Miley Cyrus splits from her 'Hannah Montana' TV personality

Tuesday, July 22nd 2008, 4:00 AM

Miley Cyrus

Cyrus' new album

MILEY CYRUS. "Breakout" (Hollywood Records)

Miley Cyrus commits a capital crime on her new CD: She murders her own TV character, Hannah Montana, so she can finally, fully become herself.

Anyone who is not a girl between the ages of 6 and 9 - or who doesn't live in a house with one - will need a little bit of an explanation here. Functioning as the most schizophrenic teen idol since Patty Duke played two roles on her '60s TV show, Ms. Cyrus appears as both herself and as her secret "rock star" persona, Hannah Montana, on the like-named Disney Channel smash.

In a marketing scheme as shrewdly planned as a military campaign, Disney first had Cyrus record a CD entirely under the "Hannah" character name in '06. Then they put out a two-album transitional work, with one disk yapped by "Hannah," the other by Miley.

Now for the new CD, titled "Breakout" (get it?), it's all Miley all the time. More, they've released it not on the namby-pamby Disney wing of the company but on their more grown-up Hollywood Records imprint.

At least that's the stated plan.

Anyone expecting the new CD to offer something more adult - like, say, a sonic corollary to Cyrus' controversial semi-incestuous/kinda nude shot in Vanity Fair with her dad, Billy Ray Cyrus - will be sorely disappointed. "Breakout" sounds amazingly like any other "Hannah/Miley" project, rife with scrappy little faux-rockers that suggest Avril Lavigne for the juice-box set. If the album means to age Cyrus' core audience, it's likely to nudge it only from 9 to 12, tops.

Then again, there may be nuances I'm not getting here. An adult would need the sonic equivalent to the world's most powerful electron microscope to tell the difference between the Hannah and Miley songs to begin with.

Let's see: Hannah is a cheeky scamp who sings sneery little rockers in a blond wig. Miley is a cheeky scamp who sings sneery little rockers while sporting her own auburn hair. The only difference detectable this time is that the old Miley/Hannah hybrid actually sounded slightly edgier than full-tilt Miley. Blurrier production, and added echo, numbs even more of the impact.

To be fair, Ms. Cyrus owns a serviceably energetic voice, and the songs penned for her are passably catchy. No doubt they'll inspire screeches throughout the nation's entire elementary school system. There's even a bit of social commentary this time, via a pro-ecology song ("Wake Up America"), though for some reason Miley sings it like it's just another answer-back song.

Either way, there's no getting around the fact that Miley has historical value. She's the first moderately defiant rocker ever marketed to a demo this pink. More than girl power, this is brat power, in the process incubating an entire generation of potential Courtney Loves. You decide if that's progress.

jfarber@nydailynews.com

Janet Jackson's 'malfunction' fine nixed

The Associated Press

Tuesday, July 22nd 2008, 4:00 AM

A federal appeals court Monday threw out a $550,000 indecency fine against CBS for Janet Jackson's breast-baring "wardrobe malfunction" at the 2004 Super Bowl.

The three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Federal Communications Commission "acted arbitrarily and capriciously" in issuing the fine for the fleeting image of nudity.

Ninety million people were watching the Super Bowl when singer Justin Timberlake reached for Jackson's chest.

The court found that the FCC fine for the "broadcast of a nine-sixteenths of one second glimpse of a bare female breast" deviated from its nearly 30-year practice of fining broadcast indecency only when it was extremely "pervasive."

The top producer who hit the skids

MIAMI, Florida (AP) -- Just a few years ago, Scott Storch was one of the top producers in pop music, living in a $10.5 million mansion on an exclusive Miami island, driving a phalanx of luxury cars and dating the likes of Paris Hilton and Lil Kim.

Scott Storch's identifiable production sound made him a hot commodity in the music world.

Nowadays, Scott Storch, 34, is missing in action. He owes over $500,000 in real estate taxes and had a warrant out for his arrest when he failed to show up in court in a child-support case last month. He has not had a top 10 hit in three years. He still has his waterfront marble mansion, but his lawyer, Guy Spiegelman, says Storch is attempting to refinance it after a "catastrophic occurrence this year" resulting from "mismanagement." Storch no longer works with his old manager or publicist. He hasn't talked to either of his children in months.

Replete with tragic details and bad behavior, the ballad of Scott Storch may be the swan song of the bling era, a riches-to-rags tale of excess, poor decisions and a hobbled music industry.

Born in Nova Scotia, Canada, and raised in South Florida and the Philadelphia area, Storch is a high-school dropout from a broken, middle-class family who turned serious musician chops and intense ambition into a high-flying career. Vanessa Bellido met him when they were both in high school and he was a talented keyboardist.

"He always knew what he wanted to be," she says. "He would play the piano unbelievably. He was like, 'I'm going to make it, I'm going to make it.' Even at 15 he was an old soul. Real smart, real different."

While still a teen, Storch was a founding member of the Roots. He produced their breakthrough single "You Got Me," which helped Philly's acclaimed live hip-hop band win a Grammy, and gave the sandy-haired Jewish producer serious hip-hop credentials. Deciding he preferred studios to touring, Storch moved to Los Angeles to work with Dr. Dre. There his keyboard loops helped form the basis of such hits as "Still D.R.E." He produced seven tracks on Christina Aguilera's "Stripped" album, including "Can't Hold Us Down," which featured Lil Kim.

