MTV’s set to launch season four of 16 and Pregnant on March 27, 2012. The one-hour documentary series follows teenagers as they handle being pregnant at such a young age.
What You Need to Know:
16 and Pregnant is a reality/documentary series about teenagers who become pregnant while still in high school, showcasing their struggles with pregnancy and what it’s like to become a teen mom. Some of the girls have the support of their families while others have no one to turn to except for their boyfriends and boyfriends’ families. It also shows teens struggling with the decision to give their child up for adoption in hopes of a better life and future for them, knowing they can’t give them that.
Some struggle just to graduate on time, while others drop out in hopes of getting their GEDs. Most of the girls on this show are either on-again/off-again with their baby’s daddy or they quickly become single moms due to the other parent becoming a ‘deadbeat dad’. Fortunately, some of the teen parents are still together.
The first season did so well that MTV came out with a spin-off – Teen Mom – in which they follow around some of the 16 & Pregnant girls and continue to show their struggles.
There’s been a lot of backlash about this show, with many people of the opinion it glorifies teen pregnancy. However, during the show, MTV does have an advertisement on how to learn about preventing teen pregnancy. But regardless of the controversial subject matter, 16 and Pregnant draws in big ratings – people just can’t seem to get enough of these shows.
In the first of six live performance shows, twelve artists from two teams – six per team – will each perform a song and viewers will have the opportunity to vote for their favorites. The top three artists on each team who receive the most viewer votes will be revealed on the Tuesday results show the following night. Then, the bottom three artists on both teams will each fight for survival by performing an additional song in hopes of impressing their coach. Their coach must then choose who among the three will have the opportunity to continue on in the competition, and who will be sent home.
KISS and Motley Crue are heading out on the road together for THE TOUR of 2012, kicking off on July 20th in Bristow, VA. THE TOUR marks the first time the two rock groups have shared the same stage since 1982, and both groups are promising “the ultimate summer concert experience with the most impressive lighting and sound production ever and their signature over-the-top pyrotechnics.”
Tickets are now on sale at Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com.
KISS and Motley Crue THE TOUR:
Jul 20 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live
Jul 21 Virginia Beach, VA Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach
Jul 22 Raleigh, NC Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek
Jul 24 Atlanta, GA Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood
Jul 25 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Jul 27 West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheater
Jul 28 Tampa, FL 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre
Jul 31 Pelham, AL Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
Aug 3 Houston, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Aug 4 Dallas, TX Gexa Energy Pavillion
Aug 7 Albuquerque, NM Hard Rock Casino Presents The Pavilion
Aug 8 Englewood, CO Comfort Dental Amphitheatre
Aug 10 Phoenix, AZ Ashley Furniture HomeStore Pavilion
Aug 11 Las Vegas, NV Mandalay Bay Arts Center
Aug 12 Chula Vista, CA Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
Aug 14 Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Aug 16 Concord, CA Sleep Train Pavilion at Concord
Aug 18 Auburn, WA White River Amphitheatre
Aug 19 Ridgefield, WA Sleep Country Amphitheater
Aug 24 Grand Junction, CO Rock Jam
Aug 26 Tulsa, OK BOK Center (on-sale 3/30)
Aug 27 Maryland Heights, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Aug 29 Minneapolis, MN Minnesota State Fair (on-sale 3/31)
Aug 31 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend MusicCenter
Sep 1 Noblesville, IN Klipsch Music Center
Sep 2 Pittsburgh, PA First Niagra Pavilion
Sep 4 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
Sep 5 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
Sep 7 Tinley Park, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
Sep 8 East Troy, WI Alpine Valley Music Theatre
Sep 11 Allegan, MI Allegan County Fair (on-sale 5/5)
Sep 12 Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Center
Sep 13 Toronto, ON Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
Sep 15 Darien Center, NY Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
Sep 16 Mansfield, MA Comcast Center
Sep 18 Scranton, PA Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain
Sep 19 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center
Sep 21 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center
Sep 22 Wantagh, NY Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
Sep 23 Hartford, CT Comcast Theatre
More on KISS [Courtesy of Live Nation Entertainment]:
KISS remains one of the most influential bands in the history of rock and roll. As one of America’s top gold-record champions, KISS has released 44 albums and sold more than 90 million albums worldwide. Decades of record-breaking tours around the globe have included high-profile appearances at Super Bowl XXXIII, the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, the Rockin’ The Corps concert dedicated to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and special guest appearance on the 2009 American Idol finale that boasted 30 million viewers and a 2010 Dr. Pepper Super Bowl commercial and advertising campaign in support of their Hottest Show On Earth tour.
The KISS legacy continues to grow, generation after generation. The unparalleled devotion and loyalty of the KISS Army to the “Hottest Band in the World” is a striking testament to the band’s unbreakable bond with its fans, and just one of the reasons KISS was nominated for induction into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. KISS is currently in the studio recording Monster, the followup to their 2009 chart topping album Sonic Boom and preparing for a major world tour starting in summer of 2012.
