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HOLLYWOOD – With an ambitious lineup of live performances by two artists, video premieres and more clips, Pete Wentz and MTV proved on Wednesday night that they're really getting good at this "F'N MTV" thing-thang they got going. More.

HOLLYWOOD – Oozing confidence in front of a packed crowd at The Knitting Factory, Kyle Dee, lead singer of The Frantic, has his priorities in order – shaking hands with some industry heads, while eyeing and smiling at girls in the audience.

Without much warning, the projector screen rises and The Frantic begin slamming down the thunder.

Ripping at his clothes and crashing around the stage, 17-year-old Dee embodies all the qualities of an ideal frontman. He's fearless, loses his mind while his band jams and doesn't mind playing it up to the ladies.

"This next song goes to that beautiful girl, right over there," Dee says, before the band breaks into into cover of "Build Me Up Buttercup," a tune originally sung by late '60s British soul group The Foundations.

The Frantic's live show can best be described as the musical equivalent to a skyscraper demolition, because it has all that captivating and fleeting beauty. The band's songs are fast and furious, and the group has enough energy to bring any house to the ground.


[Click the above picture to watch the video interview.]

Despite all the insanity, The Frantic – who hail from Chicago just issued their debut album, Audio & Murder, late last year – found time to catch up with Buzznet outside The Knitting Factory.

"I actually love Buzznet," Dee stated as we walked around the building. "I'm a big fan of All Time Low, and they're all up on there, you know? So I have actually used Buzznet quite a bit."

ATL often get slapped with the "emo" tag, of course ... be careful not to toss around that term when talking about The Frantic. They mocked the idea of being "emo," exclaiming that "music is music." "I think emotions are in every kind of music, so it's kind of a stupid thing to call it," Dee said. "I mean, without emotions, there's no music ... that's what music is ... it's art."


[Click the above picture to watch the video interview.]

The Frantic delivered their art to the masses on a recent tour with Authority Zero. Guitarist Ian Farnesi readily admitted that he had to battle his nerves while on the trek: "The first show we played with them, that night I couldn't fall asleep," he said. "It was great, you know? Like, I was so excited. Like going to Disney World the next day or something."

Speaking of Disney, the band 'fessed up to a guilty pleasure: former Mouseketeer Justin Timberlake. "Yeah, that FutureSex/LoveSounds ... I like how it starts, it's all, 'FutureSex/LoveSounds,' " drummer  Brett Hartwell admitted while imitating the sound effects of the album.

Could a "future" tour with JT happen sometime down the line? Only time will tell ...

Pictured below are soon-to-be newlyweds Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz receiving an early wedding/house-warming gift from Travis Barker: his limited-edition Ghettoblaster Boom Box thing-thang!

Also below, with one of the Ghettoblasters, is legendary old-school skater Christian Hosoi and fellow skater Brian Sumner.

Only 400 players have been made, according to XXL, and the former Blink-182 drummer has been giving out some of them to other artists, like Rick Ross, The Game and collaborator Pharrell Williams. (Barker has remixed Pharrell material in the past and, in 2002, he appeared in the video for "Provider" by Pharrell's N.E.R.D. project.)

According to XXL, Barker recently held a release party for the i931 Ghettoblaster in Hollywood with DJ Spider. Shortly after the shindig, the limited-edition music player reportedly sold out at Barker's boutique store. The damned thing has since been going on eBay for upward of $600, the mag says.

In other Barker news, the tatted drummer – who has previously remixed songs by Rihanna, Flo Rida and others – has been working on a new version of "Big Dreams," a new Cool & Dre-produced street slice by The Game, XXL reports. He's also reportedly set to produce songs for Paul Wall and is contemplating a solo effort.

LOS ANGELES -- With the Mayan Theater about half-full and slowly being filled with puffs of pot smoke, Portishead took the stage last night for their super-secret-show, and welcomed the crowd by announcing that it was a rehearsal for Coachella, and that this whole event is just so they can test their instruments.

The crowd was immediately awestruck, as the band started off with two new songs from their album Third, even the security guards.

