummer Matt McGinley.
The Heroes watched their profile rise after "Chokehold" hit the radio last year. The undeniably catchy song — which samples the hook of Supertramp's oldie "Breakfast in America" — eventually reached No. 4 on Billboard's "Hot 100."
It first appeared on the band's 2005 album, "The Papercut Chronicles," and was featured again on the follow-up disc, "As Cruel as School Children," first released in July 2006 and reissued several months later with "Chokehold" as an additional track.
When asked for his take on the song's popularity, McCoy shrugs and says simply: "I don't know. You have to ask the people that."
"We try not to analyze our music too much," he explains, munching on potato chips in the band's trailer before a recent Manhattan concert. "Us not doing that kinda gives us the freedom to (make) the music we want as opposed to drawing ourselves in a certain category."
The group, which blends diverse musical styles including hip-hop and emo-rock, began in the '90s after McCoy and McGinley bonded during gym class at their high school in Geneva, N.Y., near Rochester in upstate's scenic Finger Lakes region. They added Lumumba-Kasongo and Roberts a few years ago, and ultimately signed to Fall Out Boy bassist Wentz's Decaydance Records, an imprint of Fueled By Ramen, which has more than a dozen youth-friendly bands on its roster.
While Wentz remains Fall Out Boy's most conspicuous member, the emo outfit's lead singer, Patrick Stump, went behind the scenes with the Heroes to co-produce "As Cruel As School Children"; his power-pop vocals can also heard on "Chokehold" and the album's other hit, "Clothes Off!"
The Heroes have further cemented their association with Fall Out Boy on the current "The Young Wild Things" tour, on which they serve as the opening act.
"There's gonna be a lot of debauchery and a lot of crazy happenings," McCoy says.
Indeed, McCoy seems like the kind of guy who loves to whip up trouble — and haze friendly journalists. During the course of this interview, the 6-foot-5 McCoy — surprisingly soft-spoken — fake-wiped potato chip grease on this reporter's jacket sleeve (Gross, but kind of funny).
Another surprising thing about McCoy is his taste in music. He cites Hall and Oates as one of his favorites — which explains a lot about the eclectic Heroes songbook. For example, "Clothes Off!" uses the melody from the 1986 Jermaine Stewart abstinence song "We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off." McCoy, however, switched up the chaste message by omitting the "don't" from the chorus.
McCoy gets a kick out of people who try to define the Heroes.
"They've called us emo hip-hop," he says. "They've called us alternative hip-hop, they've called us hip-hop and rock. Whatever makes it easier for them to categorize us so be it. I just laugh at a lot of `em. I always thought we were a country-western band."
By ERIN CARLSON, Yahoo News
GCH - Come out and Play Atlanta
Gym Class Heroes will be at John's Creek in Atlanta on November 3th at 1:30 signing autographs and saying hey! Here are the deets:
2637 Peachtree Pkwy
Suwannee, GA 30024
By GymClassHeroes.com
An Interview with Gym Class Heroes
You guys have gained a lot of success while playing with a lot of rock bands. Was it hard to find an audience with that crowd?
Recently it hasn't been as much because a lot of the places we go are already familiar with us so they kind of know what they're getting into. When we first started touring, it was way harder to be opening up for Fall Out Boy and then you have a kid in the audience not sure what to expect and we come out with a band and he ends up looking at us like, "What is this?" At the same time, we go out and do Hip-hop shows. It's kind of strange because they might expect something else and then we bring out instruments. It's kind of like no matter what audience we have to fight for that audience.
Is your crowd these days mostly Hip-hop fans or rock fans?
It's all over the place, actually. When we're doing our own headlining shows, you'll look down and see a 15-year-old teeny bopper standing next to a hoodie-wearing Hip-hop back-packer. It's really all over the place and every once in a while you'll find a 40-year-old mom in there or two. You never really know.
You guys have been touring for a while now promoting your album "As Cruel As School Children." Do you have any plans to go back into the studio any time soon?
I think that we're going to be going towards the end of the year, maybe December or January. We're going to be writing and perhaps recording as well. I mean, there's nothing concrete, but I think those are the plans right now. It's going to be cool because we're going to have studio space on our next tour, the Fall Out Boy tour, on the bus so we can really get the ideas flowing.
Two of the three singles from this album featured Patrick Stump. Are you worried at all about people seeing you as riding the coattails of Fall Out Boy?
I guess for certain people it could be perceived that way. If you really go back and look at it, it really hasn't been that way and if you look at the entire album it definitely helps. No one's saying that Fall Out Boy hasn't helped us get to where we are. Lots of bands get help from someone else who believes in them, so I think that's cool, but the last thing you want [is] to be perceived as this is the Fall Out Boy band. It's kind of like a double-edged sword but I'm not too worried about it right now.
You guys are on Pete Wentz's label and you're the only Hip-hop group on it. Do you feel a bit out of place at all?
I don't think we feel out of place on it. I mean, it's another one of those things that there's never going to be a place that's like, this is Gym Class Heroes' place. We kind of make our own place no matter where we go. But we don't really feel out of place either because we know all the guys on the label. It's not like a strange "these guys are weird" kind of relationship. It's more like a family thing.
As a Hip-hop group, what is the advantage of using live instruments?
I think it makes it significantly more dynamic during the shows. As opposed to having someone up there who's just walking around with music, you can actually see us being a part of the music we wrote ourselves. It's also cool because kids come out to shows who are used to seeing a band. Rock kids can come out and be like, "This is still Hip-hop but in a different format than we're used to it." It can also open the doors for lots of people who normally wouldn't look at other types of music. It's the same with Hip-hop - we can come out and be like, "Hey, we got an MC out here - let's check this out," [or] "Oh look, we've got all sorts of other types of music going on also. Maybe I'll check that out." I think it really opens people's minds.
Your first breakout single, "Taxi Driver," was basically a list of rhyming band names. Was that song a tribute to your influences or just a fun thing to do?