More on Motley Crue [Courtesy of Live Nation Entertainment]:
Hailing from Los Angeles, CA, the quartet–Vince Neil (vocals), Mick Mars (guitars), Nikki Sixx (bass) and Tommy Lee (drums)–has commandeered the rock pantheon for over 30 years. In that time, they have accumulated worldwide album sales exceeding 80 million, seven platinum or multi-platinum albums, 22 Top 40 mainstream rock hits, six Top 20 pop singles, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, three Grammy nominations for Best Hard Rock Performance, a New York Times bestselling memoir, and countless sold out gigs across the globe, playing to millions of fans.
Josh Hutcherson currently enjoying box office success as Peeta in The Hunger Games – the first film of the franchise based on Suzanne Collins’ bestselling trilogy of books – and next month he’ll be headlining another theatrical release, Detention (which he also executive produces). Directed by Joseph Kahn and rated R for bloody violence, crude and sexual content, nudity, language, some teen drinking and drug use, Detention is set for an April 13th release.
The Plot:
Josh Hutcherson, Dane Cook, Shanley Caswell, and Spencer Locke star in Detention, a hipster, teen horror-comedy where the local students of Grizzly Lake must survive their final year of high school. Standing in their way is Cinderhella, a slasher-movie killer who has seemingly come to life and is preying on the school’s student body. As the clock ticks and the bodies pile up, the likely suspects are embroiled in a race against time to stop Cinderhella and ultimately save the world… if only they can get out of detention.
Avengers Assemble on Marvel Music/Hollywood Records. (PRNewsFoto/Marvel Music/Hollywood Records)
The soundtrack for one of 2012’s most anticipated films, The Avengers, will be released on May 1st, just days before the film hits theaters. And among the artists contributing tracks for Avengers Assemble will be the first song from Soundgarden in 15 years. The band’s “Live to Rise” will be featured on the end credits of The Avengers.
In the official announcement, Soundgarden stated, “We’ve been hard at work on our new album, which will come out this Fall. When the opportunity arose to write an original song for Marvel’s The Avengers film came our way, we thought it could be a cool match. We are excited to release our new song ‘Live To Rise,’ which is also the only new song in the film. Here’s a taste. Loudest of Love.”
Avengers Assemble Track List:
1. “Live to Rise” Performed by Soundgarden
2. “I’m Alive” Performed by Shinedown
3. “Dirt and Roses” Performed by Rise Against
4. “Even If I Could” Performed by Papa Roach
5. “Unbroken” Performed by Black Veil Brides
6. “Breath” Performed by Scott Weiland
7. “Comeback” Performed by Redlight King
8. “Into the Blue” Performed by Bush
9. “A New Way to Bleed” (Photek Remix) Performed by Evanescence
10. “Count Me Out” Performed by PUSHERJONES
11. “Shoot to Thrill” Performed by Theory of a Deadman
12. “Wherever I Go” Performed by Buckcherry
13. “From Out of Nowhere” Performed by Five Finger Death Punch
14. “Shake the Ground” Performed by Cherri Bomb
ADDITIONAL TRACK ON THE INTERNATIONAL RELEASE:
15. “Pistols At Dawn” Performed by Kasabian
More on Soundgarden [Courtesy of Marvel Music/Hollywood Records]:
With over 21 million records sold worldwide, Soundgarden redefined rock music for a whole generation and had a revolutionary impact on the course of musical history. At the dawn of 2010, the band, Chris Cornell, Matt Cameron, Kim Thayil and Ben Shepherd, announced a new beginning. In the last two years since Soundgarden has reunited, they have headlined festivals, toured the world and released their first retrospective titled Telephantasm which included the previously unreleased song, “Black Rain” and their first live album, Live on I-5. The press has exalted their return to the stage and the music scene.
Rolling Stone called their headline performance at Lollapalooza “an epic set … a blueprint of the Seattle sound,” where the Chicago Tribune hailed them as “one of the last great hard-rock bands to emerge in the last 25 years.” The band are currently in the studio in Seattle writing and recording their first LP in over 15 years, which is set for release in 2012.
May’s going to be a busy month for Carlos Santana. The guitar legend will release Shape Shifter, his 36th album, on May 15th and he’ll be kicking off a two year residency at House of Blues at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas starting in May. Shape Shifter marks the first album Santana will release off of his new label, Starfaith Records.
Shape Shifter is an “instrumental tour de force” with 13 tracks he’s been stashing away from the 1990s to the present. According to the official press release, just one song will feature vocals. The album’s dedicated to Native American Indians with Santana stating: “I encourage any and all countries (that have not as yet done so) to acknowledge the first people of their land, and make this a collective global effort.”
Shape Shifter Track List:
1. Shape Shifter
2. Dom
3. Nomad
4. Metatron
5. Angelica Faith
6. Never The Same Again
7. In The Light of a New Day
8. Spark of the Divine
9. Macumba in Budapest
10. Mr. Szabo
11. Eres La Luz
12. Canela
13. Ah, Sweet Dancer
More on Santana:
Since Santana emerged from the San Francisco Bay Area music scene in the 1960s, the group has sold more than 100 million records, reached more than 100 million fans at concerts worldwide, and been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Santana has won 10 GRAMMYs, including a record-tying nine for a single project, 1999’s Supernatural. With the 2010 release of Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time, Santana joined the Rolling Stones as one of only two music acts in Billboard history to score at least one Top Ten album in each decade from the 1960s on. Among other honors, Carlos Santana is #20 on Rolling Stone’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.”