It became crystal the band still had it, and if anything were better than ever.

They seemed to be taking a departure from their more trademark trip-hop sound complete with turntables and scratching, to a more shoegazer style.

Mysterons was their third song, and they played it exactly like the CD up to a point, and gave it a unique ending. By now the crowd was swaying like crazy with a sporadic, “WOOO!” being screamed here and there. Even the occasional, “I LOVE YOU GUYS!”

After a couple of songs that were either new or unfamiliar to me, they played Glorybox for their 5th song, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood straight out.

The band seems kind of shy, like they appreciate the crowd 100% but are at the same time a little intimidated by the attention. It’s cool though; you get the feeling that they’re just more into making good music than being in the spotlight.

For song 6 they played Wandering Stars, where they sat down and played the song more as an acoustic “unplugged” version.

I went upstairs at this point to check out the vibe, and everyone was just in a trance, completely engulfed in the music. I nodded in approval and moseyed on back downstairs.

They then played their new single, Over, Sour Times, Roads, several others that I just can’t remember right now.

They came out for a two song encore, and while the very last song was playing lead-signer Beth Gibbons hopped off the stage and stood on the barrier in front of the crowd so that she could shake hands, and greet the audience.

She made sure to span the whole front of the audience as to greet and high-five as many fans as possible.

Then we all cheered like maniacs and filed out of the Mayan, and you could see the expression on everyone’s faces was that of, “Holy Fuck! I am blown away!”

HOLLYWOOD — With the sidewalk roped off and throngs of fans and journalists in attendance, the Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin were inducted into the Hollywood Guitar Center's RockWalk sidewalk gallery on Wednesday. See more.

HOLLYWOOD - Dating rock superstars like Kelly Clarkson and touring with his rock heroes like Counting Crows has not fazed all-American-football-star-turned-crooner Graham Colton. In a recent interview at Buzznet's offices, the singer/songwriter was a walking personification of cool.

Graham Colton opens up to Buzznet...

Big Tanky and i have been dating so long now that when people ask us how long it has been, we look at eachother with blank stares, and can only answer, "...years."

So a few months ago when we first started considering if we wanted to get married or not, it felt normal and natural, and we both were on the same page about our futures. It just felt right. But we sort of filed it away in our minds, because we're sorta broke sometimes, and weddings appear to be expensive.

Then she found a ring that was affordable, and clearly i saw it as the stars telling me it was time to start making plays. I kept hearing my dad's voice in the back of my head saying, "Life is not a 'drill' and you only get one chance at it."

So while she was at work, and on gchat we worked it out, i asked her, she said yes, and the ring was bought! We didn't want them to sell out of this great ring, that had suddenly gone on 25% dicount!!

When she got home from work we talked it out more. I think she was tempted to have us allope to avoid all potential family stuff. But knowing that it means the world to our families and friends, i insisted we go to vegas only to celebrate. And the ceremony has to occur closer to our families so that all interested parties can attend easily.

We then were thinking when she should plan for, and i said summer time-ish, and she said octoberish. Tanky thought summer could work, so because she doesn't feel like planning for this summer, we thought summer 2009 looked mighty fine.

and so that is it. i asked her on messenger. the ring comes in the mail this friday. it will probably be in one of our family member's backyard in summer 2009. and CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!

I'm one lucky sonovabitch.

Here are the rules:

1) Only list 8 facts.
2) You must then list 8 TAGS at the end of the post. This means you must name 8 people on Buzznet who now must do the same blog.
3) Go comment on their profile and tell them to come read yours! Mark demands participation.



1. i smoke weed everyday.

2. i once met John Ritter and shook his hand.

3. my girlfriend is ten times more intelligent and brilliant than i am.

4. i get told i look like keanu reeves all the time.

5. i was born in hollywood california

6. i don't see a problem with drinking tap water.

7. my first car was a brand new Mustang GT convertable at age 15

8. i am going to get paid to write and take pictures someday, it's a fact.

i tag only one person, big tanky.... because some rules are meant to be broken.