I think the way it's usually explained is that the first, "I took cutie for a ride in my deathcab," Travis was just writing around in his journal. He was like, "Oh that's cool" and then he started thinking that there are tons of "scene" bands that have names that would really lend themselves to describing a story. He called up Matt and was like, "Oh I've got this line" and he went back and wrote another line and another line and that's how the whole song was done. I would say that there are a lot of bands in there that have been influences. I wouldn't say its necessarily a tribute song, but our influences are definitely in there. I think our influences are really really broad which is what makes our sound so all over the place. As much as Coheed and Cambria is an influence, so are Michael Jackson and Hall and Oats.
You guys are known for blending a lot of different genres. What is your writing process like and how has it changed since your early EPs?
Actually, I joined in 2004 after we signed with Decaydance and our bassist joined shortly after that. But from what I understand, the earlier songs and EPs the songs were basically written like, "Here's going to be our jazz song, here's going to be our rock song, here's going to be our Hip-hop song." As time progressed and things evolved, it became more of an organic process. If you listen to "As Cruel As School Children," it's not really quite a rock song but you might be listening to a song and hear a rock solo infused in there. I'd say the process is whatever makes a good song. If I come up with a song idea and share it and it's a good song, cool. If we're working with one of our producers and they have a cool beat and then we write over the beat, cool. If we like a song idea we're going to use it. We don't really have a set way where we say, "This is how it has to be done."
A lot of the songs on "As Cruel as School Children" are about hard parties and the girls that come with them. Are these personal accounts or fictional stories?
I think there's a little bit of both in there. Travis tends to write about experiences that he's had or observations that he's had through experiences. So even the stuff that might be fictional probably has some truth in it. Also, there's a couple of songs in there like "The Queen and I" that sound like, "Oh, this song's just about girls" but if you dig a bit deeper it's actually about something a little more messed up, like wanting something that's bad for you or alcohol problems. It's packaged in this way that might seem straight forward but it's actually kind of cool.
By www.udreview.com
GCH Back In Town
Gym Class Heroes has gone from under the radar this time last year , to more popular than free T-shirts on Fairfield Way. Opening up for Matisyahu last October, Gym Class Heroes returns to Jorgensen Center for the Perfoming Arts for a second time.
UConn is one of the last stops the indie/hip-hop band from Geneva, NY, is making before embarking on The Young Wild Things Tour with Fall Out Boy, Plain White T's and Cute Is What We Aim For at the end of October. The tour will be stopping in dozens of major cities including Las Vegas, Sacramento, San Diego, Chicago, Austin and Columbus, Ohio.
Formed in 1997, lead singer Travis McCoy, drummer Matt McGinley, guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo and bassist Eric Roberts, make up the popular band, signed by the Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen record label.
Since the release of their single "Cupid's Chokehold," Gym Class Heroes have gained an ever-growing national fan base and continuous play on many of today's popular radio stations. Their newest CD, "As Cruel As School Children," demonstrates how the band has "stepped up their game on every level," according to fueledbyraman.com.
Many students around campus were excited to hear of the Gym Class Heroes return to Jorgensen Center.
"Gym Class is awesome and underappreciated," said John Chick, 5th-semester American studies major. "The songs they're noted for aren't even their best so hopefully the people that are going will see how good they really are. I'm pretty excited."
Gym Class Heroes are praised by critics for their individuality and sound unlike any other band in their genre.
"Earlier rap-rock stars loved to remind their listeners that they were transgressing musical and cultural boundaries. But to their credit, Gym Class Heroes dispense with all that; at his best, Mr. McCoy sounds less like a maverick and more like an inevitability," writes Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times. "Plenty of young listeners enjoy brash hip-hop and wimpy emo; it was only a matter of time before someone successfully combined the two genres."
In an interview with Tony Pascarella from the-trades.com, McCoy spoke about the Heroes' growing fan base and their reaction to their musical style.
"A lot of kids are coming to the shows, they've kind of heard of us," McCoy said. "The thing is, we're used to dropped jaws when we first start playing. It's something different, and it always takes a while for kids to get used to something different. I don't take offense to it; it's cool by the second song when I see them dancing."
By www.DailyCampus.com
Jessica Alba’s "The Eye" Movie Trailer
Here is a first look at Jessica Alba's new movie. The film is The Eye and it tells the story of Allison (Alba), a blind woman who receives an eye transplant only to find out that the eyes allow her to see some freaky stuff.
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GCH Join Hobard and William Smith Colleges
Travis McCoy, a member of Gym Class Heroes, the Geneva-based band that recently received MTV’s 2007 Video Music Award for Best New Artist, met with students from Associate Dean Chip Capraro’s First Year Seminar, “Rock Music and American Masculinities,” on Tuesday, Oct. 9, at the Geneva Room.
The band was in town for a sold-out show at the Smith Opera House, their first hometown appearance since Seneca Lake Whale Watch in August 2005.
Capraro’s class looks at the lives, times and music of Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, Bruce Springsteen and Kurt Cobain, -- central figures in the history of American rock music from 1950s rock and roll to 1990s grunge. The seminar was designed to give students an appreciation for the role of gender, race, class, sexuality and region in shaping men’s identity and experience.
The band has been on MTV several times in 2007, with “Cupid’s Chokehold/Breakfast in America” spending time atop the network’s playlist. The group was also featured on such programming as Spring Break ‘07 Live, TRL, and MTV Live, as well as on MTV2, mtvU, MTV Hits, and MTV Tr3s. “Cupid’sChokehold/Breakfast in America” also proved a rotation favorite at VH1, Fuse and Mun2.
By www.hws.edu
Vin Diesel and Charile's Angels Director in Talks for Terminator 4
I think he'd be a great fit for the Terminator series, I'm just not sure about the director from Charlie's Angel taking this one over. Maybe the guys that are doing Battlestar Galactica.
