New York's steadfast punk and hip-hop trio the Beastie Boys and sultry songstress Madonna lead this year's pack of nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Afrika Bambaataa, Chic, Leonard Cohen, the Dave Clark Five, John Mellencamp, Donna Summer, and the Ventures round out the nine-nominee ballot. Of those tipped, only five will actually be selected for entrance into the Rock Hall of Fame in a voting process involving over 500 voters. The inductees will be announced in January and honored in a ceremony March 10 at New York City's Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

In order to be considered for induction, an artist must have release their first single at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination, in this case, 1982. This year is the first in which the Beastie Boys and Madonna were eligible for nomination.

Duran Duran Detail LP, Hit Broadway

Duran Duran, purveyors of synthy '80s hits such as "Hungry Like the Wolf," have announced the tracklisting and release date of their much-mooted new album Red Carpet Massacre, due stateside Nov. 13, plus unveiled a supporting stint of shows at New York City's Broadway theatre, the Barrymore. The band, which recorded the fresh LP and follow up to 2004's Astronaut over the past year alongside Justin Timberlake and Timbaland, will unveil their new effort over a nine-date residency at the theatre with over two hours of tunes each night. "We have made an album that we are all really proud of and we wanted to present it in a very unique way," said frontman Simon Le Bon, who is featured in the October issue of Spin. "Staging a run on Broadway is something that we've often talked about over the years -- but the time has never seemed right until now. We started work on Red Carpet Massacre in New York in September of last year, so it feels fitting to be launching it here, just down the road from the studio where we did those first sessions with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland."

Duran Duran residency dates:

11/1, New York, NY (Barrymore Theatre)
11/2, New York, NY (Barrymore Theatre)
11/3, New York, NY (Barrymore Theatre)
11/5, New York, NY (Barrymore Theatre)
11/6, New York, NY (Barrymore Theatre)
11/8, New York, NY (Barrymore Theatre)
11/9, New York, NY (Barrymore Theatre)
11/10, New York, NY (Barrymore Theatre)
11/12, New York, NY (Barrymore Theatre)

Red Carpet Massacre tracklisting:

1. "The Valley"
2. "Red Carpet Massacre"
3. "Nite-Runner" (co-written/produced with Justin Timberlake & Timbaland)
4. "Falling Down" (co-written/produced by Justin Timberlake)
5. "Box Full O'Honey"
6. "Skin Divers" (co-written/produced and featuring Timbaland)
7. "Tempted"
8. "Tricked Out"
9. "Zoom In" (co-written/produced by Timbaland)
10. "She's Too Much"
11. "Dirty Great Monster"
12. "Last Man Standing"

Robert Plant Denies Speculated Zeppelin World Tour

Despite rampant rumors in the wake of the band's recently announced reunion gig, Robert Plant has come forward and denied an ensuing Led Zeppelin world tour. "There'll be one show and that'll be it," Plant told the U.K.'s Daily Express. "We need to do one last great show because we've done some shows and they've been crap." The seminal hard rock band, which was last onstage together -- Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, and bassist John Paul Jones -- in 1985, will perform in London this November alongside deceased drummer John Bonham's son, Jason Bonham. And despite fervent sales for the gig, a tribute to late Atlantic Records producer Ahmet Ertegun, the band will not launch a major outing. "Not for me but I can't speak for anyone else," Plant said. "I should stop having a good time and get old." Sorry, Dave.

Oasis' Liam Gallagher Squashes Blur Beef

Once upon a time, back in the mid-'90s, Manchester's blue-collar rockers Oasis, helmed by loud mouthed brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, and artsy middle-class Londoners, Blur, had Britpop fans torn at the seams with a notorious feud, which was bolstered by a series of simultaneous releases, a little chart battling, and constant press in the U.K.'s tabloids. But now, Liam's once coke-fueled and unruly mouth has stepped forward and, er, offered its praise and squashed the beef.

"I don't mind Blur," Gallagher told U.K. mag Mojo. "I'm over it [the rivalry]. It was a laugh, man, that's what you do when you're young… When I see Damon Albarn, I buzz off him. If I was still caught up in it now I'd be a right wanker." And earlier this year, Liam's brother Noel offered a few words of his own to NME.com. "You know Damon [Albarn, Blur frontman], bless him, I've got a lot of respect for him. This never comes across in interviews, but I really do mean it," Noel said. "Because I'm indifferent to Damon, he thinks that I think he's a cunt. Our Liam will talk to him. I won't because he's just another singer in a band to me, but I don't think he's a cunt." Ah, how cute.