Robert Smith says he has given himself a deadline to finish writing lyrics for The Cure's next studio record. "I want [the words] to mean something, it's not enough that they rhyme," Smith told Reuters. "I find myself stopping short and thinking, 'I've done this before, and better.'" The release date for the band's 14th studio album is tentatively set for May, with tour dates beginning in March. Smith also discussed the Cure's current lineup, which is a four-piece now with the defection of keyboardist Roger O'Donnell and the return of guitarist Porl Thompson. "There's no need for keyboards when you have Porl playing guitar," Smith said. "He can pretty much create any sound you want. He's brought back a sense of urgency and we've got a rock edge again."

Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube will team for a 10-date tour of Canada in January. The trek starts on January 12 in Victoria, with Snoop promoting his current album The Blue Carpet Treatment and Ice Cube supporting his most recent release, Laugh Now, Cry Later. The West Coast Rap tour ends in Winnipeg on January 23.

Performances from Jay-Z's Hangar Tour - when he played seven concerts in seven cities in one day - will be available to Cingular customers this month in the form of ringtones, answer tones and mobile video. The video content will include live performances and backstage footage, while the ringtones will include songs that Jay played in his set like "Kingdom Come," "Show Me What You Got," "Give It To Me" and "Jigga What."

U2 is releasing a limited edition, double live album entitled Zoo2live, but it is only available to members of the Irish band's fan club. The album features 24 songs recorded during the legendary ZOO TV tour in the early '90s and includes a double-sided poster from their 1993 gig in Sydney, Australia.