The ongoing Phil Spector murder trial has resulted in a deadlocked jury. The Los Angeles Times reports that the jury informed Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler it is unable to come up with a unanimous verdict. The jury is reportedly split 7-5 on a decision in the alleged murder of actress Lana Clarkson in 2003 by the legendary record producer. According to Rolling Stone, Fidler could send the trial through the court system once again, or have Spector face a lesser charge.

Michael Jackson is reportedly meeting with a series of music industry insiders and promoters regarding a major new album and tour, possibly by the end of 2008 or early 2009. A Jackson associate told the Chicago Sun-Times that, "This is something Michael is carefully planning. I think the album is going to be amazing. From what I've heard, it will be as big as Thriller, and yet will take his music in a new direction to appeal to new, younger fans, but will still have those Michael touches his traditional fans love." Believe it or not, Janet Jackson and some of Michael's brothers could even be involved, doing duets with him on a number of tracks. Akon also recently revealed that he's been working with Jackson. He told MTV News that he's "not supposed to be talking about this," but that working with M.J. is incredible. "He's a genius. Just to be in the same room [with him], I felt everything I wanted to accomplish in life has been achieved," said Akon. "That's how incredible that aura is. We about to shake the world up, man. You know how you be with somebody and you can't even explain [the feeling]? I used to sit and think, 'How does somebody sell so many records and dominate a whole business genre, to a point [where] nobody can't be a part of that without associating with you?' The way he thinks... some artists think regional, some think national, I was thinking international. He thinks planets. It's on another level."

Modest Mouse

The mtvU Woodie Award nominees have been announced, with The Shins leading with three nods. Modest Mouse, Gym Class Heroes, Lily Allen, Justice, Linkin Park and The Academy Is... all received two nominations. The awards are aimed at college students, who can vote on the awards via mtvU until November 2. Some of the other nominees include Amy Winehouse, Thom Yorke, Common, M.I.A., Spoon, Paramore and TV On The Radio.

Rapper Fat Joe will release his eighth record, The Elephant In The Room, on Imperial Records early in 2008. Billboard reports that Joe has collaborated with Diddy, Scott Storch, Rick Ross and Fabolous, among others, on the album.

The University of Massachusetts already has one graduate and one undergraduate course that focus on Grateful Dead, and now the school will take it a step further with a university conference on the legacy of the Dead experience. Unbroken Chain: The Grateful Dead in Music, Culture and Memory will be held from November 16 to 18 at UMass Amherst and will bring together more than 50 presenters for 20 panel sessions ranging from music composition and improvisation to an examination of the band’s business model, as well as musical performances, gallery exhibits and movie screenings. Panelists will include “Mountain Girl” Carolyn Garcia, first wife of guitarist Jerry Garcia; David Gans, host of Grateful Dead Radio Hour for the past 20 years; and Dan Healy, who designed and built the “Wall of Sound,” famed enabler of the Dead’s improvisational style. There also will be a keynote address by Dennis McNally, longtime Dead publicist and author of Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead.

The always-prolific Ryan Adams will release a new EP on October 23. Follow The Lights includes two new tracks, re-recorded versions of older tunes and a cover of Alice In Chains' "Down In A Hole."

A new compilation of Gorillaz b-sides from 2004's Demon Days, entitled D-Sides, will be released on November 6. The two-disc set includes remixes of the hit "Feel Good Inc." and will also be available as a deluxe edition.

MuteMath will re-enact the backwards video for their new single "Typical" on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight (September 19) on ABC by performing the song... in reverse! MuteMath is currently on tour throughout North America with dates announced until mid-November.

Perry Farrell has launched his own independent label, Bells Are Ringing. His new Satellite Party project's album Ultra Payloaded will be re-released via Bells Are Ringing, after originally coming out on Columbia. "I'm very excited to become part of this new independent trend where artists will have more creative freedom, make higher profits on the sales of their music, and most of all, it allows me, the artist, to own my art, my masters," Farrell said in a statement.