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GCH Hold Local Meet and Greet
Gym Class Heroes held a meet and greet with fans at the North Broadway Verizon Wireless store. The local visit was part of GCH's headlining spot in a 15-stop east coast Verizon Wireless College Campus Tour that also included a concert that evening at Hofstra University.
By Victoria A. Caruso, www.AntonNews.com
Gym Class Heroes Concert Review
The Mullins Center was alive with the sounds of hundreds of screaming college students last night at the Gym Class Heroes concert. The band, a four-piece hip-hop/rock group from New York, blew the crowd away with their energetic and controversial performance. A performance packed with sexual overtones and among other things, multiple braziers thrown on stage by a pack of overexcited girls in the audience.
As kids filed into the Mullins and gathered around the stage, the music of DJ Abilities, one of the informal openers for Gym Class Heroes, filled the air. He spun some rap/hip-hop beats for the crowd's listening enjoyment while they waited, which proved very successful as the floor in front of the stage was turned into an impromptu night club.
After departing, DJ Abilities was soon followed by the opening act, The Pack, who emerged onto the stage complete with sunglasses and chains around their necks. Their set was entertaining, full of audience participation and attempted sing-alongs. Although their song lyrics were somewhat repetitive, they really got the anxious crowd pumped-up and ready for the band everyone was waiting for.
Directly after the Pack finished playing, yet another band called Tyga stormed rather unexpectedly onto the stage, shouting random, inaudible greetings into their microphones. Their set was similar to that of the previous act, except with two less members and no sunglasses.
Travis McCoy, lead singer of Gym Class Heroes, later explained that one of the members of Tyga was his younger cousin, which might explain why they were the band to play directly before the headliners.
Gym Class Heroes' set was nothing short of astounding. They charged onto the stage with flags waving, to boisterous screams of excitement. The band dove right into their first song, "New Friend Request" which drew an energetic and surprisingly involved response from the audience. The screams grew even louder when Travis incorporated "UMass" into a couple of the songs.
It was evident from anyone standing in the area in front of the stage, or in the seats surrounding it, that this band knows how to put on an entertaining live show. Not only did Travis integrate the crowd into his between-song-banter as much as possible, but he even singled people out to make a point, in a way of introducing some of the band's songs.
Before beginning the insanely popular and catchy "Cupid's Chokehold," McCoy pointed out a girl in the crowd and asked if she had a boyfriend. When the girl responded negatively, the singer proceeded to say "well you will after this song!" It was comments such as those that made this band's live performance so enjoyable to watch. It was also very clear that everybody in that arena agreed because the dancing never stopped, along with the ceaseless energy of the band.
Gym Class even kept it interesting by signing their version of a Beach Boys song, "Good Vibrations" off their 1966 album "Smiley Smile." Before beginning the song, Travis explained that "this is not your conventional cover song," which was made obvious by the fresh, hip/hop style take they put on it. It was surprisingly well done and even had some kids singing along, which was even more shocking.
Another crowd favorite seemed to be "The Queen and I" which is the first track off of the bands sophomore album, "As Cruel as School Children." The floor turned into a dance party during this song. There was not an idle body in the whole place, as the energy poured out of the crowd and band alike.
The facial expressions of the band during their set were enough to run that show alone. The drummer, bassist and guitarist kept smiles permanently plastered on their faces from beginning to end, while Travis stuck out his tongue, winked, and scrunched up his face more times than anyone could count.
At the end of Gym Class Heroes' last song, as McCoy was closing out the set and making his finishing remarks, multiple bras got thrown on stage directly in front of the dumbfounded vocalist. He stopped mid-sentence, flashed a broad smile to the screaming girls who were obviously the owners of the undergarments, and proceeded to finish out the set with the bras draped around his shoulders as the band departed from the stage.
After the band made the audience squirm for all of 30 seconds for an encore, the boys came striding back onto the stage for one last song, their most popular to date, "Clothes Off!"
From beginning to end, the concert was beyond entertaining and an overall success for all of the bands on the lineup. Gym Class Heroes really pulled through, and lived up to their high standards of an outstanding, energetic live performance full of sexual innuendo and unexpected surprises.
By Michelle Abbasciano, Collegian Correspondent
Binghamton University to host GCH
Gym Class Heroes will perform at 7 p.m. Oct. 7 in the West Gym at Binghamton University in Vestal. They will be joined by other up and coming bands, including The Pack. Doors open at 6 p.m.; tickets are $10 for registered students and $17 for the general public.
By Hannah Maria Hayes
MTV Video Music Awards Backstage
Members of the band pose for photos backstage at the VMA.
GCH celebrate as they win the "Best New Artist" award at the party suites, during the VMA in Las Vegas.
Gym Class Heroes US Upcoming Shows
October
18 - Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center
19 - Grand Rapids, MI - Delta Plex
20 - Chicago, IL - Allstate Arena
21 - Champaign, IL - Assembly Hall
23 - Austin, TX - Frank Erwin Center
24 - Dallas, TX - Nokia Live
26 - Oklahoma City, OK - Ford Center Arena
27 - Memphis, TN - Mud Island Amphitheatre
28 - New Orleans, LA - Voodoo Music Experience*
30 - Jacksonville, FL - Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
31 - Miami, FL - Jackie Gleason Theatre
November
1 - Orlando, FL - UCF Arena
2 - Orange Beach, AL - Amphitheater at the Wharf
3 - Atlanta, GA - Gwinnett Center
4 - Clemson, SC - Little John Coliseum
6 - Nashville, TN - Nashville Municipal Auditorium
7 - Roanoke, VA - Roanoke Civic Center
9 - Lowell, MA - Tsongas Arena
10 - Bridgeport, CT - Arena at Harbor Yard
11 - Fairfax, VA - Patriot Center
13 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Spectrum
14 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
16 - Ottawa, ON - Scotia Bank Place
17 - London, ON - John Labatt Center
18 - Rochester, NY - Blue Cross Arena
20 - Auburn Hills, MI - The Palace at Auburn Hills
21 - Cedar Rapids, IA - US Cellular Arena
23 - Denver, CO - Magness Arena
24 - Rio Rancho, NM - Santa Ana Star Center
25 - Glendale, AZ - Jobing.com Arena
27 - Long Beach, CA - Long Beach Arena
29 - San Jose, CA - Event Center at San Jose State Univ.
