AP: Davey Havok Q&A

Davey Havok has expressed himself through many avenues, from hardcore to the darkly melodic platinum heights of AFI’s albums Sing The Sorrow and Decemberunderground to the electro-tinged harmonies of Blaqk Audio, who issued their second album last year. He’s topped the charts and starred on Broadway. And now he’s taking aim at the Barnes & Noble: Spring 2013 saw Havok in a swanky Hollywood hotel reading aloud from his debut novel, Pop Kids, about a fame seeking 17-year-old named Score. Havok spoke to altpress.com about the book, celebrity culture, Zac Efron, David Lynch, Spider-Man and the possibility of new AFI music arriving before 2014. CLICK HERE to read my Q&A.

AP: Passport: Australia Feature

Maybe you're in a band that dreams of touring the world. Perhaps you're a never-say-die music fan who attends more shows a week than family dinners. But we're pretty sure you wondered what it would be like to see some (or play with) cool bands in different parts of the world. That's why beginning this week, altpress.com is launching a new series called PASSPORT, where we will compare and contrast the differences in how the punk scenes of various countries function.

Ryan J. Downey starts our series with a piece centering on Australia. And if you ever complained about driving two hours to see a band, imagine what it would be like to have to travel, say 13 hours for one show...

CLICK HERE to read my report.

MTV: Box-Office Report

"Pain & Gain" was the box-office champ in North America over the weekend, but it was a mighty Avenger who ruled overseas. CLICK HERE to read the rest of my report.

MTV: Box-Office Preview

This weekend, the Rock and Mark Wahlberg are staged to outmuscle Tom Cruise.

"Pain & Gain" puts director Michael Bay back in his "Bad Boys" buddy action-comedy zone. Wahlberg and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson star as bodybuilders-turned-criminals, based on real events in the late '90s. The movie is expected to collect over $20 million this weekend, which should be enough to beat last weekend's #1 film, "Oblivion."CLICK HERE.

MTV: Box-Office Report

Tom Cruise is back in business.

Following the underwhelming performance of "Rock of Ages" and the so-so domestic tally of "Jack Reacher," mega-star Tom Cruise is #1 at the box-office again thanks to "Oblivion," the only major new release in theaters over the past weekend. Cruise managed to shake off the sting of his last two pictures with his latest outing, proving that the man who brought us "Top Gun" and "Risky Business" is definitely still in the game.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of my report.

Billboard: Music Supervision in the Digital Age

Take advantage of YouTube, Soundcloud and blogs. That’s been the recurring theme all week at the ASCAP Expo in Hollywood and Friday morning’s “Music Supervision in the Digital Age” panel was no exception, with a few more specifics on offer, too, including the importance of Multi Channel Networks and the necessity of specific targets. CLICK HERE to read the rest of my report.

MTV: Box-Office Preview

"Identity Thief" and "The Croods" have both made over $100 million, but "Oz: The Great and Powerful" seems to be the only true blockbuster of 2013 thus far. But this weekend, Tom Cruise and "Tron: Legacy" director Joseph Kosinski are looking to change that with "Oblivion," a sure thing for the #1 spot with no other widespread releases hitting theaters. CLICK HEREM to read the rest of my report.

Billboard: Cameron Strang at ASCAP Expo

Today he's the CEO and chairman of Warner/Chappell Music, head of WMG's Music Publishing and Catalog Development division and manages the Los Angeles-based Warner Bros. Records. But less than two decades ago, Cameron Strang was running New West Records out of his house as the indie label's only employee. Before that, he was just a fan. CLICK HERE to read the rest of my report.

Billboard: ASCAP Expo - Confessions of Hit Producers

“Eman” Kiriakou, whose hands were all over Selena Gomez & The Scene’s #1 Billboard single “Who Says” and Hot Chelle Rae’s Billboard #1 “Tonight Tonight,” says he will click on any Soundcloud link Tweeted at him. (That handle, by the way, is @EmanuelKiriakou.) CLICK HERE to read the rest of my report.

Billboard: Chi Cheng Remembered by Metal Community

The hard rock and metal community reacted to the death of Deftones bassist Chi Cheng over the weekend.

Cheng passed away at the age of 42 after being in a semi-conscious state since a November, 2008 auto accident which had initially left him comatose. Despite showing signs of improvement at times over the years, Cheng's mother reported in an online post at OneLoveForChi.com that her son had passed away early Saturday morning after his heart stopped.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of my report.

MTV: Box-Office Report

Nearly 70 years since he joined the Dodgers, Jackie Robinson's groundbreaking story still hits it out of the park.

Sports biopic "42" debuted at the top of the box office over the weekend with $27.3 million, much stronger than many analysts and pre-release polling had suggested. Starring relative unknown Chadwick Boseman as the legendary baseball player, "42" easily bested the weekend's other big new release, "Scary Movie 5," and received an A+ CinemaScore from audiences, a feat accomplished by blockbusters like "The Avengers."CLICK HERE to read the rest of my report.

MTV: Box-Office Preview

As the film-loving public turns its attention toward Sunday's MTV Movie Awards, theatergoers are expected to put either baseball biopic "42" or horror spoof "Scary Movie 5" in the #1 spot at the box office this weekend. On the art house front, MTV Movie Awards Best Male Performance nominee Ben Affleck, fresh off the Oscar victories for "Argo," will be back in theaters this weekend in "To the Wonder," the latest film from "The Tree of Life" director Terrence Malick. CLICK HERE to read the rest of my report.

MovieWeb: 'Trance' Interviews

MTV: Box-Office Preview

Elite soldiers will face off against supernatural fiends in the battle for the box-office crown this weekend, while prehistoric creatures should be satisfied to have a few bites of leftovers. Last week's champ, the action-heavy sequel "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" will face stiff competition from "Evil Dead,"the well-reviewed remake of the 1981 cult horror classic. Industry analysts expect the two to vie for the #1 spot, while the IMAX 3-D re-release of "Jurassic Park" should do decent business. CLICK HERE to read the rest of my report.

MTV: Box-Office Report

With all of the ninja-swiftness of Snake Eyes and the beefy muscle of new team leader Roadblock, "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" gunned down $41.2 million for a #1 debut at the box office this weekend. Bolstered by pricier 3-D tickets and the introduction of both Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Bruce Willis to the series, the action sequel (based on one of the most enduring action figure lines) earned $51.7 million overall in 3,719 theaters during Easter weekend. CLICK HERE to read the rest of my report.