Storch decided to return to his Florida roots to, as he has said, build his empire. Beginning in 2003, the hits rolled in: Beyonce's "Naughty Girl," Terror Squad's "Lean Back," 50 Cent's "Candy Shop," and Chris Brown's "Run It."

Batmobile and flames at premiere

A giant Batmobile drove down the red carpet and flames shot into the sky at the European premiere of Dark Knight in London's Leicester Square.

Actor Christian Bale told reporters he was surprised at the success of the Batman sequel which has already taken a record $158m (£78m) in North America.

Bale - in the lead role for a second time - joined Sir Michael Caine and Maggie Gyllenhaal on the red carpet.

He praised his co-star, the late Heath Ledger, who played the Joker.

Christian Bale would consider doing a third Batman film

"He did an incredible job with the Joker... I enjoyed watching him perform."

He said Ledger brought an anarchic element to the role.

And director Christopher Nolan also came in for praise from Bale.

"I think he's one of the best filmmakers around bar none and he's going to continue to make some stunning movies in the future."

Bale said the success of the film had been "an incredible surprise" to him.

"Most of the movies that I've done have bombed," he joked.

"I've been referred to as 'box-office poison' quite a lot."

In pictures: Dark Knight premiere

Gyllenhaal, who played Rachel Dawes, said she was "so glad to be a part" of the success of Batman.

"When I first started making movies I didn't care if anyone saw them, and now I realise I don't want to make movies for the 10 people who feel the same way about the world as I do."

Sir Michael, who is seen as faithful butler Alfred, has already said he would be "very surprised" if Ledger failed to win an Oscar as "one of the greatest villains you've ever seen".

He told a press conference on Monday: "I think the minimum he'll get nominated for is an Oscar.

"And if he doesn't get the Oscar I will pay good money to see the performance that does."

Ledger died in January at the age 28 from an accidental drugs overdose.

BY-BBC NEWS

Leno to leave Tonight in May 2009

Comedian Jay Leno will host his last Tonight Show next May, TV network NBC has said.

The 58-year-old will last make his last appearance on 29 May, with replacement Conan O'Brien starting the following Monday, 1 June.

NBC executives said they were looking for ways to keep him at the network in a role other than as a late-night host.

Leno has been fronting the US talk-show since taking over from veteran Johnny Carson in 1992.

"We're still talking to Jay about staying within NBC Universal," said Marc Graboff, co-chairman of NBC Entertainment.

"We've made our decision, we're happy with it and were very confident The Tonight Show will continue to be dominant."

'Definitely done'

Leno's future has been the subject of speculation since NBC announced that he would step down at some point in 2009 four years ago.

In a recent interview with USA Today, Leno indicated he was ready to leave the network saying: "I am definitely done next year - with NBC."

Other broadcasters are known to be interested in hiring the comedian, who has long reigned supreme in US television's late-night ratings wars.

"We believe there is still room for him to be on the air," Graboff said, but he acknowledged that if Leno chose to leave there was little NBC could do about it.

Leno's replacement O'Brien, 45, currently hosts the Late Night show that immediately follows The Tonight Show.

Saturday Night Live veteran Jimmy Fallon has been named as O'Brien's successor.

BY-BBC NEWS

Mercury shortlist to be announced

The 12 nominees for this year's Mercury Prize will be announced later.

All albums made by UK and Irish acts are eligible for the award, won last year by the Klaxons with their release Myths of the Near Future.

Big-selling acts who are in contention for the 2008 shortlist include Radiohead, Coldplay and Duffy.

The prize and the accompanying £20,000 cheque have been presented annually since 1992, when they were given to Primal Scream for Screamadelica.

Radiohead gained considerable attention last year by announcing their album, In Rainbows, would be available initially online, with fans paying what they wanted to download the MP3 files.

Coldplay topped the UK and US charts with their latest release, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends.

Robert Plant (right) is a contender for his album with Alison Krauss (left)

And Welsh soul star Duffy became the first artist to sell a million copies of an album in 2008, with her debut Rockferry.

If the judges were to favour pop acts on this year's shortlist, Leona Lewis - who spent seven weeks at number one - James Blunt or Adele could be included.

Singer-songwriter Kate Nash may also feature, along with ex-Led Zeppelin star Robert Plant, whose album with country musician Alison Krauss - Raising Sand - was also released in the past 12 months.

The nominations are announced on Tuesday, with the winner confirmed at a ceremony in London on 9 September.

BY-BBC NEWS

Talking Shop: Chaka Khan

Global soul icon Chaka Khan is back in the UK with her first brand new material in a decade.

Her album, Funk This, marks a return to her musical roots with Rufus, the 70s band she fronted which launched her career.

The 2007 album is receiving a renewed promotional push after winning a Grammy for Best R&B album earlier this year.

Here, the diva discusses her heroes, her musical legacy, and how she kicked her drug habit.

BY-BBC NEWS