December
1 - San Diego, CA - San Diego Sports Arena
2 - Las Vegas, NV - The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
18 - Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center
19 - Grand Rapids, MI - Delta Plex
20 - Chicago, IL - Allstate Arena
21 - Champaign, IL - Assembly Hall
23 - Austin, TX - Frank Erwin Center
24 - Dallas, TX - Nokia Live
26 - Oklahoma City, OK - Ford Center Arena
27 - Memphis, TN - Mud Island Amphitheatre
28 - New Orleans, LA - Voodoo Music Experience*
30 - Jacksonville, FL - Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
31 - Miami, FL - Jackie Gleason Theatre
November
1 - Orlando, FL - UCF Arena
2 - Orange Beach, AL - Amphitheater at the Wharf
3 - Atlanta, GA - Gwinnett Center
4 - Clemson, SC - Little John Coliseum
6 - Nashville, TN - Nashville Municipal Auditorium
7 - Roanoke, VA - Roanoke Civic Center
9 - Lowell, MA - Tsongas Arena
10 - Bridgeport, CT - Arena at Harbor Yard
11 - Fairfax, VA - Patriot Center
13 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Spectrum
14 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
16 - Ottawa, ON - Scotia Bank Place
17 - London, ON - John Labatt Center
18 - Rochester, NY - Blue Cross Arena
20 - Auburn Hills, MI - The Palace at Auburn Hills
21 - Cedar Rapids, IA - US Cellular Arena
23 - Denver, CO - Magness Arena
24 - Rio Rancho, NM - Santa Ana Star Center
25 - Glendale, AZ - Jobing.com Arena
27 - Long Beach, CA - Long Beach Arena
29 - San Jose, CA - Event Center at San Jose State Univ.
December
1 - San Diego, CA - San Diego Sports Arena
2 - Las Vegas, NV - The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
GCH to Perform at Stabler Arena
Gym Class Heroes will perform at Stabler Arena on September 28th 2007. The group’s most recent success was receiving the Best New Artist award at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards.
Colin McLeod, ’08, co-music director for University Productions, said it takes a lot of work to get bands like Gym Class Heroes to perform here at Lehigh. “Lehigh was able to get such a high-profile band as a result of working with a production company over the summer,” McLeod said. Lehigh works with production company More Music, which finds shows coming to the area that are within the university’s budget.
Gym Class Heroes is part of the Verizon tour. As sponsor of the tour, Verizon subsidizes the event to make it more affordable for schools. Other artists performing at the concert are The Pack and Tyga. The Pack is a rap group from San Francisco. Tyga is also a rapper.
Recently, Gym Class Heroes has experienced escalating success. The single “Cupid’s Chokehold/Breakfast in America” reached No. 4 on the Billboard Top 100 chart. The group’s album “As Cruel as School Children” made the Billboard Top 200 and the European Top 100.
Their first album, “For the Kids”, was self-released in 2001. The band started to gain recognition after the 2003 release of “The Papercut Chronicles” which caught the attention of Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz. In 2004, he asked them to join his Fueled by Ramen Records imprint, Decaydence. Since being signed to Decaydence, Gym Class Heroes has performed at several major venues and festivals, including the South by Southwest Music Conference and Festival and Warped Tour. They also opened for Gwen Stefani on her Sweet Escape Tour in New Zealand and Australia in July and August of this year.
This fall, Gym Class Heroes will be part of the Young and Wild Things Tour, which will be headlined by Fall Out Boy. Other bands on the bill include Plain White T’s and Cute is What We Aim For.
The group is often compared to artists such as Atmosphere, Kanye West and Prince. Some Lehigh students said they are looking forward to the upcoming concert. “I’m really excited; it’s good that they’re coming,” McLeod said. “They’re a happening band right now. They’re getting a lot of exposure recently. They’ve been touring for three years, and I’ve seen them live, and I know that they put on a really good show.”
Tickets for the concert are $10 for Lehigh students with a limit to four tickets per ID. For non-Lehigh students, tickets are $12.50. Tickets are on sale at Ulrich Student Center and the University Center from 12 p.m. until 2 p.m. on weekdays. They are also available in the bookstore. The doors will open at 7 p.m., and the show begins at 8 p.m. Buses will run to and from Stabler Arena to Asa Packer Campus to transport students to the concert.
By Lehigh University's Student Newspaper
"Graduation" outselled "Curtis" by 437,000 on day one!
West's "Graduation" sold an estimated 437,000 copies during its first day of release Tuesday, ahead of 310,000 for 50 Cent's "Curtis" and 107,000 for country star Kenny Chesney's "Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates," according to a new "Building Chart" devised by tracking firm Nielsen SoundScan.
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Gym Class Heroes Won the "Best New Artist" award at the MTV Video Music Awards
Gym Class Heroes and pop punk/emo-rock band Fall Out Boys rocked out with the single "Clothes Off" at the VMA ceremony. The "Best New Artist" award was awarded to the group instantly after that. It was presented to Gym Class Heroes by Jaime Fox and Jennifer Garner who both promoted their new film "Kingdom".
Tour Dates
09.22.2007 - Street Scene - San Diego, CA
09.23.2007 - Street Scene - San Diego, CA
10.18.2007 - Value City Arena at Jerome Schottenstein Center Columbus, OH
10.20.2007 - Allstate Arena - Chicago, IL
10.24.2007 - Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie - Grand Prairie, TX
10.26.2007 - Ford Center - Oklahoma City, OK
11.01.2007 - UCF Arena - University of Central Florida Arena - Orlando, FL
11.09.2007 - Paul E. Tsongas Arena - Lowell, MA
11.10.2007 - Arena at Harbor Yard - Bridgeport, CT
11.14.2007 - Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
An Interview with Travis Mccoy
Cupid’s Chokehold has been in the charts for months. Are you fed up with it?