Jimmy Kimmel (Photo Courtesy of ABC)Jimmy Kimmel has been tapped to host the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards airing on ABC on September 23, 2012. Kimmel will be tackling Emmy hosting duties for the first time, with director/producer Don Mischer returning as executive producer for the 12th time (a new record).
“We are thrilled to have been asked to produce the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards,” stated Mischer. “We love television and look forward to working with the Television Academy and ABC in creating a show that is fast-paced, humorous, unpredictable and at times irreverent, but clearly celebratory of our incredible industry.”
Kimmel will also be hosting the White House Correspondents Dinner in April and has hosted both the American Music Awards and the ESPY Awards.
Soul Asylum will release Delayed Reaction on July 17th, marking their first new album in six years. The band, which recently signed with 429 Records, will also be touring in support of Delayed Reaction (although no tour dates have been announced).
This incarnation of the band features founders Dave Pirner and Dan Murphy with ex-Replacements, ex-Guns N’ Roses bassist Tommy Stinson (who replaced original member Karl Mueller who passed away in 2006), and former Prince drummer Michael Bland.
Talking about the recording process, Dave Pirner said, “It feels like approaching it as an album and a thing that has a sequence, and a thing that is a piece of work in itself is almost an archaic process… Honestly, it’s more organic. Even though you’re using some of this newer technology, the fact that you’re doing it yourself is what made it take so long and the process unique, this time.”
Delayed Reaction Track List:
1. Gravity
2. Into The Light
3. The Streets
4. By The Way
5. Pipe Dream
6. Let’s All Kill Each Other
7. Cruel Intentions
8. The Juice
9. Take Manhattan
10. I Should’ve Stayed In Bed
More on Soul Asylum [Courtesy of 429 Records]:
Originally formed in 1983 in Minneapolis, MN, Soul Asylum has maintained their reputation for honest, heartfelt rock from their beginnings on scrappy local label Twin Tone (which concurrently nurtured the careers of seminal rockers the Replacements), through their commercially successful days on A&M and Columbia Records (where they scored a Grammy for the monster hit single “Runaway Train”). The band has persevered through the good times of garnering several platinum albums and accolades including a performance for the Presidential inauguration of Bill Clinton to enduring the personal tragedy of losing Karl Mueller to cancer six years ago.
Justin Bieber’s much-anticipated first single off of his upcoming album, Believe, is finally here. The Bieb released “Boyfriend” on March 26th and of course immediately it trended on Twitter and shot up the charts on iTunes.
However, we still don’t know the exact release date of Believe (it’s expected sometime this summer).
“While it’s often heartbreaking and deals with tough issues like suicide, the movie addresses bullying in a frank and relatable way that is age appropriate for teens and relevant for middle schoolers if an adult is present to guide the discussion,” stated James P. Steyer, Founder and CEO, Common Sense Media. “The MPAA’s ratings system is inadequate when it comes looking at a movie’s content through the lens of its larger thematic issues. Common Sense Media provides alternative ratings for parents who are looking for more guidance and context than the MPAA provides.”
Director Lee Hirsch added, “The small amount of language in the film that’s responsible for the R rating is there because it’s real. It’s what the children who are victims of bullying face on most days. All of our supporters see that, and we’re grateful for the support we’ve received across the board. I know the kids will come, so it’s up to the theaters to let them in.”
Michigan high school student Katy Butler’s (a victim of bullying) online petition at Change.org to have the rating reversed has gathered nearly half a million signatures, and has the backing of major names in the entertainment world as well as politicians. Commenting on the rating and the Butler’s campaign, TWC President of Marketing Stephen Bruno said, “The kids and families in this film are true heroes, and we believe theater owners everywhere will step up and do what’s right for the benefit of all of the children out there who have been bullied or may have otherwise become bullies themselves. We’re working to do everything we can to make this film available to as many parents, teachers and students across the country.”
Bully will hit theaters on March 30th.
The Story:
Bully is a beautifully cinematic, character-driven documentary. At its heart are those with huge stakes in this issue whose stories each represent a different facet of America’s bullying crisis. Filmed over the course of the 2009/2010 school year, Bully opens a window onto the pained and often endangered lives of bullied kids, revealing a problem that transcends geographic, racial, ethnic and economic borders. It documents the responses of teachers and administrators to aggressive behaviors that defy “kids will be kids” clichés, and it captures a growing movement among parents and youths to change how bullying is handled in schools, in communities and in society as a whole.
May’s going to be a busy month for Carlos Santana. The guitar legend will release Shape Shifter, his 36th album, on May 15th and he’ll be kicking off a two year residency at House of Blues at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas starting in May. Shape Shifter marks the first album Santana will release off of his new label, Starfaith Records. 