I’m getting fed up with it. It’s just one of those things. All artists get bored with their material, it’s what keeps them creative. At the same time, you have to keep people happy. I’m sure sooner or later people will get as sick of it as we are.
You were together for almost ten years before you started having hits. Did you nearly give up?
No, my body’s totally covered with tattoos so I had no other choice but to become a rock star. There was no way I could get a real job.
How did you pay the bills?
I was a tattoo artist. I mainly did graffiti stuff, I was into it as a kid and that’s the kind of tattoo artwork I do.
What’s your favourite tattoo?
A portrait of myself on my right arm. It’s a picture of me when I was in second grade. I had it done about six years ago.
What’s the weirdest promotional thing you’ve done?
It was for Japanese TV, their shows are f***ing insane. They have like live cartoon shows, it looks like it’s a video game but it’s actually people. The weird thing is they show all this crazy s*** but they won’t show pubic hair. I don’t get it. Anyway, I had to send a verbal love letter to someone who inspires me. I had to say: ‘Dear so and so’ and then why they inspired me and then end with: ‘love from Travis.’ I did it to Daryl Hall [of Hall & Oates] as he’s my most favourite guy in the world. Luckily, they didn’t make me do it in Japanese.
What’s the worst gig you’ve ever done?
We’ve been the black sheep playing shows with metal bands, with the crowd shouting: ‘What the hell is this s***?’We’ve never run away from anything or compromised to make a crowd happy. We played a show in Manchester with Fall Out Boy. I don’t normally let hecklers get to me but for some reason these pair of kids were being really persistent and making gestures. At the end of the show, I walked through the crowd and found them. I’m 6ft in and more than 200lb, so they were scared s***less. I just said: ‘Dude, you paid money to be here, if you don’t like it go and have a beer and come back to see the band you wanted to see later.’ The best bit was when I pretended I was going to hit one of the kids and instead kissed his cheek. The crowd went apes***. That was one of my more rock star moments.
What’s been your most extravagant purchase?
I have a really bad sneaker habit. Nikes are my favourite. I have a pair called the Houston Allstars. There were only 25 pairs made and I have one. People are willing to pay $6,000 (£3,000) for them. It’s stupid but I have them.
What’s your best chat-up line?
Anyone else who is remotely successful would use their band to chat up the ladies. Not me. I have this crazy look where I lift up one eyebrow. Then I pick my nose and wipe it on the girl. It usually works for me.
It’s a risky strategy isn’t it?
Yeah, it super-risky. I’ve been slapped, I’ve been spat at but I’ve also ended up making passionate love. If you find a girl who smiles or who is into that line then you’ve found a keeper.
What excuses did you use to get off PE at school?
The s***s always work. No one wants a kid in their class who is going to s*** themselves. If you do a real smelly fart and then tell the coach you think you might be having an accident, he’ll let you off. Or go one step further and s*** your pants. I didn’t use it much. My teachers knew I didn’t care about class. I just spent time writing songs and drawing pictures and they let me do what I wanted.
By www.metro.co.uk
Rapper Plies Received an Ozone Award
Plies won an Ozone Award in the Best Rap/RnB Collaboration category for "Shawty". A single featuring T-Pain. The event was hosted by the comedian and Ozone magazine columnist Roland Powell. It will be on the air on MTV Jams during the Labor Day weekend.
A Message from Gym Class Heroes
THANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNK YOU!!!!!
We just want to thank you guys so much from the bottom of our hearts for the Teen Choice Award! We won Breakout Group at the Teen Choice Awards and it means sooooo so so much to us! We definitely can't wait to ride our surf boards! You guys are the bestestsss.
<3
Gym Class Heroes
By GymClassHeroes.com
Hip Hop Sales Collapsing
Hip-hop now faces a generation that takes gangsta rap as just another mundane marker in the cultural scenery. "It's collapsing because they can no longer fool the white kids," says Nickels. "There's only so much redundancy anyone can take."
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GCH at the Carling Weekend: Leeds Festival
Gym Class Heroes kicked off the Main Stage at the Carling Weekend: Leeds Festival at noon today (August 24). The hip-hop outfit greeted early revellers who arrived at Braham Park in sweltering conditions with an energetic performance. The rap collective, who are signed to Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz's record label Decaydance, were the first to appear on a stage which has a predominantly hard rock line-up.
By NME.com
BT Digital Music Awards 2007
Please vote for Gym Class Heroes Unofficial at BT Digital Music Awards! Thanks!
Gym Class Heroes Thinking About New Songs During Their Tour
After hitting the mainstream with last year's As Cruel As School Children, Gym Class Heroes are beginning to think about what to do for an encore. In addition to an unusual mash-up project combining their tracks with Hall & Oates hits, the group is starting to write new material while on tour.
Frontman Travis McCoy told MTV News that success will likely influence his new lyrics to some extent. "Yeah, in essence, I've always written about experiences, but lately, our surroundings have changed to say the least. So I'm picking up on things that are cool, and I'm picking up on things that I don't fully understand, People expect the same Travis, but with everything that's been going on around me, the subject matter is changing a bit. Don't get me wrong, though: I still take a lighthearted approach to things, try to make people laugh first and foremost, because that's how I've always gotten ass."
He continued, "But there's stuff about how people around you change when you get some success. Because that's been the hardest thing for me," he continued. "I think people take seeing someone on TV the wrong way. Even people I know. Going home to Geneva (New York) used to be this sanctuary for me, but last time I went home I had to stay in a hotel, and people were sliding sh-- under my door. I wanted to get on public-access TV and be like, 'Listen people of Geneva, I'm the same dumb, goofy guy that grew up here. Nothing's changed! Don't be scared to approach me, I'm still that dude.' "
McCoy said he will still keep things lighthearted in his new songs. "It's definitely going to be a little sarcastic, because we really can't help it. It'll have something for the critics, lemme just say that," he told MTV. "I have tons of sh-- written, so now it's all about us getting together and getting that Voltron thing happening. Oh wait, do five dudes make Voltron? Oh well, we'll be a headless Voltron, then."
Gym Class Heroes will also be hitting the road this fall with their pals in Fall Out Boy and Plain White T's and FOB's Pete Wentz told Rolling Stone the aesthetic for the trek will be inspired by the classic children's book Where The Wild Things Are. He also said that FOB fans should petition to get "Chocolate Rain" singer Tay Zonday to join the tour as well.
By FMQB.com
25 Legendary Bands
2007 is the year of the band reunion. From The Police to Van Halen to "The Smashing Pumpkins," everybody seems to be getting in on the act. But, who cares about those guys? Here are 25 that should actually get back together, with video goodness.
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GCH Teaming Up with Hall & Oates
Gym Class Heroes are working on a surprising collaboration for their next release. MTV reports that the group is having their tracks mashed up with the music of Hall & Oates. DJ J.J. Brown is handling the production, which will take vocal tracks from last year's As Cruel As School Children album and pair them up with music by the '80s hitmakers. Though no dates have been announced, Gym Class Heroes will be touring this fall alongside their pals Fall Out Boy and Plain White T's.
By FMQB.com
Britney Back In Business
Pop princess Britney Spears is in talks for an impressive opening performance at VMA. The singer realizes that she can return to the big scene by making a boom in Las Vegas on 9th. Gossipers talk that Britney Spears's return would be the biggest hit in MTV Awards history.
MTV repporter said - "I cannot confirm or deny it." , There is no official information leek from MTV on this topic, they neither deny it nor confirm it.
Britney's famous performance at the VMA was in 2003 when she kissed Madonna and Christina Aguilera, which shifted the interest from all the events during the year to this outrageous act of hers.
Read more about Britney and other music celebrities on Extreme Hot Music
"As Cruel As School Children" Has Been Certified Gold by the RIAA
"AS CRUEL AS SCHOOL CHILDREN," the second album from Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen recording group Gym Class Heroes, has been certified gold by the RIAA, marking sales exceeding 500,000 units. The collection's breakthrough success is fuelled by a pair of hit singles, the #1 blockbuster, "Cupid's Chokehold/Breakfast in America" and the current summer smash, "Clothes Off!!"
Earlier this week, Gym Class Heroes received nominations in two of the top categories for the upcoming 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. The hugely popular alternative hip-hop outfit received the nod as both "Best New Artist" and "Best Group," with the latter category placing them alongside such top-ranked bands as the White Stripes, Linkin Park, Maroon 5, and their good friends, Decaydance's own Fall Out Boy. The 2007 MTV VMAs will be handed out in ceremonies broadcast live on MTV from Las Vegas' Palms Casino Resort on Sunday, September 9th. (check local listings)
The "Clothes Off!!" companion video is already a sensation at MTV, where it has gone to #1 on the TRL Charts and is currently in "Big 10" rotation. The clip is scoring in major rotation across the MTV spectrum, including MTV2, mtvU, and MTV.com, where Gym Class Heroes were recently spotlighted as part of the "Best of Discover & Download '07" feature. Further, the video is receiving extensive rotation play on both Fuse and Music Choice.
In addition, the band recently received a pair of top nominations for the upcoming Teen Choice 2007 extravaganza -- "Choice Music Breakout (Group)" and "Choice Music Single" (for "Cupid's Chokehold/Breakfast in America"). The awards will be presented in a live two-hour special airing Sunday, August 26th (8:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.
A Featured Artist at Verizon Wireless' V Cast Music shop, Gym Class Heroes is currently on tour in Australia and New Zealand, supporting Gwen Stefani on a series of major arena dates. From there, the band will travel the world for a number of eagerly awaited festival performances, including Japan's Summer Sonic 2007 and England's legendary Carling Weekend at Reading and Leeds. Upon their return to the U.S., GCH will rock a pair of American festies: Seattle's annual Bumbershoot extravaganza on September 1st, and Del Mar, CA's Street Scene '07 on September 22nd and 23rd. A North American headlining tour is slated for this fall, with details to be unveiled in the coming weeks. The band will tour with Fall Out Boy to close the year.
"Clothes Off!!" has also exploded online, logging over half a million streams in the past week alone, with total streams nearing 2.5 million and counting. Gym Class Heroes maintains an active Internet presence at their official site, gymclassheroes.com, as well as at their MySpace (myspace.com/gymclassheroes) and PureVolume pages (purevolume.com/gymclassheroes).
The new single's success follows the triumphant achievement of "Cupid's Chokehold/Breakfast in America," which stood tall at #1 on the CHR/Top 40 national airplay chart for five consecutive weeks earlier this year. The track -- which features the band's good friend, Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy -- also reached the top 5 of Billboard's "Hot 100," as well as #1 on Billboard's "Hot Digital Tracks" chart. In addition, the song has proven a massive ringtone smash, hitting the top 5 on the weekly "Top Ringtones" ranking.
2007 has seen Gym Class Heroes all over MTV, with "Cupid's Chokehold/Breakfast in America" spending time atop the network's playlist. The group was also featured on such programming as Spring Break '07 Live, TRL, and MTV Live, not to mention other MTV channels such as MTV2, mtvU, MTV Hits, and MTV Tr3s. "Cupid's Chokehold/Breakfast in America" also proved a rotation favorite at VH1, Fuse, and Mun2.
Both "Cupid's Chokehold/Breakfast in America" and "Clothes Off!!" can currently be viewed online at FBR+, Fueled By Ramen's recently launched exclusive content site, located at www.fbrplus.com. The site also features three additional GCH videos, including clips for "New Friend Request," "The Queen and I," and "Shoot Down The Stars."
Recent months have seen Gym Class Heroes making a variety of TV appearances, including performances on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," DirecTV's "CD USA," and the syndicated "Fearless Music TV."
By HipHopPress.com
The Best Bands That Never Existed
Some of the bands on this list never produced one note of audible music, others needed real musicians to give them voice, a couple served as alter egos and one band is made up of puppets. Regardless of their corporeal status, in one form or another, these bands embodied the ethos of rock and roll.
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MTV Music Awards
Gym Class Heroes received 2 nominations at the MTV Music Awards. The group is up for Best New Artist and Best Group!! Vote for GCH on MTV.com
Rapper 50 Cent Accepts Offer to Debate Kanye West
Superstar rappers Kanye West and 50 Cent will go head-to-head on September 11, the day both artists' sophomore albums land in stores. While fans of both rappers have relished in the friendly rivalry that seems to be brewing between the pair over the release date, 50 Cent has actually accepted a challenge to debate Kanye West on live TV.
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The Greatest Guitar Solos Ever
What follows is the list of all 100 songs selected, listed with the guitarist who played the solo, the band who released the album, and the album name. Clicking on the song will take you to the guitar tab for that specific solo, and in some cases, additional notes like how to get a similar guitar sound.
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Gym Class Heroes In Preparation for a Remix Album Release This Year
With their blinged-out video for "Clothes Off" still riding high in the "TRL" top five a year after the group's latest album was released, you'd think Gym Class Heroes would finally be kicking back.
But instead, the group is prepping a most unusual remix album for later this year; touring Australia opening for Gwen Stefani for the next week; and then heading to Japan for some headlining shows. The guys will then make their way to Paris on August 21 and London the next night for the Decaydance Fest featuring their pals Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, the Academy Is ... and Cobra Starship. With barely a chance to breathe, they'll hit the road again in the U.S. in the fall with FOB and Plain White T's.
And though they're not expected to hit the studio before the end of the year for a new album that could drop by next summer, fans might get a holiday treat from lead rapper/singer Travis McCoy and the boys in the form of McCoy's dream project.
According to a management spokesperson, the Supertramp-sampling Heroes have just signed off on a mash-up album that mixes the group's 2006 album, As Cruel as School Children, with more than 40 tracks by '70s/'80s soft-rock superstars Hall & Oates.
The mix, done by DJ J.J. Brown — who released a similar free mash-up in May for Ludacris featuring Jackson 5 tracks called Re-Release Therapy — could be out before the end of this year if all the sample clearances go through soon.
Brown prefers the term "match-up" to mash-up for his process, which, in the case of Ludacris, involved taking the a capella version of the MC's Release Therapy album and matching it to whole Jackson 5 tracks.
"We've been making indie rap records since 1998, and Trav has always been a huge fan," Brown explained of the relationship, which began a few years ago when the Heroes opened up for Brown's crew. After the Luda album was released, McCoy called up and asked if Brown and his 5G Productions team could do the same with the Heroes' album.
"We asked him if he had any suggestions for catalogs — and he didn't know our camp were huge fans of Hall & Oates — and [McCoy] stuttered a bit and said, 'What about Daryl Hall and John Oates?' since [the Heroes' summer] tour was called 'Daryl Hall for President,' " Brown recalled. "The timing was crazy, because we almost did the Ludacris album with Hall & Oates, so we had the stack of records waiting for the next thing."
Since the Heroes didn't have an a capella version of their album, they went back in the studio in early summer and opened up the original session tapes to provide the tracks for the 5G team, who spent the next five weeks remixing the album. Not only did 5G not get a cease and desist from the Hall & Oates camp, Brown said, but in a remarkable coincidence, a company that bought the blue-eyed soul duo's catalog sent out an e-mail to the managers of several hot groups earlier this summer asking them if they had any ideas for new ways to market the tunes.
That led to a meeting with the new owners of the H&O catalog, which Brown said went better than he could have imagined. "We got past song number two, and everyone is on their Blackberries!" he said. "Hall & Oates' managers are on the phone, the original producers of the tracks are on the phone. When I imagine in my fantasy world what might happen with a great idea, it was happening. We're New York hip-hop producers, and we're used to sampling things and hoping the artists don't catch us. Now we're doing it with their blessing and they're impressed with what we're doing."
How impressed? Two weeks ago, Brown and his partner were given the VIP treatment at an H&O show in New York, (see "Hall & Oates: Ridiculously Awesome") where the duo were as excited to meet Brown as he was to meet them. "I was trying not to be star-struck, but whenever I paid them a compliment, they hit us back with five more."
No release date has been set for the Heroes match-up album so far, but Brown said he's been told it might be part of a package the group is planning to release before the end of this year.
By Gil Kaufman
Pictures of hot celebrities look like fat
We're used to seeing the pounds come off on magazine covers. But what if photoshop was used to do the reverse?
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Usher - Wedding Cancelled
Usher's wedding with Tameka Foster, his pregnant fiancee, was called off unexpectedly. Though they've canceled it they both claim that they are still together.
"As of right now we don't have a date but we will let you know when we do," the singer tells Usmagazine.com. "Everybody's fine. Tameka and the baby are fine."
The couple didn't say anything regarding the circumstances of the cancellation. They also said that they will not release any.
Read more about Usher and your favourite celebrities on Cigna's Sights & Views
Take Your Clothes Off and Join the Party Time with Gym Class Heroes
Gym Class Heroes are set to release their new single, 'Clothes Off' on August 20th through the Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen label. They have just finished a series of live headline dates in the UK and are also heading to Reading and Leeds festival next month.
The forthcoming single, 'Clothes Off' is on the Upfront List at Radio 1 and has also been added to the Capital Radio Play List. Taken from the current album As Cruel As School Children, it uses a sample from the 1985 pop classic 'We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off' by Jermaine Stewart. The accompanying video is on rotation at The Box, The Hits and Kiss TV.
'Clothes Off' follows the phenomenal success of the UK Top 3 Smash Hit (and US # 1) 'Cupid's Chokehold (Breakfast In America)'. The track, which was A-listed at Radio 1 and Capital, peaked at no.1 in the UK airplay charts, whilst residing comfortably within the UK Top 10 for more than 2 months.
Rightly recognized as true pioneers of live hip-hop, Gym Class Heroes has won popular and critical acclaim for kicking out genre-busting jams that seamlessly meld rap, rock, pop funk, R&B, and anything else that happens to strike the musically voracious outfit's fancy. They have taken America by storm with 'Cupid's Chokehold (Breakfast In America)', written by Roger Hodgson, formerly of Supertramp and Rich Davies of Supertramp. The track uses the hook from the 1979 hit song, 'Breakfast In America' and features guest vocals by Patrick Stump (who also has a cameo role in the video).
The album, As Cruel As School Children is marked by its diverse grooves and warm organic textures. "Our music is rooted in hip-hop," explains lead vocalist Travis McCoy, "but not restricted to it." In fact, crucial to the album's buoyant sound, was their mutual love for the funk-flavoured mainstream R&B of the 80's a la Prince and Ready for the World. "Some of the arrangements in that stuff just blow me away," says Travis, "Those are the songs that last forever. We're definitely interested in making that type of music."
Always challenging perceptions of what hip-hop and indie rock could or should be, Gym Class Heroes are doing things on their own terms. "In a sense," says McCoy, "we're a lot like the chubby kid smiling away on the album artwork. Everyone has an opinion of who he is and what he should be. He keeps smiling and doesn't change. Instead he waits and watches the world around him change to fit his standards. This album is the chubby kid's middle finger held high."
By ILikeMusic.com
MCCOY- The tattoo is one of my biggest regrets
Travis Mccoy, a singer form the band Gym Class Heroes truly regrets his teenage times - he regrets for the tatoos he has had done when being young. This is so because the image of a graffiti can on his arm reminds him of his criminal past. The frontman of the band used to love the illegally spraying artwork in areas of his hometown of Geneva,NY as a child. He even had a spray can tattooed onto his arm. Man, this guy really got carried away with this stuff. Travis stated that the tattoo is one of his biggest regrets.
"I liked to graffiti when I was younger and when I was 15 I got a spray can tattooed on my arm. I come from a small town and was one of two kids that wrote graffiti, so it was like the scarlet letter, the dumbest idea ever! If anything ever went down, they'd come to my house like, 'Yeah sure, it wasn't you a**hole, with that tattooed on your arm'."
By ContactMusic.com
100 Greatest Cover Songs
The cover songs below are in alphabetical order. There are also shortlists of the 10 greatest and worst 10 covers ever.
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Gym Class Heroes - behind the scenes
That Gym Class Heroes owe their sudden success to a Supertramp sample should tickle parents of their predominately teenage fans. At the hip-hop band’s biggest British gig to date, well-behaved boys with their baseball caps worn sideways and groups of middle-class girls in purposely tacky attire were trying hard to assert their independence, but had been snagged by a song from their dads’ dancing days.
Formed six years ago in New York State, Gym Class Heroes exploded this spring with Cupid’s Chokehold, a catchy but corny, transatlantic chart smash based on Breakfast in America, Supertramp’s 1970s super hit.
Serious hip-hop fans were left cold, yet to dismiss the group as a novelty act is selling them short. The quintet’s current album, As Cruel as School Children, blends buoyant raps from the towering frontman Travis McCoy with funk grooves, guitar and beats played by a real drummer. The results are refreshingly fun, if hardly ground-breaking, while lyrics that avoid both gangsta clichés and social politics at least make them unusual.
On a UK tour last year to support their friends Fall Out Boy, whose singer makes a guest appearance on Cupid’s Chokehold, Gym Class Heroes were frequently booed or bottled. In front of an audience aware that their primary mission is to get a party started, they couldn’t put a foot wrong. In a cute start, the band throw their baseball caps in to the crowd – handily, McCoy, who opted to keep his on, had a spare on his mike stand. Fans were encouraged to wiggle their fingers in the air during the swampy Shoot Down the Stars and fast-clap to Taxi Driver, a prefame favourite that mixed Jurassic 5-like bouncy beats with R&B.
McCoy rambled too long on his love of London and beautiful girls, but delivered an impressive punch with The Queen and I, not a high-five to the monarchy, but a rant against girls who drink too much. Needless to say, the drunken females down the front joined in its chorus with a gusto that proved they had missed the point. They then headed back to the bar during a retooled Beach Boys’ Good Vibrations, a step too far into dads’ territory. Yet the forthcoming single Clothes Off!, based on Jermaine Stewart’s naff 1980s hit, went down a storm. At that age, there’s no telling them.
By The Times
Ja Rule And Lil Wayne arrested in New York after concert
Hip hop artists Lil Wayne and Ja Rule were arrested Sunday evening after a concert in Manhattan on charges of criminal possession of weapons, each in separate incidents, a New York Police Department spokesman told CNN.
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"Cupid's Chokehold" by Gym Class Heroes has been on the Billboard chart for 6 months
The band's popular song, "Cupid's Chokehold/Breakfast in America," has been on the Billboard chart for six months now.
Frontman Travis McCoy told MTV News why he thinks the song has been so popular. "It was time for a song like that to come around, you know? A lot of people are banking on their sorrow and just bad experiences with females. I feel like there are some girls that are out there that are kind of cool and they deserve a song written about them, you know? So, it's a universal anthem for any girl out there who likes to play video games with their boyfriend and cook them breakfast and pancakes and all that."
Travis also clarified what influenced the song. "Just like any other adolescent male, I've been through a lot of weird relationships with girls and this song is basically... it's a little sarcastic, about the perfect girl who kind of doesn't exist, you know what I'm saying? But, I don't know, maybe she does, I just haven't been to Africa yet."
By MTV News
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